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Cover of Hamlet

Classic Fiction

Hamlet

With Emma Sweeney

The ghost of the King of Denmark tells his son, Hamlet, to avenge his death.

First published
1603
Length
32,078 words
Reading time
About 2 hr 14 min
Language
English (UK)

About the book

Not only was Hamlet one of William Shakespeare’s most popular works during his lifetime, it is also considered among the most powerful and influential works of world literature. “To be, or not to be,” a line from one of Hamlet’s soliloquies, is one of the most widely known quotes in modern English and has been referenced in countless works of literature, theater, film, and music.

During a dark winter night Horatio and a pair of watchmen encounter a ghost that resembles the late King of Denmark, the father of Prince Hamlet. After failing to converse with the ghost, Hamlet is brought to the site of the encounter. The ghost tells the story of his death. He was murdered by King Claudius, the dead king’s brother and Hamlet’s new stepfather. Hamlet swears to avenge him and kill Claudius.

This Standard Ebooks edition is based on William George Clark and William Aldis Wright’s 1887 Victoria edition, which is taken from the Globe edition.

the Read4Max reading text contains approximately 32,078 words arranged in 8 navigable sections.

About the author

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare (1564–1616) is described by Wikidata as English playwright and poet (1564–1616), with citizenship or national association recorded as Kingdom of England.

Recorded occupations include playwright, poet, stage actor, writer, actor, and dramaturge. Languages recorded for William Shakespeare include Early Modern English, British English, and English. The structured record associates William Shakespeare with English Renaissance. Wikidata lists Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Shakespeare's sonnets among William Shakespeare's notable works. Open Library identifies Hamlet as a leading work in its author record. Open Library catalogs 12947 works under this author record. The Read4Max catalog currently includes A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, King Lear, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, and Othello under William Shakespeare's authorship.

Contributors

Annotator

Emma Sweeney

Reading options

  • A complete text with direct section navigation in the browser reader.
  • A downloadable EPUB for phones, tablets, desktop reading apps, and compatible ereaders.
  • Book and contributor metadata are checked against the source edition before indexing.

Themes and ideas

  • Tragedies
  • Hamlet (Legendary character)
  • Kings and rulers
  • Murder victims' families
  • Fathers
  • Revenge
  • Princes
  • Denmark

Table of contents

Open reader
  1. Dramatis Personae
  2. Hamlet
  3. Act I
  4. Act II
  5. Act III
  6. Act IV
  7. Act V
  8. Endnotes