This film adapts the essence of the original play while significantly trimming the dialogue and omitting two key characters.
Set against the backdrop of 15th Century Denmark, the narrative unfolds on the battlements of the imposing Elsinore Castle, home to the Danish royal family. As the action begins, sentry Francisco is relieved from his watch by fellow sentry Bernardo. Joining them is Marcellus, who, alongside Bernardo, has witnessed the spectral figure of King Hamlet on two prior occasions. Their conversation is soon interrupted when Horatio (played by Norman Wooland) arrives, expressing skepticism about the ghost's existence. As if to prove them wrong, all three sentries suddenly lay eyes on the ghost, prompting Horatio to demand that it speaks, but the apparition vanishes silently.
Inside the castle's Great Hall, the court is in a festive mood, celebrating the marriage between Gertrude (Eileen Herlie) and King Claudius (Basil Sydney). The recent tragedy of King Hamlet's death, which supposedly resulted from an accidental snakebite, has barely faded from memory, leading to Gertrude's hasty marriage to her late husband's brother. The brooding Prince Hamlet sits apart, discontented with the swift union despite Claudius's attempts to coax him into joining the festivities. Alone and filled with bitterness, Hamlet mutters to himself, > "and yet, within a month!"
Before long, Horatio and the sentinels inform Hamlet about the ghostly sighting of his father. Driven by a need for answers, Hamlet ascends to the battlements with them. There, the ghost beckons him, leading him up to a tower and revealing itself as the spirit of his deceased father. The ghost discloses the details of his murder and the identity of the culprit. The audience is shown a shocking flashback depicting the heinous act where Claudius poisons King Hamlet's ear, leading to his death. Initially skeptical, Hamlet resolves to feign madness to probe Claudius’s conscience without drawing premature conclusions about his guilt.
This facade of insanity captures the attention of Polonius (Felix Aylmer), Claudius' chief advisor, who mistakenly attributes Hamlet’s behavior to his love for Ophelia (Jean Simmons), Polonius' own daughter. Although Claudius remains uncertain about Hamlet's state of mind, he instructs Polonius to orchestrate a meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia. During this encounter, Hamlet’s erratic behavior continues to fuel Claudius’s suspicions.
To further his plot, Hamlet invites a group of traveling actors to perform The Murder of Gonzago, subtly altering the script to echo the circumstances of his father's death. The performance profoundly affects Claudius, who becomes visibly distressed and abruptly leaves the theater, affirming Hamlet's suspicions of his guilt. Hamlet then encounters Claudius alone and contemplates avenging his father's death, yet he hesitates when he finds Claudius praying, unwilling to condemn him to heaven.
Confronting Gertrude about the conspiracy surrounding his father's demise, Hamlet mistakenly stabs through a curtain, believing Claudius is eavesdropping. To his shock, he discovers he has killed Polonius, which elicits only a mild reaction from Hamlet as he presses on with the confrontation. In a moment of surrealism, he converses with the ghost of his father, unseen by Gertrude, who concludes that her son has indeed lost his sanity.
Fearing for Hamlet's life, Claudius plots to send him to England under the guise of safety, but orders his execution upon arrival. However, fortune intervenes as pirates attack Hamlet's ship, leading to his safe return to Denmark. Meanwhile, the devastation of Hamlet’s rejection drives Ophelia to the brink of madness, resulting in her tragic off-screen drowning, presumed a suicide. This event ignites her brother Laertes (Terence Morgan) to seek revenge for her death and for their father's murder.
As Hamlet returns, Claudius and Laertes conspire to kill him, planning it to appear as an unfortunate accident. Claudius persuades Laertes to challenge Hamlet to a duel, equipping Laertes with a poisoned blade meant to kill upon contact. In the midst of the fight, Gertrude, unaware of the scheme, mistakenly drinks from a poisoned cup, leading to her demise. She manages to warn Hamlet just before succumbing, casting her death as a self-sacrificial act to protect her son rather than an accident, a notable deviation from Shakespeare's original text.
In the heat of the duel, Laertes wounds Hamlet with the poisoned blade, which ultimately seals both their fates. As they fight, Hamlet disarms Laertes, using the same poisoned weapon to strike back. Gertrude’s tragic end serves as a chilling reminder of the chaos that envelops the royal family. With Laertes dying, he reveals the full malicious scheme to Hamlet, who then confronts and kills Claudius in a rage.
As the dust settles, with Horatio distraught over the catastrophe and the entirety of the Danish royal family extinguished, he ensures that Hamlet receives a royal farewell. The film concludes with Hamlet's body being taken away amid the solemnity of a cannon salute, while the court mourns, and a few women are seen quietly weeping in the shadows.
