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Act I, Scene I

Summary:

-Francisco watches over the castle waiting to be relieved by Bernardo

-Marcellus and Horatio accomapny Bernardo

-An apparition appears for a split second then vanishes startling the men

-The ghost reappears and is wearing the dead king's armour

-They try to communicate with the ghost, but it remains mute

-Horation and Bernardo leave to council with Hamlet

Definitions:

Skirts: Outlying districts

Seals

Act I, Scene II

Summary:

-Laertes wishes to return to France;Polonius and Claudius approve of his wish

-Hamlet still grieves his father's death, while his uncles tries to comfort him

-Hamlet is unsettled by his mother and uncle's marriage, especially so quickly


after his father's death

-Horatio and Bernardo visit Hamlet to tell him about the apparition

-Horatio explains the ghost had resembled his father

-Hamlet plans to encounter the ghost the following night

Definitions:

Act I, Scene III

Summary:

-Laertes is worried about Ophelia and warns her of Hamlet

-Laertes prepares to set off to France for school

-Polonius also passes a message of disappoval about Hamlet

-Ophelia argues that Hamlet's intentions are true


-Ophelia laters decides to listen and ceases to communicate with Hamlet

Act I, Scene IV

Summary:

-Hamlet,Bernardo and Marcellus wait for the ghost

-Hamlet is startled at the ghost's resemblance to his father

-The ghost requests that Hamlet follow it

-Horatio and Bernardo advise Hamlet it is unwise to follow it, but he does not
stop

-Horation and Marcellus follow Hamlet as he stalks to apparition

Definitions:

Act I, Scene V

Summary:

-The ghost informs Hamlet that it is the spirit of his father

-The ghost of his father explains that it was Claudius who had murdered him
by having poison pourd into his ear while he slept

-The ghost wishes for Hamlet to revenge him, but spare Gertrude

-Horatio,Bernardo and Marcellus enter eage for Hamlet to share his


encounter

-Hamlet denies them, and makes them swear an oath not to tell anyone
about what they have witnessed on that night

Definitions:

Act II, Scene I

Summary:

-Polonius sends a servant to France, to spy on Laertes to make sure he is


acting according to his nobility, and to deliver letters

-Ophelia is upset about Hamlet acting so odd

-Polonius warns her again to cut all connections with Hamlet, and then
journeys to council Claudius about the situation
Definitions:

Encumber'd: Akimbo

Drabbing:Frequenting brothels

Perusal: Study

Foul'd: Looser and twisted

Act II, Scene II

Summary:

-Rosencrantz and Guildenstern vist Cladius and Gertrude concerning Hamlet

-They are asked to either cheer him up or find the root of his strife

-The ambassadors sent to Norway by Claudius return

-Fortinbras swears not to attack Denmark and instead send his army to
attack Poland

-Polonius tries to discover what is wrong with Hamlet and decides it must be
something to do with Ophelia, which causes him to schedule a meeting
between the two

-Rosencrantz and Guildenstern surprise Hamlet with their presence

-Hamlet is aware that they were sent by his mother and uncle to act as
informants

-The players arrive, which gears Hamlet into his plan to spark a reaction out
of Claudius through a play strikingly similar to the murder of his father,
intending to provoke a reaction from Claudius proving his guilt

Definitions:

Gentry: Courtesy

Distemper: Mental disturbance

Expostulate: Discuss, argue about

Act III, Scene I

Summary:

-Claudius and Gertrude discuss Hamlet's odd behaviour with Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern, whom are equally as confused

-The King and Polonius plan to spy on his encounter with Ophelia

-Hamlets apologizes to Ohpelia about requesting her suicide, and she tells
him she is going to return the tokens of love

-Hamlet and Ophelia explode into an arguement, then Hamlet denies every
giving her a token of love

-The king is concerned with Hamlet's behaviour and decides it is best to


isolate Hamlet by sending him to England so that he may overcome his
problems in secrecy

Definitions:

Wonted: Accustomed

Bestow: Place

Affront: Encounter; meet face to face

Commerce: Association

Act III, Scene II

Summary:

-Hamlets instructs the players how to act out Hamlet's re-enactment of his
father's murder, to rouse a reaction from Claudius

-Hamlet talks to Horatio and asks him to keep a close eye on Claudius to
watch for any reactions revealing his conviction

-During the play Hamlet explains thouroughly what is happening and


exclaims sexually suggestive themes to Ohpelia

-As soon as the murder of the king is re-enacted Claudius leaves, causing the
play to come to stop, and the audience follows him.

-Only Hamlet and Horatio remain and Hamlet is overjoyed by confirming


Claudius as his father's murdered

-Rosencrantz and Guildenstern enter and inform him that his mother wishes a
private audience with him

-Hamlet intends to be honest with his mother, while remaining to be cool and
collective about the situation

Definitions:

Censure: Judgement
Occulted: Secret, hidden

Unkenell: Reveal

Confound: As it were

Act III, Scene III

Summary:

-Claudius is disturbed by the play and orders Rosencrantz and Guildenstern


to immediately escort Hamlet to England

-Polonius prepares to spy on Hamlet and Gertrude's conversation

-Claudius begins to feel guilt over murdering his brother

-Hamlet prepares to murder Claudius, but finds he cannot kill a man as he is


praying

-Hamlet intends to kill him late, as a good Catholic and he cannot kill a
praying man

Definitions:

Shent: Blamed, rebuked

Noyance: Harm

Rank: Foul

In pause: In doubt

Act III, Scene IV

Summary:

-Gertrude and Polonius wait for Hamlet, Polonius plts to hide behind the
curtains to eavesdrop

-Gertude allows Polonius to listen in , hoping Hamlet will reveal the cause of
his distress

-Hamlet enters and questions his reason for being summoned

-Gertrude tells him that he has offended Claudius and Hamlet quickly
rebuttles by exclaiming that she has offended his father by marrying his
brother

-Hamlet exclaims that he will make her understand her sins( the queen fears
for her life)
-Polonius screams for help from the cover of the curtains, causing Hamlet to
strike his sword into Polonius believing that it was Claudius concealed behind
the curtains

-Hamlet is unaffected by this, and continues to lecture his mother

-The ghost appears only to Hamlet and reminds him of his goal to murder
Claudius

Definitions:

Straight: Immediately

Rood: Cross

Braz'd: Covered with brass

Rhapsody: Meaningless music

Grained: Dyed, ingrained

Act IV, Scene I

Summary:

-Gertrude informs Claudius about Hamlet murdering Polonius and that he is


mad with anger

-She exclaims that if it were him behind the curtains, he would have become
a corpse instead of Polonius

-Claudius expresses his worry, and wishes to handle the situation discreetly
to avoid causing public attention and lose his position as king

-He wants Hamlet to leave immediately and wants Hamlet to explain to the
public what had occured

Definitions:

Mandate: Command

Pith: Strength

Providence: Foresight

Countenance: Sanction, make the best of

Act IV, Scene II

Summary:
-Hamlet disposes of Polonius's corpse

-Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive to find out what has become of


Polonius's corpse

-Hamles refuses to tell them the location of it

Hamlet declines them when they ask to escort him to Claudius, and accuses
them of being Claudius's spies

-Eventually Hamlet agress, and goes to see the king

Definitions:

Compounded: Mixed

Tender: Cherish, are concerned for

Act IV, Scene III

Summary:

-The king notifies the people of Denmark about the death of Polonius and of
his plans to send Hamlet to England

-Hamlet appears before the king,accompanied by Rosencrantz and


Guildenstern

-Hamlet reveals that the body of Polonius is located under the castle stairs

-Claudius tells Hamlet to leave for England immediately and sends his peons
to investigate the location of Polonius's corpse

-Claudius instructs Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to escort Hamlet onto the


ship

-They are also instructed to kill Hamlet while in England

Definitions:

Bear: Keep

Appliance: Remedy

Act IV, Scene IV

Summary:

-Fortinbras and his army occupy Denmark while they journey to Poland

-The captain is sent to ask permission from Claudius to travel through


Denmark

-The captain stumbles upon Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, and Hamlet on his


way

-The captain explains to Hamlet why they are attacking Poland

-Hamlet is puzzled by this, and it reminds him of his goal to avenge his father

Definitions:

Process: Mandate

Congruing: Agreeing

Present: Immediately

At foot: At his heels

Act IV, Scene V

-Horatio hands a letter to the sailors explaining that the ship Hamlet has
boarded has been captured by pirates and is returning to Denmark

-Horatio is instructed to escort the sailors to Claudius and Gertrude

-They meet Claudius and then find Hamlet near the countryside

Definitions:

Act IV, Scene VI

-Laertes discusses the death of his father with Claudius

-Claudius explains the circumstances and the reason Hamlet went


without punishment

-Laertes plots revenge

-Claudius encourages Laertes to murder Hamlet because he fears


Hamlet, and does not want Gertrude to become aware of the situation

-Claudius plots for Hamlet and Laertes to have a fencing match

Definitions:

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