Brief Summary

Hamlet returns home from school after learning that his father is dead.  When he arrives at Elsinore, he discovers his uncle Claudius is married to his mother Gertrude and is now king. Hamlet is in a bad mood!  Matters only get worse when his best friend Horatio and a couple guards show him a ghost who looks like his father.  The ghost instructs Hamlet to avenge his murder by killing Claudius!  Hamlet doesn't know what to do. He decides to act mad until he figures it out.  While Hamlet feigns madness, he inadvertently kills his girlfriend Ophelia's father, Polonius (he thought Polonius was the king...hate it when that happens!).  The death of her father causes Ophelia to literally go off the deep end.  At the close of the play, Hamlet does get his revenge, yet he perishes along with 8 other characters!

• Visit Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet to read the Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare for Hamlet.

• Hamlet Summary by Matthew Monroe.

• Read the Lynch Multimedia adaptation of Hamlet.

Read the Play

• MIT Complete Works of Shakespeare

• Shakespeare by Individual Studies ~ Hamlet

• The Enfolded Hamlet

• University of Virginia Libary ~ 1603 'bad quarto' edition,  1604 quarto edition & 1623 First Folio edition of Hamlet

• A Facsimile edition of the First Folio version of The Tragedy of Hamlet from the SCETI | Furness Shakespeare Library Collection.

Watch the Play

• Scary as it is, you can even watch me perform Ophelia's monologue!  This was my first attempt at video editing, so the opening title is a little long...sorry!

Discuss the Play

• Shakespeare High's Discussion Zone

Lesson Plans

• Surfing with the Bard's Teacher Zone
  • Relationship Role Plays from Hamlet
  • Reviewing Status using Hamlet

• Folger Shakespeare Library's Teaching Shakespeare Institute
  • Hamlet Hook
  • Enter Ophelia: Stage Directions, Promptbooks, and Film
  • Horatio's Story
  • Like, Wow
  • Preparing for the War of Hamlet
  • Spirit Stalks Elsinore
  • The Language of the "Undiscovered Country"
  • The Tragedy of ?

• Shakespeare Magazine's Teaching Resource
  • And on the First Day There was Performance by Suzanne Peters
  • Pre-unit Writing Establishes Emotional Connections by Diane Antonelli Herr
  • Setting the Scene for Hamlet by Richard Andrews and Rex Gibson
  • "To Be or Not to Be": Voicing the Argument by Pat Thisted
  • Dumbshow Makes for Smart Move by Michael Tolaydo
  • "Coming anon to a theatre near thee": Hamlet Trailers by Joshua H. Cabat

• "Enterprises of Great Pitch and Moment" -- Using the Internet to Teach Hamlet by Amy Ulen and Joe Bonfiglio.  Shakespeare Magazine, Volume 1, Issue 1, Fall 1996.

• 1995-1996 NEH/Folger Shakespeare Institute: Shakespeare Examined through Performance Recipe Book

Reviews

• Eventually I plan on having movie/DVD reviews for Branagh's Hamlet and the latest Hamlet with Ethan Hawke.  In the meanwhile, check out the following links:
  • The Readiness is All:  The Filming of Hamlet presented by the BBC.
  • MovieFan Online's preview of Hamlet (2000).

Related Links

• Hamlet on the Ramparts ~ This amazing site focuses on the moment when Hamlet meets his father's ghost for the first time.  The site allows you to compare various versions of the text, as well as images and videos of the scene!

• Shakespeare Illustrated ~ Hamlet

• Hamlet Criticism ~ Check out the links at Mr. William Shakespeare & the Internet for criticism on Hamlet.

• The Hamlet Home Page ~ Gary Munro's Hamlet home page holds a wealth of information including scene-by-scene summaries, a brief biography of Shakespeare, teaching handouts, and a discussion area.

• A Short Course on Hamlet ~ Ian Delaney's Hamlet course includes a copy of the script, questions & answers for each act, a discussion area, and more.

• Legends Hamlet ~ Paula Kate Marmor's Legends provides background information for Hamlet & Macbeth.

• Hamlet @ The Internet Movie Database ~ All the Hamlet movies you ever wanted to know about!