"The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark" by William Shakespeare features Prince Hamlet of Denmark, son of deceased King Hamlet and his wife, Queen Gertrude. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, the play dramatizes the revenge Prince Hamlet exacts on his uncle Claudius for murdering King Hamlet and then succeeding to the throne and taking as his wife Gertrude.
The play vividly portrays both true and feigned madness – from overwhelming grief to seething rage – and explores themes of treachery, revenge, incest, and moral corruption.
Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play and among the most powerful and influential tragedies in the English language. It has inspired writers from Goethe and Dickens to Joyce and Murdoch, and has been described as "the world's most filmed story after Cinderella".
