Hamlet is a classic play. Many United Kingdom citizens and others are very familiar with the tragic story. The play starts with young Hamlet grieving over the loss of King Hamlet of Denmark, his father. Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother, has remarried to Claudius, King Hamlet’s brother. Young Hamlet fears that Claudius has murdered his father, King Hamlet. Two of Elsinore Castle’s guards see a ghost and rush to tell Hamlet. The ghost is Hamlet’s father, coming to tell Hamlet of his tragic death. He tells Hamlet that Claudius did in fact murder him, with an ear poisoning. After hearing this news, Hamlet feigns madness.

Claudius, Gertrude, and Claudius’s advisor Polonius send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet. Polonius sent Laertes, his son, to France. Polonius told Ophelia, his daughter, to never see Hamlet. Polonius feared that Hamlet might do to Ophelia the unimaginable. The actors come to Elsinore to meet with Hamlet. Hamlet tells them to “insert some actions” that impersonate King Hamlet’s death. Claudius is furious, but does not show any major signs that he murdered King Hamlet. Gertrude confides Hamlet about the play that the actors performed. While talking they hear something rustling behind the curtain. Hamlet, thinking that the noise behind the curtain is Claudius stabs it. The noise ends up to be Polonius instead of Claudius! Hamlet regrets his foul actions. Claudius gets worried that Hamlet might try to kill him, so he ships him to England. Hamlet is on his way to England and finds out that Claudius is going to have him killed. He changes the killers’ plans so that they kill Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. After, Hamlet is kidnapped by pirates and then given back to Claudius for ransom.

Meanwhile, Laertes returns from France to find his father dead. Ophelia does not take his death well, surrendering to insanity, which causes her to drown in a river. When Hamlet returns, Claudius uses Laertes to finally eliminate Hamlet. Laertes and Hamlet arrange a sword fight, which is when Claudius poisons Laertes’s sword and the victory goblet to ensure Hamlet’s death. They have the fight and Laertes illegally scratches Hamlet. As Hamlet weakens, they switch swords and Hamlet scratches Laertes in return. Hamlet fatally stabs Claudius while he is still weakening. Laertes dies and Hamlet begins his death speech. Hamlet wants Horatio to tell the story of King Hamlet’s death. Horatio doesn’t want to, he only wants to kill himself. The prince of Norway, Fortinbras, arrives . Hamlet’s last wish is that he become the King of Denmark.

 

 

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