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'''''Hamlet''''', perhaps Shakespeare's most famous play, was written {{years ago|1600}} years ago. [[Mel Gibson]] called it "a story about a guy's relationship with his parents". It is a [[tragedy]] about incest, [[revenge]], [[madness]], [[homicide]], [[suicide]] and [[duel]]s to the death.

'''''Hamlet''''', perhaps Shakespeare's most famous play, was written {{years ago|1600}} years ago. It is a [[tragedy]] about incest, [[revenge]], [[madness]], [[homicide]], and [[suicide]].

The title character is the son of a murdered king, who appears in a ghostly meeting to the young prince.<ref>[[Harold Bloom]]: "When we first encounter him, Hamlet is a university student who is not being permitted to return to his studies. He does not appear to be more than twenty years old, yet in Act V he is revealed to be at least thirty, after a passage of a few weeks at most." [http://www.princehamlet.com/chapter_1.html]</ref> The dead king accuses his brother, Claudius, (young Hamlet's uncle) of murdering him.  

The title character is the son of a murdered king, who appears in ghostly form to the young prince.<ref>[[Harold Bloom]]: "When we first encounter him, Hamlet is a university student who is not being permitted to return to his studies. He does not appear to be more than twenty years old, yet in Act V he is revealed to be at least thirty, after a passage of a few weeks at most." [http://www.princehamlet.com/chapter_1.html]</ref> The dead king accuses his brother, Claudius, (young Hamlet's uncle) of murdering him.  

As Prince Hamlet investigates, he faces a conspiracy involving schoolmates Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; [[Ophelia]]'s father [[Polonius]]; and even his own mother.  

As Prince Hamlet investigates, he faces a conspiracy involving schoolmates Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; [[Ophelia]]'s father [[Polonius]]; and even his own mother.  

Hamlet's quest to avenge his father's murder destroys his own life and the lives of everyone close to him but a visiting college chum (Horatio).  

Hamlet's quest to avenge his father's murder destroys his own life and the lives of everyone close to him but a visiting college friend (Horatio).  

In the usual social climate of monarchy, it would be suicidally [[treason]]ous to make any accusations of the king. It is only because of Hamlet's position as the son of the Queen that he is able to voice his suspicions. That, and his crafty pretense of being "mad with grief" over his father's recent death. He betrays his suspicions in front of his mother and (step)father in an angry tirade and is watched closely from then on.  

Under normal circumstances, it would be [[treason]]ous to make any accusations of the king. It is only because of Hamlet's position as the son of the Queen that he is able to voice his suspicions. That, and his pretense of being "mad with grief" over his father's recent death. He betrays his suspicions in front of his mother and (step)father in an angry tirade and is watched closely from then on.  

Polonious, a pompous old fool who is the king's adviser, thinks Hamlet's acting strange out of love for Ophelia and orders her to break off her relationship with Hamlet.  

Polonious, the king's adviser, thinks that Hamlet is behaving strangely out of his love for Ophelia and orders her to break off her relationship with Hamlet.  

Hamlet wonders why his mother would betray her husband and marry his brother only two months after his death. He grows indecisive ("To be or not to be") and unsure about the ghost's story. He comes up with an idea to stage a pantomime play to check it.

Hamlet wonders why his mother would betray her husband and marry his brother only two months after his death. He grows indecisive ("To be or not to be") and unsure about the ghost's story. He comes up with an idea to stage a pantomime play to confirm or deny the story.

[[Image:Ophelia 1894.jpg|right|thumb|''Ophelia'' by John William Waterhouse.]]

[[Image:Ophelia 1894.jpg|right|thumb|''Ophelia'' by John William Waterhouse.]]

:"The play's the thing / Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King."

:"The play's the thing / Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King."

During the play, he makes a nuisance of himself, commenting on the action and teasing Ophelia with nasty  [[double-entendre]]s, but he gets confirmation of the ghost's accusation when the King sees a scene showing a man poisoned in his his sleep and clasping the widow in an adulterous embrace. The King orders them to stop the play and storms out.  

During the play, he makes a nuisance of himself, commenting on the action and teasing Ophelia with [[double-entendre]]s, but he gets confirmation of the ghost's accusation when the King sees a scene showing a man poisoned in his his sleep and clasping the widow in an adulterous embrace. The King orders them to stop the play and storms out.  

Hamlet confronts his mother (Queen Gertrude) in her bedroom, not knowing that the king's adviser Polonius is hidden behind a wall hanging. Hearing a movement, Hamlet kills the hidden spy; when he discovers that it is his girl friend's father, he makes jokes about it and hides the body in another part of the castle.  

Hamlet confronts his mother (Queen Gertrude) in her bedroom, not knowing that the king's adviser Polonius is hidden behind a wall hanging. Hearing a movement, Hamlet kills the hidden spy; when he discovers that it is his girl friend's father, he hides the body in another part of the castle.  

