 Hamlet returns to his remarkably minimalistic palace in Denmark and finds out his father is dead and his uncle Claudius has married his mother Gertrude. His father s ghost appears, and tells Hamlet to avenge him forthwith. Hamlet stages a play to confirm Claudius  guilt and his mother s compliance, but then inadvertently kills his girlfriend Ophelia s father, Polonius. This drives her insane, while her brother Laertes sets out to avenge his father s death. In a climactic swordfight, Claudius tries to poison Hamlet with Laertes  sword and a poisoned cup. Gertrude takes the poison cup out of guilt, while Hamlet realizes Laertes  sword is poisoned...