1. Events
1.1. Scene i
1.1.1. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tell the King and Queen about Hamlet wanting them to watch a play. They accept the offer.
1.1.1.1. Theatre
1.1.2. Hamlet contemplates suicide
1.1.2.1. 'To be or not to be'
1.1.3. The King and Polonius use Ophelia to discover the source of Hamlet's madness. When Hamlet sees Ophelia he lectures her and tells Ophelia that he never loved her.
1.1.3.1. Broken Heart
1.1.4. The King decides that Hamlet is too dangerous and that he should send him to England
1.1.4.1. England
1.2. Scene ii
1.2.1. The actors put on a play with the alterations Hamlet has made. The King, while watching the play becomes very upset and decides to leave
1.3. Scene iii
1.3.1. The king tells Hamet's friends to take Hamlet with them back to England as he no longer feels safe.
1.3.2. While alone, Claudius begins to show his remorse for the deeds he has committed and begins to pray for forgiveness.
1.3.2.1. Praying
1.3.3. Hamlet, bearing a sword, sees Claudius and decides not to kill him. Hamlet does not want Claudius to go to heaven and would rather kill the new King while he still has sins to atone for (like his father).
1.3.3.1. Hamlet and Claudius
1.4. Scene iv
1.4.1. The Queen meets with Hamlet (while Polonius hides nearby) who lectures and threatens his mother. Polonius yells out and is killed by Hamlet who thinks that it is the King hiding.
1.4.1.1. Polonius mudered
1.4.2. The Ghost reappears to remind Hamlet of his main goal; revenge.
1.4.2.1. Ghost
2. Figurative Language
2.1. "Thus conscience does make cowards of us all" -Hamlet (III i 90)
2.1.1. Personification
2.1.2. Hamlet talks about how people's consciences and the fear of the unknown stop them from committing suicide to escape their lives
2.2. "'Tis now the very witching time of night, When churchyards yawn and hell itself breaks out Contagion to this world" -Hamlet (III ii 381-383)
2.2.1. Pathetic Fallacy Setting, Imagery
2.2.2. Hamlet is expressing how the he must now finish Claudius and avenge his father
2.3. "Though inclination be as sharp as will" -King (III iii 42)
2.3.1. Simile
2.3.2. The King begins to show remorse for his deeds and expresses how he should pray for forgiveness
2.4. "These words, like daggers, enter in mine ears" -Queen (III iv 107)
2.4.1. Simile
2.4.2. As Hamlet lectures the Queen for her actions, she expresses how his words hurt her like daggers to her ears.
2.5. "Any my imaginations are as foul as Vulcan's stithy" -Hamlet (III ii 84 - 85)
2.5.1. Allusion, Simile
2.5.2. Hamlet discusses his plans with Horatio and talks about his dark imagination in this regard.
3. Characters
3.1. Hamlet
3.1.1. Traits
3.1.1.1. Loyal to father, clever (show of madness), somewhat rash, curious, obsessive, comtemplative, emotional
3.1.2. Motivation
3.1.2.1. Revenge, duty, to recover his family's honor
3.1.3. Actions
3.1.3.1. Hamlet, as of Act III, has continued with his show of madness. However, he begins to have trouble with coping with his emotions/ duties causing him to contemplate suicide and has begun to become more impulsive
3.2. Claudius
3.2.1. Traits
3.2.1.1. Clever (almost got away with murder), jealous, impulsive
3.2.2. Motivation
3.2.2.1. Retaining his power, wealth, and lust while not paying for his crimes
3.2.3. Actions
3.2.3.1. Claudius has killed his own brother and married his brother's wife in order to become King. By Act III he is still working at retaining this power while trying to protect his safety from the insane Hamlet. Claudius begins to show some signs of remorse for his crimes as well
3.3. Polonius
3.3.1. Traits
3.3.1.1. Very rash, nosey, untrusting, eager
3.3.2. Motivation
3.3.2.1. Self-preservation, honor, power
3.3.3. Actions
3.3.3.1. Polonius continues to be his nosey self and is convinced that his daughter is the source of Hamlet's lunacy and dies for this belief.
3.4. Gertrude
3.4.1. Traits
3.4.1.1. Frail (according to Hamlet; she needs a man to take care of her), worried mother, somewhat oblivious
3.4.2. Motivation
3.4.2.1. The pursuit of happiness and everything that comes with it.
3.4.3. Actions
3.4.3.1. The Queen is greatly worried for her son and blames herself for Hamlet's problems. She goes along with the King's and Ponius' scheme in order to cure her son.