SHAKESPEAREAN SUMMARIES

Hamlet

Author: William Shakespeare

Time period: Renaissance, 1603

Language: English

The play begins with the scholar Horatio discovering a ghost of the recently deceased King Hamlet whilst walking along Elsinore Castle in Denmark. The main protagonist, Prince Hamlet, believes that his father was murdered by his brother Claudius. Claudius and Prince Hamlet’s mother Gertrude are worried about his strange behavior due to the death of his father and send his two friends, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to watch him. Polonius, the Lord Chamberlain of Claudius’ court, speculates Hamlet’s strange behavior as love for his (Polonius’) daughter, Ophelia. Aided by Polonius, Claudius spies on Hamlet to find him madly declaring to Ophelia to enter a nunnery and says that he wishes to ban all marriages. (“Get thee to a nunnery.” III.i). Hamlet later gathers actors at a theater, where he has them act out a scene from The Murder of Gonzago, also known as the Mousetrap whilst Claudius is watching in the audience. Hamlet hopes that the murder scene resembling the death of his father would help him understand Claudius’ involvement in his father’s murder, and when Claudius leaves the theater uncomfortably he concludes his forebodings are true. Hamlet accidentally murders Polonius behind tapestry and dispatches to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, however unbeknownst to Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern send letters to the King of England demanding Hamlet be put to death. Ophelia then grieves for her father’s death and drowns herself. Laertes, the son of Polonius, is infuriated at Hamlet for causing the death of his father and plans to stab Hamlet with a poisoned blade or make him drink a goblet full of poison. Hamlet gets stabbed by the poison blade and Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, drinks the goblet of poison, and the two die. Laertus then accidentally stabs himself and as he dies, confesses that Claudius truly was responsible for the murder of King Hamlet. In the end, a Norwegian prince named Fortinbras comes with the information that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead and Fortinbras takes control of the kingdom. Fortinbras then orders Hamlet to be carried away like a fallen soldier, with "with music and rite of war." He orders his soldiers to carry the bodies out, and the play ends.

The Tempest

Author: William Shakespeare

Time period: Renaissance

Language: English

Prospero, the formerly Duke of Milan was usurped by his brother, Antonio, aided by Alonso, the king of Naples. Prospero then flees to an island with his daughter Miranda, using his magical powers to keep the island’s only inhabitant Caliban and the local spirit Ariel as a servant. A ship carrying Antonio passes by the island and Prospero conjures up a storm with the help of Ariel. The ship is destroyed and Antonio, Alonso, Ferdinand, Sebastian, Gonzalo, Adrian, and other court members are shipwrecked. Prospero uses magic to separate the survivors into groups on the island, determined to regain his dukedom. Prospero arranges a romantic relationship between Ferdinand and Miranda, Tinculo (the king’s jester) and Stephano attempt to overthrow Prospero and serve as comic relief, and the ship’s captain and boatswain along with other sailors are asleep until the final act. After Antonio and Sebastian conspire to kill Alonso and Gonzalo in order to make Sebastian king, Ariel confronts them in the guise of Harpy and causes them to flee. Prospero intends Miranda to marry Ferdinand and Ariel conjures a masque featuring the goddesses Juno, Ceres, and Iris to bless them. The masque is then interrupted by Prospero who orders Ariel to stop the nobles’ plot whilst Caliban, Trinculo and Stephano are chased off by swamp goblins in the form of hounds. Prospero vows to set Ariel free and abandon his magic once he achieves his goals and forgives Alonso, Antonio, and Sebastian and restores his title as the Duke of Milan. The nobles, Miranda, and Prospero reunite and leave the island and Ariel is instructed to provide good weather to the king’s ship as it sails to Naples, where Ferdinand and Miranda will be married. Ariel is set free and Prospero requests his audience to set him free in an epilogue.

