Hamlet Analysis

Script Analysis
Hamlet Analysis

Part I: Tracking Events, Trigger to Heap…

Ghost appears and then leaves
Horatio decides to tell Hamlet about the ghost
He tells Hamlet about the ghost
Hamlet decides that he wants to see the ghost
Hamlet sees the ghost
Hamlet follows the ghost
Ghost tells Hamlet about his death
Hamlet decides to get more information / prove what the ghost was saying before doing anything about it
Hamlet swears his friends to secrecy about what the ghost said and about his plans to act crazy in order to get more information
Offstage trigger – Hamlet acting crazy with Ophelia)
Ophelia tells Polonius that Hamlet has gone crazy
Polonius concludes that this is because Hamlet loves Ophelia
Polonius decides to tell this reasoning to Claudius
(side track 1– Claudius tells Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to figure out what is afflicting
Hamlet)
Polonius tells Claudius and Gertrude that Hamlet is crazy because of Ophelia
Polonius speaks to Hamlet and decides to plan a meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia
(side track 1 – Rosencrantz and Guildenstern speak with Hamlet and tell him of the players) (side track 1 – Hamlet decides to use the players to weed out the truth from Claudius)
(side track 1 – Hamlet asks Polonius to have the Claudius and Gertrude watch the play)
Hamlet meets Ophelia while Claudius and Polonius hide and listen
Hamlet says he doesn’t love Ophelia
Polonius and Claudius decide there must be another reason for Hamlet’s madness and plan to figure out what it is by watching him
(side track 1 – Hamlet speaks with the players to make sure everything is going to go exactly the way he has planned it)
(side track 1 – Hamlet asks Horatio to watch the king during the play)
(side track 2 – the players enact the Murder of Gonzago)
(side track 2 – Hamlet comments on the play)
(side track 2a – Claudius rises and leaves mid-play, very upset, along with Gertrude , who is also upset)
(side tracks 1 & 2a converge –