From the start of the play it is clear that Hamlet has been behaving differently towards the other characters, even before he sees the ghost of his father and is tasked with revenge. As Hamlet then begins to uncover what happened to his father and prove Claudius’ guilt, he puts on an ‘antic disposition’ in order to make others believe he is mad.

Whether this is all an act or whether Hamlet does suffer some form of madness can be different in every production and the character can be seen in lots of different ways. However, despite his act and his plans, Hamlet still dies and it’s important to look at the reasons for this and ask:

What leads to Hamlet’s downfall?

We’ve started to think about some of the causes of Hamlet’s downfall. See if you can complete the grid to finish four points that could answer this question. It doesn’t matter if you agree or not, as long as you can back it up! Looking at the following scenes might also help to collect evidence:

• Act 3 Scene 1: Take a look at Hamlet’s speech here where he questions what the most noble action is.
• Act 3 Scene 4: Look at Hamlet’s mistakes and the moments where his actions cause more damage in this scene, as well as in Act 3 Scene 1 with Ophelia.

Ophelia seems to have a strong relationship with her father, listening to his advice to stay away from Hamlet and later going to see Hamlet at her father’s request. From the way Ophelia talks about Hamlet’s ‘noble mind’, it is clear that she had a good relationship with him at one stage and respected him. However, the way he treats her in the play causes Ophelia to break down and, when Hamlet also murders Polonius, Ophelia is portrayed as suffering from ‘madness’. Her madness is very different from Hamlet’s, perhaps in contrast to his ‘act’, but any actor taking on the role or anyone writing about her character should consider why Ophelia becomes this way and ask:

What drives Ophelia to madness?

We’ve started to think here about some of the things that cause Ophelia to break down. See if you can complete the grid to finish four points that could answer this question. It doesn’t matter if you agree or not, as long as you can back it up! Looking at the following scenes might also help to collect evidence:

• Act 4 Scene 5: Take a look at Ophelia’s scene with Gertrude and Claudius, where she appears singing songs and they declare her mad. What reasons do they give?
• Act 3 Scene 1: Look at Hamlet’s treatment of Ophelia in this scene, when she returns his ‘remembrances’ or gifts. In his comments he tells her to go ‘to a nunnery’ and not be a ‘breeder of sinners’. How do you think these comments affect her in the scene and how do you think they might go on to affect her? Compare these to the comments he makes in Act 3 Scene 3 as well.
• Act 2 Scene 1: Look at the relationship Ophelia has with her father and how she reports Hamlet’s behaviour. She seems to feel threatened but trusts her father enough to tell him.

The ghost of Old Hamlet reveals that he was poisoned by Claudius in Act 1, but Hamlet spends the first half of the play looking for proof that this is true. When the players stage a play in which the king is murdered, Claudius leaves the room. Following this, Claudius confesses to committing the crime in private. Believing that his uncle is guilty drives Hamlet’s actions in the second half of the play and, for an acting company, it’s really important to think about Claudius’ journey and to ask:

Why does Claudius murder his brother?

We’ve started to think here about some of the things that could have driven Claudius to commit this act before the play opens. See if you can complete the grid to finish four points that could answer this question. It doesn’t matter if you agree or not, as long as you can back it up! Looking at the following scenes might also help to collect evidence:

• Act 4 Scene 7: Take a look at how Claudius speaks about Gertrude here and in scenes during Act 1. How might his feelings towards her have affected his actions?
• Act 3 Scene 3: In his confession to God, Claudius lists the reasons why he killed his brother. How honest do you think he is being in this private confession?
• Act 1 Scene 5: Why does the ghost believe Gertrude and Claudius have married?

Gertrude’s behaviour at the start of the play is the first difficulty Hamlet encounters. Before he has seen the ghost of his father or learnt that Claudius may have murdered his father, he is upset by his mother’s actions in marrying Claudius so quickly after his father has died. Gertrude doesn’t seem to understand that Hamlet would be troubled by this and thinks his reaction is due to his grief. There are lots of possible reasons why Gertrude, as a queen, might have married so quickly and these are always discussed in a rehearsal room. Is it because it was important to keep the country stable? Is it because she schemed with Claudius to kill Old Hamlet? Whatever the decision, it’s always important for an actor playing the part, or anyone writing about Gertrude, to ask:

Why does Gertrude marry Claudius?

We’ve started to think here about some of the things that might have motivated Gertrude. See if you can complete the grid to finish four points that could answer this question. It doesn’t matter if you agree or not, as long as you can back it up! Looking at the following scenes might also help to collect evidence:

• Act 1 Scene 2: Take a look at the official announcements Claudius and Gertrude make in the opening scenes. What do they say about the succession and the throne?
• Act 3 Scene 4: When Hamlet finally confronts Gertrude about her new marriage, what are his objections and assumptions? Why does he think she has done it?
• Act 1 Scene 5: Why does the ghost believe Gertrude and Claudius have married?

It’s really important to consider that Gertrude never gets the opportunity to defend herself in the play so a lot of what we hear about her comes from Hamlet and Old Hamlet. Do other characters’ attitudes towards her offer any clues about the kind of queen she was and is?