Hamlet

Encyclopedia Article

Article

In the tragic play, THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK, written by William Shakespeare between 1599 and 1601, Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, returns home because his father has died. Hamlet then learns that his mother, Queen Gertrude, has married his uncle, Claudius, only months after his father’s death, and that Claudius is now the king. Later on in the play, the ghost of his father warns Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius. During the course of the play, Hamlet plots his revenge against his uncle and the play ends in tragedy. Hamlet is most famous for the soliloquy, "To be, or not to be: that is the question" (Act III, Sc. I).

Photo Credit: 

 
"Hamlet, Act IV, Scene V (Ophelia Before the King and Queen), Benjamin West, 1792" by Benjamin West [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons, is licensed under Public Domain.

Published Works: 
Term Type: