Hamlet

Synopsis

Hamlet's combination of violence and introspection is unusual among Shakespeare's tragedies. It is also full of curious riddles and fascinating paradoxes, making it one of his most widely discussed plays. Professor Hibbard's illuminating and original introduction explains the process by which variant texts were fused in the eighteenth century to create the most commonly used text of today. Drawing on both critical and theatrical history, he shows how this fusion makes Hamlet seem a much more 'problematic' play than it was when it originally appeared in the First Folio of 1623. The Oxford Shakespeare edition presents a radically new text, based on that First Folio, which printed Shakespeare's own revision of an earlier version. The result is a 'theatrical' and highly practical edition for students and actors alike. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Summary

Chapter 1: The Ghost

* Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, is visited by the ghost of his father, King Hamlet.
* The ghost reveals that he was murdered by his own brother, Claudius, who has now married his widow, Gertrude.
* Hamlet vows to avenge his father's death.

Real Example:

"My father's spirit, in arms! All is not well; / I doubt some foul play: would the night were come! / Till then sit still, my soul: foul deeds will rise, / Though all the earth o'erwhelm them, to men's eyes."

Chapter 2: The Play Within the Play

* Claudius and Gertrude suspect that Hamlet is mad due to his strange behavior.
* They hire actors to perform a play that reenacts the murder of King Hamlet.
* Hamlet realizes the truth and confronts Claudius, who flees in guilt.

Real Example:

"The play's the thing / Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."

Chapter 3: The Closet Scene

* Hamlet confronts Gertrude in her private chamber about her role in his father's death.
* He accidentally kills Polonius, Gertrude's chief counselor, who was eavesdropping behind a curtain.

Real Example:

"How now, a rat? Dead, for a ducat, dead! / Bravely done, my lord: brave Hamlet!"

Chapter 4: The Duel

* Claudius challenges Hamlet to a duel in order to eliminate him.
* Hamlet's friend, Horatio, warns him that the duel is rigged.
* Despite the danger, Hamlet agrees to fight, believing that fate will guide his actions.

Real Example:

"If that his majesty would aught with us, / We shall express our duty in his eye; / And let him know so much that we know is / True and is not fit for us to learn."

Chapter 5: The Graveyard Scene

* Hamlet encounters the grave digger as Ophelia, Polonius's daughter, is buried.
* He reflects on the brevity of life and the inevitability of death.
* Hamlet and Laertes, Ophelia's brother, fight in the graveyard, but the duel is interrupted by the revelation that Ophelia has drowned.

Real Example:

"Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow / Of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy."

Chapter 6: The Duel and Death

* Hamlet and Laertes engage in a rematch at the duel.
* Both Hamlet and Laertes are poisoned, and Gertrude drinks a poisoned goblet intended for Hamlet.
* Hamlet kills Claudius with the poisoned sword and dies in Horatio's arms.

Real Example:

"The rest is silence."