... the hands of his brother, Claudius "the serpent that did sting thy fathers life now wears his crown- (Iv.38-39). The ghost of "Hamlet, King, father, royal Dane- (Iiv.45) tells the young Prince that poison was poured into his ear such that the "whole ear of Denmark is by a forged ... which closely mirrors the story of Hamlet, Claudius and Gertrude, seems to hit a sore point with Claudius who abruptly ends the performance. A short while later Horatio confirms Hamlet's suspicions, "I did very well note him- (IIIii.264). And so Hamlet now feels justified in avenging the loss of his father ki...

• Word Count: 1437
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... be disjoint and out of frame" (I.2.19-20), referring not only to the state's political confusion, but its sick state of health as well. He continues, and notes that the dying king of Norway is "impotent and bedrid, and scarcely hears of his nephew's [Fortinbras] purpose" (I.2.29-30) to attack ... the other plots in the play. The newly crowned villain, Claudius, later remarks "Diseases desperate grown by desperate appliance are relieved, or not at all" (IV.3.8), directly before the scene of Hamlet revealing the location of Polonius' dead body. Here, the evil king considers his plan to sen...

• Word Count: 1339
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... blasts from hell, be thy intents wicked or charitable, thou com'st in such a questionable shape that I will speak to thee: I'll call thee Hamlet, King, Father, royal Dane: O, answer me!- (Act I, Scene IV, Line 39-45) In this speech by Hamlet, it is quite clear that he is unable to make a decision. Even though this spirit is right in front of him ... other events occur. Laertes and Fortinbras both wanted to avenge their father's deaths without truly thinking about the consequences of their actions. In the play, Laertes ends up being killed because of his need to avenge his father's death...

• Word Count: 1494
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School