DRAMATIS PERSONAE
Claudius, King of Denmark
Hamlet, son to the late, and nephew to the present king
Polonius, Lord Chamberlain
Horatio, friend to Hamlet
Laertes, son to Polonius
Voltimand, Cornelius, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Osric, a Gentleman, courtiers
A Priest
Marcellus, Barnardo, officers
Francisco, a soldier
Reynaldo, servant to Polonius
Players
Two Clowns, grave-diggers
Fortinbras, Prince of Norway
A Captain
English Ambassadors
Gertrude, Queen of Denmark and mother to Hamlet
Ophelia, daughter to Polonius
Lords, Ladies, Officers, Soldiers, Sailors, Messengers, and other Attendants
Ghost of Hamlet's Father
Act 1
1.1: The Ghost of Hamlet's father appears to Horatio and two
sentinels. They wonder what it portends and decide that Hamlet should
be told.
1.2: The new king and his court . . . Hamlet's first soliloquy ("O that
this too too solid flesh would melt") . . . Hamlet learns of the ghost.
1.3: Laertes and Polonius warn Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet.
1.4: The Ghost appears to Hamlet.
3.3: The King tries to pray . . . Hamlet passes up a chance to kill
him.
3.4: Hamlet and his mother . . . Hamlet kills Polonius . . . Final
appearance of the Ghost.
Act 4
4.1: The Queen reports the killing of Polonius . . . Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern sent to find Hamlet.
1.5: The Ghost's message.
4.2: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern try to get Hamlet to tell them where
he has hidden the body of Polonius.
Act 2
2.1: Polonius sends Reynaldo to check up on Laertes . . . Ophelia
tells Polonius of Hamlet's strange visit
4.3: Hamlet is sent to England.
2.2: The King tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to investigate
Hamlet's madness . . . Polonius's theory of Hamlet's
madness . . . Polonius examines Hamlet . . . Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern examine Hamlet . . . The players arrive . . . Hamlet's
second soliloquy ("O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!")
4.5: Ophelia's madness . . . Laertes demands revenge for Polonius'
death.
Act 3
3.1: The King and Polonius use Ophelia as bait, so they can spy on
Hamlet . . . Hamlet's third soliloquy ("To be or not to be, that is the
question") . . . The King decides to send Hamlet to England, but
Polonius wants to overhear what Hamlet might say to his mother.
3.2: Performance of "The Murder of Gonzago" . . . The King
rises . . . Hamlet summoned to speak with his mother.
4.4: Hamlet sees Fortinbras leading his army to Poland . . . Hamlet's
fourth soliloquy ("How all occasions do inform against me").
4.6: Sailors tell Horatio that Hamlet has returned to Denmark.
4.7: The King and Laertes plot their revenge on Hamlet . . . Queen
Gertrude tells the story of Ophelia's drowning.
Act 5
5.1: Hamlet and the gravediggers . . . Ophelia's funeral.
5.2: Hamlet tells Horatio how he returned to Denmark . . . Osric
invites Hamlet to the fencing match with Laertes . . . The fencing
match, and the deaths of Laertes, Queen, King, Hamlet