Description Hamlet is one of William Shakespeare’s best-known plays. Although written in England, the play centers on the life of the titular Danish prince. In the first Act of the play, Hamlet meets the ghost of his dead father. The ghost tells Hamlet that he, the King, was murdered by Claudius—the King’s brother and Hamlet’s uncle. Although the information came from an incredible source—a supernatural creature—Hamlet is not the only one to have seen and heard from the ghost. Horatio and several of the castle sentries also bear witness to the revelation of the King’s murder. Presumably, Claudius killed his own brother in order to usurp power, as he swiftly then marries Hamlet’s mother Gertrude and assumes the title of King.

The news throws Hamlet off kilter. He is consumed by rage, despair, and a desire to wreak revenge on his uncle, and his psychological state becomes the primary driving force throughout the play. In Act II, Hamlet decides to stage a play at the castle in order to entrap his uncle. Hamlet chooses a play with, suitably, a Greek theme about the death of a King. Hamlet believes that while watching the play, his uncle’s face and body language may divulge his guilt. As it turns out, his Uncle does act uncomfortably after seeing the play and Hamlet now believes he has proof of the murder.

As Hamlet plots his revenge, his mental state deteriorates. He finds he can trust no one, including his girlfriend Ophelia and his mother Gertrude. After...

Hamlet then argues with his mother while Polonius--chief advisor to the Crown and Ophelia’s father--spies on the mother and son from behind a curtain. Hamlet’s emotions come to a head after his failure to kill Claudius and his frustration with his mother’s ignorance of the truth. He then accidentally kills Polonius, believing the figure behind the curtain to be Claudius. Hamlet hides the body, and starts to intimidate Claudius. Claudius arranges to have Hamlet sent away in exile to protect himself and the crown.
Driven mad herself by her father’s death, Ophelia kills herself. Ophelia’s brother Laertes comes to Denmark to avenge his sister and his father Polonius. Knowing that Hamlet and Laertes will ultimately need to fight a duel, Claudius poisons a cup of wine and also poisons the tip of a sword. He is determined to get rid of Hamlet. In the final act of the play, Gertrude accidentally drinks from the poisoned cup and dies. Hamlet and Laertes wound each other with poison-tipped swords. Laertes dies, knowing the truth about Claudius. Before he dies, Hamlet finally kills his uncle. He achieved his goal of revenge, but his kingdom has fallen apart and falls into the hands of a foreign ruler—Fortinbras of Norway.

Analysis and Interpretation

Hamlet is as much psychological thriller as it is classical tragedy. The play is loosely structured…