Something is rotten in the State of Denmark. Prince Hamlet (Mel Gibson) is distraught and melancholy over the recent death of his father King Hamlet. He finds out form his father's ghost (Paul Scofield) that it was the former King's brother, Claudius (Alan Bates) who killed him. To make matters worse, Claudius has taken to the throne and married the former Queen Gertrude (Glenn Close). Feigning madness, Hamlet vows to seek revenge against Claudius. Noting Hamlet's antics, Claudius charges court adviser Polonius (Ian Holm) to watch over Hamlet and determine his intents. Meanwhile, Hamlet's affair with Polonius' daughter Ophelia (Helena Bonham Carter) shows his true inner feelings. Claudius decides to have Hamlet killed by sending him off to England, but Hamlet returns unscathed. With the help of his school friend Horatio (Stephen Dillane), Hamlet confronts the duplicitous king and courtiers which culminates in a tragic duel for the throne of Denmark.