The nightwatch witness a haunting and resolve to tell Hamlet. Gertrude and Claudius are married and Laertes departs for France. On the battlements Hamlet sees The Ghost for himself, who brings shocking news.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive, with The Players. Gertrude consents to a sinister plan, while Hamlet forces the truth out of Claudius. In the real world, gang violence drives the couple apart as both the guilty and the innocent fall.
Ophelia's isolation leads to a tragic end, while Gertrude falls prey to Claudius scheming. Hamlet returns from England and encounters The Gravediggers, before the apocalyptic showdown ensues. Finally, the baffling truth is revealed.