Summary by Seth Loh

In reading Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, it is important to remember that the Bard of England never intended for us to read the story as a book, but to see it unfold before us as a staged performance. Even though Shakespeare is a master of words and his use of language is poetically rich with meaning, perhaps it is only through the performance of a great actor that the words come to life and we can truly appreciate the conflicted heart that beats within the chest of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.

As the plot goes, the young prince returns home from university to mourn the loss of his father, when he soon discovers that his mother has married his uncle, Claudius. This is a double-edged sword as it mocks the grave of his dead father and deprives Hamlet of the throne that is rightfully his. To further complicate matters, the ghost of the late king has been roaming the castle grounds and reveals to Hamlet, that Claudius, in fact, murdered him. Hamlet is then commissioned to “remember” his slain father by taking revenge on Claudius and thereby cleansing the throne of Denmark from its treachery. This newfound sense of purpose proves to be much more difficult to accomplish than what should follow as a simple, kill the bad guy, and restore the kingdom type of story. Instead, viewers get to see the drama drag on and are rewarded with glimpses into the mind of a hero grappling with questions of existence, revenge, and virtue.

Hamlet’s soliloquies’ ultimately can be seen as a mirror into our own souls’ longing for understanding during difficult times. As a result, it would be interesting to reflect on what it would be like to have been in Hamlet’s shoes. How would you have acted knowing that your best friends were spying on you for your enemy? How would you have felt about your mother’s hasty marriage? What course of action would you have taken regarding revenge? The answers are not simple, nor does the play provide any clear-cut advice. So, before you answer, “I would have killed that incestuous, murd’rous, damned Dane!” consider Hamlet’s own words at the start of the messiness which remind us that, “there are more things in heaven and earth…than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”