Reynaldo- Polonius's servant who spies on Laertes.
Claudius has recently become king of Denmark after the death of his brother, the late King Hamlet, who's wife, Gertrude, he married. Denmark is under alert as Claudius prepares for war with Norway. Claudius sends his ambassadors to Norway to ask the king to restrain Fortinbras, as he he fears the prince will attack. Meanwhile Hamlet still mourns his fathers death and is angry with his mother for remarrying so soon. When the ghost of his father is spotted, he follows it and finds out Claudius poisoned the late King Hamlet to take Gertrude and the throne. The ghost of Hamlet's father requests that Hamlet avenges his death but not to punish Gertrude.
Reynaldo begins to spy on Laertes under the orders of Polonius. Polonius then speaks with Claudius after Hamlet comes to his daughter Ophelia in bad clothing and studies her before leaving. Polonius tells Claudius he believes Hamlet is acting like this due to Ophelia rejecting him. Claudius sends Rosencratz and Guildenstern to spy on Hamlet and figure out why he is acting strangely. Then Gertrude tells Claudius the only the thing that could be bothering Hamlet is her remarriage and his father's death. Hamlet then plans to see if the ghost of the late KJing Hamlet was telling the truth about the murder by altering lines in a play that Claudius would see.
Polonius and Claudius listen in on a conversation between hamlet and Ophelia. During the conversation Hamlet grows hostile as he suspects Ophelia of spying. Claudius plans to send Hamlet to England, fearing that Hamlet is dangerous. Claudius and Gertrude arrive to watch the play and the mime performance of the late King Hamlet's death goes unnoticed. When Hamlet sees Claudius's reaction to the altered lines he is convinced the ghost of the late King Hamlet was telling the truth. Hamlet has a private conversation with his mother Gertrude in which he scolds her for remarrying so soon. When Polonius cries out from his hiding place he was using to spy on Hamlet, Hamlet stabs him before continuing to scold his mother. As a result she agrees to stop sharing a bed with Claudius. Meanwhile Claudius decides to send Hamlet to England with Rosencratz and Guildenstern, fearing for himself. While alone he admits, in a soliloquy, that he murdered the late King Hamlet.
Claudius speaks with Gertrude and learns of Polonius's death and is in shock, realizing it could have been him. Gertrude lies for her son Hamlet, telling Claudius that Hamlet is crazy. Claudius orders that Hamlet should be sent away immediately due to his fear. He sends his spies, Rosencratz and Guildenstern to talk with Hamlet and figure out where he hid Polonius's body so they can take it to the chapel. Hamlet calls the spies lapdogs, making them realize that Hamlet knows they ar enot his friends, and agrees to meet with Claudius. When Hamlet and Claudius speak the are each aware of the danger they are in with eachother. Hamlet then reveals the location of Polonius's body and Claudius tells Hamlet he is to be sent to England for his own safety. When Hamlet is gone, Claudius reveals his plan to have Hamlet killed in England and therefor end any later risks. Fortinbras marches through Denmark to attack the Polish and Hamlet laments how he does not have the strength Fortinbras does. He asks himself why he can not fight for honor as Fortinbras does when his father was killed and his mother made a whore in his eyes. Ophelia then learns of the death of her father Polonius and goes mad. Soon after Laertes storms the castle and learns of his fathers death and wants a fencing match with Hamlet as revenge. Laertes then learns of his sister, Ophelia's, death bt drowning. Horatio, Hamlet's friend, is greeted by sailors with news from Hamlet and Horation follows them to learn more.
Hamlet and Horatio speak with a cheerful gravedigger and Hamlet realizes a mans accomplishments are not lasting. While holding the skull of Yorick, a childhood jester he remembers, Hamlet speaks of mans inablitity to control his fate after death. At Ophelia's funeral, the priest almost refuses to bury her due to the popular belief she commited suicide, whichis a sin unworthy of burial. Laertes is angered by this and afterwards fights Hamlet over Ophelia's grave because Hamlet believes that Laertes was exaggerating his sorrow over Ophelia's death and did not love her as much. After the fight Hamlet explains to Horatio how he escaped death in England and instead had Rosencrantz and Guildenstern executed and then tells Horatio of his desire to kill Claudius. Hamlet is summoned to fight Laertes in a fencing match. After Hamlet arrives Gertrude drinks from a poisoned cup meant for Hamlet and dies but not without telling everyone she was poisoned. Hamlet wins the first two rounds of the fight against Laertes but he is stabbed and fatally poisined in the third. During the fight Hamlet and Laertes end up exchanging swords and Hamlet stabs Laertes, poisoning him. As Hamlet is dying he stabs Claudius with the sword, killing him. He then tells Horatio, who wishes to kill himself, to live on and tell his story. He reccomends Fortinbras as the next king of Denmark. Fortinbras then arrives and cleans up the massacre and Horatio swears to tell the story.
Act I
Hamlet- Son of the late King Hamlet. He seeks revenge on his uncle Claudius when he finds out that his uncle killed his father to take the throne.
Claudius- Uncle to Hamlet and brother of the late King Hamlet. He kills his brother to take the throne and Gertrude.
Horatio- Hamlet's best friend and the person he trusts most.
Gertrude- Wife of the late King Hamlet and Hamlet's mother. After King Hamlet's death she marries his brother Claudius.
Polonius- Father of Ophelia and Laertes and spy for Claudius.
Laertes- Son of Polonius and the one who works with Claudius to bring about Hamlet's death.
Ophelia- Daughter of Polonius and sister of Laertes. Hamlet loves her but is eventually betrayed by her when she spies on him for King Claudius.
Characters
Fortinbras- Prince of Norway and son of the late King Fortinbras who was killed by the late King Hamlet. Hamlet tells him that he should be the next king of Denmark.
Rosencratz- Courtier of Claudius who spies on Hamlet.
Hamlet
Claudius
Horatio
Gertrude
Polonius
Reynaldo
Laertes
Ophelia
Fortinbras
Rosencrantz
Guildenstern- Courtier of Claudius that spies on Hamlet.
Act II
Guildenstern
Act III
Act IV
Act V
The end!