Author: William Shakespeare
Genre: Tragedy
Date of Publication: 1603
Shakespeare wrote Hamlet during the renaissance. This was a time when people were questioning the old standards of life. They were questioning the relationship between man and god. Devine monarchs were seen as less than divine. This was seen in Hamlet with King Hamlet and King Claudius. This was also the time when writer took a new approach at writing such as creating much more psychologically complex characters such as Hamlet.
Plot Summary: King Hamlet was killed by his brother, Claudius, who took over the kingdom and married Queen Gertrude, Kind Hamlet’s wife. Young prince Hamlet is angered and depressed after his father’s death and his mothers sudden marriage to another man. One day Hamlet sees the ghost of his dead father and learns that his father was poisoned by his Uncle Claudius. He asks Hamlet to take revenge for his death and Hamlet feels obligated to do so. After he confirms that Claudius is guilty from a reenactment of his father’s death, Hamlet sets to avenge his father. Late in the play, prince Hamlet is challenged to a fencing match by Laertes, who has ulterior motives of revenge. Laertes’s sister Ophelia has gone mad and drowned herself after being rejected by Hamlet and is father polonious had been accidently killed by Hamlet who thought he was Claudius. Cludius takes advantage of Laertes anger and gives him a poisoned sword. Claudius also poisons a cup of wine which he plans to offer to Hamlet if he wins the fencing match. During the fencing match, Laertes wounds Hamlet with his sword, but Hamlet also wounds Laertes. Laertes Hamlet’s mother Gertrude unexpectedly drinks from the poisoned cup of wine and dies. After seeing this Hamlet kills Claudius and takes his revenge; however Hamlet and Laertes also die from their injuries.
Description of Authors style:
Memorable Quotes:
“Frailty thy name is woman” (Act 1, Scene II)
In this quote Hamlet is referring to his mother who has married his father.
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