:

Continue

Objectives
Upon completion of this review, you will be able to:
Identify 1 key characteristic of each of the 5 main characters with 100% accuracy Recall 2 major themes and motifs with 100% accuracy Identify the meaning behind the major quotes discussed with 100% accuracy And identify the symbol discussed with 100% accuracy
Continue

State Standard
9.3- Students read and respond to gradelevel- appropriate historically or culturally significant works of literature, such as the selections in the www.doe.in.gov/standards/readinglist.html, which will illustrate the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students. At Grade 9, students read a wide variety of literature, such as classic and contemporary literature, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, folklore, mythology, poetry, short stories, dramas, and other genres. Continue IN.GOV (IDOE)

Hi! Im Will, and I am here to help guide you through this review of Hamlet! Shakespeare can be a bit intimidating, but dont worry! I will be here to help you along the way with directions, information, and even some fun facts! So lets get started!

Lets Get Started!

But first, lets review the story of Hamlet!

Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, is devastated by the death of his father, the King. He returns home from University to find his mother, Gertrude, has married his uncle, Claudius. After seeing the ghost of his father, Hamlet discovers that his uncle murdered his father to gain the crown. In the end, a bloody duel of swords and poison kill Gertrude and Hamlet, but not before Hamlet finally fulfills his goal and kills Claudius.
Would you like me to give you even more information?
Yes, tell me more! Take me to the Main Menu

More Information
For a more complete summary of the story just click below!

Visit Sparknotes Now!

Take me back to Main Menu

Take me back to the review

This is the Main Menu!

Where would you like to go? Just click a button below!

Characters

Review the story of Hamlet!

Themes and Motifs

Application and Quiz!

Important Quotes

Character Home
Welcome to the characters page! Just click a character below to find out more about them!
Hamlet

Claudius

Ophelia Back to Main Menu Gertrude

Hamlet, the protagonist of the play, is the prince of Denmark and a university student. His studies are put on hold, however, when his father dies. Hamlet is a very enigmatic character. Possibly Hamlets most defining characteristic is his that he is a thinker- always contemplative and thoughtful. Hamlet is constantly thinking philosophically about the world around him. He is also very passionate. These two qualities cause Hamlet to experience internal conflict in his quest to avenge his fathers death. Meet a new
character

What is a protagonist?
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, musical or cinematic narrative. (The person the plot revolves around)

Did you know the word protagonist comes from the Greek word protagonistes, meaning One who plays the first part- the chief actor.

Back

What does enigmatic mean?

If someone or something is enigmatic it means that they are mysterious, puzzling, or ambiguous.
Back

Hamlets major antagonist. Portrayed as lustful, conniving, and shrewd, Claudius became the king of Denmark by marrying his brothers wife, Gertrude, after his brothers death (Claudius killed his brother, the king, by pouring poison in his ear). Claudius only truly cares about maintaining and increasing his own power.
Meet a new character

What does antagonist mean?

An antagonist is a character, or group of characters, that represents the opposition against which the protagonist must contend (Usually, but not always, the bad guy).

Did you know that the word antagonist comes from the Greek word antagonistes, meaning opponent, competitor, or rival.

Back

The queen of Denmark, Hamlets mother. Once married to the late king (Hamlets father), Gertrude recently married Claudius, the late Kings brother. Gertrude loves her son, but she is needy and is constantly craving affection. This causes her to value status more than truth or morality.

Glen Close played Gertrude in Franco Zeffirellis 1990 rendition of Hamlet!

Meet a new character

Hamlets love interest in the play. Ophelia is a sweet and innocent young girl. She is not the strongest female character, however, as she seems to depend on the men in her life to tell her what to do. Even after her fall into madness (Ophelia drowns), Ophelia remains maidenly, singing songs about flowers. The quintessential maiden.
Boys and men played all the roles in Shakespeares plays, as it was customary in Elizabethan times. So
Meet a new character

Themes, Motifs, and Symbols

One of the most exciting parts of reading Shakespeare is discovering the themes, motifs, and symbols used. So lets get started! What would you like to learn about? Just click an option below!
Themes Motifs Symbols

Back to Main Menu

Themes
Great! Lets take a look at the Themes in Hamlet. What would you like to learn?
What is a theme?

Revenge & Complexity of Action

The Nation as a Diseased Body

The Mystery of Death and Morality

Back

What are themes?

Themes are the fundamental, and often universal, ideas explored in a literary work.
Back

Theme: The Nation as a Diseased Body

Eventually, the issues of the royal family transfer onto the people of Denmark. The plays early scenes express the uneasiness and dread that surrounds the transition from one king to the next. Because of this confusion and unease, Denmark is frequently described as a physical body made ill.

Did you know that Denmark is the oldest monarchy of the west? Until the 19th century Denmark controlled all of northern Europe! Those Vikings sure were handy!

Back to Themes

No, not those Vikings!

