Characters:
- Hamlet
- Horatio
- Ghost
- Claudius
- Polonius
- Ophelia
- Laertes
- Gertrude
Presenter:
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is probably the greatest dramatist and poet in the English language. He grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and married when he was eighteen. They had three children.
In his early twenties, he began to work in the theatre in London. In the 1590s, he started writing plays for a theatre and probably acted as well. They performed at the Globe Theatre in London and also went on tour.
Shakespeare's plays were first published in 1623, seven years after his death, and so we do not know the exact dates of each play. His early plays include Richard the Third and Romeo and Juliet; among his famous comedies are A Midsummer Night's Dream and Twelfth Night; and his great tragedies include King Lear, Macbeth and, of course, Hamlet.
Today we are going to perform a revenge tragedy Hamlet for you.
Act 1
Elsinore. A room of state in the castle.
When Hamlet's father, the old king of Denmark, died, his brother Claudius became the new king. After only a few weeks, Claudius married Gertrude, the old king's wife. Hamlet is angry with his mother and he also hates Claudius, his stepfather.
Hamlet:
O God! God!
Within a month - a little month- before those shoes were old
With which she followed my poor father's body.
My father's brother.
Enter Horatio
Horatio:
Greeting to your lordship!
Hamlet:
I am glad to see you well, Horatio
And why have you come?
Horatio:
My lord, I came to see your father's funeral.
Hamlet:
I think it was to see my mother's wedding.
Horatio:
Indeed, my lord, it followed son after.
My lord, I think I saw him last night.
Hamlet:
Saw? Who?
Horatio:
My lord, the king your father. I've seen the ghost looking like the Old King and armed from head to foot.
Hamlet:
It's very strange.
I'll speak to it.
Act 2
A platform before the castle
Hamlet:
It's very cold. It's almost twelve.
Oh, it comes! (Ghost enters and takes him aside)
Ghost:
Listen to me!
Hamlet:
I will.
Ghost:
So are you to revenge, when you hear.
Hamlet:
What?
Ghost:
I'm your father's spirit. People say a poisonous snake killed me but they are wrong. I was sleeping in my garden when Claudius came and he put poison in my ear! It was a painful death!
Hamlet:
My uncle!
Ghost:
Your uncle is a very evil man. You must take revenge for my murder and kill him!
Hamlet:
Murder!
Ghost:
But please, don't harm your mother!
(Ghost disappeared)
Act 3
Hamlet is full of anger and hatred.
He starts behaving strangely.
Ophelia:
I am distressed after a meeting with Hamlet. He looked as if he had seen hell.
Polonius:
I am sure, he is mad for love of you, my daughter.
Gertrude:
That your beauty is the happy cause of Hamlet's wildness.
Ophelia:
O, Madam!
Polonius:
Walk and talk to him
Act 4
Ophelia goes to Hamlet to find out what is wrong. He is thinking about life and death.
(Enter Ophelia)
Hamlet:
To be, or not to be - that is the question!
Ophelia:
Good my lord,
How is your honour for these many days?
Hamlet:
Well, well, well:
I no longer enjoy life and the beauty of the world:
Ophelia:
O, help him, you sweet heavens!
Hamlet:
God has given you one face, and you make yourself another: you dance, you flirt, and you lisp.
Ophelia:
O heavenly powers restore him!
Hamlet:
Go away, I'll think no more about it, it has made me mad.
Ophelia:
O, how sad am I,
To have seen what I have seen, see what I see!
Act 5
Hamlet is walking around the castle and sees Claudius, who is praying.
Claudius:
A brother's murder. I can not pray,
O, what form of a prayer can forgive my murder?
That can not be one, since I still possess
Those effects for which I did the murder,
My crown, my own ambition and my queen.
Hamlet:
Now might I do it nicely, now he is praying;
And now I'll kill him. And so he goes to heaven,
And so am I revenge.
A villain kills my father; and for that,
I send villain to heaven.
No!
Act 6
The Queen's room.
Polonius hides behind the curtain.
Enter Hamlet:
Now, mother, what's the matter?
Queen Gertrude:
Hamlet, you have your father much offended!
Hamlet:
Mother, you have my father much offended!
Queen Gertrude:
Have you forgotten me?
Hamlet, drawing his sword
Gertrude:
What will you do? You will not murder me?
Hamlet:
Makes a pass with his sword through the curtain
A rat? Dead!
Lord Polonius:
O, I'm killed!
Falls and dies
Act 7
The situation in Elsinore is getting worse.
Claudius sent Hamlet to England. While he is there, Ophelia goes mad.
She is depressed and going to kill herself.
Ophelia:
Where is the beautiful majesty of Denmark?
I hope all will be well. I must be patient. But I can not think my father is dead. He is in the cold ground. He never will come again. And I will not live!
Act 8
Ophelia's brother, Laerters, arrives back in Elsinore. He blames Hamlet for the deaths of his father and sister, and challenges Hamlet to a fight.
Laerters:
My father and my sister dead.
I challenge you, Hamlet, to a fight.
Hamlet:
Come on, sir.
Laerters:
Come, my lord.
They play
Queen Gertrude:
The queen drinks to your fortune, Hamlet.
Hamlet:
Good madam!
King Claudius:
Gertrude, do not drink.
Queen Gertrude:
I will, my lord. (Drinks)
Claudius:
(Aside)It is the poisoned cup: It is too late.
Laertes wounds Hamlet; then they change rapiers, and Hamlet wounds Laertes
Queen Gertrude:
The drink! I am poisoned! (Falls)
Laertes;
Hamlet, you are about to die;
No medicine in the world can do you good;
The instrument is in my hand,
Sharp and poisoned.
Never to rise again: your mother's poisoned:
I can no more: the king, the king's to blame.
Hamlet:
The point! - poisoned too!
Follow my mother. (Stabs King Claudius)
King Claudius dies
Elsinore Castle is dark and silent.