Hamlet
by William Shakespeare | Grades 10-12
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark dramatizes the revenge Prince Hamlet exacts on his uncle Claudius for murdering King Hamlet (Claudius's brother and Prince Hamlet's father) and succeeding to the throne and taking as his wife Gertrude, the old king's widow (Prince Hamlet's mother). The play vividly portrays both true and feigned madness – from overwhelming sorrow to seething rage – and explores themes of treachery, revenge, incest, and moral corruption and family.