Hamlet (2017)

Plot Synopsis

Upon her father’s death and mother’s quick remarriage to her uncle, Hamlet has returned to Denmark to cope with her grief. Horatio reveals that he has seen her father; the next night, Hamlet confronts her father’s ghost, who charges her to avenge his alleged murder. Hamlet vows to find out the truth and obtain justice, and she will do so under the guise of madness.

Polonius and his daughter Ophelia have bid farewell to his other daughter, Laertes. Hamlet’s change in character unsettles Ophelia, and Polonius determines to find the cause of her lunacy. King Claudius and Queen Gertrude welcome Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to the castle and charge them with elucidating Hamlet’s madness.

Meanwhile, Fortinbras’ army has neared Denmark; Voltemand arrives with assurances that Norway is not planning war, though the threat looms.

Hamlet maintains the illusion of madness, even with childhood friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. When the Players arrive, she enlists them to play “The Murder of Gonzago”, a play that mimics the death of Old Hamlet. Claudius interrupts the performance, appearing upset; Hamlet believes she’s found proof of guilt. But when she has the opportunity to kill Claudius as he prays, she hesitates. Hamlet visits Gertrude and accidentally kills Polonius, resulting in her banishment to England; on the way, she finds that Fortinbras’ army is still nearby.

Laertes returns to discover that Ophelia, driven mad by the loss of her father and lover, has drowned in a nearby brook. As they go to bury her, the court encounters Hamlet, an unpleasant surprise return; Hamlet and Laertes quarrel over Ophelia’s corpse. Claudius and Laertes conspire to have Laertes challenge Hamlet to a duel. Laertes’ sword is poisoned, and Claudius poisons a cup of wine as well, to ensure Hamlet’s death. In the chaos of the fight, many lives are lost. Fortinbras marches into Denmark virtually unopposed.

—Hadley Kamminga-Peck, Dramaturg