English Literature books summary

English Literature books summary

his mother a liberal allowance but does not meet her. Becky calls herself

Lady Crawley and becomes engaged in charity activities.

William Shakespeare

Extremely Short Summaries. Good for Seminars

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Act I: Theseus, Duke of Athens, is preparing to marry Hippolyta in his

palace. He is solving a dispute between Egeus (who wants his daughter,

Hermia, to marry Demetrius) and Lysander, who has Hermia's love. Theseus

declares that Hermia must marry D emetrius as the law specifies, or marry

no one. Hermia and Lysander plan to escape to the woods and elope, and they

tell Helena. Helena loves Demetrius, and plans to impress him by telling

him of the lovers' plans. In the wood, six laborers meet to arrang e the

production of a play for Theseus's wedding.

Act II: In the wood, a Fairy talks with Robin Goodfellow about how Oberon,

King of the Fairies, is mad that his wife Titania has stolen an Indian

child from him. To get him, Oberon tells Puck to find and use a magic

flower's juice to make Titania f all in love with a beast. Meanwhile,

Oberon pities Helena's grief at Demetrius hating her, and tells Puck to

also use the juice to make Demetrius love Helena.

Act III: Puck (Robin) accidently puts the juice on Lysander instead of

Demetrius. He then turns Bottom's head into that of an ass, for Titania.

Oberon sees Puck's mistake, tells him to anoint Demetrius, and now both are

following Helena, leading he r to believe they are mocking her. Hermia does

not know what to think, as the two men begin to fight. Titania is so

entranced with Bottom that she freely gives up the Indian boy. Now Oberon

tells Puck to release her from the spell and fix the lover's quad rangle.

Act IV: Theseus and Hippolyta enter the woods for their marriage. They find

the lovers, and despite Egeus' request, Theseus declares that since all

four are happy (Demetrius with Helena and Lysander with Hermia), they shall

all be married on the sa me day. Bottom finds himself restored, and so the

play be performed.

Act V: At the wedding, Theseus asks for the play "Pyramus and Thisbe," and

it is performed. It is awful. The married people retire to bed, and Puck

ends the play with a nice anecdote.

The Merchant of Venice

Act I: Antonio, the Merchant of Venice, discusses his sadness with Salerio

and Solanio. Bassanio asks him for a loan, and Antonio says he may borrow

on his credit because his money is at sea. In Belmont, Portia discusses her

distaste with her suito rs with Nerissa. Back in Venice, Bassanio gets

money from Shylock on the condition that if Antonio does not repay in three

months, he gets a pound of his flesh.

Act II: The Prince of Morocco arrives to try for Portia's hand. Bassanio

and company plan their dinner. In Venice, Shylock tells his daughter

Jessica not to go out, but she loves Lorenzo and they escape that evening

with her father's valuables. Mor occo picks the Golden Casket, which is

wrong, and leaves. Salerio and Solanio, the gossipers, talk of Shylock's

anger at finding his daughter and money taken. The Prince of Aragon arrives

and tries to win Portia's hand, but incorrectly chooses the silver casket.

Act III: The gossipers reveal that one of Antonio's ships has sunk and that

he may be in trouble. Bassanio correctly picks the leaden casket, but later

finds out that Antonio owes a pound of flesh to Shylock. Because he will

die, he wants to see Ba ssanio again. Bassanio goes to Venice to see him.

Act IV: Shylock rejects an offer from Portia for three times the initial

loan because he wants his enemy Antonio dead. Portia and Nerissa disguise

themselves as doctor and clerk and go to help Antonio. Portia points out

that because the 'bond' they made said Shylock could not have Antonio's

blood, he cannot take the flesh and also loses all of his possessions.

Act V: Lorenzo and Jessica are enjoying the night, when Portia and Nerissa

return just ahead of Bassanio, Graziano, and Antonio. The wives reveal

themselves and the rings they had deceitfully taken.

The Tragedy of Richard II

Act I: The play begins with a dispute between Bolingbroke and The Duke of

Norfolk. Richard wants John of Guant, Bolingbroke's father, to solve the

matter, but when he cannot he says they will fight it out. Then, Richard

cancels this idea and instea d banishes Mowbray for life and Bolingbroke

for ten years.

Act II: Gaunt dies after insulting Richard, and the King claims his wealth

to help finance his war with Ireland. Northumberland reveals that

Bolingbroke is returning to England with an army to overtake Richard. He,

with York and Willoughby, join hi m. Richard's troops under the Earl of

Salisbury dispurse because they think Richard is dead.

Act III: Bolingbroke executes Bushy and Green, both loyal to the King.

Richard returns to England happily after defeating the Irish, but loses

that zest when he finds out that he has lost his troops and Bolingbroke

will surely defeat him. Bolingbro ke discovers that Richard is nearby in

Berkeley Castle, goes and asks him to surrender, and Richard does.

Act IV: The Bishop of Carlisle reluctantly lets Bolingbroke, who has been

questioning Bagot about whether the King ordered an execution or not,

overtake his castle. After some dramatic speech, Richard is sent to the

Tower by Bolingbroke, now known as King Henry IV.