Othello

Author: William Shakespeare

Time period: Renaissance

Language: English

Characters

Othello – “The Moor of Venice,” a respected general in the Venetian army. Outsider due to race.
Desdemona – Brabantio’s daughter, secretly marries Othello. Innocent and virtuous.
Iago – Othello’s ensign (ancient); the villain/master manipulator; jealous of Cassio’s promotion.
Michael Cassio – Othello’s lieutenant, young and inexperienced but scholarly and courteous.
Roderigo – Wealthy Venetian, loves Desdemona, manipulated by Iago.
Brabantio – Desdemona’s father, a Venetian senator.
Emilia – Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s maid; ultimately exposes Iago.
Montano – Governor of Cyprus.
Bianca – Courtesan in love with Cassio.
Lodovico and Graziano – Venetian nobles who arrive at the end.

Act I

Roderigo complains to Iago that Desdemona has secretly married Othello.
Iago’s grudge: Othello passed him over for promotion in favor of Cassio.
Iago and Roderigo wake Brabantio, claiming Othello has “stolen Desdemona” via witchcraft.
Brabantio accuses Othello before the Duke and Senate.
Othello’s defense: He wooed Desdemona through tales of his battles, travels, and perils - “She loved me for the dangers I had passed.”
Desdemona testifies her love is genuine; Brabantio warns, “She has deceived her father, and may thee.”
Othello is ordered to lead defense of Cyprus against the Turkish fleet, and Desdemona insists on accompanying him.
Iago vows revenge - “I hate the Moor.”

Act II

Storm destroys the Turkish fleet; Cyprus is safe.
Cassio, Iago, Desdemona, Emilia, and Roderigo arrive first; Othello’s ship arrives later.
Iago notices Cassio taking Desdemona’s hand, calling it a “web” to ensnare them.
Othello and Desdemona reunite lovingly; Iago begins his “revenge plan.”
He tells Roderigo that Desdemona will soon tire of Othello and fall for Cassio.
Iago gets Cassio drunk and provokes a brawl with Roderigo; Cassio wounds Montano.
Othello dismisses Cassio as lieutenant.
Iago feigns sympathy: “Reputation is an idle and most false imposition.”
He advises Cassio to seek Desdemona’s help to regain favor — the next phase of Iago’s plot.

Act III

Cassio asks Desdemona to plead with Othello for his reinstatement.
Iago plants suspicion: “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; / It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock / The meat it feeds on.”
Desdemona’s kindness appears to Othello as guilt.
The handkerchief – Othello’s first gift to Desdemona – becomes the key symbol.
She drops the handkerchief; Emilia finds it and gives it to Iago, who plants it in Cassio’s chamber.
Iago tells Othello he saw Cassio “wipe his beard with the handkerchief.”
Othello demands “ocular proof” and, enraged, vows vengeance: “Arise, black vengeance, from thy hollow cell!”
Iago kneels with him in a mock “marriage of hate.” Othello makes Iago lieutenant.

Act IV

Iago makes Othello eavesdrop on Cassio laughing about Bianca, pretending it’s about Desdemona.
Bianca enters with the handkerchief, confirming Othello’s belief in the affair.
Venetian envoy Lodovico arrives, delivering orders recalling Othello to Venice and naming Cassio as his replacement.
Othello strikes Desdemona in public.
Iago tells Roderigo to kill Cassio that night to stop Othello and Desdemona from leaving.

Act V

Roderigo ambushes Cassio but fails; Cassio wounds him.
Iago wounds Cassio secretly and kills Roderigo to cover his tracks.
Othello, believing Cassio dead, resolves to kill Desdemona.
In their bedchamber, Othello smothers Desdemona despite her crying “A guiltless death I die.”
Emilia exposes Iago’s lies and reveals the truth of the handkerchief.
Iago kills Emilia and flees but is captured by Lodovico and Montano.
Othello wounds Iago (“This is thy work.”) and delivers his final speech, asking to be remembered “as one that loved not wisely but too well.”
He kills himself with a hidden dagger.
Lodovico orders Iago’s execution and gives Othello’s estate to Graziano.