Background Written by William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Hamlet is considered one of the greatest dramas ever written. It’s a political thriller, a murder mystery, and a tragic tale of vengeance. Set in Denmark, the play revolves around Prince Hamlet’s quest for revenge. As the play opens, Hamlet’s father has died and his uncle Claudius has swiftly married Hamlet’s mother Gertrude and pronounced himself the new king. Horatio, Hamlet’s friend, joins two guards at the castle wall. CHARACTERS The Ghost Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, son of the late King Hamlet and Queen Gertrude Queen Gertrude, widow of King Hamlet, now married to Claudius King Claudius, brother to the late King Hamlet Polonius, councillor to King Claudius Laertes, son of Polonius Horatio, Hamlet’s friend and confidant COURTIERS AT THE DANISH COURT Voltemand Cornelius DANISH SOLDIERS Francisco Barnardo Marcellus Place: Denmark Drama by William Shakespeare from THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET 55
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THE HAMLET TRAGEDY OF · revenge. As the play opens, Hamlet’s father has died and his uncle Claudius has swiftly married Hamlet’s mother Gertrude and pronounced himself the new
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Background Written by William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of
Hamlet is considered one of the greatest dramas ever written. It’s a
political thriller, a murder mystery, and a tragic tale of vengeance. Set
in Denmark, the play revolves around Prince Hamlet’s quest for
revenge. As the play opens, Hamlet’s father has died and his uncle
Claudius has swiftly married Hamlet’s mother Gertrude and
pronounced himself the new king. Horatio, Hamlet’s friend, joins two
guards at the castle wall.
CHARACTERS
The Ghost
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, son of the late King Hamlet and Queen Gertrude
Queen Gertrude, widow of King Hamlet, now married to Claudius
King Claudius, brother to the late King Hamlet
Polonius, councillor to King Claudius
Laertes, son of Polonius
Horatio, Hamlet’s friend and confidant
COURTIERS AT THE DANISH COURT
Voltemand Cornelius
DANISH SOLDIERS
Francisco Barnardo
Marcellus
Place: Denmark
Drama by William Shakespeare
from
THE TRAGEDY OF
HAMLET
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ACT I
Scene 1 • A guard platform at Elsinore Castle.
[Enter Barnardo and Francisco, two sentinels.]
Barnardo. Who’s there?
Francisco. Nay, answer me. Stand and unfold1 yourself.
Barnardo. Long live the King!
Francisco. Barnardo.
Barnardo. He.
Francisco. You come most carefully upon your hour.
Barnardo. ‘Tis now struck twelve. Get thee to bed,
Francisco.
Francisco. For this relief much thanks. ‘Tis bitter cold,
And I am sick at heart.
Barnardo. Have you had quiet guard?
Francisco. Not a mouse stirring.
Barnardo. Well, good night.
If you do meet Horatio and Marcellus,
The rivals of my watch,2 bid them make haste.
[Enter Horatio and Marcellus.]
Francisco. I think I hear them.—Stand ho! Who is there?
Horatio. Friends to this ground.
Marcellus. And liegemen to the Dane.3
Francisco. Give you good night.
Marcellus. O farewell, honest soldier. Who hath relieved you?
Francisco. Barnardo hath my place. Give you good night.
[Francisco exits.]
Marcellus. Holla, Barnardo.
Barnardo. Say, what, is Horatio there?
Horatio. A piece of him.
Barnardo. Welcome, Horatio.—Welcome, good Marcellus.
Horatio. What, has this thing appeared again tonight?
1 unfold: identify.2 rivals of my watch: the others on guard duty with me.3 liegemen to the Dane: loyal subjects of the Danish king.
1. As you read lines 1–37, begin to collect and cite
text evidence.
• Underline clues that identify an important event that has
already occurred.
• In the margin, explain what the section reveals about the
Horatio. Most like. It harrows me with fear and wonder.
Barnardo. It would be spoke to.
Marcellus. Speak to it, Horatio.
Horatio. What art thou that usurp’st5 this time of night,
Together with that fair and warlike form
In which the majesty of buried Denmark6
Did sometimes7 march? By heaven, I charge thee, speak.
Marcellus. It is offended.
Barnardo. See, it stalks away.
Horatio. Stay! speak! speak! I charge thee, speak!
[Ghost exits.]
Marcellus. ‘Tis gone and will not answer.
Barnardo. How now, Horatio, you tremble and look pale.
Is not this something more than fantasy?
What think you on ‘t?
Horatio. Before my God, I might not this believe
Without the sensible and true avouch8
Of mine own eyes.
Marcellus. Is it not like the King?
Horatio. As thou art to thyself.
Such was the very armor he had on
When he the ambitious Norway9 combated.
So frowned he once when, in an angry parle,10
He smote the sledded Polacks on the ice.
‘Tis strange.
Marcellus. Thus twice before, and jump11 at this dead hour,
With martial stalk hath he gone by our watch.
5 usurp’st: unlawfully takes over.6 the majesty of buried Denmark: the buried King of Denmark.7 sometimes: formerly.8 avouch: proof.9 Norway: the king of Norway; Shakespeare often refers to the ruler of a country by the
country’s name.10 parle: meeting with an enemy.11 jump: exactly.
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55
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4. Reread lines 57–73. What mood has Shakespeare established
Horatio. In what particular thought to work I know not,
But in the gross and scope of mine opinion
This bodes some strange eruption12 to our state.
Marcellus. Good now, sit down, and tell me, he that knows,
Why this same strict and most observant watch
So nightly toils the subject of the land,13
And why such daily cast of brazen cannon
And foreign mart14 for implements of war,
Why such impress15 of shipwrights, whose sore task
Does not divide the Sunday from the week.
What might be toward16 that this sweaty haste
Doth make the night joint laborer with the day?
Who is ‘t that can inform me?
Horatio. That can I.
At least the whisper goes so: our last king,
Whose image even but now appeared to us,
Was, as you know, by Fortinbras of Norway,
Thereto pricked on by a most emulate pride,
Dared to the combat; in which our valiant Hamlet
(For so this side of our known world esteemed him)
Did slay this Fortinbras, who by a sealed compact,17
Well ratified by law and heraldry,
12 eruption: an outbreak, often of something evil.13 subject of the land: the ordinary Danish people.14 mart: trade.15 impress: forced service.16 toward: approaching, in preparation.17 sealed compact: prior agreement.
Is not this something
more than fantasy?
Is not this something Is not this something
more than fantasy?more than fantasy?
brazen:
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80
85
90
5. As you read lines 74–129, continue to cite textual evidence.
• Underline sentences that talk about the dead king of Norway, the elder
Fortinbras.
• Circle text that refers to the dead king’s son, the younger Fortinbras.
• In the margin, explain the connection between the ghost and King Hamlet.
18 moiety competent: equivalent portion.19 gagéd: pledged.20 had: would have.21 comart and carriage of the article designed: agreement.22 unimproved mettle: undisciplined character23 sharked up: gathered hastily.24 the mightiest Julius: Julius Caesar, ruler of ancient Rome, who was assassinated.25 the moist star: the Moon.
Marcellus. Let’s do ‘t, I pray, and I this morning know
Where we shall find him most convenient.
[They exit.]
Scene 2 • A state room at the castle.
[Flourish. Enter Claudius, King of Denmark, Gertrude the Queen, the Council,
as Polonius, and his son Laertes, Hamlet, with others, among them Voltemand
and Cornelius.]
King. Though yet of Hamlet our32 dear brother’s death
The memory be green, and that it us befitted
To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom
To be contracted in one brow of woe,
Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature
That we with wisest sorrow think on him
Together with remembrance of ourselves.
Therefore our sometime sister,33 now our queen,
Th’ imperial jointress34 to this warlike state,
Have we (as ‘twere with a defeated joy,
With an auspicious and a dropping eye,35
With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage,
In equal scale weighing delight and dole)
Taken to wife. Nor have we herein barred
Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone
With this affair along. For all, our thanks.
32 our: the “royal we,” referring to oneself.33 our sometime sister: my former sister-in-law.34 jointress: a woman who owns property with her husband.35 an auspicious and a dropping eye: one eye showing good fortune and the other showing
sorrow.
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8. Reread lines 171–181. In a small group, discuss
how this last exchange of dialogue between Horatio and Marcellus
advances the plot. Cite textual evidence in your discussion.
9. As you read Scene 2, lines 1–50, continue to cite text evidence.
• Underline examples of contradictory statements (lines 1–15).
• In the margin, tell what two events this set of contradictory elements
describes.
• In the margin, explain what Claudius says that confirms what Horatio told the