A young Prince meets with his father's Ghost, who alleges that his own brother, now married to his widow, murdered him. The Prince devises a scheme to test the truth of the Ghost's accusation, feigning wild madness while plotting a brutal revenge. But his apparent insanity soon begins to wreak havoc on innocent and guilty alike.
This book includes a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and the Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to Hamlet, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay by Paul Prescott discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary.