Hamlet Trials

Presentation Date: Tuesday after memorial day

Judge​: Tyler
Attorneys​:
Defense​: Nyah and Myah
Prosecution​: Baylee and Ossan
Title of Trial​: The second degree murder of Polonius
Mock Trial Script: ​http://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/mocktrialscript-co​ntra.pdf

Denmark vs. Hamlet

Bailiff​: All rise. [Wait for everyone-except the judge- to stand.] Department One of the Royal
Court is now in session. Judge Tyler Slater presiding. Please be seated

Judge​: “Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Calling the case of the People of the Denmark
versus Hamlet. Are both sides ready?”

Prosecution​: Ready for the People of Denmark, your honor.

Defense​: Ready for the defense, your honor.

Judge​: Will the bailiff please swear in the jury?

Bailiff​: Will the jury please stand and raise your right hand? [ ​Wait for everyone to stand . ​]
Do each of you swear that you will fairly try the case before this court, and that you will return a
true verdict according to the evidence and the instructions of the court, so help you , God?
Please say “I do”. [ ​Wait for jurors to say “I do .” ​] You may be seated.

Judge​: Will the prosecution please state their opening statement?

Prosecution (Opening Statement): ​Good Morning, ladies and gentleman. I am Baylee

Jones and today, my associate and I, Ossan Kekeh, will be representing the People of
Denmark in the case of the People of Denmark versus Prince Hamlet. We are here
today to decide if the defendant, Prince Hamlet of Denmark, is truly responsible and
should be held one hundred percent accountable for the death of Chief Counsellor,
Polonius. The prosecution believes that Prince Hamlet should be charged with second
degree murder. Second degree murder can be described as “an impulse killing with
malice afterthought and a murder that demonstrates the perpetrators depraved
indifference to human life.” Hamlet demonstrated all of these factors. Hamlet had a
severe hatred for Claudius and he meant to kill King Claudius that night but instead
,unknowingly, pushed a sword through Polonius chest. Polonius was nothing but
innocent in this case and happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Ever
since King Hamlet had passed away, Prince Hamlet has held a certain hatred for
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Presentation Date: Tuesday after memorial day

Claudius considering he came in and not only took the throne, but married his beloved
mother, Gertrude, King Hamlet’s previous wife. Once he found that Claudius was
allegedly the cause of King Hamlet’s death, that hatred intensified. He had planned to
kill him and expose him for the dirty act but instead ended up killing the wrong person.
On the night of the play, The Murder of Gonzago, which was a play Prince Hamlet
arranged to make Claudius feel guilty for the death, Gertrude had asked to speak to
Prince Hamlet right after the play. Right before he arrived at her chamber, Polonius was
carrying on a conversation with Gertrude and she agreed to allow him to hide behind
the curtain and listen in on the conversation. Shortly after, Prince Hamlet arrived, he
was very aggressive and hostile towards his mother, causing Gertrude to cry out which
caused an outburst from Polonius behind the curtain. Prince Hamlet ran towards the
curtain and shoved his sword through it causing the blade to go right through Polonius
chest and instantly kill him. He had thought it was Claudius until his mother had
revealed that it was Polonius and he showed no remorse for the act. He just told his
mother not to tell anyone and dragged the body away to bury it. Today, we will provide
eyewitness statements from not only those present during the crime but those who
witnessed Prince Hamlet's actions leading up to and right after the crime. They will
prove that this was not an act of emotion but an act of malice in which Hamlet wanted to
kill the person through that curtain and hoped it was Claudius. Ladies and gentleman of
the jury, I hope that you will consider all of the information we will provide to you today
to charge Prince Hamlet with the second degree murder of Polonius and get justice for
the people of Denmark. Thank you very much.

Judge​: Will the defence please state their opening statement?

Defense (opening statement): ​Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury. Today, My associate,
Nyah Hizer, and I, Myah Blackmon, ask you to open your hearts to a man wrought with
grief. We are representing Hamlet, the son of the Old King, in the case of the People of
Denmark versus Prince Hamlet. The Chief Counsellor, Polonius was murdered by the
hands of the prince, but the defense pleads insanity for Hamlet by the M’Naghten Rule.
This test of legal insanity demonstrates that the accused committed the crime “under
such a defect of reason, from disease of mind, and not to know the nature and quality of
the act he was doing; or if he did know it, that he did not know he was doing what was
wrong”. On the night Hamlet approached his mother Gertrude in distress, he lashed out
as if he was not in control of his actions. When Polonius cried out for help from behind
the curtain of her chambers, Hamlet stabbed the curtain as a result of his emotions.
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Presentation Date: Tuesday after memorial day