Theme: Revenge and the Complexity of Action

The play begins with all the makings of your typical revenge story. But it soon becomes clear that this story will not be so simple. The majority of Hamlet revolves around Hamlets indecision. Hamlets question of how to act is affected not only by rational consideration (like his need for certainty) but also by emotional, ethical, and psychological factors. Likely due to his emotional turmoil and indecision, when Hamlet does act, he seems to do it hastily.
Back to Themes

Theme: The Mystery of Death and Mortality

After his fathers death, Hamlet is obsessed with the idea of death and mortality. Death weaves its way through Hamlet from the very beginning. From the opening scene with Hamlets fathers ghost, to Ophelias death, to Hamlets own suicidal thoughts, to the tales bloody finale. The ideas of death and suicide even lead to Hamlets famous To be, or not to be speech!
Back to Themes

Motifs
Fantastic! Lets get started on Motifs! Click a motif below to begin.
What is a motif?

Incest

Misogyny

Back

What Is a Motif?
Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, and literary devices that can help to develop and inform the texts major themes.

Back

Motif: Incest
The idea of incest runs through the play, being alluded to by Hamlet and the ghost, most obviously in the relationship of Gertrude and Claudius as they were brother-in-law and sister-in-law.
Back to Motifs

Motif: Misogyny
Shattered by his mothers choice to marry Claudius so soon after the death of his father, Hamlet becomes cynical about women in general. He comes to have an obsession with the belief that there is a connection between female sexuality and moral corruption.
Back to Motifs

The Symbol
Welcome to the symbol section! Click a choice below to continue.
What is a symbol?

Yoricks Skull

Back

What Is a Symbol?
Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts.

Back

Symbol: Yoricks Skull

In Hamlet, physical objects are rarely used to represent thematic ideas. One important exception is Yoricks skull. Hamlet finds the skull of Yorick (the court jester) in the graveyard in Scene 1 Act V. As Hamlet speaks to the skull, he thinks about the inevitability of death and the disintegration of the human body.
Back

Quotes
Shakespeare can be rather tricky to understand. But dont fret! I am here to help. Just click on a quote below to read an explanation!
O that this too too solid flesh would melt Back to Main Menu To be, or not to be: that is the question

Quote: O that this too too solid flesh would melt

Hamlet speaks these lines after seeing Claudius and Gertrude in court, then being asked by them not to return to school even though he longs to. Hamlet thinks for the first time about suicide, desiring his flesh to melt and wishing that God had not made selfslaughter a sin.

Back

Quote: To be, or not to be Hamlet speaks these immortal words in

Act III. His logical and powerful examination of the moral legitimacy of suicide touches on several important themes of the play. Hamlet poses the question of whether or not to commit suicide as, To be, or not to be: that is the question.

This soliloquy is one of the most famous in the history of the English language.

Back

Application Section
Congratulations! You have made it all the way to the application section of the review! You are doing a great job! Here we will take a look at how Hamlet translates into modern day culture to help you gain a better understanding of how the play is used today.
If you have completed this section, click below to skip to the quiz
Skip to Quiz

If you have yet to complete this section, please click Continue

Continue

Now, you may be wondering what the story of Hamlet has to do with modern culture. Yes, Hamlet was written a long time ago. But Shakespeares works have inspired modern works of literature, art, and film for years. Hamlet is no exception, acting as the inspiration for one of Disneys most famous and beloved classics.
So what Disney classic was inspired by Hamlet?

Continue

Thats right! Disney based the story of The Lion King on Shakespeares very own Hamlet.
In this application of Hamlet, we will take a look at the similarities between The Lion King and Hamlet, both in the stories and the characters.

Back to Main Menu

Lets Begin!

Hamlet and The Lion King: Shared Themes

The stories of Hamlet and The Lion King share many of the same themes, including: Responsibility Death and Loss Revenge

Continue

The most striking similarities can be seen through the comparison of the characters.

In the following slides, you will be given a picture of a character from The Lion King. Choose the character from Hamlet that The Lion King character was most likely based on. Keep in mind the character descriptions we reviewed earlier!

Quit to Character Page

Quit to Main Menu

Continue

Who was the character of Simba based on?

Hamlet Claudius Gertrude Ophelia

Great Job!
Hamlet is correct! The role of the young Prince whose father is murdered was inspired by Hamlet, whose nave ways give him more than his fair share of troubles.

Continue

Oops!
Actually, the role of the young Prince whose father is murdered was inspired by Hamlet, whose nave ways give him more than his fair share of troubles.

Continue

Who was the character of Mufasa based on?

Claudius

Gertrude

Ophelia

King Hamlet Sr

Amazing! That is correct!

King Hamlet ruled his kingdom with peace and fairness and was well-loved by his kingdom and son, just like Mufasa!

Continue

Oops!
Actually, the answer was King Hamlet, Sr. King Hamlet ruled his kingdom with peace and fairness and was well-loved by his kingdom and son, just like Mufasa!

