The actor John Gielgud believed that of all Shakespeare's characters Hamlet is probably the one most like Shakespeare himself–since, of all Shakespeare's characters, only Hamlet can be imagined to have written all the Shakespearean plays. How good an understanding of Hamlet's character does Gielgud's belief reflect?
Answers
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, often shortened to Hamlet (/ˈhæmlɨt/), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare at an uncertain date between 1599 and 1602. Set in the Kingdom of Denmark, the play dramatises the revenge Prince Hamlet is instructed to exact on his uncle Claudius. Claudius had murdered his own brother, Hamlet's father King Hamlet, and subsequently seized the throne, marrying his deceased brother's widow.
Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play and among the most powerful and influential tragedies in English literature, with a story capable of "seemingly endless retelling and adaptation by others."[1] The play seems to have been one of Shakespeare's most popular works during his lifetime[2] and still ranks among his most-performed, topping the performance list of the Royal Shakespeare Company and its predecessors in Stratford-upon-Avon since 1879.[3] It has inspired writers from Goethe and Dickens to Joyce and Murdoch, and has been described as "the world's most filmed story after Cinderella".[4]
The story of Hamlet ultimately derives from the legend of Amleth, preserved by 13th-century chronicler Saxo Grammaticus in his Gesta Danorum, as subsequently retold by 16th-century scholar François de Belleforest. Shakespeare may also have drawn on an earlier (hypothetical) Elizabethan play known today as the Ur-Hamlet, though some scholars believe he himself wrote the Ur-Hamlet, later revising it to create the version of Hamlet we now have. He almost certainly created the title role for Richard Burbage, the leading tragedian of Shakespeare's time.[5] In the 400 years since, the role has been performed by highly acclaimed actors from each successive age.
Three different early versions of the play are extant, the First Quarto (Q1, 1603), the Second Quarto (Q2, 1604), and the First Folio (F1, 1623). Each version includes lines, and even entire scenes, missing from the others. The play's structure and depth of characterisation have inspired much critical scrutiny. One such example is the centuries-old debate about Hamlet's hesitation to kill his uncle, which some see as merely a plot device to prolong the action, but which others argue is a dramatisation of the complex philosophical and ethical issues that surround cold-blooded murder, calculated revenge, and thwarted desire. More recently, psychoanalytic critics have examined Hamlet's unconscious desires, and feminist critics have re-evaluated and rehabilitated the often maligned characters of Ophelia and Gertrude.
⋆
ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʀᴀɢᴇᴅʏ ᴏꜰ ʜᴀᴍʟᴇᴛ, ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴇɴᴍᴀʀᴋ, ᴏꜰᴛᴇɴ ꜱʜᴏʀᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴍʟᴇᴛ (/ˈʜÆᴍʟƗᴛ/), ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴛʀᴀɢᴇᴅʏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ʙʏ ᴡɪʟʟɪᴀᴍ ꜱʜᴀᴋᴇꜱᴘᴇᴀʀᴇ ᴀᴛ ᴀɴ ᴜɴᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ 1599 ᴀɴᴅ 1602. ꜱᴇᴛ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴋɪɴɢᴅᴏᴍ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴇɴᴍᴀʀᴋ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴅʀᴀᴍᴀᴛɪᴢᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴠᴇɴɢᴇ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ ʜᴀᴍʟᴇᴛ ɪꜱ ɪɴꜱᴛʀᴜᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴇxᴀᴄᴛ ᴏɴ ʜɪꜱ ᴜɴᴄʟᴇ ᴄʟᴀᴜᴅɪᴜꜱ. ᴄʟᴀᴜᴅɪᴜꜱ ʜᴀᴅ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀᴇᴅ ʜɪꜱ ᴏᴡɴ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ, ʜᴀᴍʟᴇᴛ'ꜱ ꜰᴀᴛʜᴇʀ ᴋɪɴɢ ʜᴀᴍʟᴇᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴜʙꜱᴇQᴜᴇɴᴛʟʏ ꜱᴇɪᴢᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛʜʀᴏɴᴇ, ᴍᴀʀʀʏɪɴɢ ʜɪꜱ ᴅᴇᴄᴇᴀꜱᴇᴅ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀ'ꜱ ᴡɪᴅᴏᴡ.
