Hamlet | Dramatis Personea

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Events before the start of Hamlet set the stage for tragedy. When the king of Denmark, Prince Hamlet’s father, suddenly dies, Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, marries his uncle Claudius, who becomes the new king. A spirit who claims to be the ghost of Hamlet’s father describes his murder at the hands of Claudius and demands that Hamlet avenge the killing. When the councilor Polonius learns from his daughter, Ophelia, that Hamlet has visited her in an apparently distracted state, Polonius attributes the prince’s condition to lovesickness, and he sets a trap for Hamlet using Ophelia as bait. < more >

CLAUDIUS: king of Denmark

HAMLET: son to the late, and nephew to the present king.
POLONIUS: lord chamberlain
HORATIO: friend to Hamlet
LAERTES: son to Polonius
LUCIANUS: nephew to the king

VOLTIMAND & CORNELIUS
ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN
OSRIC

A Gentleman, A Priest

MARCELLUS & BERNARDO: officers
FRANCISCO: a soldier
REYNALDO: servant to Polonius

Players
Two Clowns
grave-diggers

FORTINBRAS: prince of Norway

A Captain
English Ambassadors

GERTRUDE: queen of Denmark, and mother to Hamlet
OPHELIA: daughter to Polonius

Lords Ladies Officers
Soldiers Sailors Messengers
Attendants, etc.

Ghost of Hamlet’s Father

 SCENE: Denmark

Playlist Hamlet | Sitemap Scenes | Playhouse Page