HAMLET William Shakespeare WHY SHAKESPEARE n Human experience

HAMLET William Shakespeare

WHY SHAKESPEARE? n Human experience is universal n n Viewed through Shakespeare just as well as any other literary text Shakespeare’s works concern themselves: n n n Love Hate Betrayal Triumph Tragedy Revenge

Allows you to gain the ability to see the world from perspectives very different from your own n Language forces you to read critically and carefully n Allows you to intensely examines moral and philosophical values n

Examine the social values of the Elizabethan age and today n Discussions on ethnicity, gender, and class n

KEY FACTS Full Title- The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark n Genre- Revenge Tragedy n Time and Place Written- London, England early 17 th Century n Date of First Publication- 1603 n

LITERARY ELEMENTS n Protagonist n Hamlet n Antagonist n Claudius Settings n n Time n n The late medieval period Place n Denmark

LITERARY ELEMENTS n Point of View n n Tense n n Hamlet’s Present Climax n The duel between Hamlet and Laertes in ACT V SCENE ii which leads to the deaths of Hamlet, Laertes, Claudius, and Gertrude

LITERARY ELEMENTS n Falling Action n n Fortinbras’ arrival at Elsinore after the deaths of the royal family in Act V scene ii Tones n Dark, ironic, melancholy, passionate, contemplative, desperate, violent

LITERARY ELEMENTS n Themes (the fundamental and universal ideas explored in a literary work) n n n Relationship between thought and action Revenge Morality The connection between the health of a nation and the moral legitimacy of its ruler Suicide Family relationships

LITERARY ELEMENTS n Motifs (literary devices that help to develop the major themes) n n n Incest Darkness and the Supernatural Misogyny (hatred of women)

LITERARY ELEMENTS n Symbols n n Yorick’s Skull (physical consequences of death) The Ghost (spiritual consequences of death)

MAIN CHARACTERS n Hamlet n n n Prince of Denmark About 30 years old Son of Queen Gertrude and the late King Hamlet Nephew to Claudius (current King) Melancholy, bitter, cynical, and full of hatred for his uncle’s scheming and full of disgust for his mother’s sexuality Is sometimes indecisive and hesitant but at other times prone to rash and impulsive acts

MAIN CHARACTERS n Gertrude n n n Queen of Denmark Hamlet’s mom Recently married Claudius (Hamlet’s uncle) Shallow Weak Seeks affection and status more urgently than truth

MAIN CHARACTERS n Polonius n n n Pompous Conniving old man Father of Laertes and Ophelia

MAIN CHARACTERS n Ophelia n n n Polonius’ daughter Beautiful young woman Hamlet has been in love with her Depends on men to tell her how to behave Goes mad (insane)

MAIN CHARACTERS n Fortinbras n n n Prince of Norway His father-Fortinbras was killed by Hamlet’s father-King Hamlet Wants to attack Denmark to avenge his father’s honor

MAIN CHARACTERS n The Ghost n n King Hamlet Claims to have been murdered by Claudius Tells Hamlet to avenge his death Ghosts in Shakespeare usually represent disorganization in the universe

MAIN CHARACTERS n Rosencrantz and Guildenstern n Two bumbling courtiers Former friends of Hamlet Claudius and Gertrude ask them to find out the cause of Hamlet’s strange behavior