TABLE OF CONTENTS

Jump directly to the video and text for every scene in Hamlet

ADDITIONAL SCENE INFORMATION

Included here is a brief audio introduction to each scene in Hamlet, as well as a description of the action of the scene

Act 1 Scene 1

Marcellus and Bernardo, two guardsmen at Elsinore, bring Horatio, a student from Wittenberg, to the battlements. They claim to have seen the Ghost of Old Hamlet, the recently-deceased King of Denmark, which Horatio can't bring himself to believe. The Ghost appears, however, and Horatio is dumbstruck. The ghost leaves and Horatio is compelled by Bernardo to explain why there is now a constant watch at Elsinore. Horatio speculates that it has to do with rising hostilities from Fortinbras of Norway, whose father was slain in battle by Old Hamlet. The Ghost returns again, but refuses to engage with Horatio. Horatio, along with Marcellus and Bernardo, decide to seek out young Hamlet to tell him what they have seen. 

Act 1 Scene 2

Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, introduces himself at court, and explains his hasty marriage to Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother. He sends ambassadors to Norway to defuse the brewing problem with young Fortinbras and then gives Laertes permission to return to France. He and Gertrude then plead with Hamlet to stop grieving for his father and to remain in Denmark rather than returning to school in Wittenberg. Hamlet assents to the latter. When the court leaves, Hamlet is intercepted by Horatio, Marcellus and Bernardo and told about the Ghost. Hamlet decides to watch with them that night to see if the Ghost will return. 

Act 1 Scene 3

Laertes is prepared to return to France, but before leaving he attempts to warn his sister off of Hamlet, who has declared his love for Ophelia. Polonius enters to urge his son to hasten his departure, but then stops him to dole out some last-minute fatherly advice. Once Laertes has gone, Polonius also admonishes Ophelia for her dalliance with Hamlet, going to far as to tell her to stop acknowledging him altogether. 

Act 1 Scene 4

Hamlet joins Horatio and Marcellus on watch to see if the Ghost of his dead father will once again appear. He does, and Hamlet is beckoned to follow him. Despite vigorous protestations by Horatio and Marcellus, Hamlet follows the Ghost, and Horatio and Marcellus resolve to follow Hamlet to ensure his safety. 

Act 1 Scene 5

The Ghost recounts for Hamlet the grisly details of his murder at the hands of Claudius, and makes Hamlet swear that he will avenge him. Hamlet agrees, and the Ghost departs. Horatio and Marcellus then appear, but Hamlet refuses to tell them what information the Ghost imparted. Instead, he makes them swear to never reveal what has happened that night, and warns them that he may begin feigning madness, and to not be alarmed by his antics. 

Act 2 Scene 1

Polonius enlists Reynaldo to spy on Laertes and report back about his life in France. Ophelia bursts in, and describes a frightful encounter in her closet with Hamlet. While he did not attack her, he appeared insane, and Polonius fears that he was, in fact, in love with his daughter and that her avoidance of him made Hamlet mad with love. Believing to have uncovered the root of Hamlet’s problems, he sets off to tell Claudius and Gertrude what he has learned. 

Act 2 Scene 2

Claudius and Gertrude welcome Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two of Hamlet’s childhood friends, to court. They are conscripted to unearth the cause of Hamlet’s melancholy, and are sent off to find him. Claudius and Gertrude welcome back the ambassadors they sent to Norway, who explain that the threat from Fortinbras has been neutralized. Polonius explains that he has uncovered the root of Hamlet’s ‘madness’, describing his love for Ophelia and producing a love letter as proof. He concocts a plan to use Ophelia as bait to prove his theory, while he and Claudius watch the encounter from hiding. 

Polonius confronts Hamlet, who speaks and acts oddly, before leaving him to Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet asks why his two friends are there in court, but eventually reveals that he knows they are there to spy on him. Rosencrantz tells him that a group of Hamlet’s favourite group of actors will arrive at court soon, and Polonius reenters to confirm their arrival. 

Upon the arrival of the players, Hamlet entreats the lead player to enact a speech for him. When he is finished, Hamlet asks the player if he and his troupe would be willing to perform a play, The Murder of Gonzago, the following night with a few lines written in by himself. The player agrees to the performance, and Hamlet explains his plot to have a play performed so similar to his father’s murder that Claudius will be compelled to reveal his guilt upon watching it. 

Act 3 Scene 1

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report their lack of progress with Hamlet, but inform Claudius and Gertrude that Hamlet did seem to perk up at the arrival of the players, and Polonius informs them that there will be a play tonight. Claudius agrees, and dismisses all but Polonius and Ophelia so that they may execute their plan to observe Hamlet and Ophelia from behind the arras. Hamlet arrives and is immediately put off when Ophelia offers to return old gifts of his. He flies into a rage, insulting and berating Ophelia before finally leaving her alone. Claudius remains unconvinced that Hamlet is mad with love, and resolves to send him away to England. Polonius suggests that first they see if Gertrude can discover what it bothering Hamlet, a plan Claudius agrees to. 

