Play
Tragedy, Drama
Hamlet
Author
Years Written
Original Language
William Shakespeare
1599-1601
English
OVERVIEW
Charting
Death in
Hamlet
Death—intentional and accidental—is the thematic
cornerstone of Hamlet. The chart below maps the demise
of principle characters, revealing how death drives the
action and momentum of the play.
Deaths and Motives
Murder (Power)
Murder (Revenge)
Accident
Suicide
“To be or not to be: that is the question.”
Other
Act III, Scene I
“Something is rotten in
the state of Denmark.”
ACT III
II
I
Act I, Scene IV
iu s
King
II
IV
I
I
II
on
The P
lay
T
C
A
II
III
l
o
P
AC
T
III
IV
IV
V
V
VI
VI
a
II
I
The Old King
Sword
Poison
Drowning
Execution
1589
Hamlet
Rose
ncrantz
Guild
e n st e r n
1599-1601
The Bard
1613
The Play
Arguably the most famous
playwright of all time, Shakespeare
is credited with 38 plays. Often
referred to simply as “the Bard,”
his wit and wordplay are bested
only by his nuanced portrayal of
human nature.
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
1564–1616
II
Gertrude
Claudius
Laertes
V
ACT
III
I
ACT
I
IV
I
Op
li
e
h
Chronologically, Hamlet falls in the
center of Shakespeare’s plays. The
Bard’s most frequently performed
work, the play is a pillar of literature,
theater and film—as relevant today
as it was 400 years ago.
Themes
Revenge
Desire
Love
Critics have argued over
Hamlet’s delayed revenge
against his uncle
—especially contrasted with
the decisive action taken by
Polonius’ son Laertes.
The pursuit of impossible
fulfillment runs through the
play. Much of Hamlet’s angst
comes from the realization
that selfishly following desires
leads only to disappointment.
Love―and its internal
contradictions―is central to
the play. Hamlet examines the
love between his father and
mother, and the betrayal that
he feels disturbs him.
Hamlet
by the Numbers
Main Characters
Romance
Friends
4,042
Married
Rosecrantz +
Guildenstern
Lines in Hamlet, the longest of
Shakespeare's plays, according to
the Folger Shakespeare Library
Claudius’ Hired Spies
Ophelia
Polonius’ Daughter
Horatio
Hamlet’s Friend
1574
Year construction began on
Denmark's Kronborg Castle in
Helsingør (Elsinore), the
setting for Hamlet
Polonius
Gertrude
King’s Chief Counselor
2000
Year in which the play was
translated into Klingon, the
constructed language of Star Trek
Hamlet’s Mother
Hamlet
Protagonist
Laertes
Polonius’ Son
Claudius
Old King (Ghost)
Hamlet’s Uncle
Hamlet’s Father
his above all: to thine
own self be true.
Polonius, Act I, Scene III
Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Folger Shakespeare Library,
Royal Shakespeare Company, UNESCO
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