Ophelia, already upset over the sudden end of the courtship, goes crazy after learning Hamlet has killed her father and drowns herself.

Ophelia, already upset over the sudden end of the courtship, becomes distraught after learning Hamlet has killed her father and drowns herself.

Hamlet's only friend in the lengthy play, his school chum [[Horatio]], is the only major character who doesn't die. When Hamlet starts acting crazy (it might not be an act), he tells Horatio, "I am only mad north by northwest" and "There's a method to my madness".  

Hamlet's only friend in the lengthy play, his school friend [[Horatio]], is the only major character who doesn't die. When Hamlet behaving stranegly (it might not be an act), he tells Horatio, "I am only mad north by northwest" and "There's a method to my madness".  

==Synopsis==

==Synopsis==

Hamlet goes and sees the ghost, who tells him the new king murdered him. He tells Hamlet to avenge his death but not to hurt Gertrude. Hamlet doesn't tell his friends what he heard.

Hamlet goes and sees the ghost, who tells him the new king murdered him. He tells Hamlet to avenge his death but not to hurt Gertrude. Hamlet doesn't tell his friends what he heard.

Polonius dispatches a servant to spy on Laertes, and Ophelia tells her father that  Hamlet burst into her room and scared her.

Polonius dispatches a servant to spy on Laertes, and Ophelia tells her father that  Hamlet burst into her room and scared her.

The King and Queen send two schoolmates of Hamlet to spy on him. They disagree on why Hamlet is acting strange. The Queen says it is because of their over-hasty marriage, but the king prefers the story that Hamlet is lovesick over Ophelia, which is what Polonius thinks. They hide while Hamlet comes in and starts insulting Polonius. The schoolmates come in and question him, but Hamlet is suspicious and reveals nothing. Actors come in, and Hamlet has Polonious hire them. Then he does his famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy about his internal struggles: he hates his uncle, he's angry at his mother but he's worried that the ghost might be a demon sent to trick him, so he gets the idea of using a play to prove the King's guilt.

The King and Queen send two schoolfriends of Hamlet to spy on him. They disagree on why Hamlet is acting strangely. The Queen says it is because of their over-hasty marriage, but the king prefers the story that Hamlet is lovesick over Ophelia, which is what Polonius thinks. They hide while Hamlet comes in and starts insulting Polonius. The schoolmates come in and question him, but Hamlet is suspicious and reveals nothing. Actors come in, and Hamlet has Polonious hire them. The famous "To be or not to be" soliloquy is about his internal struggles: he hates his uncle, he's angry at his mother but he's worried that the ghost might be a demon sent to trick him, so he has the idea of using a play to prove the King's guilt.

==Movies==

==Movies==

Major film versions of the play have starred [[Laurence Olivier]], [[Mel Gibson]], [[Kenneth Branagh]] and [[Ethan Hawke]]. For years, Olivier's performance was considered an unapproachable ideal. The Gibson version used modernized English and portrayed a grittier, tougher Hamlet. The Branagh version, clocking in at 4 hours because it includes every line in the play, features [[Billy Crystal]] in a comic role as the gravedigger. The Ethan Hawke version is set in Manhattan with Denmark as a corporation and Julia Stiles as a girlfriend driven to suicide by Hamlet's antics.  The British Broadcasting Corporation also filmed a version for television with [[Derek Jacobi]] in the title role.     

Major film versions of the play have starred [[Laurence Olivier]], [[Mel Gibson]], and [[Kenneth Branagh]]. Olivier's performance was considered an unapproachable ideal and remains so. The Gibson version uses modernised English and attempts to portray a grittier, tougher Hamlet. The Branagh version is 4 hours long as it includes the complete, unabridged text of the whole play. The [[BBC|British Broadcasting Corporation]] also filmed a version for television with [[Derek Jacobi]] in the title role.     

==History==

==History==

==References in Popular Culture==

==References in Popular Culture==

In the 1960s, playwright Tom Stoppard wrote the play ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead'', which portrays the action from the viewpoint of Hamlet's schoolmates, and expands on their roles.

In the 1960s, playwright Tom Stoppard wrote the play ''Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead'', which portrays the action from the viewpoint of Hamlet's schoolfriends and expands their roles.

The progressive metal band [[Dream Theater]] had their biggest hit in the early 1990s with "Pull Me Under", a song that referenced ''Hamlet'' throughout. The song lifted some direct quotations from the play.

The progressive metal band [[Dream Theater]] had their biggest hit in the early 1990s with "Pull Me Under", a song that referenced ''Hamlet'' throughout. The song has some direct quotations from the play.

==References==

==References==