Hamlet

(A Shakespeare story)Adapted.

Sham S.Misri

(In Hamlet Shakespeare portrays a young man who has been educated to be a thinker, but he becomes a man of action. He is motivated by the dark force of revenge.)       

            Hamlet was the son of a king. The king had a brother whose name was Claudius.  When Hamlet discovers from his father’s ghost that his father’s death was not an accident but murder, he is very sad. The ghost tells him that the murderer is Claudius, his own brother, who has married Hamlet’s mother. Hamlet is confused and constantly tortured by doubt. He can’t decide what to do. It was Horatio, the oldest friend of Hamlet who had brought Hamlet the news that his father, the king, was dead- bitten by a snake while he was sleeping in an orchard. Horatio also said, “Someone is still celebrating the marriage of your mother and your uncle, Claudius!”

Hamlet takes it as a joke, but the joke raised more doubts in his mind.

“How could she marry so soon after the funeral? Hamlet said.”How could she forget my father so quickly?”

“You should be happy for her, my lord Hamlet, “said Horatio. “She has found new happiness in the midst of sorrow, and your uncle Claudius, will rule the Denmark until you come of age.”

Hamlet laughed feeling that there was cunningness in Claudius’s face. Soon there was darkness and the falling snow shaped themselves into the ghost of Hamlet’s father. The ghosts face was exactly like Hamlet’s father’s face, its eyes burning like cold, blue flames. Its voice was a cry of misery that sent shock down the Hamlet’s backbone. The ghost said,” Hamlet, my son! My spirit cannot find rest until my murder has been avenged.”

“Murder” Hamlet cried.

“The serpent who stung me in the orchard was my brother, Claudius,” said the ghost. “As I lay asleep, it was he who crept to my side and poured poison in my ear. Claudius took my life, my throne and now my wife. Avenge me, Hamlet!”

Before Hamlet could say more, the ghost faded.

Hamlet, not yet twenty years old, thought, how could he, avenge the death of a king? He turned to Horatio who told him that such thoughts could turn a man mad.

Hamlet laughed, because Horatio had unwittingly provided him with an answer.

In a desperate attempt to find the truth, Hamlet pretends to be mad. He could say whatever he wished and search for truth without arousing Claudius’s suspicion. He cut himself off from all friends except Horatio, to whom he told everything, as he had trust in him.

 A rumour began to spread through the castle that grief had turned Hamlets wits. Sometimes Hamlet thought that he could no longer carry the burden of what ghost had told him. If he avenged his father, his mother’s new husband would be shown as a murderer, and her happiness would be shattered: if he did not, his father’s soul was condemned to everlasting   pain.

Then one day, on a dark afternoon, when Hamlet was all alone in his room, he drew a dagger and looked at it. The blade was sharp. He weighed the dagger in his hand. It seemed he lacked courage to kill. Then he heard a knock at his door. Hamlet sheathed the dagger and called out, “Come in!”A woman entered. It was lady Ophelia. She had fair long hair and her eyes were filled with love. Ophelia and Hamlet had loved each other since their childhood. Before Hamlet’s father’s death, Hamlet had been sure that he would marry her, but now, everything had changed. There was no room in Hamlet’s heart for love.

“Lord Hamlet” Ophelia said, “My father asks if you will attend the performance of the Royal Players tonight?”

As soon as Ophelia mentioned her father, Hamlet knew what would happen. Her father was Polonius, the Royal Chamberlain, a meddling fool who loved gossip and secrets. He had sent Ophelia to try and find out why Hamlet was acting so strangely. Ophelia would report everything to Hamlet said to her father Polonius, who in turn would report that to Claudius. Hamlet was sickened: the castle of Elsinore was a place where brothers murdered brothers, wives forgot their husbands, and fathers used their daughters as spies.

Hamlet agreed that he would be at the play. He left the room and went to the Great Hall, where the actors were setting up their stage. Hamlet found a tall man with a look of his uncle. After chatting for a few moments, Hamlet told him if he knew the play “The Murder of Gonzago?”

“Certainly, my lord!” came the reply.

Hamlet gave the man a purse filled with gold, and told him to make some changes in the story. Hamlet meant to turn the play from an entertainment into a trap- a trap to catch a king.

That evening, while the audience watched the stage, Hamlet watched Claudius. As per the instructions of Hamlet, the actor played Duke Gonzaga, who lay down as though asleep and his nephew  played the actor who resembled Claudius- crept up on him and poured poison into his ear. Hamlet could see Claudius’s face as he watched this scene. Claudius’s face grew red, and he raised a trembling hand towards the stage. Hamlet knew then that he was looking at the face of a murderer, and everything that the ghost had told him was true.

“No!” Claudius cried out, he stood on his feet. “Lights!  Bring more lights!” But all the torches in the world would not light the darkness in his mind. Claudius hurriedly left the hall. His wife,( Hamlet’s mother) followed him, but Hamlet stopped her at the door.

