Hamlet by William Shakespeare is one of the most famous and influential works of literature of all time. The play follows the actions of the main character, Prince Hamlet, as he seeks vengeance upon his uncle, Claudius, who murdered his father and took the throne of Denmark.
The play begins with the tragedy of the murder of King Hamlet by his brother Claudius. Shortly after the death of King Hamlet, Claudius ascends to the throne and quickly marries Gertrude, the late King’s wife. Hamlet is distraught and retreats into a deep melancholy that he struggles to shake off.
As the play progresses, Hamlet falls further into depression, though he remains determined to avenge his father’s death. Horatio, one of his horizons, visits the court to warn Hamlet of the magical appearance of Hamlet’s father’s ghost. The ghost informs Hamlet that Claudius has murdered him for his throne and demands revenge.
Throughout the play, Hamlet is torn between his duty to avenge his father and the moral complications that result. He initially attempts to do his duty without descending into madness, frequently referring to the death of his father. His life soon begins to unravel. He accidentally kills Polonius, angering his mother and pushing himself further into madness.
During this time, he also sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to their death on a mission to England in an attempt to rid him of his two rivals. As he becomes increasingly paranoid, he also has conversations with a skull, which only serves to further push him into madness.
In the climax of the play, Hamlet is finally able to take revenge on Claudius, killing the King. However, in the process, he dies. Before he dies, he leaves the throne to his friend Horatio. With his death, Hamlet becomes a symbol of the ultimate victim of injustice, in which a man of great potential and intelligence becomes a victim to the whims of fate.
Even today, Hamlet remains one of the most studied and quoted works of literature. The characters, themes, and plot of the story remain as relevant today as they did when it was first written. It is a powerful tale of revenge, death, duty, and personal corruption that continues to influence literature and popular culture.
