Hamlet was written in London, England, in the early 17th century by William Shakespeare. It is a Shakespearean tragedy. A tragedy depicts the downfall of a basically good character who meets with unfortunate circumstances or makes a fatal misjudgment. In the play, Hamlet must make a choice between avenging the death of his father or giving up and moving on with his life. He wants to be a hero, but will he?

Shakespeare wrote Hamlet during the Renaissance movement that spread across Europe from the 15th through the 17th century. Renaissance literally means “rebirth”; it was a change, a new way of doing things from that which existed in the Middle Ages. The Renaissance was characterized by a renewed interest in classical antiquity, reconciliation of Christian faith and reason, freedom of thought, a rise in humanist philosophy (a belief in self, human worth, and dignity), and radical changes in thoughts about religion, politics, and science.

The Elizabethan period in England (1558-1603) is considered the height of the Renaissance in England. Theater flourished, and the “Bard of Avon” – Shakespeare – is generally considered the greatest playwright of all time.

The complexity of his tragedy Hamlet has enabled it to remain popular some 400 years after it was written. The theme of the story revolves around the human condition and truth. How can one know how another’s true motives, feelings, and mental state lead them to behave in certain ways? In the world we live in, we can only observe appearances. This can sometimes make personal decisions very difficult.

Hamlet’s indecisiveness centers on what he physically observes that is shared by other observers and what he observes in a dream that is unique only to him. Does he base his decision on objective reality or subjective reality? This is a question that spans time and is still as relevant today as it was in Shakespeare’s time, thus Hamlet remains popular.

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