Before he realized, the situation was out of his control. Yes, Hamlet felt no remorse, but
today, we will show you that he had no bearings to understand his actions. Despite his
premeditated plans to kill King Claudius, he did not premeditate the killing of Polonius.
Hamlet’s grief from the death of his father clouded his conscience, so I ask you, the jury,
to sympathize— for Hamlet’s severe hatred for Claudius was an uncontrolled response
from his poisoned mind. Today, you will not only hear about the death of Polonius, but
the death of the soul of a depressed man with clouded judgement. Thank you.

Judge​: The prosecution may call its first witness.

Prosecution​: The people call Gertrude to the stand.

Bailiff​:​ ​Please stand. Raise your right hand. Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in
the case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help
you God?

Gertrude​: I do

Bailiff​: Please state your name for the court and for the record.

Gertrude​: Queen Gertrude.

Bailiff​: You may be seated.

Prosecution​: Can you please explain to the court the events that led up to Polonius’ death?

Gertrude​: ​ Right after the play had been stopped due to Claudius’ demand, I asked to see
Hamlet in my chamber to discuss the actions of the night. Before he had arrived, Polonius had
stopped by and we were talking about Hamlet’s recent behavior. I had agreed to let him listen in
on my conversation with my son so he could try to find out why Hamlet was acting the way he
was. Hamlet came in and began yelling at me because I told him that he offended his step
father, Claudius. He said that I offended him by marrying the man who killed his father. He
began to become more and more violent with me while talking about his step father so I
screamed out of fear. Polonius then called out for help and Hamlet ran towards the curtains and
stabbed Polonius right through the curtains.

Prosecution​: How did Hamlet act after he had killed Polonius?

Gertrude​: The first thing he asked was if it was the King behind the curtain. Once he had
realized that he did not kill Claudius and that he had actually killed Polonius he called him an
“intruding fool”.
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Presentation Date: Tuesday after memorial day

Prosecution​: So would you say your son, Hamlet, showed any signs of remorse or regret after
realizing what he did?

Gertrude:​ Well no. He just harshly pulled the body behind him on the floor and asked me not to
tell anyone of the crime.

Prosecution​: Now, Would you say that your son, Hamlet, had the intention of killing whomever
was behind the curtain?

Gertrude: ​Yes. Although I love my son, he was very mad about the whole situation with
Claudius and he called the person behind the curtain a fool before forcefully shoving the sword
through it.

Prosecution: ​Do you believe that Hamlet meant to kill Polonius or had someone else in mind?

Gertrude: ​Well, my son believed that Claudius was the one behind the curtain so I must say
that I believe his intentions were to kill my husband and not Polonius.

Prosecution​: Did Hamlet mention anything else that did not have to do with the murder of his
father?

Gertrude​: Not really, but he did mention to me that he was not insane at all and that he had
been acting that way all along to distract everyone from his true intentions.

Prosecution​: Let the record show that Hamlet’s recklessness is the reason why Polonius is
dead.The facts are that Hamlet had wanted to harm the person behind the curtain. Even if he
didn’t mean to kill Polonius, he meant to kill someone and ending up doing just that with no
remorse. A crime is a crime, and punishment should still be served. No further questions.

Judge​: Does the defense have any questions?

Defense cross examines

Defense​: Redirect, your honor; now Queen Gertrude, being Hamlet’s mother, you would say
you know him well, wouldn’t you?

Gertrude​: Of course.

Defense​: Have you noticed a change in Hamlet’s behavior or mood recently?

Gertrude​: Yes, I have. He has been acting strange every since my late husband died. I guess
he’s still mourning after his father’s death.

Defense​: And can you guide the court through his behavior on the night Polonius had died?
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Presentation Date: Tuesday after memorial day

Gertrude​: Hamlet came rushing into my room angry before Polonius died. Hamlet started
grabbing me and pushing me down. Hamlet has never done any harm to me before. This is the
first instance. However, after I called for help, Polonius came calling for help and was fatally
killed. After that Hamlet knelt down and was saying how he thought that Claudius was behind
the curtain and he mourned the death of Polonius. After he started talking to the wall like
someone was standing there speaking back to him. Then he dragged the body out of the room.

Defense​: He was talking to someone but no one was there. Can elaborate more on this?