Act V: Richard's loving and grief-stricken wife sees him on his way to

detention. A plot is hatched against Bolingbroke by Aumerle and others, but

his father York finds out and tells. Aumerle is spared but the other rebels

are not. Richard is kille d by Exton, news the new king says he is not

happy to hear, and so he decides to launch a crusade to ease his

conscience.

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

Act I: Guards on duty discuss seeing the Ghost of Hamlet's late father, the

dead King, and then see him again. Hamlet's mother, Gertrude, has remarried

to Hamlet's uncle Claudius, putting the King's murderer on the throne. The

courtier Polonius pre pares his son Laertes for a journey to Paris. He then

orders his daughter to stay away from Hamlet, her love, because he fears

Hamlet is going mad. The Ghost appears to Hamlet and tells him he wants

revenge on Claudius.

Act II: After a time lapse, Hamlet feigns madness, but cannot as easily

fool Claudius as he does others. The two both want to kill each other, but

both need a reason to justify it. The attacking Fortinbras is reported to

have called off his strike on Denmark, but that remains to be seen.

Polonius and Claudius try to trick Hamlet, but he stays ahead of them.

Hamlet meets his old friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and is at first

delighted to see them. But, he immediately realizes they are there to spy

on him. Hamlet devises to use a play which show's Claudius's crime to prove

him guilty.

Act III: Hamlet contemplates suicide, but Claudius is still not fooled and

decides to send Hamlet to England, most likely to kill him. The play is

done, and Claudius knows he must act or he will fall. Foolish Plonius asks

Gertrude to question Hamle t. While the two are talking, Hamlet begins to

grow angry at his mother, but the Ghost reappears and tells Hamlet to

remember who it is that he is after. Inadvertently, Hamlet kills Polonius

who was listening in from behind the curtain.

Act IV: Laertes is angry at Claudius because he thinks he killed his

father, but the king consoles him. Claudius hatches a plan to kill Hamlet,

who is back in Denmark because he escaped death in England via some wit and

some pirates.

Act V: Hamlet finds out from a gravedigger that Ophelia is dead, and upon

seeing her funeral, announces his love for her. Laertes challenges him to a

match, but they do not fight just yet. They go back to the castle for a

jousting match where...the Queen drinks a poisoned glass meant for Hamlet,

Laertes wounds Hamlet, Hamlet kills Laertes, Laertes announces Claudius's

evil intentions, Hamlet kills Claudius, and then Hamlet dies because

Laertes was fighting with a poisoned sword. Before his death, H amlet tells

Horatio to give authority to the approaching Fortinbras.

Othello

Act I: Iago is discussing his desire for revenge against Othello (for his

passing over of the lieutenant position that was given to Michael Cassio)

with the idiot Roderigo, who desires Desdemona (Othello's wife). Iago tells

Desdemona's father that she has eloped with Othello. He then tells Othello

to take heed of Brabantio's hostility, a warning the Moor shrugs off. The

two almost fight, but both are summoned by the Duke.

Act II: The scene shifts to Cyprus, and news comes that a tempest has

elimated a Turkish war threat. Othello declares a holiday and Iago uses

this to get Michael Cassio drunk. Iago cleverly sets the scene for a

trashed Cassio to chase Roderigo and wound Montano, followed by Othello

conveniently being woken and forced to discharge Cassio.

Act III: Now Iago tries to break up Othello and Desdemona by telling Cassio

to try and earn reinstatement by getting Desdemona to like him and talk to

Othello for him. Iago cleverly puts people in the right places so that

Othello begins to think Ca ssio is pursuing Desdemona. He also steals a

hankerchief Othello gave to Desdemona and puts it in Cassio's possession.

He lies some more and gets Othello to order Cassio's assassination,

question Desdemona, begin to lose rational thought, and ultimately d estroy

his noble record.

Act IV: Ludovico and other Venetian officials arrive, saying they want

Othello back. Desdemona speaks well of Cassio in hopes that he might

succeed the Moor, and for that Othello slaps and degrades her. Ludovico

wonders if Othello is sane, and Iago seizes the moment to cast Othello in a

bad light. Roderigo starts to realize that the jewels he has been giving

Iago to give to Desdemona have not been making it past Iago, and he

threatens to kill him. But Iago uses his rhetoric to convince Roderigo to

just wait a little longer.

Act V: Roderigo attacks Cassio, both are wounded, and Iago comes upon them

and kills Roderigo. Othello decides to kill Desdemona by strangling her in

her bed. Emilia then enters and tells him the news. She screams at seeing

Desdemona and the others come into the room as well. Emilia tells about how

she gave the hankerchief to Iago, and the truth starts to come out. Othello

realizes what Iago has done, and although he cannot kill him, Iago is

captured. Othello kills himself.

King Lear, 1594

Act I: King Lear announces that he wants to give his kingdom to his three

daughters. He has them all tell him they love him, but when Cordelia

refuses to pour on the compliments, she gets nothing. Kent is banished for

trying to tell the King he is making a mistake, but returns disguised and

serves the King again. Regan and Goneril discuss their problems with their

father. Burgundy loses interest in Cordelia, but France does not. The Earl

of Gloucester's bastard son, Edmund, tricks his father into t hinking that

his other son, Edgar, plans to kill him. Edmund then makes Edgar flee by

telling him that he is in danger.

