Hamlet is not only one of Shakespeare?s greatest plays, but also the most
fascinatingly problematical tragedy in world literature. First performed around
1600, this a gripping and exuberant drama of revenge, rich in contrasts and
conflicts. Its violence alternates with introspection, its melancholy with
humour, and its subtlety with spectacle. The Prince, Hamlet himself, is depicted
as a complex, divided, introspective character. His reflections on death,
morality and the very status of human beings make him ?the first modern man?.
Countless stage productions and numerous adaptations for the cinema and
television have demonstrated the continuing cultural relevance of this vivid,
enigmatic, profound and engrossing drama.