Hamlet Shakespeare read a summary chapter by chapter. Interesting Facts. Tragedy Test

"Hamlet" (Hamlet) - Shakespeare's tragedy, a summary of which is presented below. There is a record of it dated July 1602 as “recently performed”. A short “bad” quarto was published in 1603, another text, already twice as long, in 1604-1605. In the Folio (1623) several fragments were added that were not in the second quarto, and some, on the contrary, were omitted. The main non-dramatic source of the play was the narrative placed by Saxo the Grammarian in his Acts of the Danes, as presented by Belforet in Histoires Tragiques.

The brother of the recently deceased old Hamlet, King of Denmark, Claudius usurps the throne and marries his widow Gertrude. Young Prince Hamlet, returning from the University of Wittenberg, learns from the ghost of his father that he was killed by Claudius, who poured poison into his ear. The ghost tells Hamlet to take revenge on the murderer, but not to harm Gertrude.

Hamlet warns his friend Horatio and the guard (who also saw a ghost) that he intends to pretend to be crazy, and takes an oath from them to keep the secret. Immediately after his famous meditation monologue "To be or not to be" (III, i), he renounces his beloved, Ophelia, while Claudius and Ophelia's father, Polonius, watch him. He welcomes the arrival of a troupe of itinerant actors and orders them to play a play about fratricide ("The Mousetrap"). Claudius, in fear and anger, interrupts the performance when the actor Lucian plays out the scene of the murder of his uncle, to whom he pours poison in the ear.

Before accusing his mother of passion for Claudius, he kills the old chancellor Polonius in her bedroom, stabbing him through the carpet with a sword. Claudius sends Hamlet to England, handing him a pre-sealed letter with orders to be killed upon arrival. However, Hamlet manages to deceive Claudius. He returns to Denmark, having previously sent his old friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, his uncle's spies, to their deaths.

During his absence, Ophelia goes mad with grief caused by the death of her father, as well as the fact that Hamlet left her. She is found drowned. Ophelia's brother, Laertes, returns from France with the intention of avenging her sister's death. Hamlet and Laertes meet in the cemetery where Ophelia is to be buried and fight in her grave. Claudius arranges a duel with swords between Hamlet and Laertes. He hands Laertes the poisoned sword. But both Hamlet and Laertes perish as a result of the exchange of weapons. Before that, Gertrude drinks poison from a cup intended for her son, and Hamlet, dying, manages to kill Claudius. The Norwegian prince Fortinbras, mentioned throughout the play, the personification of military heroism, returns after a successful war with Poland and arranges a funeral for Hamlet according to military tradition.

Dramaturgy of the 16th-17th centuries was an integral and perhaps the most important part of the literature of that time. This type of literary creativity was the closest and most understandable to the broad masses, it was a spectacle that made it possible to convey to the viewer the feelings and thoughts of the author. One of the most prominent representatives of the dramaturgy of that time, who is read and re-read to our time, plays based on his works, analyzes philosophical concepts, is William Shakespeare.

The genius of the English poet, actor and playwright lies in the ability to show the realities of life, to penetrate into the soul of every viewer, to find in it a response to his philosophical statements through feelings familiar to every person. The theatrical action of that time took place on a platform in the middle of the square, the actors in the course of the play could go down to the “hall”. The viewer became, as it were, a participant in everything that was happening. Nowadays, such an effect of presence is unattainable even when using 3d technologies. All the more important in the theater was the word of the author, the language and style of the work. Shakespeare's talent is manifested in many respects in his linguistic manner of presenting the plot. Simple and somewhat ornate, it differs from the language of the streets, allowing the viewer to rise above everyday life, to stand for some time on a par with the characters of the play, people of the upper class. And genius is confirmed by the fact that this has not lost its significance in later times - we get the opportunity to become for some time accomplices in the events of medieval Europe.

