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There is something evil in Denmark

There is something evil in Denmark. A beginner’s guide to HAMLET. Hamlet the character is one of the most well-known characters of all literature. Hamlet confuses us with his behaviors and reactions to the on-goings of the Court of Denmark.

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There is something evil in Denmark

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  1. There is something evil in Denmark A beginner’s guide to HAMLET

  2. Hamlet the character is one of the most well-known characters of all literature. Hamlet confuses us with his behaviors and reactions to the on-goings of the Court of Denmark. This is an age-old story of revenge and lust for power, among others… We still have not a clue as to who Hamlet really is: is he mad, or mad in craft? Shakespeare wrote plays like Hamlet to give histories of events that have already occurred-twas the tradition of Elizabethan theater (Queen Elizabeth preferred it that way. Why do we love Hamlet?

  3. HAMLET Prince of Denmark • Son of Gertrude and the former King Hamlet • Rightful heir to the throne; overthrown by evil uncle Claudius • May or may not have loved Ophelia (crazy in love or just crazy) • Avenges father for his murder • “To be or not to be, that is the question”

  4. King Claudius • Brother to elder Hamlet and now wife/sister-in-law to Gertrude • Is scared of what may happen if the younger Hamlet gets in his way of the throne • Can be seen as one of Hamlet’s foils (a complimentary yet different character)

  5. The Ghost is the catalyst for the rest of the play Does Hamlet really see the ghost, or is it a figment of his imagination? Only shows himself to certain people (Hamlet, the men on guard and Horatio) What assumptions did Elizabethan audiences have about ghosts when the play was performed? How did these assumptions affect their viewing? Ghost (King Hamlet?)

  6. Gertrude • King Hamlet’s wife and young Hamlet’s mother • Remarries brother-in-law quickly after her husband’s death and seems unaffected by the loss by telling her son to mourn no longer, but rather rejoice for her happiness repeated times

  7. Hamlet’s only ally in the entire play Sees the ghost of his father and alerts him of the sighting Valiant and brave; understands Hamlets internal turmoil and does his best to assist Tells of Hamlet’s story at the end “good night sweet prince” Horatio

  8. Ophelia • Better known as Hamlet’s girlfriend (or was she?) • Father is Polonius and brother to Laertes, who avenges Polonius’s accidental death • Goes crazy, for good reason, when he former lover kills Polonius in rage (he thinks Polonius is Claudius-tiny mistake really) • Brings about Elizabethan culture into play with flowers and songs about death and memory

  9. Themes of the play • Revenge • Lust for power • Psychological turmoil and rest • Evil versus good • Action versus reservation • Corruption and deception • What else??

  10. Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a play that is very open to interpretation-how many different ones are there? We may never know who Hamlet truly is, but that does not stop us from trying. Where else have we found stories like this in history? Can we make correlations to modern day events? Why do you think Hamlet is so popular? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamlet Conclusions

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