hamlet Reviews & Ratings

Hamlet, a play written by William Shakespeare, is a tragedy that tells the story of the Prince of Denmark who succumbs to the evils of revenge. It employs timeless themes of intense anger, jealousy, incest and traces the journey of the lead character towards madness.

Not much artifacts and historical accounts can trace the early performances of Hamlet. The earliest is pinpointed to be during the Restoration period and the 18th century in Drury Lane. In the 19th century, Hamlet performances in America were led by British actors such William Charles Macready, Edmund Kean, Charles Kemble and Junius Brutus Booth. The latter became the father of another famed Hamlet actor, Edwin Booth and the notorious John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated Abraham Lincoln.

Modern renditions took notice of stellar performances by Sir John Gielgud, Sir Laurence Olivier and John Barrymore. In 1995, actor Ralph Fiennes earned the nod of Tony Awards for his portrayal of the tragic prince.

Hamlet is an effective study of the human psyche, which continues to attract other artists to use the main plot or characterization for inspiration. Popular adaptations include ‘Ophelia’, a French film, Japanese director Akira Kurosawa’s ‘The Bad Sleep Well’ and Disney’s ‘Lion King’.