Hamlet (Play)

About

Considered to be one of the greatest theater works written in the English language, the tragedy of Hamlet has been interpreted, staged and adapted countless times in the centuries since its authorship. The protagonist of the title is a conflicted young prince in Denmark, who at the play's start has just seen the death of his father. He is visited by his father's ghost, who reveals to him that it was Hamlet's uncle murdered him. Hamlet swears to avenge his father's death, throwing him into a turmoil that drives the rest of the play's action. As he contemplates death, life, murder and suicide, insanity, jealousy and rage brew between Hamlet, his mother, his love Ophelia, and his uncle. The iconic piece by Shakespeare has been a cornerstone in the Western canon and a cultural reference in myriad capacities over the generations.