“Do not delay me. I must go to the king!” she said, “Something is wrong.”

Hamlet told her that he knew what had happened and would tell her when alone.

But Hamlet underestimated Claudius’s cunningness, and the power he had over his mother.

When Hamlet entered into her room, there was coldness in her expression. Hamlet guessed that she had spoken to his uncle. Before Hamlet could say a word, she said, “Hamlet, you have deeply insulted and offended your royal stepfather.”

“And you have offended my dead father,” hamlet replied.

Mother frowned at Hamlet, puzzled. “What do you mean?” She demanded.

“You offended him the day you abandoned your mourning robes in exchange for a wedding gown,” Hamlet said. “The day you married a liar and a murderer!”

“I won’t listen! Mother shouted. She covered her ears and screamed in alarm, and then Hamlet heard a voice from behind the drawn curtains at her window, calling out, “Help! Murder”

Hamlet was certain it was Claudius who was spying in his mother’s bedroom. He that drew his sword and plunged it into the curtain, filled with joy that is father was avenged at last….

But it was the body of Lord Polonius that tumbled into the room: Hamlet had killed an innocent man.

Hamlet was upset. He shouted, “You old fool, what were you doing there?”

“Following your orders,” said the voice.

Hamlet turned and saw Claudius in the doorway. He had two bodyguards with him.

Claudius said, “I was afraid you might harm your mother if you were left alone with her.”

Claudius ordered that Hamlet should leave Denmark that night and sent him to England. Hamlet thought that he would be imprisoned and then secretly murdered.

While Hamlet was trying to trap Claudius, he (Claudius) had been setting trap for Hamlet.

Hamlet was put in a carriage the doors of which were locked. After several hours, the carriage reached a port, and Hamlet was placed on a ship that had to sail that time. Hamlet made no attempt to escape. He thought that his father was unavenged, and Claudius had outwitted him.

Then, before dawn broke, the most unlikely thing happened. Hamlet was rescued by Danish pirates. They captured the ship and murdered most of the crew, but when they found who Hamlet was, panic seized them. They feared that they would be hunted down by the Danish fleet; the pirates sailed back to Denmark and put Hamlet ashore at a little fishing village.

From the village Hamlet wrote letters to his friend Horatio to meet him. When Horatio met Hamlet he said that Lady Ophelia was dead. Claudius had told Ophelia that Hamlet had killed her father, and the grief drove her so mad that she drowned herself. Hamlet’s eyes were in tears. Further, Horatio told Hamlet that Ophelia’s brother, Laertes, had taken an oath to kill Hamlet for the deaths of his father and sister. But, Claudius persuaded Laertes to settle his differences with Hamlet in a fencing match, in front of the whole court. Horatio also said that they were plotting against him.

Hamlet did not agree and went to Elsinore. He thought that the pirates and his destiny brought him back, to the torch-light and candles of the Great Hall at Elsinore. The courtiers and nobles were talking about the outcome of the duel. Claudius and Hamlet’s mother were on the royal throne. Laertes was also seen with his eyes full of hatred.

Horatio takes Hamlet’s cloak and gives a sword to Hamlet.  Horatio leans and whispers “Have a care, my lord! There is death in Laertes look.”Hamlet smiled by saying-death is everywhere in the castle of Elsinore tonight.

Claudius gives a command, “Let the contest begin!”

In the drama contest Laertes and Hamlet have sword fight which continues for some time. After some time Laertes is all sweat, he bows and says, “Let us take a cup of wine and catch our breath, my lord.”

The wine cups were on the table near the thrones. Laertes and Hamlet step towards the wine cups, and Hamlet’s mother suddenly snatches up one of the cups. “A toast, to honour my beloved son!  She announces.”

“No!” says Claudius. He wants to snatch the cup but she has drunk the wine.

There was horror on Claudius’s face. And then, Laertes slashes his sword on Hamlet, he realises that it was no longer a contest; he was fighting for his life. The fight goes on, but something is wrong. Laertes looks terrified, his breath comes in sobs. Laertes leans desperately towards Hamlet and the point of Hamlet’s sword scratches through Laertes shirt: a spurt of red stains the whiteness of the linen.

Laertes moves back, “We are dead men!” he says. “The king spread poison on the blade- the same poison that he poured in the wine cup!”

Hamlet saw all this, and understood, when Laertes cried out, “The king is a murderer!” and fell to the floor. At the same time Hamlet’s mother screams and falls from her throne.

At this point Hamlet takes out his sword towards Claudius and attacks him in his throne, covering his face with his hands.

“Traitor” Says Hamlet and drives the poisoned sword deep into his heart.

Voices shouted…. and people ran. Then Horatio came quickly caught Hamlet. It was darkness and Hamlet saw light… and his father’s face and everything dropped behind him. Horatio’s voice whispered, “Farewell, Prince Hamlet!” And there was silence.