How Are They Related?
These two characters are mother and son.
Who are Gertrude and Hamlet?
Before the action of the play begins, this character killed the old king and married his wife. It all happened so fast that the leftovers from the funeral were served at the wedding.
Who is Claudius?
Hamlet tells Ophelia to get herself to this kind of location. Maybe he hates her, or maybe he's trying to protect her. No one really knows.
What is a nunnery?
This is described as the protagonist's character defect, moral blindness, or tragic flaw.
What is hamartia?
Under Claudius's tutelage, Laertes comes up with this plan to kill Hamlet and avenge his father's death.
What is poison him in a sword fight?
These two characters are brother and sister.
Who are Laertes and Ophelia?
This character drowns in a pool of water, though the text is unclear as to whether this is intentional suicide or accidental unalivement.
Who is Ophelia?
Hamlet finds Yorick - rather, a piece of him - in this location and tells him to make room for his girlfriend Ophelia (I guess the "nunnery" bit didn't work out too well).
This is the moment when the protagonist experiences what could be described as a reversal in fate, a fall from grace, or a change in how they are viewed by the public.
What is the peripeteia?
Hamlet enlists this character to spy on Claudius - all while he himself is being spied on by Claudius.
Who is Horatio?
These two characters are brothers...well, they *were* brothers, but now one's dead.
Who are Old (or King) Hamlet and Claudius?
DOUBLE JEOPARDY! The Ghost of Old (or King) Hamlet informs his son that he was murdered by someone pouring poison into this organ.
What is the ear?
DOUBLE JEOPARDY! This country is the home of Hamlet and all his wild and crazy family. The castle even has a name, too. (Must name both to be correct.)
What is Denmark and Elsinore?
It is the moment the protagonist finally understands the reality of their circumstances and the direct consequences of their tragic flaw.
What is anagnorisis?
DOUBLE JEOPARDY! Hamlet refers to this person when he says,"Frailty, thy name is woman!" Some cultures might see this as disrespectful, though that's the last thing on Hamlet's mind right now.
Who is Gertrude?
Horatio is forever faithful to Hamlet...in a Samwise-and-Frodo kind of way.
What is best friends?
Hamlet cries out, "A rat! Dead for a ducat!" as he accidentally kills this old fool instead of his uncle...though it serves him right for spying on him in his mother's bedroom.
Who is Polonius?
The ever-mentioned-but-rarely seen character Fortinbras is the prince of this country.
This is the aspect of the protagonist undergoing punishment for their tragic flaw - for Oedipus, it is self-inflicted, but for Hamlet, it is by another character.
What is nemesis?
After conferencing with the Ghost of his father, this is how Hamlet decides to behave in order to confuse and misdirect anyone who may be spying on him.
What is pretending to be crazy?
Claudius is forever envious of Hamlet...in a Scar-and-Simba kind of way.
What are uncle and nephew?
In the climactic duel, Laertes mortally wounds Hamlet with this weapon...though the effect must happen in slow motion since Hamlet has enough time for another monologue before he actually dies.
What is a poisoned sword?
Hamlet is sailing toward this country when his ship is overtaken by pirates (yes, there are actually pirates in this story, too).
What is England?
The audience will generally experience this sensation at the end of a tragedy if the play is written and performed well.
What is catharsis?
Hamlet has a chance to kill Claudius, but he refuses because Claudius is performing this ritual of communicating with the divine.
What is praying?