Hamlet, William Shakespeare, 1603

Hamlet Review

Hamlet by William Shakespeare is grief turned into philosophy and action that keeps missing its moment. Written around 1600, it follows a prince who learns of his father’s murder and cannot decide how to answer. For you, this tragedy offers language that still feels new and a meditation on doubt that refuses to age.

Overview

The court of Denmark is a place of mirrors: spies behind tapestries, plays inside plays, words that mean their opposites. You will notice how thought slows action and how performance becomes a way to hunt truth. The mood shifts from wit to terror in a breath. The stage is crowded, yet Hamlet’s solitude feels larger than any room.

Summary

A ghost names a crime. Hamlet tests the claim, stages a play to catch a conscience, and wounds the wrong man. Ophelia breaks under the weight of collateral harm. The court rots while Hamlet circles the act he owes and fears. Without spoiling the final duels and poisons, the ending is a ledger: nearly everyone pays, and a foreign prince inherits the silence. The famous question about being is not solved: it is performed until it echoes.

Author

Shakespeare writes with unmatched range: jokes, prayers, philosophy, and threats share a rhythm. You benefit from lines that think and feel at once.

Key Themes

You will see revenge against a backdrop of moral uncertainty. You will meet appearance versus reality, madness both real and staged, and mortality as the ground note under every scene. You will consider how language can clarify or confuse when the stakes are life and soul.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths: psychological depth, quotable lines, and a structure that invites endless interpretation. Weaknesses: length and Elizabethan phrasing can challenge newcomers. Overall: a tragedy that keeps teaching.

Target Audience

Good for readers who enjoy layered character studies, ethical puzzles, and poetry that rewards rereading. Strong pick for groups that like debate.

Favorite Quotes

Short lines endure: to be or not to be, the play’s the thing, there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so. They are keys to the play’s doors.

Takeaways

For you, the key takeaway is that hesitation carries a price, yet thought is not the enemy. The play suggests a hard balance: act with care, speak plainly, remember that certainty is rare.