Prince Hamlet is the title character and protagonist of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet (1599–1601). He is the Prince of Denmark, nephew of the usurping Claudius, and son of King Hamlet, the previous King of Denmark. At the beginning of the play, he is conflicted whether, and how, to avenge the murder of his father, and struggles with his own sanity along the way. By the end of the tragedy, Hamlet has caused the deaths of Polonius, Laertes, Claudius, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two acquaintances of his from childhood. He is also indirectly involved in the deaths of his love Ophelia (drowning) and of his mother Gertrude (mistakenly poisoned by Claudius).
First Appearance The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet Prince of Denmarke (1603) by William Shakespeare — First Quarto
First Publisher N. L. and Iohn Trundell
Appearance List The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet Prince of Denmarke (1603) by William Shakespeare — First Quarto; Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (1623) by William Shakespeare — First Folio printing includes Hamlet; Tales from Shakespeare (1807) by Charles Lamb & Mary Lamb — prose retelling for young readers; Hamlet (1868) by Ambroise Thomas — opera; A Midsummer Night’s Dream: and Other Stories by E. Nesbit (1890) (A midsummer night’s dream.–Hamlet, prince of Denmark.–Twelfth night.–King Lear) [Internet Archive]; Hamlet (1921) directed by Svend Gade & Heinz Schall — silent film adaptation; Hamlet (1948) directed by Laurence Olivier; Hamlet (1964) directed by Grigori Kozintsev — Soviet feature film; Hamlet (1964) starring Richard Burton — filmed/videotaped Broadway performance; Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (1967) by Tom Stoppard — major derivative work expanding two minor Hamlet characters (first staged 1966; early book ed. 1967).
Sample Read Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies [Internet Archive]
Description Prince Hamlet is the title character and protagonist of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet (1599–1601). He is the Prince of Denmark, nephew of the usurping Claudius, and son of King Hamlet, the previous King of Denmark. At the beginning of the play, he is conflicted whether, and how, to avenge the murder of his father, and struggles with his own sanity along the way. By the end of the tragedy, Hamlet has caused the deaths of Polonius, Laertes, Claudius, and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two acquaintances of his from childhood. He is also indirectly involved in the deaths of his love Ophelia (drowning) and of his mother Gertrude (mistakenly poisoned by Claudius).
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