Hamlet Act And Scene Summaries

Question 1

Act 1 scene 1

Answer 1

A ghost appears on the battlements

The ghost looks like the dead king 👑

Question 2

Act 1 scene 2

Answer 2

The new king greets the court - marriage and Gertrude asks Hamlet to stay at home

Hamlets anger - his thought are disturbed by Horatio and the guards who come to him tell him about the ghost

Question 3

Act 1 scene 3

Answer 3

Laertes returns to university- his father gives him advice

Ophelia is warmed off by Laertes and Polonius

Question 4

Act 1 scene 4

Answer 4

The ghost wants revenge - tells Hamlet and Hamlet decides to feign madness until he has completed his missions

Question 5

Act 2 scene 1

Answer 5

Polonius sets a spy on Laertes

Ophelia is frightened by Hamlet - Ophelia tells her father who arranges to meet with the king

Question 6

Act 2 scene 2

Answer 6

R&G - Gertrude and Hamlets school friends R+G to cheer up her melancholy son

Claudius and Polonius spy on hamlet and Ophelia

Hamlet rejects Ophelia - nunnery scene

Actors arrive - hamlet asks them to stage the murder of Gonzago

Question 7

Act 3 scene 1

Answer 7

Claudius thinks he should send hamlet away after hearing reports for R, G and Polonius

Polonius convinces him to involve Gertrude to see if she can talk some sense into her son

Question 8

Act 3 scene 2

Answer 8

The actors perform the old King murder

Question 9

Act 3 scene 3

Answer 9

Claudius soliloquy - Guilt

Question 10

Act 3 scene 4

Answer 10

Closet scene

Polonius dies

Gertrude tells Claudius that Hamlet is mad. Claudius sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find Hamlet

Question 11

Act 3 scene 5

Answer 11

Hamlet refuses to reveal location of Polonius - and tells R+G that they too willingly follow king’s orders

Question 12

Act 3 scene 6

Answer 12

Hamlet reveals where Polonius is

Hamlet is sent to England and Claudius plans secretly to kill him there

Question 13

Act 4 scene 1

Answer 13

Ophelia goes mad

Laertes arrives seeking revenge for the death of his father

Question 14

Act 4 scene 2

Answer 14

Hamlet returns to Denmark - discovers plan to kill him and arrives wanting revenge

Sends R+G to their deaths

Question 15

Act 4 scene 3

Answer 15

Claudius and Laertes plan to kill hamlet

Ophelia dies

Question 16

Act 5 scene 1

Answer 16

Ophelia funeral

Hamlet and Laertes fight

Question 17

Act 5 scene 2

Answer 17

Hamlet is invited to duel

Gertrude drinks the poison - dies

Hamlet and Laertes wounded

Hamlet turns to Claudius

All dead apart from Horatio