Shakespeare in Plain English

Hamlet · Tragedy · c. 1600

Hamlet in Plain English

A prince is told by his father’s ghost that his uncle is a murderer. He spends four acts deciding what to do about it. Every scene below has the original text and a clear modern translation, side by side, line by line.

Act 1 5 scenes

Scene 1 Elsinore. A platform before the castle. Midnight. Two terrified guards have seen something on the battlements two nights running. They've brought Horatio, a sceptic, to witness it.… Scene 2 Elsinore. A room of state in the castle. Claudius opens with a masterclass in political spin — mourning his brother and marrying his widow in the same sentence. He dismiss… Scene 3 Elsinore. A room in Polonius's house. Laertes warns his sister off Hamlet — a prince doesn't get to choose his own wife. Ophelia takes it, then neatly turns it back on … Scene 4 Elsinore. The platform before the castle. Midnight. Waiting in the cold while Claudius drinks and cannons fire, Hamlet argues that one flaw can rot an entire reputation. The Ghost ap… Scene 5 Elsinore. Another part of the fortifications. The Ghost delivers the news that sets the play in motion: he was murdered by his own brother, poison poured into his ear while he …

Act 2 2 scenes

Scene 1 A room in Polonius's house. Polonius sends a servant to France to spy on his own son — and to spread mild slanders about him as bait. It's a long, self-admiri… Scene 2 A room in the castle. The longest scene Shakespeare ever wrote. Claudius hires Hamlet's childhood friends to spy on him. Polonius announces he's solved …