BRIT LIT MIDTERM HAMLET

Hamlet

• Prince of Denmark

• tormented by his father’s death, his mother marriage to uncle

• & uncle embarrassing Denmark internationally

• he is tasked with revenge (must kill Claudius)

Ophelia

• Daughter of Polonius

• Hamlet’s love interest

Polonius

• father to Ophelia and Laertes

• very nosy, talks a lot

• tries to appear smarter than he is

• killed by Hamlet

Laertes

• Swordsman

• son of Polonius

• goes to Paris to study

Claudius

• King of Denmark

• Old Hamlet’s brother

• Killed Old Hamlet

• Hamlet is trying to kill him

Ghost ( Old Hamlet)

• appears dressed in armour

• asks Hamlet to get revenge for him and kill Claudius

• only visible to certain people

Gertrude

• old Hamlet’s widow

• marries Claudius

• Witnesses Hamlet kill Polonius

Horatio

• Hamlet’s trusted friend

• he is asked by Hamlet to keep an eye on Claudius during the play

Rosencrantz/ Guildenstern

• Hamlet’s childhood friends

• asked by king & queen to find out why Hamlet is acting weird

• they lie to Hamlet about why they are there

Act 1

• Guards see a ghost and get scared

• Horatio tells Hamlet it looks like his father

• Hamlet talks to Ghost, who tells him he was killed by Claudius and that he must avenge him

• Laertes warns Ophelia abt Hamlet b4 leaving for Paris

• Polonius tells Ophelia to stop talking to Hamlet

Act 2

• Polonius believes that Hamlet’s weird behavior is bc of Ophelia

• goes to tell the King & queen, and they make a plan to spy on Ham

• Rosen & Guilden arrive

• The Players arrive

Act 3

• the rejection of Ophelia

• “Get thee to a nunnery”

• Hamlet tests Claudius guilt by having Players interact how the king killed the Ghost

• Claudius has a guilty reaction, confirming his theory

• Hamlet tries to killed Claudius but decided to wait bc he thinks he is praying

• Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius thinking it was Claudius while talking to Gertrude

Catholics

believe ghosts are souls trapped in purgatory

protestants

don’t believe in Purgatory, believe ghosts are demons

Culture

• you must make penance before you die or your sins are not forgiven

• takes place during the English Reformation

Themes

Grief, revenge, insanity, When is it okay to kill?