The pinnacle of Shakespeare's work was considered by many of his contemporaries, and subsequent generations after them, to be the tragedy "Hamlet - Prince of Denmark". This work of a recognized English classic has become one of the most significant for Russian literary thought. It is no coincidence that the tragedy of Hamlet has been translated into Russian more than forty times. Such interest is caused not only by the phenomenon of medieval dramaturgy and the literary talent of the author, which is undoubtedly. Hamlet is a work that reflects the "eternal image" of a seeker of truth, a philosopher of morality and a man who has stepped above his era. The galaxy of such people, which began with Hamlet and Don Quixote, continued in Russian literature with the images of "superfluous people" Onegin and Pechorin, and further in the works of Turgenev, Dobrolyubov, Dostoevsky. This line is native to the Russian seeking soul.

History of creation - Tragedy Hamlet in romanticism of the 17th century

Just as many of Shakespeare's works are based on short stories in the literature of the early Middle Ages, so the plot of the tragedy Hamlet was borrowed by him from the Icelandic chronicles of the 12th century. However, this plot is not something original for the "dark time". The theme of the struggle for power, regardless of moral standards, and the theme of revenge is present in many works of all time. Based on this, Shakespeare's romanticism created the image of a person protesting against the foundations of his time, looking for a way out of these shackles of conventions to the norms of pure morality, but who himself is a hostage to existing rules and laws. The crown prince, a romantic and a philosopher, who asks eternal questions of being and, at the same time, is forced to fight in reality in the way that was customary at that time - “he is not his own master, his birth is tied hand in hand” (act I, scene III ), and this causes him an internal protest.

(Antique engraving - London, 17th century)

In the year of writing and staging the tragedy, England experienced a turning point in its feudal history (1601), therefore, in the play there is some gloom, a real or imaginary decline in the state - “Something has rotted in the Kingdom of Denmark” (act I, scene IV ). But we are more interested in the eternal questions “about good and evil, about fierce hatred and holy love”, which are so clearly and so ambiguously spelled out by the genius of Shakespeare. In full accordance with romanticism in art, the play contains heroes of pronounced moral categories, an obvious villain, a wonderful hero, there is a love line, but the author goes further. The romantic hero refuses to follow the canons of time in his revenge. One of the key figures of the tragedy - Polonius, does not appear to us in an unambiguous light. The theme of betrayal is considered in several storylines and is also offered to the viewer's judgment. From the obvious betrayal of the king and the infidelity of the memory of the late husband by the queen, to the trivial betrayal of the friends of the students, who are not averse to finding out the secrets from the prince for the mercy of the king.

Description of the tragedy (the plot of the tragedy and its main features)

Ilsinore, castle of the Danish kings, night watch with Horatio, Hamlet's friend, meets the ghost of the deceased king. Horatio tells Hamlet about this meeting, and he decides to personally meet with his father's shadow. The ghost tells the Prince the gruesome story of his death. The king's death turns out to be a dastardly murder by his brother Claudius. After this meeting, a turning point occurs in Hamlet's mind. What was learned is superimposed on the fact of the unnecessarily fast wedding of the king's widow, Hamlet's mother, and the murderous brother. Hamlet is obsessed with the idea of revenge, but is in doubt. He must make sure of everything himself. Feigning madness, Hamlet observes everything. Polonius, adviser to the king and father of Hamlet's beloved, tries to explain to the king and queen such changes in the prince with rejected love. Before, he forbade his daughter Ophelia to accept Hamlet's courtship. These prohibitions destroy the idyll of love, further leading to depression and insanity of the girl. The king makes his attempts to find out the thoughts and plans of his stepson, he is tormented by doubts and his sin. The former student friends of Hamlet hired by him are with him inseparably, but to no avail. The shock of what he learned makes Hamlet think even more about the meaning of life, about such categories as freedom and morality, about the eternal question of the immortality of the soul, the frailty of being.

