And then, with the help of his best friend Horatio, Hamlet comes across the ghost of his dead father who tells him that he was murdered by Claudius, the uncle. And the marriage is as big as any royal event that a medieval society could afford. We’re talking one month after the death here. Hamlet can’t quite believe that his mother has forgotten his dead father so soon after the latter’s passing. Traditionally, Hamlet Jr would be king after the death of Hamlet Sr, but lo and behold! He comes back from Wittenberg, a famous boarding school somewhere in Europe, to find that his uncle, Claudius, has married his mother and has been appointed king. The reader first finds himself, not at the funeral of the Danish king, Hamlet Sr, who has just died under suspicious circumstances (it appears everybody/nobody thought foul play was involved), but instead at a royal wedding. This part will be quite long, so abandon hope all ye who enter here.įor the benefit of complete beginners, let’s start with the story. I like reviewing this one, not only because it is such a famous play, with such famous characters and such memorable lines, but also because so much of my life perspective has been shaped by my understanding of the human motivations in this play. Since plays are meant to be performed and not just read, I have also included links to YouTube videos of selected scenes at the end of every entry, for your reference. I realize that it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I am feeling very self indulgent right now, so bear with me. ![]() I have been planning this Shakespeare Extravaganza for days. ![]() This review was originally written way back in 2013, with some revision in light of recent film adaptations made since then.
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