Act 1

The Danish prince Hamlet is overcome by melancholy. This is particularly difficult as the entire palace is celebrating the wedding of his mother, Queen Gertrude, and the new king, Hamlet's uncle Claudius.

Hamlet meets the ghost of his dead father and learns of his death. He then has another encounter with Ophelia, the daughter of Polonius, a court nobleman whom Hamlet secretly loves.

Polonius prepares his son Laertes to leave for France and gives him advice. The family bids Laertes farewell.

Shocked by what he has heard from his father, Hamlet devises a plan of revenge and presents himself as a madman to the courtiers and officials, including Ophelia, who makes it clear that he no longer loves her.

A troupe of travelling players visits the palace. Hamlet decides to use his performance as a signal to his father's murderers.

Act 2

Hamlet joins the actors in the play. In the play, an actor injects poison into the sleeping King's ear. He then marries the Queen, his brother's wife. King Claudius and the nobles are outraged, and the Queen summons Hamlet to speak with her.

On his way to his mother's chambers, Hamlet sees King Claudius alone and praying. Hamlet decides to take his own life, but then changes his mind: death in such a state might even be good for the sinful king.

Before Hamlet arrives, Polonius is at the Queen's house giving advice on how to control Hamlet's madness. At the sound of footsteps, Polonius hides behind a curtain. Hamlet accuses his mother of mongrelism and improper mourning, then he hears a noise, throws down the curtain and kills Polonius, who is hiding behind it.

Hamlet's friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern return to Denmark. They are instructed to look after Hamlet and take him to England, although there is a plan to kill him on the way, but Hamlet escapes.

Haunted by Hamlet's rejection of her love and the murder of her father, Ophelia goes mad and drowns in the river.

Laertes returns to Denmark. He believes that Claudius is responsible for his father's murder, but Claudius directs Laertes' anger at Hamlet.

In the graveyard, Hamlet witnesses Ophelia's funeral. The death of the woman he loves comes as a terrible surprise.

Laertes challenges Hamlet to a duel. King Claudius poisons the rapiers, as well as the wine he is about to offer Hamlet to cheer him up. Hamlet kills Laertes, but is also stabbed with a poisoned rapier. The Queen drinks the wine intended for Hamlet and dies. Hamlet is poisoned, but manages to kill Claudius before he dies.