Continue

Who was the character of Scar based on?

Gertrude Claudius Laertes Ophelia

Wonderful!
The answer was Claudius! Both Claudius and Scar murdered their brothers in a selfish effort to inherit the thrown.

Continue

Oops!
Actually, the answer was Claudius. Both Claudius and Scar murdered their brothers in a selfish effort to inherit the thrown.

Continue

Who was the character of Sarabi based on?

Gertrude Ophelia Laertes Yorick

Wow! Thats Right!

Both Gertrude and Sarabi lost their husbands to their brother-in-laws evil acts.

Continue

Oops!
Actually, the answer was Gertrude

Both Gertrude and Sarabi lost their husbands to their brother-in-laws evil acts.

Continue

Who was the character of Nala based on?

Ophelia Leartes Yorick

Amazing!

Nala and Ophelia both act as the loveinterest of the main character.

Continue

Oops!
Actually, the answer was Ophelia. Both Ophelia and Nala act as the love-interest of the main character.

Continue

As you can see, the stories told by Shakespeare are timeless.

Maybe now you can find similarities between Hamlet and other modern works!
Hamlet has been quoted and referenced in plenty of movies and shows, such as: Billy Madison Renaissance Man The Simpsons South Park Princess Diaries Continue Star Trek And more!

I am really impressed! You have done so well. Now that you have learned how Hamlet is still used in shaping todays culture, its time for the quiz! Are you ready to begin?

Back to Main Menu

Start Quiz

What is a protagonist? a)The main character b)The opposition to the main character c) The author d)The person who dies

Correct! Great Job!

The protagonist of a story is a) the main character!

Continue

Oops
Sorry, but that is incorrect. The protagonist is the stories a) main character

Continue

What is an antagonist? a)The author b)The opposition to the main character c) The main character d)The person who dies

Correct! Great Job!

The antagonist is b) the character or thing opposing the main character.

Continue

Oops
Sorry, but that is incorrect. The antagonist is b) the character or thing opposing the main character.

Continue

What is Hamlets most defining characteristic? a)He is tall b)He is handsome c) He is brave d)He is a thinker

Correct! Great Job!

Hamlets most defining characteristic is d) He is a thinker!

Continue

Oops
Sorry, but that is incorrect.

Hamlets most defining characteristic is b) he is a thinker.

Continue

What is the best way to describe Ophelia? a)An ugly witch b)A boring person c) A fair maiden d)A cool cat

Correct! Great Job!

Ophelia is best described as the quintessential c) fair maiden.

Continue

Oops
Sorry, but that is incorrect. Ophelia is best described as the quintessential c) fair maiden.

Continue

How would you describe Gertrude? a)Independent b)Needy c) Happy d)Confident

Correct! Great Job!

The best way to describe Gertrude b) is needy!

Continue

Oops
Sorry, but that is incorrect. Gertrude is best described b) as needy.

Continue

What is one way to describe Claudius? a)Shy b)Power-hungry c) Honest d)Confused

Correct! Great Job!

Claudius can best be described as b) power-hungry.

Continue

Oops
Sorry, but that is incorrect.
Claudius can best be described as b) power-hungry.

Continue

What were two of the themes of Hamlet discussed in this review? a)Political warfare, religion b)Revenge, morality c) Revenge, romantic love d)Morality, eternal happiness

Correct! Great Job!

The two themes discussed in this review were b) Revenge and Morality

Continue

Oops
Sorry, that is incorrect. The two themes discussed in this review were b) Revenge and Morality

Continue

What were the two Motifs discussed in this review? a)Misogyny, emotional conflict b)Incest, family troubles c) Confusion, insecurities d)Incest, misogyny

Correct! Great Job!

The two motifs discussed in this review were d) Incest and Misogyny

Continue

Oops
Sorry, but that is incorrect.

The two motifs discussed in this review were b) Incest and Misogyny

Continue

What is Hamlet debating in his to be, or not to be, soliloquy? a)World peace b)Whether to live or die c) If he should marry Ophelia d)If he should kill his uncle

Correct! Great Job!

Hamlet was debating b) whether he should continue living or die by his own hand.

Continue

Oops
Sorry, but that is incorrect.

Hamlet was debating b) whether he should continue living or die by his own hand.

Continue

What is Hamlet thinking about for the first time when he says, O that this too too solid flesh would melt? a)Boiling points b) Ophelias love c) Suicide d)The sun

Correct! Great Job!

When Hamlet says, O that this too too solid flesh would melt? he is just starting to think about c) the idea of suicide.

Continue

Oops
Sorry, but that is incorrect When Hamlet says, O that this too too solid flesh would melt? he is just starting to think about c) the idea of suicide.

Continue

 You have completed the review of Hamlet! Bravo!

Return to Main Menu
(or push esc to quit)