Fishseller is a symbol of dishonesty, fish

Read the tragedy HAMLET by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.

2. Study the CHARACTER MAP. Consult the dictionaries to ensure accurate
pronunciation of the names.
3. Recount the sources of HAMLET.
The immediate source of Hamlet is an earlier play dramatising the same story of
Hamlet, the Danish prince who must avenge his father. No printed text of this play
survives and it may well have been seen only in performance and never in print.
https://www.rsc.org.uk/hamlet/about-the-play/dates-and-sources
4. Identify the elements of tragedy in HAMLET.
- Revenge motive
- Internal and external conflicts
- comic relief
- Tragic hero/flaw/mistake
- Supernatural element
- Chance Happenings
5. Provide the evidence of Shakespeare’s power of the language in HAMLET.
In Hamlet,  words are weapons and can be like poison in the ear or like daggers.
Furthermore, Hamlet’s deep connection with language and words causes him to base
his perceptions of reality on his interpretation and understanding of words.
One of the central images in Shakespeare’s Hamlet is that of the ear being poisoned,
both literally and metaphorically. While in the case of Hamlet’s murdered father the
poison was inserted directly into the ear, the meaning is extended to include the power
offered by words and language to manipulate and destroy. In essence, as the play
progresses, words are the key to both the driving action of the play as well its outcome
as all characters have somehow been affected by poisoned words. In many senses, each
character’s sense of reality has been created and shaped because of their relationship to
language and words, often to tragic ends. The reader is offered some degree of
foreshadowing when the ghost of Hamlet’s father states that Claudius has poisoned
“the whole ear of Denmark" with his words. 
https://www.articlemyriad.com/power-words-language-hamlet-othello/

6. Be prepared to discuss the tragedy following the DISCUSSION GUIDE.

7. Consider the major themes in HAMLET:
 Revenge
There are two young men bent on avenging their father’s death in this play.
Hamlet and Laertes are both on the same mission, and while Hamlet is
pondering his approach to the problem Laertes is hot on his heels, determined
to kill him as Hamlet has killed his father, Polonius. This is, therefore, a double
revenge story. Shakespeare examines the practice of revenge by having two
entirely different approaches to it – the hot-headed abandon of Laertes and
the philosophical, cautious approach by Hamlet. The two strands run parallel
– invoking comparisons, each one throwing light on the other – until the young
men’s duel and both their deaths. The revenge theme feeds into the religious
element of the play as Hamlet is conflicted by his Christian aversion to killing
someone and his duty to avenge his father’s death, whereas it is not a
consideration for Laertes, whose duty is clear to him, and he acts on it
immediately.
Revenge is a prominent theme in Hamlet and a catalyst to many events in the plot.
Several characters seek revenge:
 The ghost of Hamlet's father wants Hamlet to avenge his death.
 Laertes wants to avenge both Polonius's and Ophelia's deaths.
 Fortinbras wants revenge for his father's death and for military losses.
Of the characters prominently involved in vengeful action, Fortinbras is the only one
who does not die as a direct result. It might be said that Hamlet's death was less a result
of his own action (or attempted action) and unavoidable because Claudius and his need
to protect his position was the force behind that string of events. It could be argued that
Claudius's actions might have resulted in Hamlet's demise regardless of whatever
Hamlet decided to do about the ghost's entreaty.
Both Hamlet and Fortinbras grow in spite of—or perhaps because of—the vengeful
actions they undertake or attempt to undertake. The same might not be said about
Laertes, however, unless the last-minute wisdom by which he asks for and extends
forgiveness counts. And, ultimately, with the carnage of the final scene so
poignant, Shakespeare could be making a case for the uselessness of revenge, but that
could also be a 21st-century viewpoint overlaid on a 17th-century drama.

 Appearance vs. Reality

This is a major theme in every one of Shakespeare’s plays. The text of Hamlet
is saturated with references to the gap that exists between how things seem
to be and how they really are. Very little in this play is really as it seems. That
is bound to be so in a play in which there are so many murderous plots and
schemes by those who, on the surface, strive to appear innocent, like
Claudius, who, behind his charismatic smile, is a damned villain. He is, as
Hamlet puts it, a ‘smiling villain.’ Although Ophelia loves Hamlet she pretends
to spurn his affections. Hamlet pretends to be mad so that he can explore the
ghost’s assertion that Claudius killed him. All the characters, in one way or
another, are hiding their true intentions.
What makes this theme particularly interesting and different in this play is that
as the play develops the gap between appearance and reality narrows by the
characters becoming more like the masks they are using than any reality that
may lie behind that so the identities they have assumed eventually become
their realities.

