Hamlet
Prince of Denmark;
-upset that his uncle killed his father to become king and married Hamlet's mother
Claudius
King of Denmark, and Hamlet's Uncle
-married Hamlet's mother
Gertrude
the Queen; Hamlet's mom
-marries Claudius soon after the king dies
-Hamlet thinks she is weak
King Hamlet/The Ghost
-murdered by his own brother
-asks Hamlet to avenge his death
Polonius
advisor to King Claudius
-father of Ophelia and Laertes
-a windbag and a rambler of wisdom
Laertes
son of Polonius and brother of Ophelia
-is given advice by his father about how to behave in France
Ophelia
Hamlet's girlfriend
-daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes
-her father tells her not to see Hamlet and her brother tells her Hamlet may not have good intentions toward her
Horatio
loyal friend of Hamlet
-helps Hamlet throughout the play
Marcellus
a soldier who is Hamlet's friend
-sees the ghost of Hamlet's father
Fortinbras
Prince of Norway
-his father, was killed by Hamlet's father
-Fortinbras wishes to attack Denmark to avenge his father
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
-old school friends of Hamlet
-Claudius asks them to spy on Hamlet to figure out why he has gone crazy
Denmark
a country in Northern Europe; Hamlet's home
William Shakespeare
The playwright who wrote Hamlet
Elsinore
the name of the castle where Hamlet and his family lives
Norway
a country in Northern Europe; Fortinbras' home