Very Short Summary
Denmark, medieval times. The ghost of the recently deceased King of Denmark appeared to guards at Elsinore Castle. Prince Hamlet learned from the ghost that his uncle Claudius, now king and married to Hamlet's mother Gertrude, had murdered the old king by pouring poison in his ear while he slept.
Torn by grief and duty to avenge his father, Hamlet began acting erratically, pushing away his love interest Ophelia and arousing suspicion at court. During this time, he grappled with profound questions about life, death, and action.
To be, or not to be,--that is the question:--Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them?
To confirm his uncle's guilt, Hamlet arranged for actors to perform a play mirroring his father's murder. Claudius's reaction convinced Hamlet of his crime. In a heated confrontation with his mother, Hamlet accidentally killed Polonius, Ophelia's father, who was hiding behind a tapestry. Claudius sent Hamlet to England, secretly ordering his execution there.
Ophelia went mad with grief and drowned herself. Her brother Laertes returned seeking revenge. Hamlet, who had escaped death and returned to Denmark, confronted Laertes at Ophelia's funeral. Claudius arranged a fencing match between them, plotting to have Laertes kill Hamlet with a poisoned sword. As backup, he also prepared a poisoned cup of wine.
During the match, Gertrude accidentally drank the poisoned wine. Laertes wounded Hamlet with the poisoned blade, but in their struggle, the swords were switched and Hamlet wounded Laertes too. Before dying, Laertes revealed Claudius's plot. Hamlet killed Claudius and, with his dying breath, named Prince Fortinbras of Norway as his successor. Horatio remained to tell the tragic tale.
Detailed Summary by Acts
Act titles and their division into scenes are editorial.
Act 1. The Ghost and Hamlet's Mission
The Ghost Appears to the Guards
On a cold night in Denmark, guards at Elsinore Castle witnessed a shocking sight: the ghost of the recently deceased King Hamlet appeared before them. The guards shared their discovery with Horatio, Prince Hamlet's close friend, who initially doubted their story but then saw the apparition himself.
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark... But if you mouth it, as many of your players do, I had as lief the town crier spoke my lines. Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand, thus.
Hamlet Learns of His Father's Murder
Meanwhile, Prince Hamlet was deeply troubled by his mother Gertrude's hasty marriage to his uncle Claudius, who had become the new king of Denmark barely two months after King Hamlet's death. When Horatio informed him about the ghost, Hamlet decided to keep watch that night.
Frailty, thy name is woman!--A little month, or ere those shoes were old With which she followed my poor father's body, Like Niobe, all tears:--why she, even she... married with my uncle
Act 2. Hamlet's 'Antic Disposition'
Polonius's Suspicions and the King's Plot
Following his encounter with the ghost, Hamlet began to act strangely, particularly around Ophelia, daughter of the royal advisor Polonius. His behavior raised concerns at court, leading Claudius and Polonius to investigate the cause of his apparent madness. They suspected it might be connected to his love for Ophelia.
The Players Arrive and Hamlet Plans the Mousetrap
A group of traveling players arrived at Elsinore, giving Hamlet an idea. He decided to have them perform a play mirroring the murder of his father, hoping to observe Claudius's reaction and confirm the ghost's accusations. Meanwhile, Claudius and Polonius arranged to spy on Hamlet's interaction with Ophelia to determine if love was indeed the cause of his strange behavior.
O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!... Am I a coward? Who calls me villain? breaks my pate across? Plucks off my beard and blows it in my face? Tweaks me by the nose? gives me the lie i' the throat?
Act 3. The Mousetrap and Its Consequences
The Play and the King's Guilt
During the performance of 'The Murder of Gonzago,' Claudius's guilty reaction to the scene of the king being poisoned confirmed Hamlet's suspicions. The king abruptly left the performance, and Hamlet became convinced of his uncle's guilt. However, when he later found Claudius alone and praying, Hamlet hesitated to kill him, fearing that a death in prayer might send his uncle's soul to heaven.
Hamlet Confronts Gertrude and Kills Polonius
Hamlet then went to confront his mother about her marriage to Claudius. During their heated conversation in the queen's chamber, Hamlet heard someone behind the arras (tapestry) and, believing it to be Claudius, stabbed through it, killing Polonius instead. This rash act set in motion a series of tragic events that would ultimately lead to the play's devastating conclusion.
O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams... What dreams may come, When we have shuffled off this mortal coil
Act 4. Consequences and Conspiracies
Ophelia's Madness and Laertes's Return
The death of Polonius had severe consequences. Claudius sent Hamlet to England, secretly arranging for his execution there. Meanwhile, Ophelia, devastated by her father's death and Hamlet's apparent madness, lost her sanity. She wandered the castle singing sad songs and speaking in riddles, distributing flowers with symbolic meanings to the court.
The Plot Against Hamlet
Laertes, Polonius's son, returned from France seeking revenge for his father's death. Claudius manipulated Laertes's anger, directing it toward Hamlet. Together they devised a plan: during a fencing match, Laertes would use a poisoned sword to kill Hamlet. As a backup plan, Claudius would also prepare a poisoned cup of wine.
Act 5. The Tragic Conclusion
Ophelia's Death and the Graveyard Scene
Before the fencing match could take place, news arrived of Ophelia's death. She had drowned in a brook, falling from a willow tree while hanging flower garlands. At her funeral, Hamlet, who had returned to Denmark after escaping an attempt on his life, confronted Laertes. Their grief over Ophelia erupted into a bitter quarrel at her graveside.
Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy... Where be your gibes now? your gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table on a roar?
The Final Tragedy
The play reached its tragic climax during the fencing match. The poisoned sword wounded both Hamlet and Laertes, and Gertrude unknowingly drank from the poisoned cup intended for Hamlet. As she died, Laertes revealed Claudius's plot to Hamlet. In his final moments, Hamlet killed Claudius and named Prince Fortinbras of Norway as his successor. Horatio remained to tell their story, while Fortinbras ordered a soldier's funeral for Hamlet.