Meanwhile, a troupe of wandering actors appears in Ilsinore, and Hamlet persuades them to insert several lines into the theatrical action, exposing the king in fratricide. In the course of the performance, Claudius gives himself away with confusion, Hamlet's doubts about his guilt are dispelled. He tries to talk to his mother, to throw accusations in her face, but the ghost that appears forbids him to take revenge on his mother. A tragic accident exacerbates the tension in the royal chambers - Hamlet kills Polonius, who hid behind the curtains out of curiosity during this conversation, mistaking him for Claudius. Hamlet is sent to England to cover up these unfortunate accidents. Spy friends are sent with him. Claudius hands them a letter for the King of England asking him to execute the prince. Hamlet, who managed to accidentally read the letter, makes corrections in it. As a result, traitors are executed, and he returns to Denmark.

Laertes, the son of Polonius, also returns to Denmark, the tragic news of the death of his sister Ophelia as a result of her insanity because of love, as well as the murder of his father, pushes him to an alliance with Claudia in revenge. Claudius provokes a duel with swords between two young men, the blade of Laertes is deliberately poisoned. Not dwelling on this, Claudius poisons the wine as well, in order to make Hamlet drunk in case of victory. During the duel, Hamlet is wounded by a poisoned blade, but finds an understanding with Laertes. The duel continues, during which the opponents exchange swords, now Laertes is wounded by a poisoned sword. Hamlet's mother, Queen Gertrude, cannot stand the tension of the duel and drinks poisoned wine for her son's victory. Claudius is also killed, only Horace, the only true friend of Hamlet, remains alive. The troops of the Norwegian prince enter the capital of Denmark, who occupies the Danish throne.

main characters

As can be seen from the entire development of the plot, the theme of revenge fades into the background before the moral quest of the protagonist. The accomplishment of revenge for him is impossible in the expression, as is customary in that society. Even having convinced himself of his uncle's guilt, he does not become his executioner, but only an accuser. Unlike him, Laertes makes a deal with the king, for him revenge is above all, he follows the traditions of his time. The love line in the tragedy is only an additional means to show the moral images of that time, to set off the spiritual searches of Hamlet. The main characters of the play are Prince Hamlet and the king's adviser Polonius. It is in the moral foundations of these two people that the conflict of time is expressed. Not the conflict of good and evil, but the difference in the moral levels of two positive characters is the main line of the play, brilliantly shown by Shakespeare.

A smart, devoted and honest servant to the king and the fatherland, a caring father and a respected citizen of his country. He is sincerely trying to help the king understand Hamlet, he is sincerely trying to understand Hamlet himself. His moral principles at the level of that time are impeccable. Sending his son to study in France, he instructs him on the rules of conduct, which today can be given without changes, they are so wise and universal for any time. Worried about his daughter's moral character, he exhorts her to refuse Hamlet's courtship, explaining the class difference between them and not excluding the possibility of the prince's frivolous attitude towards the girl. At the same time, according to his moral views corresponding to that time, there is nothing prejudicial in such frivolity on the part of the young man. With his distrust of the prince and the will of his father, he destroys their love. For the same reasons, he does not trust his own son either, sending a servant to him as a spy. The plan for observing him is simple - to find acquaintances and, slightly slandering his son, lure out the frank truth about his behavior away from home. To eavesdrop on the conversation of an angry son and mother in the royal chambers is also not something wrong for him. With all his actions and thoughts, Polonius appears to be an intelligent and kind person, even in the madness of Hamlet, he sees his rational thoughts and gives them their due. But he is a typical representative of a society that puts so much pressure on Hamlet with its deceit and duplicity. And this is a tragedy that is understandable not only in modern society, but also in the London public of the early 17th century. Such duplicity is protested by its presence in the modern world.