 Sanity vs. Insanity

Sanity and insanity is a theme often referenced in Hamlet. For most of the play, the
subject is brought on by the sudden plague of insanity that seems to take over Hamlet
when his mother remarries soon after his fathers death. While the reader knows he is
only faking, the other characters in the play do not and must debate whether they
believe Hamlet is truly insane and what could've caused his abrupt descent into
madness. While Hamlet is the main topic in the insanity vs sanity debate, his former
lover Ophelia also seemingly loses her mind after the death of her father and adds to
the discussion.

“How strange or odd some'er I bear myself

As I perchance hereafter shall think meet

To put an antic disposition on”

(Act I: Scene IV - pg. 28)

In this quote, Hamlet is trying to warn his two friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern,
that he will soon be acting very strangely. This seems to be Hamlet hinting that his
future insanity is not real, but instead an act to help him kill his uncle/ dad Claudius.

“He knew me not at first; he said I

was a fishmonger. He is far gone. And truly, in my

youth, I suffered much extremity for love, very near

this.”

(Act II: Scene II - pg. 39)

In this quote Polonius is speaking about Hamlet and his supposed insanity. This quote
is significant because it lets the reader know that as of right now the other characters
are not aware that Hamlet is faking, especially Polonius, who does not pick up on any of
Hamlets sarcasm/ puns toward him.

“I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is

southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.”

(Act II: Scene II - pg. 44)

In this quote Hamlet is once again trying to explain to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
that he is not actually insane, which they don’t seem to pick up on. The phrase “I know a
Hawk from a handsaw” is supposed to convey Hamlet’s hidden sanity.

“Mad as the sea and wind when both contend

Which is the mightier. In his lawless fit,

Behind the arras hearing something stir,

Whips out his rapier, cries 'A rat, a rat,'

And in this brainish apprehension, kills

The unseen good old man.”

(Act IV: Scene I - pg. 79)

In this quote it is shown that Hamlet truly has everyone fooled, even his own mother is
convinced. After he mistakenly kills Polonius instead of Claudius and acts like it wasn’t a
big deal, everyone is sure he is insane.

“poor Ophelia

Divided from herself and her fair judgment,

Without the which we are pictures or mere beasts”

(Act IV: Scene V - pg. 89)

In this quote Claudius is speaking about Ophelia’s now, very real, insanity. It seems that
Hamlets fake insanity which caused the murder of Ophelia’s father, Polonius, has cause
real mental damage.

Overall in the work as a whole, sanity and insanity function as ambiguous topics that
none of the characters can quite figure out. Insanity is used as an excuse or cover up
for Hamlets plot for revenge and the reader does not see a truly insane person until the
very end when Ophelia loses her mind. But, for the most part this work really focuses on
the ambiguity of sanity and insanity. How can you tell if someone is truly insane or if
they are just faking? It comments on what society views as sane and insane but
challenges those views with the character of Hamlet. Almost all of the characters are
convinced Hamlet is insane but the reader knows that is not true, he is only faking to
further his plot. Shakespeare points out that something as complicated as the mind
cannot be figured out and that it is impossible to know the true mental state of a person
without being in their head.

 Decay and Corruption

Corruption is a major concern in this play. The text is saturated with images of
corruption, in several forms – decay, death, poison. From the very first
moments of the play the images start and set the atmosphere of corruption
which is going to grow as Shakespeare explores this theme. The tone is set
when Marcellus says, ‘Something is rotten in the state of Denmark,’ after
seeing the ghost of Hamlet’s father. What Shakespeare is doing here, and in
using the image structure of corruption, is addressing the broadly held view
that a nation’s health is connected to the legitimacy of its king. Here we have
the ghost of a murdered king, and his murderer – a decidedly illegitimate king
– is sitting on his throne. All through the play, Hamlet is preoccupied with rot
and corruption – both of the body and the soul, reflecting the way in which
society is destroyed by the corruption of its inner institutions – in this case, the
court, which is the government.
Decay, rot and mould are always in Hamlet’s mind, and his language is full of
those images – ‘an unweeded garden that grows to seed – things rank and
gross possess it,’ and countless images of death and disease. He hides
Polonius’ body in a place where it will decay rapidly and stink out the castle.
It’s an image of the corruption in secret places that is going to contaminate the
whole country.
The idea of truth versus deception, which at times is expressed more as reality versus
appearance, is prevalent in Hamlet. This theme plays out in major ways; the deceitful
way by which Claudius came to power underpins the entire play. And it is also
developed in smaller ways; the fact that Polonius is willing to spread rumors
about Laertes to investigate his behavior in France tells us something about the nature
of Polonius's relationships with his children.
The play presents many characters who thrive on deceit (Polonius, Claudius), and
many situations that evolve out of deceit (Polonius's death when he tries to eavesdrop
on Gertrude and Hamlet).
Every scene and act contain examples, such as:

