Hamlet

The Tragedy of Hamlet - often abbreviated to Hamlet - was created by William Shakespeare between 1599 and 1601. It is the longest play by Shakespeare, with 29,551 words. The play is set in Denmark and tells the story of Prince Hamlet's vengeance against his uncle Claudius, who killed Hamlet's dad in order to usurp the kingdom and marry his mother.

Hamlet is regarded as one of the most famous plays written by William Shakespeare. Indeed, it was among Shakespeare's most beloved works during his career and continues to be one of his most played masterpieces. Since its debut 400 years ago, the part has been played by a large number of notable performers in each succeeding century.

Furthermore, Hamlet has influenced numerous other authors, including Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Charles Dickens, James Joyce, and Iris Murdoch, and has been called "the second most filmed narrative in the world after Cinderella."

According to further research, Shakespeare's Hamlet is based on the tale of Amleth, which was documented by the 13th-century historian Saxo Grammaticus and later repeated by the 16th-century researcher Francois de Belleforest.

Some academics think Shakespeare authored a novel called "Ur-Hamlet" and then revised it to produce the version of Hamlet we always know today. Though the truth is still unclear, at least what we know for certain is that Shakespeare definitely penned his rendition of the title part for Richard Burbage - the preeminent Shakespearean tragedian of those days.

Year of Release: 1601

Goodreads Score: 4.03/5