Gertrude​: Yes. He kept saying it was the late King Hamlet, but I could not see anyone or hear
anything. All I saw was Hamlet yelling out a wall. His emotions changing back and forth.

Defense​: Thank you, Queen Gertrude. No further questions.

Judge​: The witness is dismissed, and the prosecution may call their next witness.

Prosecution calls its second witness

Prosecution​: The people call Rosencrantz to the stand.

Bailiff​:​ ​Please stand. Raise your right hand. Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in
the case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help
you God?

Rosencrantz​: I do

Bailiff​: Please state your name for the court and for the record.

Rosencrantz: ​Rosencrantz

Bailiff​: You may be seated.

Prosecution​: How would you describe you and Hamlet’s relationship?

Rosencrantz: ​Hamlet and I have been friends since College. We went to school together in
England. I would describe us as having a pretty close relationship along with our other friend
Guildenstern.

Prosecution​: Would you say that hamlet would tell you everything?

Rosencrantz:​ Yes. That is until he had an outburst on me due to the fact that King Claudius
had asked me and Guildenstern to watch over him and see why he is acting the way he is.
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Presentation Date: Tuesday after memorial day

Prosecution​: Is Hamlet still mad at you to this day?

Rosencrantz​: I believe so

Prosecution​: Why do you say that?

Rosencrantz:​ Hamlet has always been the type to hold grudges. He not only is holding one
against me but also Guildenstern, Ophelia, and many others.

Prosecution​: Now what did Claudius tell you after the murder of Polonius took place?

Rosencrantz: ​He told me that we needed to get on a boat to England to remove Hamlet from
the situation he is currently in and he sent me to go find him.

Prosecution​: When you went to find him, can you please explain what happened and what you
saw?

Rosencrantz: ​Well, my friend Guildenstern and I, had asked Hamlet what he had done with the
body and he had basically refused to answer. He told me that the body is with the king but the
king is not with the body. I was not really sure what that meant. He then went into a fit of rage
because I had asked him where the body was. He referred to Guildenstern and I as spies for
Claudius and then told me I was like a sponge and just soaking up information for Claudius. He
told me that once Claudius squeezed me of all of my information, I would be dry and useless
again.

Prosecution​: As you can see here, Hamlet held grudges against multiple people. Although
there was no way of Hamlet knowing who exactly was behind the curtain, it is obvious that
Hamlet was not fond of many people. Hamlet had the intention of harming whomever was
behind the curtain spying on him regardless of who it was. No further questions.

Defense​: Permission to redirect, your honor.

Judge​: I’ll allow it.

Defense​: How do you know Hamlet?

Rosencrantz:​ I know Hamlet from college.

Defense: ​Would you say that you were close to Hamlet to not betray him?

Rosencrantz:​ Yes, we were friends in college.

 Hamlet Trials
Presentation Date: Tuesday after memorial day

Defense:​ You said that you WERE friends but now you aren’t? Would betray him if it was for

your own sake?

Rosencrantz:​ Yes I believe we are still friends and I would never betray a friend.

Defense:​ Okay, then why did King Claudius tell you to spy on Hamlet and you follow on it? I

thought you said that you would NEVER betray a friend?

Rosencrantz​: I….I…..I was just following King Claudius orders.

Defense​: Ahhhhh I see. No further questions your honor.

Defense calls its first witness to the stand: Ophelia

Defense​: Defense calls Ophelia to the stand.

Bailiff​:​ ​Please stand. Raise your right hand. Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in
the case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help
you God?

Ophelia​ I do

Bailiff​: Please state your name for the court and for the record.

Ophelia​: Ophelia

Bailiff​: You may be seated.

Defense​: What is your relationship with Hamlet?

Ophelia:​ He is madly in love with me. I try to turn down his advances, however he is very

persistent.

Defense: ​Can you describe Hamlet’s behavior after the death of King Hamlet?

Ophelia: ​He was very sad, and angry. Emotions were back and forth everyday. He would

sometimes speak to something. He said it was his father.

Defense: ​And why do you think Hamlet’s behavior changed?

 Hamlet Trials
Presentation Date: Tuesday after memorial day

Ophelia: ​King Claudius married his mother. He loved his father and believed that his mother

had betrayed his father. He was desperate to figure out what happened.

Defense: ​Thank you, Ophelia. No further questions, your honor.

