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Hamlet by William Shakespeare
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
is a tragedy by
William Shakespeare
. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, the play dramatizes the revenge Prince
Hamlet
exacts on his uncle Claudius for murdering King Hamlet, Claudius's brother and Prince
Hamlet
's father, and then succeeding to the throne and taking as his wife Gertrude, the old king's widow and Prince
Hamlet
's mother. 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
William Shakespeare
's longest play and among the most powerful and influential tragedies in the English language, with a story capable of "seemingly endless retelling and adaptation by others."
The protagonist of
Hamlet
is
Prince Hamlet of Denmark
.
The story opens on a chilly night at Elsinore, the Danish royal castle. Francisco, one of the sentinels, is relieved of his watch by Bernardo, another sentinel, and exits while Bernardo remains. A third sentinel, Marcellus, enters with Horatio,
Hamlet
's best friend. The sentinels inform Horatio that they have seen a ghost that looks like the dead King
Hamlet
. After hearing from Horatio of the Ghost's appearance,
Hamlet
resolves to see the Ghost himself. That night, the Ghost appears again. It leads
Hamlet
to a secluded place, claims that it is the actual spirit of his father, and discloses that he—the elder
Hamlet
—was murdered by his brother Claudius pouring poison in his ear... (Summary by Wikipedia)
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