Major Characters in Shakespeare's Hamlet

Fourteen question-and-answer flashcards summarising the principal characters introduced in the student’s notes on Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Who is the Prince of Denmark in Shakespeare's Hamlet?

Hamlet

Who occupies the throne of Denmark at the start of the play?

King Claudius

What familial relationship does Claudius have to Hamlet?

He is Hamlet's uncle (and later step-father).

Who is Queen Gertrude?

Queen of Denmark and Hamlet's mother.

Whose ghost appears to the watch and to Hamlet?

The Ghost of King Hamlet, Hamlet's deceased father.

What position does Polonius hold at court?

He is the king’s counsellor (Lord Chamberlain).

Who is Ophelia in relation to Polonius?

She is Polonius’s daughter.

Who is Laertes?

Son of Polonius and brother to Ophelia.

Who is Reynaldo and what is his role?

He is a servant of Polonius, sent to spy on Laertes.

What diplomatic mission is assigned to Voltemand and Cornelius?

They serve as ambassadors to Norway.

Who are Marcellus and Barnardo?

Members of the king’s guard who first witness the ghost.

Who is Francisco in the play Hamlet?

A soldier on night watch at Elsinore Castle.

Who are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?

Former fellow students of Hamlet summoned to spy on him.

Who is Hamlet’s loyal university friend and confidant?

Horatio