Prosecution cross examines

Prosecution: ​Ophelia, you say that Hamlet was madly in love with you and made multiple
advances in which you deny correct?

Ophelia: ​Correct. That is what I have said.

Prosecution: ​You must have had to have some type of feelings for Hamlet considering that
both your brother Laertes and your father Polonius had to remind you to stay away from him
and you said you would obey yet you quickly agreed to have conversations with him in the lobby
of the castle and you kept all of the poems and letters he wrote for you correct?

Ophelia: ​Well… yes i did keep those items.

Prosecution​: you also referred to him as having a “noble mind” and you were upset because
you thought he had went insane, correct?

Ophelia​: Yes I did

Prosecution:​ In your conversation with Prince Hamlet, can you explain what he said to you?

Ophelia: ​He was mad and denied he ever gave me any gifts. He also said that women cause
men to act like monsters. He said that women were dishonest and made themselves look more
beautiful with makeup. He denounced me.

Prosecution​: Do you think someone who is in love with someone would just denounce them
and treat them like that?

Ophelia:​ well… no i guess not.

Prosecution: ​And Hamlet never made any more advancements towards you correct?

Ophelia: ​correct

Prosecution:​ Do you truly think that Hamlet was so madly in love with you that it caused him to
go insane?
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Presentation Date: Tuesday after memorial day

Ophelia​: Well, i'm not so sure anymore. Claudius did believe that he was not madly in love with
me nor insane but more so dangerous. My father is the only one who believed that I was the
reason for his insanity.

Prosecution:​ Thank you, no further questions.

Judge​: The witness is dismissed, and the Defense may call their next witness.

Defense calls its next witness

Defense: ​We call Claudius to the stand.

Bailiff: ​Please stand. Raise your right hand. Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in

the case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help

you God?

Claudius:​ I do

Bailiff​: Please state your name for the court and for the record.

Claudius: ​Claudius

Bailiff​: You may be seated.

Defense: ​Please explain to the jury what your relationship is to the Old King, your highness.

Claudius​: He was—is—my brother. The Old King will be dearly missed.

Defense: ​How generous of you to take custody of his son. Why would you do that if Hamlet is

not your child?

Claudius: ​(fidgeting) Hamlet was lost and mournful as we all were. However, his grief

consumed​ him almost like a shadow, and he needed...support. I could not let this go on.

Defense: ​Do you believe this shadow still lives on in the Old King’s son, King Claudius?

Claudius:​ I believe that it lives on in the whole kingdom... However, there are definitely those

who handled it much better than others. I am sure that Hamlet wishes for peace of mind just as

we all do.
 Hamlet Trials
Presentation Date: Tuesday after memorial day

Defense: ​No further questions.

Prosecution cross examines

Prosecution​: Claudius, did you believe your stepson to be insane?

Claudius​: Yes, at first I was very convinced that he was insane

Prosecution​: What made you believe that?

Claudius​: His father had just unfortunately passed away and he had been acting completely
different ever since. Now, for him to be mourning is understandable but he started doing things
like ,trying to push murder onto me, which is actually quite horrendous. My dear friend and
chancellor, Polonius, then convinced me that he was madly insane because he had such a
deep love for Ophelia and that she would not take him as her lover. Right after i witnessed his
encounter with her in the lobby, I knew that he was not insane but that he was dangerous.

Prosecution​: Can you please explain what you mean by dangerous?

Claudius​: He was very aggressive and hostile towards Ophelia. I had never before seen him
act in the way that he did and I was honestly concerned for my safety and the safety of others
as he seemed to be quite a hostile person lately.

Prosecution​: Why did you want to send him away to England after you found of his disgraceful
act of killing your chancellor, Polonius?

Claudius​: I knew the people of England had a deep love for Polonius and finding out about his
murder would be too much for them to handle. I had to send him away to protect him and my
people and family of Denmark. After all he is my son and I intended to get him the help he
needed and I was scared for the fate of the Kingdom.

Prosecution​: Why were you scared for the fate of the Kingdom?

Claudius​: Because Hamlet had just crazily murdered Polonius. Who knows who he will go after
next.

Prosecution: ​Thank you. No further questions

Judge​: The witness is dismissed, and the defense may call their next witness.
Defense calls third witness

Defense: ​We call Prince Hamlet to the stand.

 Hamlet Trials
Presentation Date: Tuesday after memorial day

Bailiff: ​Please stand. Raise your right hand. Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in

the case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help

you God?

Hamlet:​ I do

Bailiff​: Please state your name for the court and for the record.

