A Personal Vendetta
Introduction to Hamlet
Shakespeare's Life
- Does not have a birth record, but is believed to be born on 4/23/1564
- Has two older sisters (Joan and Judith)
- Has three younger brothers (Gilbert, Richard, and Edmund)
- Father - John Shakespeare
- Mother- Mary Aden
- Married to Anne Hathaway
- Had twins, Hamnet and Judith, but Hamnet died at the age of 11
- Became an actor and playwright in London in 1592
- Sold and published many books/plays
- Built the Globe in 1599
- No record of death, but is believed to have died on his birthday 4/23/1616
- Left most of his belongings to his first daughter
Shakespeare's Work
- Shakespeare's work is timeless which allows people to still relate to the characters and stories he wrote
- Sonnets were dedicated to Henry Wriothesley and William Herbert
- The Renaissance period was from the 14th century to the 17th century
- Renaissance core values - development of new technologies, discovery of new continents, and the increase of demand for the arts (people shifted away from religion and to plays/stories)
- Shakespeare was able to do what was once not approved by the church/people and was influenced by the Renaissance
- Used human characters with a "mental complexity", everyone had human emotions and made mistakes no matter their social hierarch, and used his knowledge of Greek and Roman classics
- Shakespeare's plays were for all, including Kings and Queens
- Main moral of his plays/stories are about how far someone would go for a loved one or to obtain power and what flows through his/her mind
- Women are presented weaker then men emotionally
- Men are presented more reckless/vengeful than women
Video SparkNotes: Shakespeare's Hamlet Summary
Hamlet Characters
- Hamlet the Ghost - Hamlet's father (King)
- Hamlet the Prince - Hamlet (prince)
- Claudis - Hamlet's Uncle (King)
- Gertrude - Hamlet's mom (Queen)
- Ophelia - Hamlet's crush (Polonius's daughter)
- Horatio - Hamlet's best friend
- Polonius - "Lord Chamberlain of Claudis's court"
- Laertes - Polonius's son/Ophelia's brother
- Rosencrantz/Guildenstern - two courtiers who use to be friends of Hamlet