William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet is one of his many tragedies that he wrote. This play is set in Denmark and is about a young prince who has recently lost his father the late King Hamlet. His uncle Claudius wants to become king so he marries the queen and his sister-in-law Gertrude. This sudden marriage of Hamlet’s mother to his uncle adds to the stress and unhappiness to the prince. After an encounter with his father’s ghost on a dark misty night Hamlet is told by his father, how he died and why his spirit walks the earth still. Hamlet is told by the ghost that the one who wears the crown of Denmark poured a deathly potion in the king’s ear while he was sleeping in the garden one afternoon. Once the king died, he would marry the queen and rule. The ghost gives Hamlet specific instructions to seek revenge on the murder and to leave the queen alone and let heaven decide her fate. With this new news Hamlet is determine to make sure the ghost was his father and that Claudius was guilty before any revenge was done. Once verified that Claudius was guilty Hamlets puts together a most unusual plan, which involves the help of his friends Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Horatio. Hamlet is to pretend to act mad to distract everyone from finding out the real plan and when time is right, he will kill his father’s murder. While this is crazy plan is going on Ophelia Hamlet’s love is becoming and frightened by the prince and along with everyone else confused why Hamlet is still depressed. Throughout this plot each character changes from the first time they are introduce in the play to the end. You watch how their relationships with the other characters and each of them play a huge role in the "crazy scheme" which affects the outcome of the story. This tragedy is a very mysterious work of art that has an ending only Shakespeare would write.
What makes the play Hamlet one of the best plays ever written? Its ability to leave the audience pondering the death of King Hamlet, the behavior of his son Hamlet, and the story of the murder. Is Claudius guilty or innocent? Shakespeare writes this play having the mystery relating in every scene. You wonder if the ghost of King Hamlet knows his killer and if Hamlet is “insane” behavior is all an act or if the mourning of his father’s death. Not only is Hamlet obsessed about his father’s death but he ponders on his own death. Throughout the story Hamlet looks at death in many ways and thinks, talks, and questions the afterlife. He wonders if his uncle/step-father is guilty and if so it would be a sin to kill him to avenge his father’s death. The audience also notices that more than once Hamlet talks about suicide and how he has no reason to live however, it would be a sin and then where would he end up in the afterlife. Besides Hamlet, two other characters have a mystery which is brought up when the ghost speaks to Hamlet. Is Claudius guilty? This question is asked many times by Hamlet and the audience. If he killed his brother would Claudius go after Hamlet? Does he ever assume that someone else like Hamlet could find out his murder? This mystery is one that keeps the play going and makes the audience questions everything. Another character who holds a mystery of the murder is Queen Gertrude who is Hamlet’s mother and remarried to Claudius. The audience is told that Gertrude and Claudius had something "going on". Did they plan the whole murder together so Claudius could rule, was she really in love with him and proposed the murder, or is she innocent? The story the ghost of King Hamlet tells leaves a mystery that is never quite solved at the end leaving the audience to image the rest.
By: Emma S.
thanks to...
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/hamlet/summary.html
