1. The play Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is the most lengthy of Shakespeare’s plays, consisting of five acts. The total number of lines is 4,042 containing 29,551 words. A performance of the whole play is estimated to take about four hours. It was first performed around 1600-1601. It is thought to have been published in 1603.

2. The story has been taken from more than one source. The two main sources were from Saxo Grammaticus’ Historia Danica and Histoires Tragiques, which was a translation of Saxo by Francois de Belleforest. The story is set in the castle of Elsinore in Denmark, in the late Middle Ages circa 1300 to 1500.

3. The play has three early versions from the First Quarto, the Second Quarto and the First Folio. They all differ from each other, and in the 18^th century, editors combined these versions. This edition is what is usually available today.

4. The story of Hamlet is fairly common, and there were at least two other theatre productions of similar tales at the time. During the Elizabethan era, there was constant demand for entertainment. Shakespeare’s version provided elements of the supernatural mingled with common human concerns. Hamlet is grieving for his father. His father’s ghost appears, and tells Hamlet that he has been murdered by his own brother Claudius. Hamlet’s father wants his death to be avenged. The theme of revenge was a popular one, and was usually treated with a show of gory violence. But Hamlet is reluctant to act impulsively, and is hesitant. Eventually, his acts of vengeance lead to his own destruction. Revenge leads not to glory, but tragedy.

5. The theme of mortality is recurrent in the play. Hamlet is questioning the value of his life, but does not want to kill himself. The symbols of death such as Yorrick’s skull and the graveyard demonstrate Hamlet’s melancholic air of resignation. He is convinced that no person would choose to undergo the sorrows of living. Only the fear of Divine retribution prevents suicide. By the end of the play, eight deaths have taken place.

6. Madness is another theme in Hamlet. Mental affliction was not well understood during Shakespeare’s time. All forms of mental illness were termed as madness. Hamlet pretends to be mad and Polonius thinks he is lovesick. Ophelia is so depressed at the death of her father that she drowns. Hamlet’s actions eventually show that he has actually become emotionally disturbed. He has lost sight of right and wrong. His conscience has been completely quelled. He treats Ophelia harshly, and has no qualms about letting his companions get killed.

7. In the 20^th century, psychoanalysts studied the play from their point of view. According to Freud and Ernest Jones, Hamlet and Ophelia both had Oedipal desires. This analysis indicates the impact the play has on various levels. It engages with commoners as well as scholars.

8. Hamlet communicates his feelings through soliloquies. He expresses his moral dilemma regarding revenge, murder and suicide. The audience shares Hamlet’s indecision and feelings of hopelessness. The concepts of hell, purgatory and salvation show the Elizabethan attitude towards religion. Hamlet’s father is in purgatory because he could not make his confession before his untimely death. Ophelia was suspected of taking her own life, so the priest objects to a Christian funeral for her. Hamlet does not kill Claudius while he is praying, as he believes that Claudius would then go to heaven.

9. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern invite a company of actors to perform a play. Hamlet uses this play to find out if Claudius is indeed guilty of murdering his father. Through this device, Shakespeare has expressed his own ideas on the purpose of theatre as holding a mirror to nature. Hamlet’s character gives actors valuable advice, which is relevant even today.

10. Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays. The Royal Shakespeare Company has put it at the top of their list of most performed plays. It has inspired thousands of books, plays and films in many languages.