Hamlet by William Shakespeare (1623)
Hamlet is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601. The play, set in Denmark, recounts how Prince Hamlet exacts revenge on his uncle Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet's father, the King, and then taken the throne and married 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 Shakespeare's longest play and among the most powerful and influential tragedies in English literature, with a story capable of "seemingly endless retelling and adaptation by others." The story of Hamlet follows the young prince as he struggles to avenge his father's death. After the ghost of his father appears to him and urges him to seek revenge, Hamlet feigns madness and plots to kill Claudius. In the end, however, it is not Claudius but rather Hamlet himself who dies, as well as most of the other major characters.
By William Shakespeare · First published 1623 · Genre: Tragedy, Drama, Romance · 5 chapters · 32,346 words
First lines
Enter Barnardo and Francisco two Centinels.
Barnardo. Who's there?
What this Textopian page supports
Hamlet is listed on Textopian as a play by William Shakespeare, dated 1623 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Play
- Author: William Shakespeare
- Date: 1623 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Tragedy, Drama, Romance, Comedy, Historical Fiction
- Length: 32,346 words
- Structure: 5 chapters, 1,280 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
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- Work identity for Hamlet by William Shakespeare
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Genres
- Tragedy — The play follows the story of Prince Hamlet of Denmark, who seeks revenge on his uncle Claudius for murdering his father, the King of Denmark, and then taking the throne and marrying Hamlet's mother.
- Drama — The play is full of dramatic scenes and dialogue, as well as intense emotions and conflicts between characters.
- Romance — The play features a romantic relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia, as well as other romantic subplots.
- Comedy — The play contains comedic elements, such as the witty banter between characters and the humorous antics of the gravediggers.
Tags
Best Books Ever Listings · Death · Denmark · Drama · Fathers · Hamlet (Legendary character) · Kings and rulers · Murder victims' families · Plays · Princes · Revenge · Shakespearean Tragedy