Hamlet

First performed around 1600, Hamlet tells the story of a prince whose duty to revenge his father’s death entangles him in philosophical problems he can’t solve. Shakespeare’s best-known play is widely regarded as the most influential literary work ever written.

Summary

Read a Plot Overview of the entire play or a scene by scene Summary and Analysis.

• Plot Summary
• Act 1, Scene 1 Summary
• Act 1, Scene 2 Summary
• Act 1, Scene 3 Summary
• Act 1, Scene 4 Summary
• Act 1, Scene 5 Summary
• Act 2, Scene 1 Summary
• Act 2, Scene 2 Summary
• Act 3, Scene 1 Summary
• Act 3, Scene 2 Summary
• Act 3, Scene 3 Summary
• Act 3, Scene 4 Summary
• Act 4, Scene 1 Summary
• Act 4, Scene 2 Summary
• Act 4, Scene 3 Summary
• Act 4, Scene 4 Summary
• Act 4, Scene 5 Summary
• Act 4, Scene 6 Summary
• Act 4, Scene 7 Summary
• Act 5, Scene 1 Summary
• Act 5, Scene 2 Summary

Characters

See a complete list of the characters in Hamlet and in-depth analyses of Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, Ophelia, and Polonius.

• Characters

Main Ideas

Here's where you'll find analysis about the play as a whole, from the major themes and ideas to analysis of style, tone, point of view, and more.

• Themes
• Symbolism

Quotes

Find the quotes you need to support your essay, or refresh your memory of the book by reading these key quotes.

• Quotes

Further Study

Go further with essays on context, background, and movie adaptations.

• Sample Essays