A hero with a strong spirit and an outstanding mind, searching and doubting, having become one step higher than the whole society in his morality. He is able to look at himself from the outside, he is able to analyze those around him and analyze his thoughts and actions. But he is also a product of that era and that binds him. Traditions and society impose a certain stereotype of behavior on him, which he can no longer accept. On the basis of the plot about revenge, the whole tragedy of the situation is shown when a young man sees evil not just in one vile act, but in the whole society in which such acts are justified. This young man calls himself to live in accordance with the highest morality, responsibility for all his actions. The tragedy of the family only makes him think more about moral values. Such a thinking person cannot but raise universal philosophical questions for himself. The famous monologue "To be or not to be" is only the pinnacle of such reasoning, which is woven into all his dialogues with friends and enemies, in conversations with random people. But the imperfection of society and the environment still pushes for impulsive, often unjustified actions, which are then hard experienced by him and ultimately lead to death. After all, the guilt in the death of Ophelia and the accidental mistake in the murder of Polonius and the inability to understand the grief of Laertes oppress him and shackle him with a chain.

Laertes, Ophelia, Claudius, Gertrude, Horatio

All these persons are introduced into the plot as Hamlet's entourage and characterize ordinary society, positive and correct in the understanding of that time. Even considering them from a modern point of view, one can recognize their actions as logical and consistent. The struggle for power and adultery, revenge for the murdered father and the first girlish love, enmity with neighboring states and obtaining land as a result of jousting tournaments. And only Hamlet stands head and shoulders above this society, bogged down to the waist in the tribal traditions of succession to the throne. Three friends of Hamlet - Horatio, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, are representatives of the nobility, courtiers. For two of them, spying on a friend is not something wrong, and only one remains a faithful listener and interlocutor, a smart adviser. An interlocutor, but nothing more. Before his fate, society and the whole kingdom, Hamlet is left alone.

Analysis - the idea of the tragedy of the prince of Denmark Hamlet

The main idea of Shakespeare was the desire to show psychological portraits of contemporaries based on the feudalism of the "dark times", a new generation growing up in society that can change the world for the better. Competent, seeking and freedom-loving. It is no coincidence that in the play Denmark is called a prison, which, according to the author, was the whole society of that time. But the genius of Shakespeare was expressed in the ability to describe everything in semitones, without sliding into the grotesque. Most of the characters are positive and respected people according to the canons of that time, they reason quite sensibly and fairly.

Hamlet is shown as a person prone to introspection, spiritually strong, but still bound by conventions. The inability to act, the inability, makes him related to the "superfluous people" of Russian literature. But it carries a charge of moral purity and the desire of society for the better. The genius of this work lies in the fact that all these issues are relevant in the modern world, in all countries and on all continents, regardless of the political system. And the language and stanza of the English playwright captivate with their perfection and originality, make you re-read the works several times, turn to performances, listen to performances, look for something new, hidden in the mists of time.

The pinnacle of world drama is Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. For several centuries, the play has been a program piece of literature and a permanent performance in the theater repertoires of the whole world. Such popularity of the work speaks of the urgency of the problems raised in the work, which are relevant at all times in the development of society.

The tragedy takes place in Denmark, in the royal residence of Elsinore. The other day the whole country was enveloped by a sad event - the king was gone. After the death of the monarch, his brother Claudius takes the throne. Having collected the subjects, he announces two news: that he will be crowned, and that he will also marry the current queen, that is, the widow of his late brother. The son of the deceased king Hamlet is extremely upset by the death of his father and the fact that his mother and uncle so soon forgot their sorrow.

The night watchmen noticed that at the same hour a ghost appears, which is very similar to the deceased king. They are frightened and call Horatio, who recognizes the former king in the night form. He understands that the deceased wants to tell something, and decides to report everything to Hamlet. The next night, the prince sees the ghost of his father, who told him that his brother Claudius poisoned him by pouring poison into his ear in order to get the state and the queen. The father convinces Hamlet to avenge his death.

