Introduction Timeline Pictures Author(s) -Shakespeare, William --1564 - 1582: William Shakespeare's Stratford Beginnings --1582 - 1592: William Shakespeare's Marriage, Parenthood and Early Occupation --1592 - 1594: William Shakespeare's Life In London, part 1 --1594 - 1611: William Shakespeare's Life In London, part 2 --1594 - 1611: William Shakespeare's Life In London, part 3 --1611 - 1616: William Shakespeare - Back to Stratford The context of Hamlet -Social / political context --The Catholic heritage --The Tudor monarchy --The grounds for divorce --Separating from the Catholic Church --Protestant versus Catholic --The situation in Shakespeare's day -Religious / philosophical context --Divine right of kings --The Renaissance --The Reformation -The Theatre --Mystery and morality plays --Permanent theatres --Design of theatres --The role of women --Child actors Hamlet Synopses -Act I --Act I, Scene i --Act I, Scene ii --Act I, Scene iii --Act I, Scene iv --Act I, Scene v -Act II --Act II, Scene i --Act II, Scene ii -Act III --Act III, Scene i --Act III, Scene ii --Act III, Scene iii --Act III, Scene iv -Act IV --Act IV, Scene i --Act IV, Scene ii --Act IV, Scene iii --Act IV, Scene iv --Act IV, Scene v --Act IV, Scene vi --Act IV, Scene vii -Act V --Act V, Scene i --Act V, Scene ii Shakespeare's Language -The evolution of the language -Thee, thou and you -The royal plural -Blank verse, prose & rhyme -Variations from the norm -Hamlet's awareness of language Characterisation -Hamlet -Ophelia -Gertrude -Claudius -Polonius -Laertes -Horatio -Rosencrantz and Guildenstern -Fortinbras -Voltimand and Cornelius -Marcellus, Barnado and Francisco -Osric Themes and significant ideas -Setting 'Hamlet' within a Christian world view -Heaven, hell and judgement -Mercy and forgiveness -Grace -Vengeance -Prayer -Mass and Holy Communion -The Ten Commandments -Incest -Identity -Nature and the unnatural -Death -False appearances Imagery and symbolism -The Garden of Eden -The Fall and original sin -Cain and Abel -The chain of being -Painting -Traps -Prisons and punishment -Corruption and disease Structure Critical analysis -How to approach the question -A worked example Approaching exams and essays -What makes a good English exam answer -How to plan an essay -Possible essay questions -Engaging with the text Resources and further reading -Books -Websites -Theatre and media
Hamlet Synopses » Act IV » Act IV, Scene vi Synopsis of Hamlet Act IV scene vi
A sailor arrives with a letter for Horatio from Hamlet. He reports that the ship in which he was travelling to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern was attacked by pirates. Hamlet was captured by them, but they have now put him on shore again in Denmark.
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