Hamlet: ​Hamlet

Bailiff​: You may be seated.

Defense​:With the death of old king hamlet, can you describe your relationship with the New
King Claudius?

Hamlet: ​A foolish man! A liar! While I mourned, he claimed to sympathize, but I knew—​I ​knew

that man was never sincere. No, never, never sincere.

Defense: ​He tried to lend a hand to you. Do you not appreciate this?

Hamlet:​ I will not appreciate the hand that took my father’s life. No, never, never appreciate it.

Claudius thought I would never know but ​I knew. ​(calm) I knew. He tried to tell me it was

nothing, but the Lord sent me a sign.

Defense: ​A sign?

Hamlet​: My ​father​. Oh Claudius thought he could hide it, but no, never, ​never​ hid it. My father

was always there when I needed something, and Claudius thought he took that from me. My

father is still with me everywhere I go. He could never, ​never​ take that away. No, never.

Defense​: No further questions

Prosecution cross examines:

Prosecution: ​Now Hamlet, did you mourn your father for a very long time?

Hamlet: ​Yes, I was very upset about his death but I was also very angry because of the events
unfolding with my step father! He killed my father all so he could take over the throne and marry
my beloved mother!
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Presentation Date: Tuesday after memorial day

Prosecution: ​How do you know that King Claudius had killed your father?

Hamlet: ​Because my father had came to me in the form of a ghost that many others saw. The
guardsman outside of the castle had saw the ghost way before I did and they are the ones who
informed me of the ghost

Prosecution​: When you found that you had killed Polonius, how did you react?

Hamlet​: well I believed it to be the king behind the curtain and I found that I was wrong. I had no
regret about the situation though because Polonius should not have been listening in on a
conversation between my mother and I.

Prosecution​: okay and one last question… Why did you tell your mother that you were not
insane? Do you believe yourself to be sane?

Hamlet​: I had been acting the way I did purposely to try and trick everyone into believing I was
insane. What I told my mother was the whole truth. Even the part about Claudius killing my
father is true.

Prosecution: ​Thank you, No further questions

Prosecution states their closing statement

Closing Statement(Ossan): ​Your Honor, ladies and gentleman of the jury, let me first thank
you for your time and attention this morning. Before you leave to begin your deliberations,
please remember the testimonies of Gertrude, Rosencrantz, and Ophelia. Every word said
today proves to you beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is in fact guilty of second
degree murder. You see, the definition of second degree murder is killing another person with
intent, but without premeditation, or if the killing was the result of an act that was intended to
cause serious harm. Hamlet was not “insane”, he was clearly putting on an act so when he
committed the act of murder against Claudius, he could easily get away with it by saying he was
insane.We learned today that Hamlet held grudges against multiple people. Hamlet’s
recklessness is the reason why Polonius is dead! It is clear that Hamlet had every intention to
inflict harm on the person behind those curtains. Even if he didn’t mean to kill Polonius
specifically, it is clear that he did mean to take the life of someone. The defense claims that
Hamlet had a “tough” couple of months. So what, he should be forgiven of all of his sins? No!
He clearly made the SOUND decision to harm whomever was behind the curtain and that
constitutes second degree murder. The court can not allow Hamlet to avoid the punishment of
his crimes. Murder is murder. Because of him, poor Ophelia was driven to insanity that caused
her to take her own life, and young Laertes is now left without a father and a sister. The fact of
the matter is Hamlet needs to be rehabilitated in a prison for the crime of second degree
murder. We ask that you deliberate carefully. Thank you.

Defense states their closing statement

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Closing statement(nyah): ​Ladies and gentleman of the jury, you see here, Hamlet is
under a lot of stress. His father just passed away, he was betrayed by his friends, his
mother married his uncle, basically incest at its best, and his thought to be girlfriend
wasn’t even his girlfriend to begin with. Now how would you feel in this situation?
Miserable and alone? That is exactly what Hamlet felt. He conjured up an imaginative
representation of his father, a ghost you could say, just to ease himself from the many
burdens in his life. Hamlet would endlessly talk to himself or his father’s ghost. He is
completely insane. Hamlet did not go into his mother’s room with the intent to kill
Polonius. Hamlet is paranoid and out of his mind. He killed Polonius out of paranoia.
Hamlet could not handle the stresses of his life so he lost it. I hope the jury and the
court will see it from Hamlet’s perspective and be easy on him. Thank you, your honor.