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Book Review: Hamlet

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Introduction: “The Tragedy of Hamlet” or simply “Hamlet” is a very popular play written by Wiliam Shakespeare. Hamlet was first staged in 1609 and from the very first day, it turned out to be a very popular play. The play revolves around a prince of Denmark who is in pain due to his father’s death and to add more pain in his wounds, his widowed mother is married to his own uncle which deepens the grief. The plot of this book is completely based on Denmark with mentions about England and Norway as well. The book has exceptionally underlined the themes of murder, mystery, revenge and madness to intricately show the life of prince Hamlet. With the plot building up and new characters entering the play, it gets more interesting and ends on a high note with a dramatic end to the story. Plot: The play starts at the Elsinore Castle, Denmark where the watchmen noticed some abnormal things happening. They could see a ghost who turns out to be no one but King Hamlet who died recently. They immediately report this to Hamlet’s friend Horatio but the ghost appears again. It was at that time that they decided to tell Prince Hamlet about this. While all this was happening, inside the castle, Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle had taken over the throne and married Gertrude, (prince Hamlet’s mother and wife of the deceased king) as well. Hamlet was deeply saddened by all this, seeing his mother forget his father slowly was adding salt in his wounds. The ghost appears in front of Hamlet and reveals that it was Claudius who killed King Hamlet by pouring poison in his ears. The ghost also wanted Hamlet to take the revenge of his death. Hamlet wasn’t fully sure whether the ghost was actually his dead father or some evil energy who wanted bad of him but he still agrees to take the revenge. In order to take revenge, Hamlet has a plan in his mind. He pretends to be mad and crazy. Seeing this Claudius and Gertrude were worried about Hamlet. Polonius has a different thinking in this matter as he thinks that Hamlet might be in love with his daughter Ophelia, which he actually was but he never admitted. To find out about Claudius, Hamlet decides to invite a few actors in the castle. They were supposed to play an act which was similar to Claudius killing King Hamlet. During the play, he could notice strange behaviours expressing regrets of Claudius confirming that he actually killed King Hamlet. After that, Hamlet visits his mother to have a conversation. While talking, he thought that Claudius was hiding behind the curtains but it was Polonius and he ended up killing Polonius thinking it was Claudius. Ophelia, saddened by her father’s death, ends up drowning herself and her brother, Laertes starts hating Hamlet badly. Claudius could sense a possible problem with Hamlet’s presence. Due to this, he ends up sending Hamlet to England with two friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with an order to kill Hamlet. Hamlet somehow manages to escape from England and return to Denmark. After returning to Denmark, he gets to know that Ophelia had died and he finally admits that he loved her. After that Hamlet ends up fighting with Claudius and Laertes and ends up dying. Gertrude dies by drinking poison. In short, the royal family of Denmark was ruined. Seeing this, Fortinbras comes and claims Denmark. Critical Analysis: Shakespeare's Hamlet is a tragedy that addresses revenge, death, and human weakness. The drama is centered around Prince Hamlet, who is attempting to avenge his father's murder by Claudius. Unlike the over-the-top revenge heroes, Hamlet delays, questioning morality and consequences along the way. This delaying makes him a very human character but also wreaks havoc, as nearly all the major characters are dead by the end of the play. One such important theme is Hamlet's indecisiveness. His "To be or not to be" soliloquy shows his thoughts on life, pain, and death. This scene showcases the philosophical aspect of the play, transforming it from a straightforward revenge tale into a contemplation about life. His fixation on death again surfaces during the graveyard scene when he sees Yorick's skull and how all humans are equal in death. Conclusion Hamlet's tragedy ends in the death of nearly all significant characters. Only after a painful journey, Hamlet finally gets his revenge on Claudius, stabbing him and forcing him to drink the poison meant for Hamlet himself. Hamlet himself is poisoned from Laertes' tainted sword, dooming him to death. Gertrude unknowingly sips the poisoned wine and dies, and Laertes makes Claudius's treachery known before he too dies from the poison. Hamlet, in his final moments, leaves the tale to be told by Horatio and his name to be remembered. The Danish monarchy is killed, and the realm is left in ruins and open. At this moment, Fortinbras of Norway arrives and claims the throne, proving that while Hamlet was successful in revenge, it cost him his life, his family, and his nation.

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Published on 9/21/2025

Aaryan Bhurtel is a student at Deerwalk Sifal School who loves writing articles, exploring diverse topics, and engaging in creative discussions.

Aaryan Bhurtel

Grade 10

Roll No: 28030

9

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