![summary of hamlet summary of hamlet](https://media.shakespeare.org.uk/images/Hamlet_sbt-cocks-ham-1984-000.original.width-770.jpg)
Scene 4: Hamlet encounters Fortinbras on his way to the ship. Scene 3: Hamlet is ordered to England, escorted by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who carry orders for Hamlet to be executed. Scene 2: Hamlet conceals the body and insults Rosencrantz and Guildenstern who summon him to the king. Claudius fears he will lose his kingdom unless he covers up the murder and sends Hamlet to England. Scene 1: Gertrude tells Claudius about Hamlet’s murder of Polonius. He drags the body away, informs his mother of his departure to England the next day, and declares his suspicion of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. His father’s ghost appears, but only Hamlet can see it. He continues his diatribe against his mother. Thinking it’s the king, he fatally stabs Polonius. He chides his mother for so soon marrying Claudius after the death of her first husband. Polonius, once again involving himself in disputes not his own, hides behind the curtain. Scene 4: Hamlet goes to his mother to chide her. His hesitancy likely comes from a lack of resolve. For someone as insightful as Hamlet to conclude that a simple prayer would absolve the king of murdering his brother is absurd. Hamlet sneaks in to kill the king but determines that killing the king as he prays would allow the king to go to heaven. They leave and the king expresses sorrow over his killing of his brother, but not enough sorrow to give up the throne or his wife. Scene 3: The king instructs Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to escort Hamlet to England the next day. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern summon Hamlet to the king. Claudius gets upset and leaves, obviously disturbed. In the scene, a murderer pours poison down the sleeping king’s ear. Claudius decides to send Hamlet to England. The king concludes that Hamlet’s madness is not caused by unrequited love and that something else deep down is bothering him.
![summary of hamlet summary of hamlet](https://villagerdb.com/images/villagers/full/hamlet.27fca8a.png)
Hamlet curses her and orders her to a nunnery so she’ll never “breed.” He criticizes women for their bad influence on men. Hamlet contemplates suicide in his famous “To be or not to be” soliloquy. Claudius and Polonius hide behind a curtain to observe Hamlet with Ophelia. The king and queen agree to watch the performance. Scene 1: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report that they are unable to detect what’s bothering Hamlet and that he’s excited about the actors' arrival. His comments to Polonius and his discovery of his friends' mission demonstrate his keen insight into their motives. It is unclear how much of Hamlet’s madness is feigned (as he tells Horatio he will do in Act 1) and how much is real. Hamlet requests them to perform a scene later and gives them additional lines reenacting the death of his father in an attempt to trap Claudius. Hamlet calls out Rosencrantz and Guildenstern for having come to spy on them.
![summary of hamlet summary of hamlet](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qdCU8F4_oM8/maxresdefault.jpg)
Polonius reports his findings about Hamlet to the king and arranges a meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia and suggests the king and queen hide behind the curtain to observe for themselves. The king receives word that Fortinbras has been ordered not to attack the Danes, but will receive safe passage through Denmark to attack Poland. Scene 2: Rosencrantz and Guidenstern, friends of Hamlet from Wittenberg, arrive and are asked to spy on Hamlet, which they do. He also shows cunning by sending Reynaldo to spy on his son. Polonius demonstrates hypocrisy in so much that previously he advises Polonius to stay out of quarrels that aren’t his, yet he willfully involves himself in the quarrel between Hamlet and his uncle. Polonius concludes that Hamlet’s madness is caused by love sickness. Ophelia enters and tells Polonius that Hamlet accosted her and grabbed her on account of Ophelia having distanced herself from him on Polonius' advice.
![summary of hamlet summary of hamlet](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/bb69mI3of_U/maxresdefault.jpg)
Scene 1: Polonius sends Reynaldo to spy on his son Laertes. For a summary of Hamlet, Act I follow the link (and come back here for the rest of the Hamlet summary).