Small Props

There are only a few small props that are essential to Hamlet.

The wine goblet in the final scene is essential. It should be like the one above- gothic, elegant, transparent. This is the goblet that Gertrude will drink from that contains poison and will kill her.

When Ophelia begins to go insane, she begins to hand out rosemary in remembrance for Hamlet. Rosemary is symbolic for "remembrance between lovers". When she hands it to him, Hamlet is not even around. It is very vital to the play that she has all the flowers and herbs she mentions because they all have a symbolic meaning for who they are for. Continued below are the plants she must contain.

Fennel

Rue

Pansies

Columbines

Daisies.
Please note, it is extremely vital that Ophelia does not carry a violet at all because she states that they all withered and died when her father was killed



One last, and possibly most famous prop needed is the skull Hamlet speaks to.

It needs to be as realistic as possible. This is a symbol for the physical reminder of death. The one Hamlet finds and speaks to is the one that belonged to Yorick, a jester that used to entertain at the castle. Hamlet is merely speaking about how everyone comes to this fate of death and one point or another, there is not avoiding it. It is crucial to the play because it is the scene that is the most famous and well known.

Sources Cited
"Faerie's Finest - Rosemary Salt." Faerie's Finest - Gourmet Seasonings & Cocoas, Flavored Sugars & Salts, Herbs & Spices, and Flavor Extracts. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://www.faeriesfinest.com/B005.html>.


"Hamlet Symbolism, Imagery & Allegory." Shmoop: Study Guides & Teacher Resources. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. <http://www.shmoop.com/hamlet/symbolism-imagery.html>.