SHAKESPEARE

William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor. He was

born on 26 April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He is often called

England's national poet and nicknamed the Bard of Avon. He wrote about

37 plays, 154 sonnets, 2 long narrative poems, 10 tragedies, 17 comedies

and 10 histories. His plays have been translated into every major living

language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Marriage and career

Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18. She was eight years

older than him. They had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and

Judith. After his marriage information about his life became very rare. But

he is thought to have spent most of his time in London writing and

performing in his plays. Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful

career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner of a playing company

called the Lord Chamberlain's Men. In 1603, when jamesI became king,

the name changed ti King's Men. This company built the famous Globe

Theatre in London in 1599While working at the Globe, Shakespeare wrote

Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Hamlet and Henry VIII.

Retirement and death

Around 1613, at the age of 49, he retired to Stratford , where

he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive.

He died on 23 April 1616, at the age of 52. He died within a month of

signing his will, a document which he begins by describing himself as

being in "perfect health". In his will, Shakespeare left the bulk of his large

estate to his elder daughter . His

work

Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613.

His early plays were mainly comedies and histories and these works

remain regarded as some of the best work produced in these genres. He

then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, Othello,

King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the

English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as

romances, and collaborated with other playwrights. Shakespeare's plays

remain highly popular today and are constantly studied, performed, and

reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the

world. HAMLET

Characters

Hamlet - The Prince of Denmark, the title character, and the protagonist.

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SHAKESPEARE

William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor. He was born on 26 April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He is often called England's national poet and nicknamed the Bard of Avon. He wrote about 37 plays, 154 sonnets, 2 long narrative poems, 10 tragedies, 17 comedies and 10 histories. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright. Marriage and career Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway at the age of 18. She was eight years older than him. They had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith. After his marriage information about his life became very rare. But he is thought to have spent most of his time in London writing and performing in his plays. Between 1585 and 1592, he began a successful career in London as an actor, writer, and part-owner of a playing company called the Lord Chamberlain's Men. In 1603, when jamesI became king, the name changed ti King's Men. This company built the famous Globe Theatre in London in 1599While working at the Globe, Shakespeare wrote Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Hamlet and Henry VIII. Retirement and death Around 1613, at the age of 49, he retired to Stratford , where he died three years later. Few records of Shakespeare's private life survive. He died on 23 April 1616, at the age of 52. He died within a month of signing his will, a document which he begins by describing himself as being in "perfect health". In his will, Shakespeare left the bulk of his large estate to his elder daughter. His work Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were mainly comedies and histories and these works remain regarded as some of the best work produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights. Shakespeare's plays remain highly popular today and are constantly studied, performed, and reinterpreted in diverse cultural and political contexts throughout the world. HAMLET Characters Hamlet - The Prince of Denmark, the title character, and the protagonist.

About thirty years old at the start of the play, Hamlet is the son of Queen Gertrude and the late King Hamlet, and the nephew of the present king, Claudius. Hamlet is melancholy, bitter, and cynical, full of hatred for his uncle’s scheming and disgust for his mother’s sexuality. A reflective and thoughtful young man who has studied at the University of Wittenberg, Hamlet is often indecisive and hesitant, but at other times prone to rash and impulsive acts. Claudius - The King of Denmark, Hamlet’s uncle, and the play’s antagonist. The villain of the play, Claudius is a calculating, ambitious politician, driven by his sexual appetites and his lust for power, but he occasionally shows signs of guilt and human feeling—his love for Gertrude, for instance, seems sincere. Gertrude - The Queen of Denmark, Hamlet’s mother, recently married to Claudius. Gertrude loves Hamlet deeply, but she is a shallow, weak woman who seeks affection and status more urgently than moral rectitude or truth. Polonius - The Lord Chamberlain of Claudius’s court, a pompous, conniving old man. Polonius is the father of Laertes and Ophelia. Horatio - Hamlet’s close friend, who studied with the prince at the university in Wittenberg. Horatio is loyal and helpful to Hamlet throughout the play. After Hamlet’s death, Horatio remains alive to tell Hamlet’s story. Ophelia - Polonius’s daughter, a beautiful young woman with whom Hamlet has been in love. Ophelia is a sweet and innocent young girl, who obeys her father and her brother, Laertes. Dependent on men to tell her how to behave, she gives in to Polonius’s schemes to spy on Hamlet. Even in her lapse into madness and death, she remains maidenly, singing songs about flowers and finally drowning in the river amid the flower garlands she had gathered. Laertes - Polonius’s son and Ophelia’s brother, a young man who spends much of the play in France. Passionate and quick to action, Laertes is clearly a foil for the reflective Hamlet. Fortinbras - The young Prince of Norway, whose father the king (also named Fortinbras) was killed by Hamlet’s father (also named Hamlet). Now Fortinbras wishes to attack Denmark to avenge his father’s honor, making him another foil for Prince Hamlet. The Ghost - The specter of Hamlet’s recently deceased father. The ghost, who claims to have been murdered by Claudius, calls upon Hamlet to

summoned by Claudius and their arrival coincides with that of a group of travelling actors. The prince knows these players well and they rehearse together before arranging to present Hamlet’s choice of play before the king and queen, which will include scenes close to the circumstances of the old king’s death. At the performance Hamlet watches closely as Claudius is provoked into interrupting the play and storming out, resolving to send the prince away to England. Hamlet is summoned by his distressed mother and, on the way he spares Claudius whom he sees kneeling, attempting to pray. To kill him while he is praying would send his soul to heaven rather than to the hell he deserves. Polonius hides in Gertrude’s room to listen to the conversation, but Hamlet detects movement as he upbraids his mother. He stabs the concealing tapestry and so kills the old man. The ghost reappears, warning his son not to delay revenge, nor to upset his mother. As the army of Norway’s King Fortinbras crosses Denmark to attack Poland, Hamlet is sent to England, ostensibly as an ambassador, but he discovers Claudius’s plan to have him killed. Outwitting this plot Hamlet returns alone, sending Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their deaths in his stead. During Hamlet’s absence Ophelia goes mad as a result of her father’s death and she is drowned. Hamlet returns and meets Horatio in the graveyard. With the arrival of Ophelia’s funeral Hamlet confronts Laertes who, after attempting a revolt against Claudius, has taken his father’s place at the court. A duel is arranged between Hamlet and Laertes at which Claudius has plotted for Hamlet to die either on a poisoned rapier, or from poisoned wine. The plans go wrong and both Laertes and Hamlet are wounded, while Gertrude unwittingly drinks from the poisoned cup. Hamlet, in his death throes, kills Claudius, and Horatio is left to explain the truth to the new king, Fortinbras, who returns, victorious, from the Polish wars.

William Shakespeare- Hamlet, Sintesi del corso di Inglese

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SHAKESPEARE