Bill Stifler

Summary of Hamlet

Act I
Scene 1	Horatio is brought to see ghost by night watchmen and decides to tell Hamlet.
Scene 2	Elsinore, room of state, King commissions Voltimand and Cornelius to meet with King of Norway to demand taxes (response to rebellion by Fortinbras). King gives Laertes leave to return to France. King and Queen talk to Hamlet about his "nighted color" following his father's death and mother's remarriage and ask that he not return to Wittenberg. Hamlet's soliloquy - "O, that this too too solid flesh would melt. . . . Frailty, thy name is woman!" Horatio and guards tell Hamlet of ghost and make plans to watch that night.
Scene 3	Laertes warns Ophelia that Hamlet must marry "politically." Polonius gives departing Laertes advice - ". . . to thine own self be true. . . " Polonius forbids Ophelia to meet with Hamlet, claiming Hamlet's attentions are frivolous and lustful.
Scene 4	Hamlet meets with Horatio and guards to wait on ghost, who appears.
Scene 5	Alone, Hamlet meets ghost, who swears Hamlet to vengeance. Hamlet swears others to silence.
Act II
Scene 1	Polonius sends Reynaldo to spread rumors about Laertes for the purpose of spying on Laertes. Ophelia tells Polonius Hamlet has frightened her by his seemingly mad behavior, which convinces Polonius that Hamlet loves her after all.
Scene 2	King and Queen send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to determine what is wrong with Hamlet. Voltimand reports back from Norway that Fortinbras has been rebuked and Norway has given Fortinbras funds and soldiers to arm against the Poles, requesting safe passage through Denmark. Polonius explains his theory regarding Hamlet and plans a meeting between Ophelia and Hamlet that Polonius and the king can observe. Polonius meets Hamlet reading. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are exposed by Hamlet who warns them he is aware of their duplicity. Hamlet hatches plot with players "--the play's the thing/Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."
Act III
Scene 1	Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report to King. Polonius and King prepare to spy on Hamlet and Ophelia. Hamlet's soliloquy, "To be, or not to be . . ." Hamlet meets Ophelia, "Get thee to a nunnery." King and Polonius discuss Hamlet's reactions, "Madness in great ones must not unwatch'd go." (King)
Scene 2	Hamlet coaches players in play. Hamlet tells Horatio of play and asks he watch the King. The play, while Hamlet speaks to Ophelia, condemning her. The King, disturbed, ends the play. The Queen sends first Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and then Polonius to ask Hamlet to come to her chambers.
Scene 3	King will send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern away with Hamlet. Polonius tells King of plans to hide in Queen's room to spy on Hamlet. King's soliloquy--his guilt. Hamlet's soliloquy on the King praying.
Scene 4	Polonius and Queen wait for Hamlet; Hamlet accuses mother, overhears Polonius and kills him, thinking it the King. As Hamlet condemns mother, ghost appears, but only to Hamlet. Hamlet tells Queen he must return to England (and is aware of plot against his life).
Act IV
Scene 1	Gertrude tells Claudius of Hamlet's deeds. The King sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find Hamlet.
Scene 2	Rosencrantz and Guildenstern demand Polonius' body of Hamlet.
Scene 3	Hamlet is brought to King, tells the King where Polonius' body is, and is banished to England, where the King plans that the English king will have Hamlet killed.
Scene 4	Hamlet meets Fortinbras' army and compares himself to Fortinbras.
Scene 5	Mad Ophelia appears before the King and Queen; Laertes is proclaimed King by the populace; Laertes appears before the King demanding to know what happened to his father.
Scene 6	A letter is brought to Horatio from Hamlet telling him that Hamlet has been taken by pirates.
Scene 7	The King and Laertes plot Hamlet's death in a mock fight where Laertes will poison his sword, and the King will prepare a poison drink. The Queen enters to tell them that Ophelia has drowned herself.
Act V
Scene 1	Hamlet and Horatio come upon two men burying Ophelia. When Laertes comes to the funeral Hamlet realizes who is being buried. The men grapple, but the King separates them, reminding Laertes of their plot.
Scene 2	Hamlet tells Horatio of the King's plot to kill Hamlet in England. Hamlet is told of Laertes wager that Laertes can beat him in a bout. Hamlet is winning the fight. The Queen drinks from the poisoned cup. Laertes wounds Hamlet with the poisoned sword. In a scuffle, the swords are exchanged, and Hamlet wounds Laertes. The treacheries are revealed, and Hamlet kills the King. Laertes dies; Hamlet dies, swearing Horatio to tell Hamlet's true story Fortinbras arrives and takes over the kingdom.

