Introduction to the play
Hamlet is Shakespeare’s most popular, and most puzzling, play. It follows the form of a “revenge tragedy,” in which the hero, Hamlet, seeks vengeance against his father’s murderer, his uncle Claudius, now the king of Denmark. Much of its fascination, however, lies in its uncertainties.
Among them: What is the Ghost—Hamlet’s father demanding justice, a tempting demon, an angelic messenger? Does Hamlet go mad, or merely pretend to? Once he is sure that Claudius is a murderer, why does he not act? Was his mother, Gertrude, unfaithful to her husband or complicit in his murder?
The Folger Shakespeare
Our bestselling editions of Shakespeare's plays and poems
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.
—Marcellus
Act 1, scene 4, line 100
To be or not to be—that is the question
—Hamlet
Act 3, scene 1, line 64
From the audio edition of Hamlet
Full recording available from Simon & Schuster Audio on CD and for download.
Hamlet in our collection
A selection of Folger collection items related to Hamlet. Find more in our digital image collection
Essays and resources from The Folger Shakespeare
Hamlet
Learn more about the play, its language, and its history from the experts behind our edition.
About Shakespeare’s Hamlet
An introduction to the plot, themes, and characters in the play
Reading Shakespeare’s Language
A guide for understanding Shakespeare’s words, sentences, and wordplay
An Introduction to This Text
A description of the publishing history of the play and our editors’ approach to this edition
Textual Notes
A record of the variants in the early printings of this text
A Modern Perspective
An essay by Michael Neill
Further Reading
Suggestions from our experts on where to learn more
Shakespeare and his world
Learn more about Shakespeare, his theater, and his plays from the experts behind our editions.
Shakespeare’s Life
An essay about Shakespeare and the time in which he lived
Shakespeare’s Theater
An essay about what theaters were like during Shakespeare’s career
The Publication of Shakespeare’s Plays
An essay about how Shakespeare’s plays were published
Related blog posts and podcasts
Q&A: Reynaldo Piniella and Emily Lyon on their bilingual Hamlet
In this bilingual Hamlet, a Black and Latinx prince has his sense of identity fractured by the loss of his Black father.
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Sir Ian McKellen played Hamlet in his thirties, and again in his eighties. He gives us his take on the Melancholy Dane.
How Shakespeare Thought About the Mind, with Helen Hackett
The Elizabethan period marked an unusually rich moment for theories of consciousness and for the representation of thought in literature, says scholar Helen Hackett.
The soliloquy and Hamlet - Excerpt: 'The Elizabethan Mind' by Helen Hackett
Bothered by madness: 'Hamlet' and 'The Northman'
Teaching Hamlet
Use the Folger Method to teach Hamlet. Become a Teacher Member to get exclusive access to lesson plans and professional development.
The Key to Getting ALL Students Understanding and Interpreting Complex Texts
The Key to Getting ALL Students Understanding and Interpreting Complex Texts
Free resource
March Lesson of the Month: Pairing Clint Smith’s “My Hopes, Dreams, Fears for My Future Son” with Hamlet
March Lesson of the Month: Pairing Clint Smith’s “My Hopes, Dreams, Fears for My Future Son” with Hamlet
Sneak Peek! Lessons from the Forthcoming Folger Guide to Teaching Hamlet.
Sneak Peek! Lessons from the Forthcoming Folger Guide to Teaching Hamlet.
Juicy Lesson! Pre-reading: A 20-minute Hamlet
Juicy Lesson! Pre-reading: A 20-minute Hamlet
Free resource
Film Expert Groups: The Closet Scene
Film Expert Groups: The Closet Scene
Creating a Promptbook: Hamlet 1.1
Creating a Promptbook: Hamlet 1.1
Cutting a Scene: Hamlet 2.2
Cutting a Scene: Hamlet 2.2
Choral Reading and Cutting a Text: Pairing Clint Smith’s “My Hopes, Dreams, Fears for My Future Son” with Hamlet
Choral Reading and Cutting a Text: Pairing Clint Smith’s “My Hopes, Dreams, Fears for My Future Son” with Hamlet
Free resource
Choral Reading: Hamlet and August Wilson’s King Hedley II
Choral Reading: Hamlet and August Wilson’s King Hedley II
“To Be” in Translation: Hamlet in World Languages
“To Be” in Translation: Hamlet in World Languages
Free resource
Pre-reading: 20-minute Hamlet
Pre-reading: 20-minute Hamlet
Yorick 2 Ways: Comparing Quarto and Folio Versions of Hamlet
Yorick 2 Ways: Comparing Quarto and Folio Versions of Hamlet
3-D Shakespeare: Hamlet 1.1
3-D Shakespeare: Hamlet 1.1
Master Class: Teaching Hamlet
Master Class: Teaching Hamlet
Cutting a Scene: Hamlet 1.3
Cutting a Scene: Hamlet 1.3
Early printed texts
The textual history of Hamlet is complicated. The play was first published in a quarto in 1603 (Q1) that differs in significant ways from subsequent editions: it is much shorter, the “To be or not to be” speech is in a different place, and many passages appear to be jumbled. Only two copies are known to have survived, now held at the British Library and the Huntington Library. Most modern editions of the play are based on the texts of the Second Quarto (Q2), published in 1604, and the First Folio (F1), published in 1623. Q2 and F1 differ both from Q1 and from each other: there are passages that appear in one and not the other, F1 is shorter and omits most of 5.5, and there are smaller alterations throughout. Editors often choose to present a text that combines all the text that appears in Q2 and F1. The Folger Edition also combines Q2 and F1, but it indicates those parts that appear in only one of the two early texts: F1-only language is marked off by pointed brackets, and Q2-only language is set off in square brackets.
See more primary sources related to Hamlet on Shakespeare Documented