Seeing the strange state of Hamlet, Claudius tries to understand the reasons. The closest confidant of the king and his adviser Polonius learns about Hamlet's love for his daughter Ophelia. He convinces his daughter not to believe his words and protect his honor. The girl returns all gifts and letters to the prince. Why does Hamlet realize that his feelings were not mutual. Polonius explains to the royal couple the strange behavior of Hamlet, as the suffering of a lover, and offers to follow the prince to make sure of this. Realizing this, Hamlet pretends to be crazy. While eavesdropping, the king realizes the prince's warlike attitude and realizes that the reason is not hidden in love.

To distract the prince, the king invites Hamlet's university friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, to the court, who bring a theater troupe with them. Hamlet is tormented by doubts whether his uncle is really a murderer and should pay for his deed, and what if the ghost is a demon that confuses Hamlet's thoughts and leads to sin. In order not to make a mistake and make sure the king is guilty, Hamlet asks the actors to play the play "The Murder of Gonzago". According to the plot of the play, the nephew kills his uncle and seduces his wife. Hamlet adds his poems to it and instructs the actors how to play, and also asks Horatio, the only person he trusts, to observe the reaction of the king. The latter can not stand it and leaves the hall before the end of the performance. Now Hamlet is sure of the veracity of the ghost's words.

The King begins to fear Hamlet and asks the Queen Mother to influence him. Polonius helpfully offers to eavesdrop on their conversation and hides behind the carpet. During the conversation, Hamlet appeals to the mother's conscience, condemning her marriage to a traitor. Polonius gives himself away, and Hamlet, believing that this is the king, in his hearts strikes the carpet with a sword and kills the adviser. Hamlet feels sorry for the wise old man, but he himself chose his fate and died the fate he deserves. After the murder of Polonius, the king is completely frightened and decides to send the prince to England under the supervision of his imaginary friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, giving them a cover letter with the royal seal, in which he demands to kill Hamlet.

Polonius is buried in secret and without honors, so as not to attract attention. The news of the death of his father reaches the son of Polonius - Laertes. He explains the mystery of his father's death by the fact that the king committed a heinous act, and begins to set the Danes against Claudius. Upon learning of this, the king reveals to Laertes the real killer and supports his desire to avenge his father's death.

At this time, Hamlet, who opened the royal letter and learned about the intentions of Claudius, replaced it with another, in which he orders the execution of traitor friends, and he himself leaves the ship and returns to Denmark. The grief at the death of her father led Ophelia to lose her mind and she drowned in the lake. Hiding in the cemetery, Hamlet and Horatio are witnesses to Ophelia's funeral. Hamlet, unable to stand it, approaches the grave, where a conflict occurred between him and Laertes. Hamlet cannot understand Laertes' militancy. The king, meanwhile, offers Laertes to take revenge on Hamlet so that in the eyes of the queen and society it does not look like a murder. They decide to challenge the prince to a rapier fight on a wager. Laertes, for a 100% guarantee of Hamlet's death, smears the rapiers with poison, and the king poisons the wine.

During the fight, Queen Gertrude, worried about her son, drinks wine and dies. Laertes and Hamlet wound each other by exchanging weapons. Laertes dies. The prince, having understood everything, wounds Claudius with a poisonous rapier and gives him wine to drink. Before his death, Hamlet asks Horatio to tell the people everything he knows and to pass on his vote for the candidacy of Fortinbras as the future king. The Norwegian prince Fortinbras became king, burying Hamlet with great honors.

Analysis of the work

The socio-philosophical tragedy was created by Shakespeare on the basis of the medieval legend of Prince Amlet. Folk work has repeatedly succumbed to literary processing. However, it was Shakespeare's creation that became immortal.

Historical facts and character of the hero

The timing of the play is not clearly marked. Depicting the past, the author raises in the work problems that are actuarial both during the life of Shakespeare and today. Historical authenticity and eventfulness fade into the background in the work, allowing all the attention of the plot to be focused on the personal tragedy of Prince Hamlet.

