Laurence Olivier
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
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Cast
- Esmond KnightBernardo
- Jean SimmonsOphelia, Daughter of Polonius
- Basil SydneyClaudius, The King
- Anthony QuayleMarcellus
- Eileen HerlieGertrude, The Queen
- Niall MacGinnisSea Captain
- Harcourt WilliamsFirst Player
- Felix AylmerPolonius, Lord Chamberlain
- Patrick TroughtonPlayer King
Stanley HollowayGravedigger- Tony TarverPlayer Queen
What follows is an overview of the main characters in William Shakespeare's Hamlet, followed by a list and summary of the minor characters from the play. Three different early versions of the play survive: known as the First Quarto ("Q1"), Second Quarto ("Q2"), and First Folio ("F1"), each has lines—and even scenes—missing in the others ...
- Hamlet
- Claudius
- Gertrude
- Polonius
- Ophelia
- Laertes
- The Ghost
- Horatio
- Fortinbras
- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
The Prince of Denmark, the title character, and the protagonist. About thirty years old at the start of the play, Hamlet is the son of Queen Gertrude and the late King Hamlet, and the nephew of the present king, Claudius. Hamlet is melancholy, bitter, and cynical, full of hatred for his uncle’s scheming and disgust for his mother’s sexuality. A ref...
The King of Denmark, Hamlet’s uncle, and the play’s antagonist. The villain of the play, Claudius is a calculating, ambitious politician, driven by his sexual appetites and his lust for power, but he occasionally shows signs of guilt and human feeling—his love for Gertrude, for instance, seems sincere. Read an in-depth analysis of Claudius.
The Queen of Denmark, Hamlet’s mother, recently married to Claudius. Gertrude loves Hamlet deeply, but she is a shallow, weak woman who seeks affection and status more urgently than moral rectitude or truth. Read an in-depth analysis of Gertrude.
The Lord Chamberlain of Claudius’s court, a pompous, conniving old man. Polonius is the father of Laertes and Ophelia. Read an in-depth analysis of Polonius.
Polonius’s daughter, a beautiful young woman with whom Hamlet has been in love. Ophelia is a sweet and innocent young girl, who obeys her father and her brother, Laertes. Dependent on men to tell her how to behave, she gives in to Polonius’s schemes to spy on Hamlet. Even in her lapse into madness and death, she remains maidenly, singing songs abou...
Polonius’s son and Ophelia’s brother, a young man who spends much of the play in France. Passionate and quick to action, Laertes is clearly a foil for the reflective Hamlet. Read an in-depth analysis of Laertes.
The specter of Hamlet’s recently deceased father. The Ghost, who claims to have been murdered by Claudius, calls upon Hamlet to avenge him. However, it is not entirely certain whether the Ghost is what it appears to be, or whether it is something else. Hamlet speculates that the Ghost might be a devil sent to deceive him and tempt him into murder, ...
Hamlet’s close friend, who studied with the prince at the university in Wittenberg. Horatio is loyal and helpful to Hamlet throughout the play. After Hamlet’s death, Horatio remains alive to tell Hamlet’s story.
The young Prince of Norway, whose father the king (also named Fortinbras) was killed by Hamlet’s father (also named Hamlet). Now Fortinbras wishes to attack Denmark to avenge his father’s honor, making him another foil for Prince Hamlet.
Two slightly bumbling courtiers, former friends of Hamlet from Wittenberg, who are summoned by Claudius and Gertrude to discover the cause of Hamlet’s strange behavior.
A comprehensive list of all characters in Hamlet, Shakespeare's tragedy about a prince who seeks revenge for his father's murder. Learn about the roles, relationships, and motivations of Claudius, Gertrude, Hamlet, Ophelia, and more.
Other cast members include Robin Williams, Gérard Depardieu, Jack Lemmon, Billy Crystal, Rufus Sewell, Charlton Heston, Richard Attenborough, Judi Dench, John Gielgud and Ken Dodd. The film is the first unabridged theatrical film version of Hamlet, running more than four hours.
- $18 million
- Patrick Doyle
- 25 December 1996
- David Barron
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Meet the actors and roles of the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Hamlet, starring David Tennant as the tragic prince. Find out more about the plot, themes and original text of the play.
Meet the main characters of Hamlet, a tragedy by William Shakespeare. Find out their roles, relationships, and fates in the play.
Jun 2, 2020 · Characters in the Play. The Ghost. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, son of the late King Hamlet. and Queen Gertrude. Queen Gertrude, widow of King Hamlet, now married to Claudius. King Claudius, brother to the late King Hamlet. Ophelia. Laertes, her brother. Polonius, father of Ophelia and Laertes, councillor to King Claudius.