Act I

Scene 1

Horatio is brought to see ghost by night watchmen and decides to tell Hamlet.

Scene 2

Elsinore, room of state, King commissions Voltimand and Cornelius to meet with King of Norway to demand taxes (response to rebellion by Fortinbras).
King gives Laertes leave to return to France.
King and Queen talk to Hamlet about his "nighted color" following his father's death and mother's remarriage and ask that he not return to Wittenberg.
Hamlet's soliloquy - "O, that this too too solid flesh would melt. . . . Frailty, thy name is woman!"
Horatio and guards tell Hamlet of ghost and make plans to watch that night.

Scene 3

Laertes warns Ophelia that Hamlet must marry "politically."
Polonius gives departing Laertes advice - ". . . to thine own self be true. . . "
Polonius forbids Ophelia to meet with Hamlet, claiming Hamlet's attentions are frivolous and lustful.

Scene 4

Hamlet meets with Horatio and guards to wait on ghost, who appears.

Scene 5

Alone, Hamlet meets ghost, who swears Hamlet to vengeance. Hamlet swears others to silence.

Act II

Scene 1

Polonius sends Reynaldo to spread rumors about Laertes for the purpose of spying on Laertes.
Ophelia tells Polonius Hamlet has frightened her by his seemingly mad behavior, which convinces Polonius that Hamlet loves her after all.

Scene 2

King and Queen send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to determine what is wrong with Hamlet.
Voltimand reports back from Norway that Fortinbras has been rebuked and Norway has given Fortinbras funds and soldiers to arm against the Poles, requesting safe passage through Denmark.
Polonius explains his theory regarding Hamlet and plans a meeting between Ophelia and Hamlet that Polonius and the king can observe.
Polonius meets Hamlet reading.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are exposed by Hamlet who warns them he is aware of their duplicity.
Hamlet hatches plot with players "--the play's the thing/Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king."

Act III

Scene 1

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report to King.
Polonius and King prepare to spy on Hamlet and Ophelia.
Hamlet's soliloquy, "To be, or not to be . . ."
Hamlet meets Ophelia, "Get thee to a nunnery."
King and Polonius discuss Hamlet's reactions, "Madness in great ones must not unwatch'd go." (King)

Scene 2

Hamlet coaches players in play.
Hamlet tells Horatio of play and asks he watch the King.
The play, while Hamlet speaks to Ophelia, condemning her.
The King, disturbed, ends the play.
The Queen sends first Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and then Polonius to ask Hamlet to come to her chambers.

Scene 3

King will send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern away with Hamlet.
Polonius tells King of plans to hide in Queen's room to spy on Hamlet.
King's soliloquy--his guilt.
Hamlet's soliloquy on the King praying.

Scene 4

Polonius and Queen wait for Hamlet; Hamlet accuses mother, overhears Polonius and kills him, thinking it the King.
As Hamlet condemns mother, ghost appears, but only to Hamlet.
Hamlet tells Queen he must return to England (and is aware of plot against his life).

Act IV

Scene 1

Gertrude tells Claudius of Hamlet's deeds.
The King sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find Hamlet.

Scene 2

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern demand Polonius' body of Hamlet.

Scene 3

Hamlet is brought to King, tells the King where Polonius' body is, and is banished to England, where the King plans that the English king will have Hamlet killed.

Scene 4

Hamlet meets Fortinbras' army and compares himself to Fortinbras.

Scene 5

Mad Ophelia appears before the King and Queen; Laertes is proclaimed King by the populace; Laertes appears before the King demanding to know what happened to his father.

Scene 6

A letter is brought to Horatio from Hamlet telling him that Hamlet has been taken by pirates.

Scene 7

The King and Laertes plot Hamlet's death in a mock fight where Laertes will poison his sword, and the King will prepare a poison drink.
The Queen enters to tell them that Ophelia has drowned herself.

Act V

Scene 1

Hamlet and Horatio come upon two men burying Ophelia.
When Laertes comes to the funeral Hamlet realizes who is being buried.
The men grapple, but the King separates them, reminding Laertes of their plot.

Scene 2

Hamlet tells Horatio of the King's plot to kill Hamlet in England.
Hamlet is told of Laertes wager that Laertes can beat him in a bout.
Hamlet is winning the fight.
The Queen drinks from the poisoned cup.
Laertes wounds Hamlet with the poisoned sword.
In a scuffle, the swords are exchanged, and Hamlet wounds Laertes.
The treacheries are revealed, and Hamlet kills the King.
Laertes dies; Hamlet dies, swearing Horatio to tell Hamlet's true story
Fortinbras arrives and takes over the kingdom.

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