ʜᴀᴍʟᴇᴛ ɪꜱ ꜱʜᴀᴋᴇꜱᴘᴇᴀʀᴇ'ꜱ ʟᴏɴɢᴇꜱᴛ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴍᴏɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀꜰᴜʟ ᴀɴᴅ ɪɴꜰʟᴜᴇɴᴛɪᴀʟ ᴛʀᴀɢᴇᴅɪᴇꜱ ɪɴ ᴇɴɢʟɪꜱʜ ʟɪᴛᴇʀᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴄᴀᴘᴀʙʟᴇ ᴏꜰ "ꜱᴇᴇᴍɪɴɢʟʏ ᴇɴᴅʟᴇꜱꜱ ʀᴇᴛᴇʟʟɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴅᴀᴘᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʙʏ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀꜱ."[1] ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀʏ ꜱᴇᴇᴍꜱ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ꜱʜᴀᴋᴇꜱᴘᴇᴀʀᴇ'ꜱ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴘᴏᴘᴜʟᴀʀ ᴡᴏʀᴋꜱ ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ʜɪꜱ ʟɪꜰᴇᴛɪᴍᴇ[2] ᴀɴᴅ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ʀᴀɴᴋꜱ ᴀᴍᴏɴɢ ʜɪꜱ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ-ᴘᴇʀꜰᴏʀᴍᴇᴅ, ᴛᴏᴘᴘɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀꜰᴏʀᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ʟɪꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏʏᴀʟ ꜱʜᴀᴋᴇꜱᴘᴇᴀʀᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛꜱ ᴘʀᴇᴅᴇᴄᴇꜱꜱᴏʀꜱ ɪɴ ꜱᴛʀᴀᴛꜰᴏʀᴅ-ᴜᴘᴏɴ-ᴀᴠᴏɴ ꜱɪɴᴄᴇ 1879.[3] ɪᴛ ʜᴀꜱ ɪɴꜱᴘɪʀᴇᴅ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀꜱ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ɢᴏᴇᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅɪᴄᴋᴇɴꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴊᴏʏᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴏᴄʜ, ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀꜱ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴅᴇꜱᴄʀɪʙᴇᴅ ᴀꜱ "ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ'ꜱ ᴍᴏꜱᴛ ꜰɪʟᴍᴇᴅ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴄɪɴᴅᴇʀᴇʟʟᴀ".[4]
ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ᴏꜰ ʜᴀᴍʟᴇᴛ ᴜʟᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴇʟʏ ᴅᴇʀɪᴠᴇꜱ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴇɢᴇɴᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴀᴍʟᴇᴛʜ, ᴘʀᴇꜱᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ ʙʏ 13ᴛʜ-ᴄᴇɴᴛᴜʀʏ ᴄʜʀᴏɴɪᴄʟᴇʀ ꜱᴀxᴏ ɢʀᴀᴍᴍᴀᴛɪᴄᴜꜱ ɪɴ ʜɪꜱ ɢᴇꜱᴛᴀ ᴅᴀɴᴏʀᴜᴍ, ᴀꜱ ꜱᴜʙꜱᴇQᴜᴇɴᴛʟʏ ʀᴇᴛᴏʟᴅ ʙʏ 16ᴛʜ-ᴄᴇɴᴛᴜʀʏ ꜱᴄʜᴏʟᴀʀ ꜰʀᴀɴÇᴏɪꜱ ᴅᴇ ʙᴇʟʟᴇꜰᴏʀᴇꜱᴛ. ꜱʜᴀᴋᴇꜱᴘᴇᴀʀᴇ ᴍᴀʏ ᴀʟꜱᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴅʀᴀᴡɴ ᴏɴ ᴀɴ ᴇᴀʀʟɪᴇʀ (ʜʏᴘᴏᴛʜᴇᴛɪᴄᴀʟ) ᴇʟɪᴢᴀʙᴇᴛʜᴀɴ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ᴛᴏᴅᴀʏ ᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜʀ-ʜᴀᴍʟᴇᴛ, ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ꜱᴄʜᴏʟᴀʀꜱ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇ ʜᴇ ʜɪᴍꜱᴇʟꜰ ᴡʀᴏᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴜʀ-ʜᴀᴍʟᴇᴛ, ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ ʀᴇᴠɪꜱɪɴɢ ɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴠᴇʀꜱɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ʜᴀᴍʟᴇᴛ ᴡᴇ ɴᴏᴡ ʜᴀᴠᴇ. ʜᴇ ᴀʟᴍᴏꜱᴛ ᴄᴇʀᴛᴀɪɴʟʏ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴛʟᴇ ʀᴏʟᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ʀɪᴄʜᴀʀᴅ ʙᴜʀʙᴀɢᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʀᴀɢᴇᴅɪᴀɴ ᴏꜰ ꜱʜᴀᴋᴇꜱᴘᴇᴀʀᴇ'ꜱ ᴛɪᴍᴇ.[5] ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ 400 ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ ꜱɪɴᴄᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏʟᴇ ʜᴀꜱ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴘᴇʀꜰᴏʀᴍᴇᴅ ʙʏ ʜɪɢʜʟʏ ᴀᴄᴄʟᴀɪᴍᴇᴅ ᴀᴄᴛᴏʀꜱ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ꜱᴜᴄᴄᴇꜱꜱɪᴠᴇ ᴀɢᴇ.
ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴇᴀʀʟʏ ᴠᴇʀꜱɪᴏɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴇxᴛᴀɴᴛ, ᴛʜᴇ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ Qᴜᴀʀᴛᴏ (Q1, 1603), ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ Qᴜᴀʀᴛᴏ (Q2, 1604), ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ꜰᴏʟɪᴏ (ꜰ1, 1623). ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴠᴇʀꜱɪᴏɴ ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅᴇꜱ ʟɪɴᴇꜱ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇ ꜱᴄᴇɴᴇꜱ, ᴍɪꜱꜱɪɴɢ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀꜱ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʟᴀʏ'ꜱ ꜱᴛʀᴜᴄᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇᴘᴛʜ ᴏꜰ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀɪᴢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɪɴꜱᴘɪʀᴇᴅ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴄʀɪᴛɪᴄᴀʟ ꜱᴄʀᴜᴛɪɴʏ. ᴏɴᴇ ꜱᴜᴄʜ ᴇxᴀᴍᴘʟᴇ ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴇɴᴛᴜʀɪᴇꜱ-ᴏʟᴅ ᴅᴇʙᴀᴛᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ʜᴀᴍʟᴇᴛ'ꜱ ʜᴇꜱɪᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴋɪʟʟ ʜɪꜱ ᴜɴᴄʟᴇ, ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ꜱᴇᴇ ᴀꜱ ᴍᴇʀᴇʟʏ ᴀ ᴘʟᴏᴛ ᴅᴇᴠɪᴄᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀᴏʟᴏɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀꜱ ᴀʀɢᴜᴇ ɪꜱ ᴀ ᴅʀᴀᴍᴀᴛɪᴢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟᴇx ᴘʜɪʟᴏꜱᴏᴘʜɪᴄᴀʟ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴛʜɪᴄᴀʟ ɪꜱꜱᴜᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜱᴜʀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴄᴏʟᴅ-ʙʟᴏᴏᴅᴇᴅ ᴍᴜʀᴅᴇʀ, ᴄᴀʟᴄᴜʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ʀᴇᴠᴇɴɢᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴡᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ ᴅᴇꜱɪʀᴇ. ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʀᴇᴄᴇɴᴛʟʏ, ᴘꜱʏᴄʜᴏᴀɴᴀʟʏᴛɪᴄ ᴄʀɪᴛɪᴄꜱ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴇxᴀᴍɪɴᴇᴅ ʜᴀᴍʟᴇᴛ'ꜱ ᴜɴᴄᴏɴꜱᴄɪᴏᴜꜱ ᴅᴇꜱɪʀᴇꜱ, ᴀɴᴅ ꜰᴇᴍɪɴɪꜱᴛ ᴄʀɪᴛɪᴄꜱ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʀᴇ-ᴇᴠᴀʟᴜᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇʜᴀʙɪʟɪᴛᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏꜰᴛᴇɴ ᴍᴀʟɪɢɴᴇᴅ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴏᴘʜᴇʟɪᴀ ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴇʀᴛʀᴜᴅᴇ.