Hamlet

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Perhaps the most influential work of English drama, this timeless tragedy explores conflicted loyalties, madness, betrayal, and revenge. In this Penguin Shakespeare edition, edited by T.J.B. Spencer and introduced by Alan Sinfield, the story unfolds in Denmark, where young prince Hamlet encounters his father's ghost. He learns that his uncle, King Claudius, murdered his father and is tasked with avenging his death. As Hamlet grapples with his conscience, he pretends to be mad while devising a brutal plan for revenge, which alienates his mother, Queen Gertrude, and his lover, Ophelia. However, his feigned insanity brings him dangerously close to real madness, causing chaos for both the guilty and innocent. The edition includes a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a specific introduction to the play, a chronology, reading suggestions, an essay by Paul Prescott on performance options, and a commentary. William Shakespeare, born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1564, wrote approximately 38 plays and 154 sonnets, many of which are considered exceptional works of drama and poetry. If you enjoyed this tragedy, you might also like Shakespeare's Macbeth, available in Penguin Shakespeare.