Act II: Regan and Cornwall arrive at Gloucester's castle. Edmund fools his

father into thinking Edgar has struck him and left. Kent insults Oswald for

his refusal to respect the King and is thrown in the stocks by Cornwall as

an insult to the King. Lear continues to lose his sanity along with his

authoritative presence. After running to Regan, Lear finds that she, too,

will not be hospitable to him.

Act III: Lear rages out at a storm. The fool continues his important

commentary. Kent finally brings the King to safety in a rock sheltering.

Edmund turns his back on his father by informing Cornwall that France is

coming with Cordelia to restore t he King's power. A disguised Edgar meets

the King and Co. in their shelter. Gloucester then comes by and sends them

all to Dover. Gloucester returns to his castle, is tied up by Regan and

Cornwall, has his eyes plucked out, and is thrust outside towards D over.

Act IV:Edgar meets a suicidal Gloucester and agrees to help him. Albany

shows his nobility, Cornwall dies, and Edmund moves closer to control of

the English army. Cordelia longs for her father as France prepares for a

battle. Regan discloses to Osw ald her affection for Edmund and tells him

to kill Gloucester. Edgar saves Gloucester by tricking him into believing

he survived a huge fall, and then by killing Oswald. Lear remorsely meets

Cordelia.

Act V: France loses to England and Lear and Cordelia are taken prisoners by

Edmund. Edgar kills Edmund. Goneril poisons Regan and then kills herself.

Lear is unable to save Cordelia from Edmund's ordered execution and then

dies himself after a touch ing moment of remorse.

The First Part of King Henry IV

Act I: This follows Richard II, and King Henry begins by again putting off

his promised crusade because of Westmoreland's reports of battles at home.

Shakespeare introduces the conflict between Hotspur and Prince Hal. Prince

Hal is the son of King Henry and Hotspur the son of Westmoreland, who will

eventually try to take down the King. In a tavern, Hal and Falstaff engage

in a battle of wits, and then Poins enters and plans with Hal to use a

robbery to embarrass Falstaff. Back at Windsor Castle, Ho tspur will not

give the King prisoners he has captured because the King will not agree to

ransom his brother-in-law Mortimer. Worcester and others plan out how to

overtake the King.

Act II: Falstaff and others rob the traveling pilgrims and are then robbed

by a disguised Poins and Hal. Falstaff returns to the tavern and

exaggerates what happened to Poins and Hal, not knowing they are playing a

trick on him. Hal hides Falstaff from the sherriff, who comes looking for

him. Hotspur receives news of when the rebellion will occur, but does not

tell his curious wife.

Act III: An exuberant Hotspur makes his fellow conspirators angry with his

brash statements. Meanwhile, the King gives Hal a scolding for his

behavior, and Hal promises to shape up, for he had originally intended to

be bad so that he could eventual ly look all the better. Hal gives Falstaff

a post in the royal forces.

Act IV: The confident conspirators receive a blow when they learn that the

Earl of Northumberland is sick and they will not have his forces. Also, the

royal army is now swiftly approaching them and Glendower's forces are also

unavailable to the reb ellion. Falstaff admits he has wasted his money and

hired beggars for his battalion, surely leading them to their deaths.

Act V: The rebels forces will surely lose, and the King offers Worcester

amnesty for all if they will surrender. But he does not trust the King and

tells Hotspur they will fight. Prince Hal saves the King from death, and

his own reputation, by kill ing Douglas. Then the climax - Hal fights

Hotspur. Hotspur falls. Falstaff takes credit for this killing, which takes

the hope away from the rebels. They dispurse, but the rebellion carries on

into part two.

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

Act I: Caesar has just emerged victorious in a series of Roman civil wars.

The populous swarms to see his homecoming, but tribunes question the

celebration. A Soothsayer foreshadows the play by giving Caesar a warning,

which he ignores. Cassius beg ins to subtly sway Brutus against Caesar. The

conspirators meet and decide they need Brutus to join them, for tomorrow

they must kill Caesar before he becomes king.

Act II: Brutus joins, but Cicero is left out. Brutus foolishly decides they

should not kill Mark Antony. Calpurnia tells her husband Caesar to stay

home that day, but Caesar still goes to the senate.

Act III: The conspirators pretend to petition for a recall so that they may

crowd around him, and then stab him to death. Caesar fights back at first,

but when Brutus takes his turn, Caesar gives in dramatically. As the

conspirators try to calm the city, Mark Antony steps in and wins Brutus

over with flattery. Cassius fears him, but Brutus foolishly lets him speak

to the crowds. At the funeral, Brutus gives a short but well-put speech and

then his mistake proves costly. Antony riles up the crowd ag ainst the

conspirators with a magnificent oration. Antony agrees to join Octavius

Caesar and General Lepidus in a three-man government.

Act IV: Civil war now erupts between the new government and the

conspirators. In Asia Minor, Cassius' army comes to join Brutus' army.

Cassius and Brutus argue and make up. Brutus finds out that Portia is dead,

along with many senators including Ci cero. Caesar's ghost visits Brutus

and says they will meet again.

