Suggestions
Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select.Please wait while we process your payment
If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Sometimes it can end up there.
If you don't see it, please check your spam folder. Sometimes it can end up there.
Please wait while we process your payment
By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy.
Don’t have an account? Subscribe now
Create Your Account
Sign up for your FREE 7-day trial
Already have an account? Log in
Your Email
Choose Your Plan
Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan!
Purchasing SparkNotes PLUS for a group?
Get Annual Plans at a discount when you buy 2 or more!
Price
$24.99 $18.74 /subscription + tax
Subtotal $37.48 + tax
Save 25% on 2-49 accounts
Save 30% on 50-99 accounts
Want 100 or more? Contact us for a customized plan.
Your Plan
Payment Details
Payment Summary
SparkNotes Plus
You'll be billed after your free trial ends.
7-Day Free Trial
Not Applicable
Renews June 7, 2023 May 31, 2023
Discounts (applied to next billing)
DUE NOW
US $0.00
SNPLUSROCKS20 | 20% Discount
This is not a valid promo code.
Discount Code (one code per order)
SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. The free trial period is the first 7 days of your subscription. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Free trial is available to new customers only.
Choose Your Plan
For the next 7 days, you'll have access to awesome PLUS stuff like AP English test prep, No Fear Shakespeare translations and audio, a note-taking tool, personalized dashboard, & much more!
You’ve successfully purchased a group discount. Your group members can use the joining link below to redeem their group membership. You'll also receive an email with the link.
Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership.
Thanks for creating a SparkNotes account! Continue to start your free trial.
Please wait while we process your payment
Your PLUS subscription has expired
Please wait while we process your payment
Please wait while we process your payment
Claudius is the primary antagonist in Hamlet. He thwarts Hamlet by killing his father. And when he usurps the Danish throne, Claudius denies Hamlet the future that rightfully belongs to him. Claudius additionally frustrates Hamlet by marrying his mother, Gertrude. Hamlet and Gertrude previously enjoyed a loving relationship, but her remarriage fatally compromises their bond. Not only must Gertrude divide her loyalties, but Hamlet must also grapple with his disgust at what he considers a traitorous, near-incestuous marriage. Yet despite Hamlet’s frustration with his mother, his chief enemy remains Claudius, who is driven by desire for love and power. Claudius reveals as much during his confession in Act Three, when he admits that he can’t truly repent because he retains possession of the goods that he acquired through sin—that is, Gertrude’s hand and the Danish throne. Unable to repent, Claudius seeks to rid himself of Hamlet instead. In Act Four he sends Hamlet to England with a sealed letter instructing the English king to execute the bearer. When this plan goes awry, Claudius hatches another plot involving Laertes slaying Hamlet with a poisoned-tipped sword. The second plan succeeds, but also results in Claudius’s own death.
As much as Claudius stands in Hamlet’s way, Hamlet also functions as his own antagonist. Hamlet is a student of philosophy, and has learned to master the fine art of careful thinking. Yet Hamlet’s mastery of logic and philosophical speculation has also resulted in a deep indecisiveness that makes it difficult for him to take the steps necessary to avenge his father’s murder. Throughout the play Hamlet remains paralyzed, incapable of breaking free from his own thoughts. For instance, he struggles to determine how he is supposed to feel about his father’s death, and whether or not he can morally justify killing Claudius. He also longs for clear answers to several questions. He wants to know what really happened to his father, and whether or not he can trust Ophelia. He also wants to know what will happen to him when he dies, and whether Claudius will go to Heaven or Hell. Finally, he wants to know why he is so unhappy. Because Hamlet can’t answer any of these questions with certainty, he finds it impossible to decide how to act. In the end, Hamlet’s indecision defeats him, and he goes to his death still uncertain about everything.
Please wait while we process your payment