Hamlet: structure

Overall Structure of Hamlet

Hamlet follows the five-act structure commonly employed by William Shakespeare in his plays.
As with his other plays, the action in Hamlet rises and falls around key events, enhancing the dramatic tension.
There is a clear distinction between each act, each of which can be characterised by a particular stage in Hamlet’s mental and emotional journey.

The first act is devoted to establishing the background of the story, including the ghost of Hamlet’s father and the usurpation of the throne by Claudius.
It sets the stage for the significant themes in the play: revenge, real vs. imagined, and moral corruption.
The key event of Act 1 is the appearance of the ghost telling Hamlet about the murder, which instigates the whole sequence of tragic actions.

This act showcases Hamlet’s growing agitation and his calculated efforts to confirm Claudius’s guilt.
Hamlet’s “antic disposition” or feigned madness is introduced, adding to the layers of complexity in the plot.
The players’ arrival, and the planning of ‘The Mousetrap’ performance, ends Act 2 on a suspenseful note.

It is the climax of the play, where numerous plotlines converge.
Hamlet’s ‘To be or not to be’ soliloquy, which captures his psychological crisis, is one of the standout moments.
The act concludes with the successful ‘The Mousetrap’ performance, confirming Claudius’s guilt, followed by Hamlet’s confrontation with Gertrude, and the murder of Polonius.

This act follows Hamlet’s exile to England, building the action towards the final act.
The reactive and transformational nature of Hamlet’s character is brought to the forefront, mirrored by the dramatic incidents involving Ophelia and Laertes.
There’s the contrast between the reflective Hamlet’s journey to England and emotionally-charged events in Denmark (death of Ophelia, Laertes’ revenge plot).

Act 5 offers a resolution to the conflicts and a conclusion to the tragedy.
The events build towards the inevitable - the highly dramatic fencing match, followed by a series of tragic deaths.
The final act reinforces the tragic nature of the play, with Fortinbras’s arrival putting the scale of tragedy into perspective.

Shakespeare creates a meaningful progression of action and character development through the structure, using climax and resolution effectively.
This structure allows for the exploration of complex philosophical ideas within an unfolding narrative of political intrigue and personal tragedy.
Importantly, the decision to set Hamlet’s introspective journey against the background of political unrest, gives the play its unique psychological depth together with the tragic intensity.