Act One, Scenes 1-3, Hamlet Summary

In the centuries since this renowned work by the legendary William Shakespeare was written, it has often been regarded by critics, scholars, and theater professionals alike as one of the greatest plays ever written. Praised and studied for its psychological accuracy and complexity, the essential story is simple, if perhaps excessively violent - a young man, urged to revenge the murder of his father, delays taking action. Several other deaths result, and the young man loses his own life in a battle with another more active, determined and vengeful young man. It is the play's contemplation and portrayal of the leading character's indecisive state of mind combined with other thematic considerations relating to human corruptibility and the transitory nature of physical life that give the play its timeless greatness.

Scene 1 - On the ramparts of...