Hamlet: Key Scenes, Characters, and Themes Analysis

The appearance of the ghost in Act 1

Top of the castle where the ghost appears, there every time, same time, always wearing armor, does exist because multiple ppl see it, it looks LIKE old king hamlet.

Hamlet's treatment of his mother (Oedipal Complex)

Oedipal complex, frailty thy name is woman.

Claudius' speech in Act 1, Scene 2

Tells everyone why he took the crown, rumors about fortinbras and ppl pressure him to take it on.

Polonius' speech to Laertes

Gives laertes advice, bullet point 2 or 3 pieces of advice on quiz.

The dialogue between the ghost and Hamlet (Act I, Scene 5)

Has to do w/ when ghost daddy is talking to hamlet, calls into question whether the ghost actually says anything, only hamlet can hear it.

Hamlet's To Be or Not To Be speech

T chart w the 2 pros and 2 cons.

Hamlet's speech to Horatio (Act 3, Scene 2)

Asks horatio to watch claudius during the play, and why he trust horatio.

Claudius' confession and Hamlet's response to it

Claudius praying, hamlet doesnt kill bc he'll just go to heaven, mark of cain.

Gertrude's Bedroom scene (Act 3, Scene 4)

Hamlet: 1. Confronts mom about everything 2. Kills polonius; Gertrude: 1. Confronts Hamlet about how he's been acting 2. Seems generally shocked at 'as bad as kill a king'; Ghost: wrong place, wrong time, no armor, enters and exits thru the door, only hamlet can hear/see it.

Claudius' plans for Hamlet and how Hamlet turns the tables

Claudius plan was initially to send hamlet to england, then was to kill it.

Laertes' reaction to his father's death and Ophelia's suicide

foil, laertes is a foil to hamlet, laertes is hotheaded, emotions makes mistakes in his anger and that drives him, laertes is willing to kill hamlet in a church, do not put he wants to, so dedicated to avenging his father that he is willing to defy god and go to hell to kill hamlet even if hes in a church.

The graveyard scene

foreshadows the deaths to come, and comic relief, the skulls and that death is the great equalizer.

The duel scene and the deaths of everyone

irony of gertrude going against claudius, laertes dying first s odd bc he gets stabbed second but plot device so hamlet can get last word, poison for everybody is ironic bc old king hamlet died from poison, leartes is the king to blame.

Fortinbras' entrance at the end of the play

with sorrow I embrace my fortune, wanted to earn Denmark and didn't get it the way he wanted.

The funerals

ophelias funeral is most important, buried in holy ground even tho she committed suicide, hamlet and laertes jumping in the grave, gertrude switching up, claudius wanting to erect a statue.

Frailty, thy name is woman!

Speaker: Hamlet

Situation: says it to himself in soliloquy about Gertrude, it's just him in the play

Significance: him talking about his mother and all his issues, but broader implications because of ophelia as well and could affect his perception of women in general

This above all: To thine own self be true...

Speaker: Polonius

Situation: polonius is giving advice to laertes before he leaves for school, no need to mention ophelia

Significance: include things like your life your choices your consequences, you do whats right for u u have to live w it

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

Speaker: Marcelus

Situation: Speaking w horatio after ghost and hamlet leave

Significance: Marcellus is making a point that nothing is right, villainy is afoot, murder, people lying spying, connect it to first line of who's there and all the confusion surrounding that

There are more things in heaven and earth Horatio...

Speaker: Hamlet

Situation: Hamlet speaking to horiatio and marcelus after encounter with ghost daddy

Significance: Horatio w all of his intelligence and logic, there are things he doesn't know and is a reminder to humans to have humility bc for all we know we dont know everything so its important to consider other povs, allow for views to change when new information is presented to you

Though this be madness, yet there is method in't.

Speaker: Polonius

Situation: IN AN ASIDE, WHILE TALKING WITH HAMLET

Significance: Polonius is pointing out that Hamlet is acting crazy, yet there is still pattern and logic, calls into question whether hamlet really is cray if there is method to it

Denmark's a prison.

Speaker: Hamlet

Situation: talking to rosencrantz and guildenstern

Significance: Hamlet feels trapped in Denmark by his station as prince, hes not free to marry ophelia, weight of crown, psychosis; madness whether pretend or not, his feelings of grief

...nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.

Speaker: Hamlet

Situation: Talking to rosencrants and guildenstern

Significance: How we react and engage in a situation dictates whether its good or bad, our interactions w the world shape it

The lady protests too much, methinks.

Speaker: Gertrude

Situation: Response to hamlet asking what she thought of the play

Significance: Significance i up to interpretation, c

I must be cruel only to be kind.

Speaker: Hamlet

Situation: Saying it to gertrude in bedroom scene

Significance: Validating why hes being so cruel, aggressive, and hot towards her

Come, my coach! Good night, ladies...

Speaker: Ohpelia

Situation: Speaking in madness to the people in the room, including Claudius and gertrude

Significance: Good night; textual evidences that she is about to commit, connect to soliloquy where good night is metaphor for death

The rest is silence.

Speaker: Hamlet

Situation: His last words to horatio

Significance: All this conflict at this moment doesn't matter, but there's nothing after

For me, with sorrow I embrace my fortune.

Speaker: Fortinbras

Situation: Horatio told him that Hamlet has given him the crown of Denmark

Significance: Fortnibras is a soldier, he wanted to fight for that land and earn it, this is not the way he wanted to get that land, however, he's gonna take the crown bc he is the logical choice w/ no other heir