Act V: The armies sit opposite each other near Philippi, waiting for

battle. Antony tells Cassius things might be better had he been in charge

instead of Brutus. Cassius and Brutus exchange good-byes, knowing they may

never see each other again. Br utus poorly leads his men, and turns a sure

victory into a possible defeat. Cassius mistakenly thinks he is prisoner

when in fact the conspirators are winning, and commits suicide. Brutus

continues to mislead, avoiding a sure victory, and eventually it co sts

him. He commits suicide in the face of defeat. Antony's forces win.

Macbeth

Act I: The Witches foreshadow the evil in Macbeth. King Duncan decides to

kill the traitorous Thane of Cawdor. Back to the witches - after some junk-

talk, they are encountered by Macbeth with Banquo, and they say that he is

now Thane and will be Ki ng. However, the King tells Macbeth he will make

Malcolm the next king. Macbeth plans to kill the King when he dines at his

house that night, and Lady Macbeth helps convince him to go ahead with that

plan.

Act II: Lady Macbeth drugs the guards, Macbeth kills the king, and then the

guards are framed. Macduff arrives with Lennox at the door, goes to get the

king, and discovers his murder. Macduff is suspicious, but Macbeth is in

the clear for now. Malc olm and Donalbain flee, fearing their lives since

they are prime suspects. Macbeth has killed the servants, and the nobility

feels they were the murderers. Macbeth is now king, but the tragedy is

starting to unfold.

Act III: Macbeth makes arrangements to have Banquo and his son killed. At

dinner, Macbeth is told the Banquo was killed but his son escaped. Banquo's

ghost then appears, but only Macbeth can see it. Hecate, the witch queen,

scolds the witches for d ealing with Macbeth without her. With Banquo dead,

Lennox joins Macduff in increasing suspiscion.

Act IV: Macbeth visits the sisters and three apparitions are shown to him:

an armed head (signifying war), a bloody child (showing that no man born of

a woman shall harm Macbeth), and a crowned child with a tree (saying that

"Macbeth shall never va nquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high

Dunsinane Hill Shall come against him"). Macduff has gone to England to get

Malcolm.

Act V: Lady Macbeth is now unstable and walks and talks in her sleep. The

Scottish noblility has mostly joined the English against Macbeth, but he is

not scared because of the witches' prophecy. Lady Macbeth kills herself.

Macbeth then learns that the enemy is walking towards the castle with trees

from Birnam Wood, and that Macduff was ripped from his mother's womb early,

both explaining the witches' apparitions. Macduff kills Macbeth and Malcolm

is now King of Scotland.

Romeo and Juliet

Act I: Chorus gives a play overview. Sampson and Gregory fight with Abraham

and Balthasar. Benvolio breaks it up, fights with Tybalt, and a riot

erupts. Escalus, joined by the Capulets and Montagues, enters and stops the

fight. Afterwards the Monta gues speak with Benvolio about Romeo. Romeo

follows his parents exit with an entrance and talks with Benvolio about his

love life. Paris works on his hopes for a marriage to Juliet. He is invited

to a ball, which Romeo and Benvolio find out about from Cap ulet's Servant.

Juliet finds out about Paris' offer. Romeo and Co. head to the Capulet's

masked ball. At the ball, Romeo and Juliet meet each other, and the Nurse

tells them who each other is.

Act II: Chorus explains the problems Romeo and Juliet face. After climbing

into a back orchard and hearing Benvolio and Mercutio mock him, Romeo finds

Juliet speaking out of her window. The reveal their love and decide to

marry. Friar Lawrence agre es to marry them. With help from the Nurse,

arrangements are made and the two are wed.

Act III: Tybalt taunts Romeo, battles Mercutio and kills him, and is then

killed by Romeo. Romeo flees, Benvolio reports what happened, and Escalus

exiles Romeo. Juliet weeps, but gets a visit from Romeo that night. Romeo

goes to Mantua. Juliet doe s not want to marry Paris, but sees no way to

disobey her father.

Act IV: Friar Lawrence hatches a plan in which Juliet will fake her death:

he gives her a potion that will put her to sleep for a few days. Found to

be dead, everyone mourns the loss.

Act V: Friar John was supposed to tell Romeo that Juliet is not really

dead, but he reveals that he could not do it. Romeo visits the tomb and

finds Paris already there. Romeo kills him. Romeo kills himself after

kissing Juliet. Juliet awakes, sees Romeo dead, kisses him, and stabs

herself. Everyone comes after the watchmen send for Escalus. Friar Lawrence

explains his mistake. Montague and Capulet put aside their strife.

Full Summaries of Some Shakespeare's Works

Hamlet

Act One, Scene One

Francisco, a soldier standing watch outside the gates of Elsinore Castle in

Denmark, is met by Barnardo who has arrived to replace him. They are soon

joined by Marcellus, another guard, and Horatio. Horatio is a scholar who

speaks Latin, and he has been brought along because Barnardo and Marcellus

claim they have seen a ghost. While Barnardo describes to Horatio exactly

what he has seen, the ghost appears in front of them. Horatio tries to

speak with the ghost in Latin, saying, "Stay, speak, speak, I charge thee

speak" (1.1.49), but the ghost remains silent and then leaves.