Act 3 Scene 2

Hamlet gets the players prepared for their play, and then brings Horatio into his plan to observe Claudius as he watches the plot unfold. As the court files in for the play, Hamlet lies at Ophelia’s feet and teases her until the dumbshow starts. As the play progresses, Claudius becomes more and more agitated and finally leaves abruptly, which Hamlet takes as proof of his guilt. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern return to tell Hamlet that Gertrude would like to speak with him, and Polonius follows shortly thereafter to repeat the same. Hamlet berates all three before leaving to see his mother. 

Act 3 Scene 3

After brief exchanges with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and Polonius, Claudius is left alone to pray. Hamlet walks in on him, unobserved, and is ready to kill him when he thinks better of that plan and instead leaves to go and see Gertrude as requested. 

Act 3 Scene 4

Hamlet comes to see Gertrude, with Polonius hiding himself being the arras. After hearing Polonius call out, Hamlet impulsively stabs through the arras, killing him. He then goes on to chastise Gertrude for her hasty marriage before the Ghost reappears to remind Hamlet about his vow of revenge. Hamlet  sets about instructing Gertrude as to how to act around Claudius from here on out and proceeds to haul Polonius’ corpse out of the room. 

Act 4 Scene 1

Claudius stumbles upon Gertrude, who gives the King the news about Polonius. Claudius sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern off to find Hamlet and the corpse, regretful that he hadn’t sent Hamlet away sooner. 

Act 4 Scene 2

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern find Hamlet but not the corpse. Hamlet accuses them of being lapdogs to Claudius before agreeing to be taken before the King. 

Act 4 Scene 3

Hamlet is brought before Claudius, reveals the location of corpse and then is told that he is being sent to England immediately. Once alone, Claudius reveals that he intends to have Hamlet murdered in England.

Act 4 Scene 4

Fortinbras conducts his army through Denmark and Hamlet encounters one of his captains on his way to the boat that will take him to England. Hamlet learns that a small patch of land is being warred over in Poland. Hamlet is inspired by Fortinbras and rededicates himself to avenging his father’s murder. 

Act 4 Scene 5

Ophelia is brought before Claudius and Gertrude in an apparent state of madness. Claudius reveals to Gertrude that the citizens of Denmark are turning against him and that Laertes has returned from France. Laertes bursts into the room demanding information about his father’s death and swearing vengeance on those who killed him. Claudius talks him down and convinces him to hear about the circumstances surrounding Polonius’ death. 

Act 4 Scene 6

A letter is delivered to Horatio from a sailor who has Hamlet captive aboard his ship. 

Act 4 Scene 7

Claudius reveals to Laertes that Hamlet killed Polonius, then learns that Hamlet has returned to Denmark. The two of them hatch a plan to murder Hamlet in a rigged fencing duel, then Gertrude interrupts to tell them that Ophelia has drowned herself. Laertes is once again enraged, and Claudius pursues him in an attempt to keep him from doing something rash. 

Act 5 Scene 1

Two gravediggers are digging a pit for Ophelia when Hamlet and Horatio happen upon them. Hamlet tries to get out of the first gravedigger who the grave is for, and the two trade barbs until the gravedigger unearths the skull of Yorick, the old court jester. This skull sends Hamlet into a philosophical state before he is roused by a funeral procession led by Claudius and Gertrude. Ophelia’s funeral is to be brief, since she committed suicide, which angers Laertes. He jumps into Ophelia’s grave to embrace her one last time, at which point Hamlet makes himself known and jumps in after him, avowing the strength of his love for Ophelia is greater than Laertes’. They fight, are separated and Claudius once again reminds Laertes of their plot to murder Hamlet. 

Act 5 Scene 2

Hamlet recounts his ordeals away from Elsinore for Horatio before they are interrupted by Osric, a young gentleman of the court. Osric informs Hamlet of the duel that Claudius would like him to participate in against Laertes, and the stakes and odds that have been laid. Horatio tries to talk him out of the fight but Hamlet is resolved to win back Laertes’ favour. Once the fight begins, Hamlet gains a quick lead. Claudius attempts to get Hamlet to drink poisoned wine, only to see Gertrude drink it instead. Hamlet and Laertes are both struck a fatal blow with the poisoned sword, and soon both Gertrude and Laertes are dead, with Laertes implicating Claudius in the poisoning. Hamlet kills Claudius and makes Horatio swear to tell his story, before dying himself. Fortinbras then arrives and claims Denmark’s throne for himself.