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==Synopsis==

==Synopsis==

Hamlet's friends among the castle guards see a ghost that looks like the dead king.

The play begins with the palace watchmen being terrified by the appearance of a ghost of the old King Hamlet. Meanwhile, in the court, King Claudius (King Hamlet's brother) proclaims his wedding to Gertrude, the widow of King Hamlet and the father of Prince Hamlet. Prince Hamlet is melancholy at both his father's death, and at his mother's "incest" with Claudius. Laertes, son of the king's adviser Polonius, is leaving on a trip. Laertes tells his sister Ophelia to not get too involved with Prince Hamlet; so does her father, so she promises to break off the relationship.  

The King announces his wedding to Gertrude, widow of King Hamlet and father of Prince Hamlet. Her attempts to cheer him up fall flat, and in a soliloquy he accuses her of incest. His friends tell him about the ghost.

 

Laertes, son of the king's adviser Polonius, is leaving on a trip. He tells his sister Ophelia not to get too involved with Prince Hamlet; so does her father, so she promises to break off the relationship.

Horatio tells Hamlet of the ghost sightings, and Hamlet heads out to investigate the appearances. Hamlet chases the ghost into the woods. Now alone, the ghost tells of how he is the spirit of old King Hamlet, tortured in purgatory and awaiting vengeance. He claims he was murdered by Claudius as he lay asleep in the gardens, the brother pouring poison into the King's ear. The ghost commands Hamlet to kill Claudius (but not harm Gertrude) to free him from his suffering. Hamlet is eventually found, alone, by his friends. Hamlet does not tell the others what he has heard.

Hamlet goes and sees the ghost, who tells him the new king murdered him. He tells Hamlet to avenge his death but not to hurt Gertrude. Hamlet doesn't tell his friends what he heard.

 

Polonius dispatches a servant to spy on Laertes, and Ophelia tells her father that Hamlet burst into her room and scared her.

Whilst Polonius dispatches a servant to spy on Laertes, Ophelia tells Polonius that Hamlet burst into her room and scared her.

The King and Queen send two schoolfriends of Hamlet to spy on him. They disagree on why Hamlet is acting strangely. The Queen says it is because of their over-hasty marriage, but the king prefers the story that Hamlet is lovesick over Ophelia, which is what Polonius thinks. They hide while Hamlet comes in and starts insulting Polonius. The schoolmates come in and question him, but Hamlet is suspicious and reveals nothing. Actors come in, and Hamlet has Polonious hire them. The famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy is about his internal struggles: he hates his uncle, he's angry at his mother but he's worried that the ghost might be a demon sent to trick him, so he has the idea of using a play to prove the King's guilt. The plan works brilliantly, as the king is forced to end the play out of his overwhelming grief. Hamlet loudly celebrates his triumph in front of the King and Queen. After his celebration, Hamlet goes to kill the King in one of his personal chambers. Hamlet finds the King praying, and decides not to kill him then, lest his sins be forgiven and he be sent to heaven. Hamlet then goes to his mother's quarters, at the request of his friends. The Queen reprimands him for celebrating at the time of the King's grief. Hamlet counters by unleashing his pent up anger at his mother's incest and lack of sadness for the death of Hamlet's father. When a noise comes from behind a tapestry, Hamlet sticks his sword through, thinking he has stabbed Claudius. Instead, he discovers that he has killed Polonius. After the verbal assault, the Queen realizes her own foolishness and vows to no longer sleep with the King.

The King and Queen send two school friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to spy on Hamlet. They disagree on why Hamlet is acting strangely. The Queen says it is because of their over-hasty marriage, but the king prefers the story that Hamlet is lovesick over Ophelia, which is what Polonius thinks. They hide while Hamlet, now apparently insane, enters and begins insulting Polonius. The Rosencrantz and Guildenstern come in and question him, but Hamlet is suspicious and reveals nothing.  

 

A troupe of actors enter, and Hamlet has Polonius hire them. Hamlet commissions the group to enact a specific routine, his reasons for which are presented in the famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy. Hamlet talks of about his internal struggles: he hates his uncle, he's angry at his mother but he's worried that the ghost might be a demon sent to trick him. Hamlet has the idea of using a play to provoke the King, with the troupe acting out a play who's plot strongly resembles King Hamlet's alleged murder. The plan works brilliantly, as the king is forced to end the play out of his overwhelming grief. Hamlet loudly celebrates his triumph in front of the King and Queen. After his celebration, Hamlet goes to kill the King in one of his personal chambers.  

 

Hamlet finds the King praying, and decides not to kill him then, lest his sins be forgiven and he be sent to heaven. Hamlet instead goes to his mother's quarters. The Queen reprimands him for celebrating at the time of the King's grief. Hamlet counters by unleashing his pent up anger at his mother's incest and lack of sadness for the death of Hamlet's father. When a noise comes from behind a tapestry, Hamlet sticks his sword through, thinking he has stabbed Claudius. Instead, he discovers that he has killed Polonius, who was eavesdropping. Hamlet drags the corpse from the scene.

 

Claudius is infuriated by the murder of Polonius and demands Hamlet should show them where he hid the body, but the (seemingly) demented Hamlet refuses. Hamlet is exiled to England, along with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Claudius provides the two with a letter to the English King, stating that Hamlet must be executed on arrival. Meanwhile, Ophelia has descended into total madness over the death of her father. Laertes returns to discover the shocking state of his sister, and demands revenge.

 

Time has moved on, and Hamlet is back in Denmark. Times are unstable, and an invasion, lead by Fortinbras is imminent. He greets Horatio, and explains how his voyage was interrupted by pirates. Whilst fighting them off, he discovered Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s letter. He replaced it with an alternative letter which stated the two should be executed on arrival instead. He then made his way back to Denmark in secret. As they chat, they oversee two drunken grave diggers in a freshly dug plot. Hamlet exchanges jokes with the two, whilst they exhume the remains of the old court Jester, Yorick. Hamlet grows nostalgic on seeing the bones of the old entertainer ("Alas, poor Yorick / I knew him, Horatio"). Meanwhile, a funeral procession arrives, with Claudius, Gertude and Laertes present. Hamlet discovers the body is that of Ophelia. She drowned, possibly in an act of suicide. Distraught, Hamlet surprises the funeral procession with his presence, and leaps into the grave to embrace her. Laertes, infuriated that Hamlet is disrupting his sister's burial, brawls with him. The two men are forced apart, and Claudius proclaims that the two should settle their dispute properly; by duel.

 

On the day of the duel, Claudius plots with Laertes to rig the fight. He provides Laertes with a poisoned foil, and places more poison in Hamlet's drink. The two men begin to duel. Hamlet proves to be the superior swordsman, but is eventually slashed by Laertes in between boughts. Hamlet loses his temper and scuffles with Laertes. The two swords are swapped in the confusion, and Hamlet pierces Laertes with the poison blade. Gertrude, to Claudius's horror, drinks from Hamlet's goblet, and is poisoned. Laertes, now dying, reveals Claudius' scheme. Gertrude dies. Hamlet flies into a rage, stabs claudius, and forces him to drink the last of the poison. Claudius dies. Hamlet dies from his wound. Horatio is the only one left. Fortinbras and his invasion force enter the court and see a pile of bodies before them. A messenger proclaims that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead. Fortinbras proclaims himself ruler, offering a possible glimmer of future stability.

 

==Movies==

==Movies==