Plot Summary (OCR A-Level English Literature): Revision Notes
Plot summary
The ghost's appearance
The story begins on a dark winter night at Elsinore Castle in Denmark. A ghostly figure walks along the castle's ramparts, first spotted by watchmen and then by a scholar named Horatio. This ghost looks exactly like the recently deceased King Hamlet. The late king's brother, Claudius, has taken the throne and married the king's widow, Queen Gertrude.
When Horatio and the watchmen bring Prince Hamlet to see this mysterious apparition, the ghost speaks directly to him. It reveals a shocking truth: it is indeed the spirit of his father, King Hamlet, and the king was murdered by none other than Claudius himself. The ghost commands Hamlet to seek revenge against the man who stole his throne and married his wife. As dawn breaks, the ghost vanishes.
The ghost's revelation sets the entire tragedy in motion. Without this supernatural encounter, Hamlet would never have known the truth about his father's death, making the ghost's appearance the catalyst for all subsequent events.
Hamlet's delay and feigned madness
Prince Hamlet commits himself to avenging his father's death. However, his naturally contemplative and thoughtful personality causes him to hesitate and delay taking action. He falls into a deep state of melancholy and begins to behave as though he has lost his mind.
Claudius and Gertrude become concerned about the prince's strange behaviour and try to understand what is causing it. They employ two of Hamlet's old friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to observe and report on him.
Hamlet's feigned madness serves multiple purposes: it allows him to speak freely, investigate his uncle's guilt, and buy time while he contemplates his course of action. This creates the central tension between appearance and reality that runs throughout the play.
Polonius, the pompous Lord Chamberlain, suggests that Hamlet might be suffering from lovesickness for his daughter, Ophelia. Claudius agrees to spy on a conversation between Hamlet and Ophelia to test this theory. During their encounter, Hamlet behaves cruelly towards Ophelia, ordering her to enter a nunnery and declaring his wish to ban all marriages. Though he certainly appears mad, he shows no genuine love for her.
Testing Claudius's guilt
A troupe of traveling actors arrives at Elsinore, giving Hamlet an idea to confirm his uncle's guilt. He arranges for the players to perform a scene that closely mirrors how he believes Claudius murdered his father. Hamlet reasons that if Claudius is truly guilty, he will surely react when seeing his crime re-enacted on stage.
When the murder scene is performed in the theatre, Claudius suddenly leaps up and storms out of the room. Both Hamlet and Horatio agree that this reaction proves the king's guilt beyond doubt.
The "play-within-a-play" (often called "The Mousetrap") is Hamlet's crucial test of the ghost's truthfulness. Claudius's dramatic reaction confirms both the ghost's honesty and his uncle's guilt, removing any doubt about the need for revenge.
Hamlet goes to kill Claudius but finds him at prayer. He hesitates, believing that killing Claudius whilst he is praying would send his uncle's soul to heaven. Hamlet considers this would be inadequate revenge for a murderer and decides to wait for a better moment.
Now frightened by Hamlet's apparent madness and fearing for his own safety, Claudius orders that Hamlet be sent away to England immediately.
Polonius's death and Hamlet's banishment
Hamlet goes to confront his mother in her bedchamber. Polonius has hidden himself behind a tapestry to eavesdrop on their conversation. When Hamlet hears a noise from behind the fabric, he assumes the king is hiding there. He draws his sword and stabs through the tapestry, killing Polonius.
As punishment for this killing, Claudius immediately dispatches Hamlet to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern as escorts. However, Claudius's plan involves more than simple banishment. He has given Rosencrantz and Guildenstern sealed letters for the King of England, secretly ordering that Hamlet be executed upon arrival.
Polonius's death is a tragic mistake with devastating consequences. This accidental killing triggers a chain of events: Ophelia's madness and death, Laertes' return for revenge, and Claudius's renewed determination to eliminate Hamlet. It marks the point where Hamlet's delay and hesitation lead to unintended tragedy.
Ophelia's madness and Laertes' return
Following her father's death, Ophelia is overwhelmed by grief. She loses her mind and tragically drowns in a river.
Polonius's son, Laertes, who has been studying in France, returns to Denmark in a furious rage. Claudius manipulates him, convincing Laertes that Hamlet is responsible for both his father's murder and his sister's death.
Meanwhile, Horatio and Claudius receive letters from Hamlet explaining that pirates attacked his ship during the voyage to England, and he has returned to Denmark. This news prompts Claudius to devise a new plan to eliminate Hamlet, using Laertes' desire for revenge.
The conspiracy and Hamlet's return
Claudius concocts an elaborate scheme. Laertes will challenge Hamlet to a fencing match that appears to be innocent sport. However, Claudius will secretly poison Laertes' sword blade so that even a small scratch will kill Hamlet. As a backup plan, the king prepares a poisoned goblet of wine to offer Hamlet if he scores the first or second hit during the match.
Claudius's plot involves multiple layers of poison, demonstrating his treacherous nature and determination to ensure Hamlet's death. The redundancy in his plan (poisoned sword AND poisoned wine) ironically leads to the destruction of everyone involved, including himself.
Hamlet returns to the area surrounding Elsinore Castle just as Ophelia's funeral is taking place. Overcome with grief, he attacks Laertes and declares that he had, in fact, always loved Ophelia.
Back at the castle, Hamlet tells Horatio that he believes one must always be prepared for death, as it can arrive at any moment. A foolish courtier named Osric arrives with Claudius's invitation to arrange the fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes.
The final duel
The sword-fighting begins. Hamlet scores the first hit but declines to drink from the goblet the king offers him. Instead, Queen Gertrude takes a drink from it and is swiftly killed by the poison.
During the bout, Laertes manages to wound Hamlet with the poisoned blade, though Hamlet does not die immediately from the poison. The swords are exchanged in the scuffle, and Laertes is then cut by his own poisoned weapon. Before dying, Laertes reveals to Hamlet that Claudius is responsible for the queen's death.
Hamlet then stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword and forces him to drink the remainder of the poisoned wine. Claudius dies, and Hamlet dies shortly afterwards, having finally achieved his revenge.
The final scene is a cascade of tragic ironies: Gertrude dies from poison meant for Hamlet, Laertes dies from his own poisoned weapon, Claudius dies from both the poison he prepared, and Hamlet achieves his revenge but at the cost of his own life. Justice is served, but at tremendous cost.
Resolution
At this moment, a Norwegian prince named Fortinbras enters the castle. He has led an army to Denmark and attacked Poland earlier in the play. With him are ambassadors from England who report that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead.
Fortinbras is stunned by the horrific sight before him: the entire royal family lying dead on the floor. He moves to take control of the Danish kingdom.
Horatio, fulfilling Hamlet's final request, tells Fortinbras the tragic story of what has occurred. Fortinbras orders that Hamlet's body be carried away with the honour befitting a fallen soldier.
Key Points to Remember:
- The ghost of King Hamlet reveals he was murdered by Claudius and commands his son to seek revenge
- Hamlet delays his revenge due to his thoughtful nature, feigning madness whilst he plans
- The play-within-a-play serves as a test to confirm Claudius's guilt through his reaction
- Multiple tragic deaths occur: Polonius killed by mistake, Ophelia drowns in madness, and Laertes dies seeking revenge
- The final duel involves multiple layers of poison: the sword blade, the wine goblet, and ultimately leads to the deaths of Gertrude, Laertes, Claudius, and Hamlet himself
- Fortinbras arrives to restore order and take the throne, whilst Horatio survives to tell Hamlet's story