Summary
Prince Hamlet learns from the ghost of his father that the former king was murdered by Hamlet’s uncle Claudius, who has since taken the throne and married Hamlet’s mother. Hamlet becomes obsessed with proving the accusation and deciding how to respond. His delay, suspicion and increasingly destructive behaviour entangle the royal court in deception, madness, violence and revenge.
Key ideas
Action and hesitation
Hamlet repeatedly questions whether he has enough certainty to act and what moral consequences action will bring.
Appearance and reality
Characters spy, perform and conceal their intentions, making truth difficult to establish.
Grief and mortality
The play explores death not only as an event but as a constant philosophical problem.
Revenge
The desire to answer violence with violence spreads through several characters and ultimately destroys the court.
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