Hamlet

Synopsis

Edited, Introduced and Annotated by Cedric Watts, M.A., Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of English, University of Sussex.

The Wordsworth Classics' Shakespeare Series presents a newly-edited sequence of William Shakespeare's works. The Textual editing takes account of recent scholarship while giving the material a careful reappraisal.

Hamlet is not only one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, but also the most fascinatingly problematical tragedy in world literature.

First performed around 1600, this a gripping and exuberant drama of revenge, rich in contrasts and conflicts. Its violence alternates with introspection, its melancholy with humour, and its subtlety with spectacle. The Prince, Hamlet himself, is depicted as a complex, divided, introspective character. His reflections on death, morality and the very status of human beings make him 'the first modern man'.

Countless stage productions and numerous adaptations for the cinema and television have demonstrated the continuing cultural relevance of this vivid, enigmatic, profound and engrossing drama.

Summary

Chapter 1

* Plot: Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, returns home from university to find his father has died and his uncle Claudius has married his mother and become king.
* Themes: Grief, betrayal, revenge, mortality.
* Real example: Hamlet's anguish at his father's death and his suspicion of Claudius's motives.

Chapter 2

* Plot: Hamlet encounters the ghost of his father, who tells him that he was murdered by Claudius.
* Themes: Supernatural elements, the quest for truth, justice.
* Real example: Hamlet's struggle to reconcile the ghost's revelation with his own doubts and uncertainties.

Chapter 3

* Plot: Hamlet feigns madness as a way to investigate Claudius's guilt.
* Themes: Deceit, introspection, the power of words.
* Real example: Hamlet's witty and enigmatic exchanges with Polonius, Claudius, and other characters.

Chapter 4

* Plot: A group of traveling actors arrives, and Hamlet enlists their help in exposing Claudius's treachery.
* Themes: Art and performance, the role of the audience, deception.
* Real example: The "play within a play" that Hamlet stages to catch Claudius's guilt.

Chapter 5

* Plot: Hamlet kills Polonius, Claudius's chief advisor, during a confrontation in Gertrude's chamber.
* Themes: Tragic errors, the consequences of rash actions, domestic discord.
* Real example: Hamlet's impulsive decision to kill Polonius, driven by his grief and anger.

Chapter 6

* Plot: Hamlet and Ophelia, a young woman in love with him, go mad and eventually die.
* Themes: Love, heartbreak, the fragility of life.
* Real example: Hamlet's tortured romance with Ophelia, which reflects his larger struggles with grief and doubt.

Chapter 7

* Plot: Claudius sends Hamlet to England, hoping to have him killed.
* Themes: Diplomacy, political intrigue, exile.
* Real example: Hamlet's journey to England, where he encounters pirates and foils Claudius's plot.

Chapter 8

* Plot: Hamlet returns to Denmark and infiltrates the royal court.
* Themes: Revenge, redemption, the cycle of violence.
* Real example: Hamlet's duel with Laertes, which leads to the deaths of Claudius, Gertrude, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and himself.