Hamlet, plot

Riassunto breve in inglese degli atti dell'Amleto di William Shakespeare (0 pagine formato doc)

Appunto di giannepi

HAMLET SUMMARY

Act 1, Scene 5: The ghost declares itself to be the spirit of Hamlet's father, returned to earth to spur him to wreak vengeance.

He tells Hamlet he was murdered by his uncle Claudius who, taking advantage of his being asleep, poured poison into his ears. Having achieved his dark mission Claudius persuaded everybody that the king had been bitten by a snake. Hamlet's father was killed before he had an opportunity to confess his sins, and is thus condemned to wander in Purgatory. He orders Hamlet to kill the murderous and incestuous brother but not to harm his mother who will, in any case, be subjected to remorse by her conscience.
The ghost disappears. Horatio and Marcellus arrive.

HAMLET SIMPLE PLOT

Hamlet feigns a light-hearted mood and makes them swear three times to say nothing concerning the ghost. Each time the ghost, from now on invisible, cries `Swear!' They finally swear to reveal nothing, even though Hamlet warns them that his subsequent behaviour may seem unusual or eccentric at times. Act 2, Scene 2: Claudius asks Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, childhood friends of Hamlet, to sound him out as to the reasons for the strange changes in his behaviour. Polonius enters and announces the return from Norway of the ambassadors, with the news that the King of Norway has persuaded Fortinbras to invade Poland instead of Denmark. He also states his belief that the cause of Hamlet's madness is unrequited love, Ophelia having spurned his advances.

HAMLET SHAKESPEARE

This reason scarcely persuades the king and queen. The queen thinks it is her hasty marriage which has caused her son to lose his mind. Hamlet enters feigning madness, which allows him to mock and deride the remarks made by Polonius, who leaves. Hamlet soon discovers that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have been sent by the king to spy on him and the conversation turns instead to the arrival of a troupe of actor comedians, to theatre and to the fact that principal roles are more and more often played by children and adolescents. Hamlet welcomes the comedians and they recite lines concerning the death of King Priam of Troy and the grief borne by his wife, Hecuba. Polonius leads the actors away. The principal actor remains with Hamlet, who asks him to perform The Murder of Gonzago before the court and to add a few lines Hamlet himself is to write. Left alone Hamlet marvels at the suggestive power of the theatre and agonises over his inactivity. He decides to stage the murder of his father by his uncle, and to observe the latter's reactions to the play, before unmasking him and avenging his father. (Second soliloquy: "O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I." Act 3, Scene 1: In the hope of discovering the reasons for Hamlet's distress, the king and queen decide to engineer a meeting between him and Ophelia. Polonius asks her to pretend to be alone whilst he and the king hide behind a tapestry. Hamlet enters

William Shakespeare: vita e opere