Hamlet

Ophelia is not well. A gentleman reveals to Gertrude and Horatio that she has been wandering around, talking nonsense and singing songs. Just then, Ophelia enters, acting utterly insane. She sings songs about death, love, and flowers. Gertrude can make neither heads nor tails of what she’s saying, but Ophelia’s songs hint at Hamlet’s betrayal and her father’s death. After she leaves, Laertes returns, demanding to know where his father is. Claudius informs Laertes that Polonius is dead but swears it wasn’t his fault. Ophelia reenters, talking and singing nonsense again.

Tybalt, still looking to punish Romeo for his appearance at the Capulets’ party, runs into Mercutio and Benvolio. He provokes Mercutio into a duel, while Benvolio tries to stop the fighting. Romeo enters, and Tybalt calls him a villain. Romeo, having just married Juliet (who is Tybalt’s cousin), swears he’s not, but Tybalt challenges him to draw. Mercutio draws first, then Tybalt, and they fall to fighting finally. Romeo tries to break it up, but Tybalt reaches under Romeo’s arm and fatally stabs Mercutio, who curses the Montagues and the Capulets for their continuing feud.

Count Paris, a kinsman of the Prince, tells Capulet that he wants to marry his daughter, Juliet. Capulet’s a little reluctant to agree because his daughter is so young, but he tells Paris that if he can woo Juliet successfully, then he’ll grant him permission to marry her. To help his cause, he invites Paris to a party they’re having at the Capulet house that night. Capulet then gives his servant a guest list for the party, and asks him to track down and invite the people on it. The servant, who is illiterate, then asks the passing Romeo and Benvolio for help reading it.

Hamlet tells Horatio that he’s aware of Claudius’s plot. As it turns out, Hamlet had Claudius’s letters calling for the death of Hamlet altered so that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern would be killed upon their arrival in England. A courtier named Osric arrives to tell Hamlet it’s time for his duel with Laertes. The court enters to watch the duel. Before they duel, Hamlet takes the opportunity to apologize to Laertes for his insane behavior, but Laertes wants to go through with the fight no matter what because his reputation is on the line.

In the graveyard at Elsinore, Hamlet and Horatio come upon two gravediggers, one of whom sings while he works. The gravediggers are debating whether the person for whom they are digging the grave committed suicide. Observing them, Hamlet ponders all the different skulls in the graveyard, wondering who they once belonged to. Picking one up, Hamlet learns that it once belonged to Yorick, who was the court jester at Elsinore when Hamlet was a boy. Hamlet remembers him fondly, and he laments the fact that someone who was once funny and joyful has simply turned into a skull in a graveyard.

Claudius finds out from one of Horatio’s letters that Hamlet is back in Denmark. He ropes an angry Laertes into yet another plan to do away with the prince. Laertes and Hamlet will have a not-so-friendly duel, but Laertes will be fighting with a sharpened, poisoned blade, rather than a blunted one. Just in case the blade and its poison don’t work, Claudius will also poison a drink and offer it to a thirsty Hamlet during the duel. After they settle on the plan, Gertrude arrives to inform the king and Laertes that Ophelia is dead. She was found drowned in a brook, surrounded by flowers.

Horatio receives a letter from Hamlet, which tells him that the prince is headed home to Denmark. He asks Horatio to deliver some letters to the king, and Horatio makes plans to seek out Hamlet.

Folio (myShakespeare) version: Fortinbras, the prince of Norway, is on his way to wage war on Poland.

Second quarto version: Fortinbras' men and Hamlet cross paths, and Hamlet learns of Fortinbras’ plans. Hamlet is impressed. He admires Fortinbras’ commitment and courage, and decides to follow his example. He’ll avenge his father’s death once and for all.