Hamlet

William Shakespeare found his inspiration for his work in a lost play by Thomas Kyd. The plot is set in the castle Elsinore in Denmark and it has 5 acts.

The true meaning of ‘'Hamlet'' isn't in the tragic destiny of the main character but in meaningless of everything because Hamlet keeps on getting the readers to complicated dilemmas and any kind of meaning is just an illusion that comes at the beginning of the play. Some don't believe in it, some see it and some even talk to it.

Hamlet has no rhyme in it and it was written in a verse that originated from Italy and under the influence of John Milton and Shakespeare became the standard English playwriting verse.

Summary

The book begins with Hamlet crying for his dead father. His friend Horatio tells him that at night a ghost appears that looks like his father. Hamlet was determined to find out if it was really him. The ghost told him that he can't find peace and that it is time to get revenge upon his murderer – his brother Claudius.

Claudius married Hamlet's mother Gertrude a few months after his father's death.

Hamlet comes up with a plan for revenge and in the beginning he fakes insanity. His mother and step-father/uncle thought he was behaving strangely due to his love for Ophelia, the daughter of Chief counselor Polonius. They start to spy on him.

Hamlet found actors that will form a play in the castle and the play resembled his father's murder. Even though he suspected that Claudius is the murder he wanted to see his reaction to the play. The only thing he was sure of was his revenge.

Claudius found out about his plans and decided to send him to England so he would die there. Hamlet managed to save himself and come home where he uncovered a shocking truth. Ophelia drowned herself because of her love for him. Her brother Leartes was convinced that Hamlet is the one to blame for her death so he challenged him to a dual.

It was actually a trick because Leartes soaked his sword in poison and if that won't be enough he'll make Hamlet drink poisoned wine. During their fight Hamlet was the first one to be injured but by accident they exchanged swords so Leartes is the one that dies from the poison. Hamlet gathered his last strengths to get his revenge. Hamlet others realizes that she carries a lot of guilt so he drinks the poison and dies. Hamlet also died peacefully in the arms of his friend Horatio.

Murders, suicides and insanity were well incorporated into this play. There are many monologues and one of the most famous sentences is ‘'To be or not to be'' by Hamlet. Hamlet was the most interesting character in the play and many philosophers and writers asked themselves why didn't he kill his uncle immediately and did he even believe that he saw the ghost of his father.

Charachters analysis

Hamlet - Danish prince and the hare of the throne. He came back from Germany when he found out his father was murdered and that his mother married his uncle. He was a mental wreck and lived under a lot of pressure. We also have some descriptions of his previous behavior. He used to be sensitive, loved to spend time thinking, felt grossed by the women's behavior because of his mother and Ophelia. He was funny and witty, self-critical and had a big moral conscious. We often get the impression that he is indecisive but when he had he was strong and determined.

Ophelia - Hamlet's great love and the daughter of Claudius's counselor Polonius. She was convinced that Hamlet loved her even though he expressed no feelings for her. Her family thought she was ideal and they wanted and ideal husband for her. Hamlet saw her as a sexual object and nothing more. She had no strength to confront her father and she did not have a mother to guide her in life. She dreamt of a romantic love.

William Shakespeare biography

William Shakespeare (1564. - 1616.) was a great English and also world playwright.

He was born in Stratford-on-Avon in 1564. He was the oldest of eight children and he lived in a wealthy family.

A little is known about his life. 1582. he married Ann Hathway that was eight years older than he was. Soon after that they got a daughter Susann and twins Judith and Hamlet.

Until 1592. he gets of the radar and after that he gets involved with writing and acting in London. Soon after that his poems ‘'Venus and Adonis'' and ‘'The rape of Lucrece'' were published.

He wrote a lot and his plays were happily performed by many. He became a co-owner of The Globe theatre. In the last years of his life he decides to go back to Stanford where he dies in 1616.

Shakespeare wrote 37 plays and they are divided to history plays, comedies, tragedies and romance.

His most famous works are "Henry IV", "Richard III", "Romeo and Juliet", "Taming of the Shrew", "The comedy of errors", "Two gentlemen of Verona", "Hamlet", "Othello", "King Lear", "Measure for measure", "Winter's tale"…