 The presence of the ghost—as a witness to the truth, or as a figment of Hamlet's

imagination
 The presence of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern—and their true mission—in
Elsinore
 Claudius's motivation in bringing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to Elsinore
 Claudius's very existence
 The company of players
 Hamlet putting on an "antic disposition"
8. HAMLET, the Phenomenon
Hamlet has been performed more than any other play in the world. There have
been more than 45
movie versions of the play, and there has been more written about this play than
any other. Why?
Develop a two-sided debate, with the “affirmative” (pro) side saying that Hamlet
deserves all of the
attention it gets, and the “negative” (con) side saying that the play is overrated and
not that good.
Use support (characters, quotations, events, and so forth) from the play to prove
each stance.

LITERATURE
1. Boyce Charles. The Wordsworth Dictionary of Shakespeare (scene-by-scene
synopsis and a
commentary, sources, text and theatrical history of the play, character sketches).
2. Grosz Tanya and Wendler Linda. Shakespeare made easy. Hamlet. – Saddleback
Educational
Publishing – 2006.

USEFUL WEBSITES
1. http://www.shmoop.com
2. http://www.sparknotes.com
3. http://www.gradesaver.com
4. http://shakespeare-online.com/plays/
1. The following phrases might be used to describe the character of Prince Hamlet.
How do you think each relates to Hamlet’s nature? Refer to the text for support.
•a victim of circumstance
•a man incapable of taking action
• an excessively ambitious prince who lusts for power
•a person of exceptional intellect and intelligence
•a man in the grip of insanity
2. Consider Hamlet’s behavior when he is with each of the following characters.
What is revealed about him in his dealings with each of these people?
•Claudius
•Gertrude
•Ophelia
•Horatio
•Polonius
•Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
3. What developments and/or states of mind do each of Hamlet’s six soliloquies
reveal? (I, ii; II, ii; III, i; III, iii; IV, iv)
4. How do you explain Hamlet’s inability to act in avenging his father’s death?
5. Is Hamlet a likable character? Explain. Do you admire Shakespeare’s ability to
develop a character, or do you think he leaves too many questions unresolved?
PLOT
1. When the play begins, a major event, the death of King Hamlet has already
occurred. How does this affect the reader’s understanding of the play?
2. What purposes do the subplots of the relationship between Polonius and his
children and the political situation with Norway and young Fortinbras serve? How
is the story of Prince Hamlet and his particular situation reflected in each of these
subplots?
3. Look carefully at each act of the drama. What is the function of each? What
important event or situation is developed in each act by Shakespeare?
4. How does Shakespeare keep his audience apprised of developments outside the
primary action of the play?
Why are events on the ship taking Hamlet to England not portrayed? Find other
examples in the play where Shakespeare keeps his readers aware of important
events, but does so without presenting the action in the drama. Is this appropriate
in your opinion? Why or why not?
5. Did you find the action in the play difficult to follow? Where? What did you
find challenging about these sections?

6. Consider the dramatic pacing of the play. Does Shakespeare keep the audience
or reader involved in the action? How? Explain your opinion.
THEME
1. To what extent is Hamlet’s quest for revenge justifiable in terms of the situation
presented? Why or why not?
2. Find evidence of Hamlet’s religious beliefs. How do these beliefs influence his
actions and decisions?
3. Examine the characters and events in terms of appearance and reality. Cite
examples of things that are not
what they seem.
4. Find examples of imagery that reveal decay or corruption. What effect do these
images have on the reader?
How would you explain Shakespeare’s