Horatio tells Barnardo that the ghost looks like the deceased King Hamlet,

also known as Old Hamlet. Horatio sees that the ghost was dressed the same

way as King Hamlet was when he defeated King Fortinbras of Norway. The

story is that King Hamlet went to Norway and fought Fortinbras in single

combat. The loser agreed to yield all his land to the other king. However,

in the time since King Hamlet died, the son of King Fortinbras, known as

young Fortinbras, has been gathering together troops and is threatening to

attack Denmark.

The ghost enters a second time and Horatio again begs it to speak to him.

Just as it seems the ghost is about to say something, a cock crows and the

ghost disappears. Horatio tells Marcellus that he will inform young Hamlet,

the Prince of Denmark and the son of King Hamlet, that a ghost keeps

appearing in the shape of his father. Marcellus knows where young Hamlet is

and leaves with Horatio to find him.

Act One, Scene Two

King Claudius, who has assumed the throne since his brother King Hamlet

died, is accompanied by Queen Gertrude and other lords and attendants in

Elsinore Castle. He addresses the people, telling them that although his

brother's death is fresh in their minds, it is time for them to celebrate

his royal marriage to Queen Gertrude, who was also his brother's former

wife. He further informs the people that young Fortinbras of Norway has

assembled armies against Denmark. In response to this threat, Claudius

sends two men, Valtemand and Cornelius, as messengers to the uncle of young

Fortinbras with a letter in which he asks the older uncle to stop young

Fortinbras from attempting to attack Denmark.

Claudius next asks a young nobleman named Laertes why he has requested an

audience. Laertes informs him that although he has been fulfilled his

duties and attended the coronation in Denmark, he would rather return to

France. Claudius asks Polonius, Laertes' father, if he has given permission

for his son to go. Polonius assents, and Laertes is allowed to leave

Denmark.

Turning to Hamlet, Claudius asks his nephew why he is still in mourning for

his father's death, hinting that Hamlet might only be pretending to be

grief-stricken. Hamlet's mother, Queen Gertrude, also asks him why he still

dresses in black clothing. Hamlet replies that his grief is quite real and

that he will continue grieving. Claudius tells him it is unnatural for a

man to remain sorrowful for such a long time. Both Claudius and Gertrude

then beg Hamlet to stay with them in Denmark instead of returning to

Wittenberg where his university is located. Hamlet agrees to stay, and

watches as everyone leaves the hall to celebrate his uncle's and his

mother's marriage.

He is upset about the fact that his mother married Claudius within less

than two months after the death of King Hamlet. Hamlet says, "O most wicked

speed, to post / With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!" (1.2.157). He

is interrupted by the arrival of Horatio, Barnardo, and Marcellus, who have

come to tell him about the ghost they have seen.

Horatio tells Hamlet about seeing the ghost of King Hamlet. Hamlet asks

them if they have the watch again that night, and Barnardo says they do. At

this information, Hamlet agrees to join them that night in order to see the

ghost and hopefully to speak with it.

Act One, Scene Three

Laertes, about to leave for France, says farewell to his sister Ophelia. He

warns her to beware of Hamlet, whom he tells her is insincere. "For Hamlet

and the trifling of his favour, / Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood, /

...sweet not lasting" (1.3.5-6, 8). Laertes then lectures Ophelia, telling

her that Hamlet will say anything to win her heart. He tells her to hold

off, and if Hamlet still loves her after he has been made king, only then

should she consider marrying him. Ophelia agrees to remember what he has

told her.

Polonius then arrives and tells Laertes to hurry up and catch his ship

before it leaves the harbor. As he walks Laertes towards the ship, Polonius

gives his son fatherly advice. "Be thou familiar but by no means vulgar. /

The friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, / Grapple them to thy soul

with hoops of steel" (1.3.61-63). Laertes promises to obey his father, and

leaves after he reminds Ophelia to remember what he has said.

Polonius asks Ophelia what advice Laertes gave her. Ophelia tells him, and

Polonius gets mad at her for believing what Hamlet has told her. He orders

her to give less of her time to Hamlet in the future, saying, "From this

time, daughter, / Be somewhat scanter of your maiden presence" (1.3.120-

121). Ophelia tells her father she will do what he commands: "I shall obey,

my lord" (1.3.136).

Act One, Scene Four

Hamlet and Horatio are outside waiting for the ghost to arrive. They hear a

cannon go off, and Hamlet tells Horatio that the cannon is fired whenever

the king empties a draught of Rhenish wine. Hamlet is upset about the

custom, because he thinks it makes Denmark appear to be a land of

drunkards. The ghost arrives and Hamlet tries to speak to it, but it only

beckons him to follow it. Horatio and Marcellus try to make him stay, but

Hamlet tells them to let go of him. Marcellus and Horatio watch him leave

and decide to follow him. Marcellus remarks, "Something is rotten in the

state of Denmark" (1.4.67).

Act One, Scene Five

Hamlet follows the ghost, who finally speaks and informs Hamlet that he is

the spirit of Old Hamlet, Hamlet's father. The ghost indicates that he is

in purgatory, "I am thy father's spirit, / Doomed for a certain term to

walk the night / And for the day confined to fast in fires / Till the foul

crimes done in my days of nature / Are burned and purged away" (1.5.9-13).