The composition of the tragedy is based on two storylines: Hamlet's path to revenge for the death of his father and the honor of his mother; treacherous acts, full of intrigues and intrigues, on the part of King Claudius. A striking example of the author's style of Shakespeare is such a feature of the composition of the tragedy as its saturation with Hamlet's monologues, the role of which is in summing up certain phenomena and events, their comprehension by both the hero and the reader. The protagonist's monologues add a peculiar philosophical character to the general style of the tragedy and give the work a touch of subtle lyricism.

The time periods of the work cover only a few days, but the system of characters in the tragedy is quite developed. All heroes can be divided according to their ideological significance into three groups: the main characters: Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude; images that influence the course of action: the ghost of Hamlet's father, Polonius, Ophelia, Laertes, Horatio, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Fortinbras; secondary characters: sentinels, gravediggers, captain, sailors, nobles and others. Conventionally, the author himself divides the characters into two categories by the ability to see a ghost. After all, only those who were pure in heart and soul could see him.

The main character is Hamlet - a controversial and complex image. The peculiarity of this character is revealed in the extraordinary skill of Shakespeare to show the hero in development. Since Hamlet at the beginning of the work and at the end are completely different images. Split consciousness, attempts to analyze their capabilities, the desire to live according to conscience, doubts and reproaches - all this hardens and forms an effective character from a thinking hero. In the philosophical and humanistic key, the image of Hamlet is a guardian of universal human values: morality, truth, honor and justice.

In the work, the author raises the main problem of the Renaissance - the collapse of the ideals of morality, humanism, honor, which are replaced by the power of money and power. In the tragedy, the author tries to solve the main philosophical question - why should a person live, what is the meaning of his being, if everything in this world is perishable.

This universal eternal problem is embodied in the famous phrase: "To be or not to be, that is the question." That is why Hamlet's remarks are filled with thoughts about death, about the meaning of being. The answer to this question is the idea of the value of human morality, the ability to comprehend the past and present, to feel, to love. In this Hamlet sees the meaning of human life.

Analysis of the work

Historical facts and character of the hero

The story begins in front of Elsinore Castle, home to the Danish royal family. Horatio, a friend of Crown Prince Hamlet, who is fond of scientific research, decides to make sure the presence or absence of a certain ghost, resembling outwardly the recently deceased king, Hamlet's father. Horatio believes that people are just fantasizing that there is no ghost, but at midnight the ghost still appears in full dress, and the shocked young man decides to tell the prince everything, believing that the ghost testifies to upcoming unfavorable events in the state.

Hamlet was forced to leave school due to the tragic and sudden death of his father. The young man sincerely worries about the death of his parent, he is even more upset and depressed by the fact that his mother, Queen Gertrude, immediately married his uncle, the brother of the deceased king, whom the prince does not at all consider a worthy party for her.

The father's ghost tells Hamlet that his brother poured a deadly poison into his ear while the king was enjoying a quiet rest in the garden. The ghost asks the young man to avenge his death, and from now on, the only goal for Hamlet is to settle accounts with the uncle who killed his father.

At the same time, Polonius, one of the close associates of the king, sends his son Laertes to study in Paris. Before leaving, the young man forbids his sister Ophelia, whom Hamlet is in love with, to have any relationship with the prince, because he is under enormous obligations by his origin and he is not in control of his own life and feelings. The father says the same to the girl, demanding that she no longer spend time in Hamlet's company. According to Ophelia herself, the prince visited her the other day and behaved extremely strangely. Polonius believes that the young man is mad with love for his daughter and is going to report everything to the king.

Hamlet's uncle, who is troubled by remorse because of the murder, is also very worried about the behavior of his nephew. He appeals for help to two young people, Guildestern and Rosencrantz, who were previously friends with the prince, and asks them to carefully find out what is oppressing him, promising various favors for this. Polonius suggests that it's all about heartfelt feelings, and promises to send his daughter to Hamlet in order to be fully convinced of his innocence.

The comrades try to talk to the prince, but he guesses that the king sent them to him, and refrains from any frankness. At this moment, actors arrive at the court, and Hamlet decides to use their help in order to be completely convinced that it was the current king who killed his father. The prince invites the actors to play the story of the death of Priam, in which he intends to insert a few of his own poems. Then he invites his mother and uncle to a planned performance.

At the same time, Hamlet thinks a lot in solitude about what is the meaning of life, and why people hold on to their earthly existence so much. Ophelia tries to talk to her lover, but the prince understands that her father and his uncle sent the girl to him, so he skillfully pretends to have lost his mind. The king realizes that Hamlet's mental breakdown is not related to love.

During the demonstration of the play, the scene of poisoning and the subsequent union of the poisoner with the wife of his victim begins, the king cannot stand this spectacle and leaves the hall, followed by all those gathered. Hamlet and Horatio no longer doubt that the uncle of the prince really committed a monstrous atrocity.

The attempts of Guildestern and Rosencrantz to have a friendly talk with Hamlet again end in nothing, the young man angrily says that he will not allow them to play with him like with a musical instrument. Polonius asks the prince to come to his mother and hides behind a carpet to eavesdrop on their conversation.

Hamlet speaks to the queen sharply and hostilely, Gertrude is unable to restrain a frightened cry, the prince discovers Polonius hidden behind a carpet and stabs him, believing that the king himself is there. A ghost appears, demanding to spare the queen and not to kill her. The woman does not see the ghost, it seems to her that her son is talking with the void, she no longer doubts that Hamlet is completely insane.

The king hastily sends the prince to England, accompanied by his former friends. At the same time, Laertes secretly returns from Paris, having learned about the death of his father. The young man also becomes aware that his sister Ophelia has lost her mind due to the fact that her lover killed Polonius. Laertes decides to take revenge on Hamlet for all the misfortunes of his family.

The king, after talking with the young man, decides to use the too quick-tempered Laertes in his own interests, he invites him to organize a duel with the prince. At the same time, the end of Laertes' sword must be smeared with poison, and the son of Polonius agrees to participate in this dishonorable undertaking.

At this time, the insane Ophelia, hanging wreaths made by her all over the forest, accidentally falls into the river. Hamlet, returning to his homeland, meets with a procession about to bury the unfortunate girl. Laertes jumps into the grave and begs to be buried along with his sister. Hamlet is sure of his insincerity, a fight begins between the young men, but the king quickly separates his nephew and Laertes, he needs to take place exactly the duel that he planned and in which Hamlet will surely lose his life.

The prince agrees to a duel with Laertes, although he anticipates a clear deception and trap. Hamlet's uncle also prepared a goblet and filled it with poisoned wine to give it to the young man when he was thirsty during the duel. Laertes inflicts a wound on Hamlet, they immediately exchange rapiers, and Hamlet also wounds Laertes. Queen Gertrude drinks wine, which contains a deadly poison, wishing victory for her son, before her husband can stop her. The woman dies, but before her death tells Hamlet that the drink was poisoned.

Laertes, unable to withstand what is happening, admits to Hamlet that the outcome of the duel was predetermined by the unscrupulous king in advance. The prince immediately plunges a poisoned blade into his uncle's heart, the young man himself also dies. His devoted comrade Horatio wants to drink the rest of the wine, intending to follow Hamlet, but the prince asks him to stay alive in order to inform everyone about the tragic fate of his family. A friend fulfills the last order of the heir to the Danish throne, who has already passed away, the English ambassadors who have arrived at the court will learn about what happened to the inhabitants of Elsinore.

Hamlet Shakespeare read a summary chapter by chapter. Interesting Facts. Tragedy Test

History of creation - Tragedy Hamlet in romanticism of the 17th century

Description of the tragedy (the plot of the tragedy and its main features)

main characters

Laertes, Ophelia, Claudius, Gertrude, Horatio

Analysis - the idea of ​​the tragedy of the prince of Denmark Hamlet

Analysis of the work

Analysis of the work

Analysis - the idea of the tragedy of the prince of Denmark Hamlet