TALKING ABOUT DRAMA

HAMLET

Written and released around 1600-1601, this tragedy in five acts in verse and in prose by William Shakespeare

The second in fourth would represent the original text of the drama, from which the other texts would derive to a greater or lesser extent.

SUMMARY 

This play revolves around the tribulations of Hamlet, whose father, the King of Denmark, has died. After the ghost of this one reveals to him that he has been assassinated by Claudio, his brother and current king (who also has married Hamlet's mother, Gertrudis), he urges him to take revenge.

Doubting the version of the ghost, Hamlet takes advantage of the presence of a traveling theater company to present a play that evokes the murder of his father. When Claudio abruptly retired from the performance, Hamlet confirms the truth of the facts and concludes that he must kill his stepfather.

At the same time, before the prince's erratic and melancholic attitude, the kings decide to send him to England. Before Hamlet mistakenly murders Polonius, Chamberlain of the kingdom and father of Ophelia, with whom he is in love. During the journey, the ship is attacked by pirates and Hamlet manages to return to Elsinor, the Danish royal castle.

Claudio convinces Laertes, son of Polonio and brother of Ofelia, that he must in turn avenge the death of his father. Ofelia, who has gone mad, commits suicide by drowning in a river. They arrange a duel in which Laertes uses a poisoned sword; He hurts Hamlet and in turn suffers a cut with his own sword, so he is also poisoned.

At the same time, Gertrudis has a glass of poisoned wine intended for Hamlet. This forces Claudio to take it too. Before dying, Hamlet asks his friend Horacio to tell what happened and to recognize Fontimbrás, the Norwegian king, as successor to the Danish throne.

ANALYSIS

Perhaps most remarkable is the character of the protagonist himself. Faced with classical theater, which focused on events rather than characters, Shakespeare introduces us to a young man troubled by his existential doubts about revenge, death and love, and with a clear psychological and existential crisis that he fully grasps the viewer's attention, above the plot. Not for nothing does any actor dream of playing such a complex character. The feelings that this work provokes are mainly despair and the desire for revenge. Not to mention love, power and even sadness for the great tragedy that occurs.

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