The ghost then tells Hamlet to listen to him closely.

Old Hamlet orders his son to revenge his murder. Hamlet is confused, not

understanding what the ghost is speaking about. The ghost tells him that

"sleeping in mine orchard, / A serpent stung me" (1.5.35-36), alluding to

the fact that he was murdered. He goes on to say that the serpent is his

brother, Claudius, who entered the garden where he was sleeping and poured

poison into his ear. He died without having a chance to confess his sins,

and is therefore forced to suffer in Purgatory until his sins are burned

away.

The ghost leaves Hamlet with the words, "Adieu, adieu, Hamlet. Remember me"

(1.5.91). Hamlet wonders about what he has heard, and decides that he

believes the ghost. He makes Marcellus and Horatio swear to never reveal

what they have seen. He then makes them swear a second time, this time on

his dagger which is shaped like a cross. He tells Horatio, "There are more

things in heaven and earth, Horatio, / Than are dreamt of in our

philosophy" (1.5.168-169). They all swear yet again and return to the

castle.

Act Two, Scene One

Polonius is in his apartments with his servant Reynaldo. He is sending

Reynaldo to France with instructions to keep tabs on the behavior of

Laertes. Polonius tells Reynaldo to first inquire what other Danes are in

the area, and then to tell them that he knows Laertes. He wants Reynaldo to

hint to the other Danes that Laertes has a reputation for gambling,

drinking, or whoring. The purpose of this lie is to see if the other Danes

agree with Reynaldo and tell him about real things that Laertes has done.

Polonius is careful to insist that Reynaldo does not harm his son's honor

in the process, saying, "none so rank / As may dishonour him, take heed of

that" (2.1.20-21). Reynaldo leaves the room to depart for France.

Ophelia arrives and tells Polonius that she thinks Hamlet has gone mad. She

claims that while she was sowing he came to her looking completely

disheveled. Hamlet took her by the wrist and looked at her for a long time.

He then turned to walk away, all the while keeping his eyes on Ophelia and

even walking through the doors without averting his gaze. Polonius is upset

when he hears this, and he concludes that her refusal to see Hamlet anymore

has driven the young prince mad. Polonius takes Ophelia to go see King

Claudius and tell him what has happened.

Act Two, Scene Two

Claudius and Gertrude meet with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two former

friends of Hamlet. Claudius informs them that he has summoned them to

Denmark due to Hamlet's madness. He wants them to spend time with Hamlet

and find out what the reason for the madness is. They both agree to do

this, and leave to find Hamlet.

Polonius arrives and informs Claudius that the ambassadors he sent to

Norway have returned. Claudius tells him that he always brings good news.

Polonius, delighted by the compliment, further tells him that he thinks he

knows the cause of "Hamlet's lunacy" (2.2.49). Claudius is excited by this

news as well, but orders the ambassadors to enter first.

Valtemand, one of the ambassadors, tells Claudius that Old Norway, the

uncle of Fortinbras, was unaware that his nephew was raising an army

against Denmark. He informs Claudius that Old Norway summoned Fortinbras to

meet him as soon as he heard about his nephew's plans. Fortinbras complied

with the summons and was forced to vow to never attack Denmark. His uncle,

believing him, immediately gave him an annual income of three thousand

crowns and also gave him permission to attack Poland instead. Old Norway

further wrote a letter to Claudius asking him to allow Fortinbras a safe

passage through Denmark on the way Poland.

Claudius is very pleased with the way things appear to have turned out, and

heartily agrees to allow Fortinbras to march through Denmark. After the

ambassadors leave, Polonius turns to Claudius and Gertrude and tells them

that Hamlet is mad. They both become impatient to hear what he is saying,

and Polonius finally produces a letter from Hamlet to Ophelia in which

Hamlet professes his love to her. Gertrude then asks Polonius how Ophelia

received Hamlet's overtures of love. Polonius is forced to tell them that

at his request she ignored Hamlet or rebuked his love. Claudius is not

completely convinced that this is the full cause of Hamlet's insanity. He

and Polonius decide to put Ophelia into the hall where Hamlet is known to

spend hours pacing each day. They plan to hide behind a tapestry and watch

what happens.

Hamlet arrives at this moment dressed as if he is mad and reading a book.

Polonius asks the king and queen to leave so that he may speak with Hamlet

alone. Hamlet pretends not to recognize Polonius, whom he calls a

fishmonger. He then asks Polonius if he has a daughter, and tells him to

keep her out of the sun. When Polonius, thoroughly convinced that Hamlet is

deranged, asks what he is reading, Hamlet tells him, "Words, words, words"

(2.2.192). Polonius gives up trying to reason with Hamlet and leaves.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive and are greeted warmly by Hamlet who

immediately drops all pretense of madness. He recognizes them and asks them

what brings them to Denmark, referring to it as a "prison". They refuse to

give him a straight answer, and Hamlet infers from this that "you were sent

for, / and there is a kind of confession in your looks which your modesties

have not craft enough to colour" (2.2.271-272). Guildenstern finally admits

that Hamlet is correct in his assumption that they were sent for. Hamlet

tells them that he has been extremely melancholy during the past few

months.

The two friends of Hamlet inform him that some players, a theatrical group,

arrived in Denmark with them that day. Hamlet discusses the actors with

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern until a trumpet announces the arrival of the

performers. He then personally goes to greet them and welcome them to

Denmark. Polonius arrives at that moment and, still thinking that Hamlet is

mad, tells Hamlet that the best actors in the world have arrived. Hamlet

plays word games with Polonius until he starts to ignore him.

Hamlet asks one of the players to perform a speech for him. The player asks

him which speech he is so keen to hear, and Hamlet begins to recite lines

from Dido and Aeneas, taken from Virgil's Aeneid. Finally he stops and asks

the actor to continue the speech. The man does, describing how Pyrrhus

kills Priam (the king of Troy). Polonius starts to get bored and soon

Hamlet is forced to stop the actor. He orders Polonius to take care of the

actors and ensure their comfort for the night. Hamlet also asks the actors

whether they can perform a play about the murder of Gonzago. They tell him

they can, and he then asks them whether they can also perform some lines he

wishes to write for them. They agree to do this as well and then leave,

following Polonius. Hamlet tells Guildenstern and Rosencrantz that he will

see them that night.

Left alone onstage, Hamlet speaks to himself. He wishes that he were able

to act as eloquently as the actor who performed the speech. Hamlet is still

torn with indecision about revenging the murder of his father on Claudius

or keeping silent due to uncertainty about whether Claudius really killed

his father. He decides to try and make the player's enact the murder scene

as it was described to him by the ghost. Hamlet is hoping that Claudius,

when he sees the scene, will reveal himself as the true murderer of King

Hamlet. "I have heard that guilty creatures sitting at a play / Have by the

very cunning of the scene / Been struck so to the soul that presently / The

have proclaimed their malefactions" (2.2.566-569). By watching Claudius

when the actors perform this scene, Hamlet expects to discover whether the

ghost told him the truth.

Act Three, Scene One

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are reporting to Claudius and Gertrude what

they have noticed about Hamlet. They tell the king and queen that Hamlet

has not revealed to them why he acts mad some of the time, but that he also

seems distracted. They mention that Hamlet seemed much happier when the

actors arrived and that he ordered them to perform for the court that very

night. Polonius interrupts and mentions that Hamlet had asked him to invite

Claudius and Gertrude to the evening's performance. Claudius happily

accepts the invitation.

Claudius then asks Gertrude to leave, telling her that they will put

Ophelia alone in the room so that she and Hamlet may "accidentally" meet.

She agrees to depart and wishes Ophelia luck in bringing Hamlet out of his

supposed madness. Claudius and Polonius proceed to hide themselves behind a

curtain or tapestry in order to spy.

Hamlet enters the room giving his famous soliloquy, "To be, or not to be;

that is the question" (3.1.58). He is grappling with the difficulty of

taking action against Claudius and the fact that he has not been able to

revenge his father's murder yet. Hamlet's introspective commentary is

interrupted when he sees Ophelia.

Ophelia greets Hamlet and tries to hand him back some of the tokens of his

affection he previously gave her. Hamlet tells her that she should never

have believed him when he told her he loved her, and that she was deceived.

He tells her, "Get thee to a nunnery. Why wouldst thou be a breeder of

sinners?" (3.1.122). Hamlet then says that women are liars and should not

be allowed to marry, unless the men they marry are fools. He is likely

alluding to the fact that Ophelia rejected him after he proclaimed his love

for her.

Ophelia is upset by his reactions, and says, "O what a noble mind is here

o'erthrown!" (3.1.149). Claudius and Polonius emerge from their hiding-

place and tell her they heard everything. Polonius still thinks the cause

of Hamlet's misery is Ophelia's rejection of his love. Claudius, however,

is convinced that Hamlet is not mad, merely deeply depressed and possibly

dangerous. He tells Polonius that he will send Hamlet to England as soon as

possible.

Act Three, Scene Two

Hamlet has written a scene for the actors and he is instructing them on how

to perform it. He tells them not to be overdramatic, but also "Be not too

tame, neither" (3.2.15). The actors tell him they can perform it exactly as

he desires it to be.

Polonius, Guildenstern and Rosencrantz arrive and Hamlet sends them all to

make the actors hurry up and get ready. Horatio soon shows up and Hamlet

tells him that one scene in the play that night directly mimics the murder

of his father. He asks Horatio to, "observe mine uncle" (3.2.73) in order

to determine whether the ghost was lying or not. They plan to meet

afterwards and compare their separate judgments as to what the reaction of

Claudius means.

Horatio goes to find a seat, and Claudius enters along with the rest of the

court. He greets Hamlet and asks him how he is. Hamlet gives a nonsensical

answer and then asks Polonius if he was an actor during his university

days. Polonius says he was a good actor, and that he played Julius Caesar.

Gertrude asks Hamlet to sit by her, but he says, "No, good-mother, here's

mettle more attractive" (3.2.99) and sits next to Ophelia instead. He

proceeds to make bawdy comments to her, all of which Ophelia tries to

respond to appropriately.

The actors come out onto the stage and proceed to perform a dumb show, a

silent scene in which they enact the murder of a king through poisoning.

Ophelia is confused by the show, but assumes it foretells the actual plot.

The players emerge a second time and start to perform the actual play. They

pretend to be a king and queen. The queen protests her love for the king,

telling him that she will never consider marrying a second man. The king

tells her that such vows are quickly forgotten, but the queen continues to

swear she will never marry a second time.

Hamlet turns to Queen Gertrude and asks her what she thinks of the play.

Gertrude tells him that the queen "protests too much" (3.2.210). Claudius

is worried that the play may be offensive, and asks Hamlet what the play is

called. Hamlet says, "The Mousetrap" (3.2.217), alluding to the fact that

he wants to catch Claudius.

An actor named Lucianus arrives onstage, and Hamlet tells them that he is

meant to portray the nephew of the king. Lucianus pours poison in the

king's ears, and Hamlet comments that he kills the king in order to steal

his estate. Ophelia informs Hamlet that Claudius has stood up out of rage,

thereby stopping the performance. Hamlet happily replies, "What, frighted

with false fire?" (3.2.244). Claudius demands light to shone on him and

leaves the room, followed by everyone except Hamlet and Horatio.

The two friends remain behind and Hamlet gleefully tells Horatio, "O good

Horatio, I'll take the Ghost's word for a thousand pound" (3.2.263-264).

Horatio agrees with him that Claudius is guilty. Rosencrantz and

Guildenstern arrive and tell Hamlet that the king is in a terrible mood and

that Gertrude has sent for him. He agrees to meet with his mother soon, but

they continue to ask him why he is so "distempered" (3.2.308). Hamlet gets

mad at them for their insistence and grabs a recorder from one of the

actors. He shows it to them and demands that Guildenstern play it. When he

refuses, saying he does not know how, Hamlet says,

Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing you make of me! You would play upon

me, you would seem to know my stops...do you think I am easier to be played

on than a pipe?" (3.2.334-335,339-340).

Polonius enters and Hamlet immediately pretends to be crazy again. Polonius

also tells Hamlet that his mother wants to see him in her private chamber.

Hamlet plays with him a little, pointing to the clouds and pretending to

see various animals. Finally he makes Polonius leave, and tells Rosencrantz

and Guildenstern to depart as well. In a soliloquy, Hamlet indicates that

he will be "cruel, not unnatural. / I will speak daggers to her, but use

none" (3.2.365-366). He wants to make his mother aware of the fact that

Claudius murdered her former husband, but not physically harm her in the

process.

Act Three, Scene Three

Claudius meets with Guildenstern and Rosencrantz. He tells them that Hamlet

has become too dangerous to keep in Denmark, and that he is therefore

sending him to England. He orders the two young men to prepare to accompany

Hamlet on the voyage, to which they readily assent.

Polonius informs Claudius that Hamlet will meet with his mother in her

private chamber. Polonius decides to conceal himself behind a tapestry in

order to overhear their conversation. He promises to tell Claudius

everything that happens.

Claudius, finally alone, states, "O, my offense is rank! It smells to

heaven" (3.3.36). He then admits to killing his brother and laments the

fact that he cannot repent his crime. He prays to the angels to help him.

Hamlet enters behind him and draws his sword, preparing to kill Claudius.

However, when he realizes that Claudius has been praying, and therefore

would be absolved of all his sins, he decides not to kill him. "A villain

kills my father, and for that / I, his sole son, do this same villain send

to heaven.../ When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage.../ At gaming,

swearing, or about some act / That has no relish of salvation in't, / And

that his soul may be as damned and black / As hell whereto it goes" (3.3.76-

78,89,91-92,94-95). Hamlet chooses to wait and kill Claudius when he is

sure that Claudius will be sent to hell.

Act Three, Scene Four

Polonius admonishes Gertrude to rebuke Hamlet for the way he has acted. He

quickly hides himself as soon as he hears Hamlet coming. Hamlet arrives and

is immediately rude to his mother; he mentions her incestuous marriage to

Claudius and tells her she has offended his father. He promises to hold up

a mirror to her face so that she can see what she has become. "You go not

till I set you up a glass / Where you may see the inmost part of you"

(3.4.19-20). Queen Gertrude becomes afraid of her life and cries for help,

a cry that Polonius foolishly answers.

Hamlet, having heard Polonius make a sound behind the curtain, pulls out

his sword and thrusts it through the curtains, killing him. Hamlet asks

Gertrude if it is the king, but then realizes he has instead killed

Polonius. Gertrude is upset, but Hamlet comments that his act is, "A bloody

deed - almost as bad, good-mother, / As kill a king and marry with his

brother" (3.4.27-28). Gertrude does not understand what Hamlet means, and

he is forced to explain to her. He pulls out two miniatures of King Hamlet

and Claudius and compares them for her, telling her that Claudius killed

King Hamlet in order to seize the throne.

Gertrude is upset and confused, struggling to believe Hamlet. The ghost

reappears at that moment and Hamlet speaks to it, saying, "What would you,

gracious figure?" (3.4.95). Gertrude, who is unable to see the ghost,

believes that Hamlet has gone completely mad. The ghost tells Hamlet to

keep speaking to Gertrude and to convince her, but she becomes even more

convinced that Hamlet is mad as she watches him speak to empty air. Hamlet

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