Many years ago in Denmark there was a prince called
Hamlet.
One day Hamlet’s father, the king, dies suddenly and
Hamlet is very sad.
After this Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, gets married again
very quickly. She marries her husband’s brother,
Claudius, and Claudius is now the king!
“Aargh! How could you do this to me!”
One night Hamlet’s friend, Horatio, tells him that there is a ghost in the castle. It is
the ghost of Hamlet’s father!
“Claudius killed me with poison! Hamlet, you must punish Claudius for me!”
Hamlet is confused. He doesn’t know if he believes the ghost and he doesn’t know
what to do.
Hamlet now acts very strangely. He is mean and angry, and he upsets his
girlfriend, Ophelia.
“Go away! Leave me alone!”
“Oh, he is so mean!”
One day a group of actors come to the castle and Hamlet makes a plan. He asks
the actors to change their play. The new play will show a king poisoned like
Hamlet’s father.
“With this play I will catch the king.”
When Claudius watches the play he looks very worried and runs away. Hamlet
sees him and he knows the truth.
Claudius is very worried about Hamlet now and makes a plan with Ophelia’s
brother, Laertes.
“You will fight him and we will put poison on the sword and in his drink too.”
Laertes and Hamlet fight. Laertes cuts Hamlet, but in the fight Hamlet takes
Laertes’ sword and cuts him with it too!
“Here, Hamlet, drink this.”

Complete the sentences to retell the story in your own words. Play the matching
game under the video first to help you!

a. Hamlet’s father dies and his mother gets married again to Claudius.
b. The ghost of Hamlet’s father tells Hamlet that _Claudius killed him with poison.
c. Hamlet asks some actors to perform a play showing _a king, killed with poison.
d. Claudius runs away from the play so Hamlet knows ___the truth.
e. Claudius and Laertes make a plan to kill Hamlet with __poison.
f. Hamlet and Laertes cut each other with ___sword.
g. Hamlet’s mother drinks __poison.
h. Hamlet cuts Claudius with the poisoned sword and __kills him.