Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

Name: Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Author: Charles Lamb

A young prince grapples with profound grief and disillusionment after the sudden death of his father, King Hamlet, and the hasty remarriage of his mother, Gertrude, to his uncle Claudius. Consumed by melancholy, he suspects Claudius of foul play. The appearance of his father's ghost reveals the truth: Claudius murdered him to seize the throne. Hamlet vows to avenge his father's death but struggles with indecision and moral dilemmas, fearing the consequences of murder and questioning the ghost's authenticity. To confirm Claudius's guilt, Hamlet stages a play mirroring the king's crime, which prompts Claudius to react guiltily. Following a confrontation with his mother, Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius, the king's advisor, mistaking him for Claudius. This act leads to Hamlet's exile, where he narrowly escapes death through cunning. Upon returning to Denmark, Hamlet discovers Ophelia, his love, has drowned, driving her brother Laertes to seek revenge. The king orchestrates a deadly fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes, using poisoned weapons. The match results in a tragic series of deaths: Laertes, Gertrude, Claudius, and ultimately Hamlet himself, who fulfills his vow of revenge. The story concludes with Hamlet's dying wish for his friend Horatio to tell his tale, marking the end of a noble yet tragic journey.

By Charles Lamb · First published 1807 · Genre: Drama, Tragedy, Classics · 6,944 words

First lines

Gertrude, queen of Denmark, becoming a widow by the sudden death of King Hamlet, in less than two months after his death married his brother Claudius, which was noted by all people at the time for a strange act of indiscretion, or unfeelingness, or worse: for this Claudius did no ways resemble her late husband in the qualities of his person or his mind, but was as contemptible in outward appearance, as he was base and unworthy in disposition; and suspicions did not fail to arise in the minds of some, that he had privately made away with his brother, the late king, with the view of marrying his widow, and ascending the throne of Denmark, to the exclusion of young Hamlet, the son of the buried king, and lawful successor to the throne.

What this Textopian page supports

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is listed on Textopian as a novel by Charles Lamb, dated 1807 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Novel
Author: Charles Lamb
Date: 1807 CE
Language: English
Genres: Drama, Tragedy, Classics, Historical Fiction, Adaptation
Length: 6,944 words
Structure: 1 section, 50 paragraphs
Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)

Good citation fit

Work identity for Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by Charles Lamb
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering Hamlet, Prince of Denmark?
How does this novel by Charles Lamb fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Drama first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Drama — As a retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet, the book is inherently dramatic, with conflict, high stakes, and emotional intensity.
Tragedy — The story follows the tragic fall of Prince Hamlet, marked by death, despair, and moral dilemmas.
Classics — The book retells one of the most famous works of classical literature, Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Historical Fiction — Set in the royal court of medieval Denmark, the story fictitiously represents historical people and places.