In my last year of high school, I had the opportunity to go see Hamlet, Shakespeare’s famous play, a masterpiece of the theatre, known for its depth and complexity.

William Shakespeare is an English playwright, poet and actor born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Hamlet is a tragedy written between 1599 and 1602. It is one of the playwright’s most celebrated plays. Certainly it is a great classic. The main themes in Hamlet are action and contemplation, and revenge. Hamlet’s monologue “To be or not to be” is one of the best-known in English literature.

Hamlet is a five-act play centred on the story of a young Danish prince who simulates madness in order to avenge the death of his father, the former king of Denmark. Hamlet’s father was murdered by his own brother, Claudius. Claudius becomes king and marries Gertrude, his murdered brother’s widow. Since his death, the ghost of the previous king has wandered around the palace every night. One night, he meets his son Hamlet and asks him for revenge. Following this revelation, Hamlet devises his plan to avenge the death of his father. This quest for revenge will lead Hamlet to question his own identity, loyalty and morality.

I think that what makes Hamlet so captivating is the psychological richness of the characters. Each one is complex, each one is tormented. Shakespeare’s work reminds us of the complexity of life. I also think that there is a lot of darkness and violence in this play. Hamlet’s themes are still relevant today.

Seeing Hamlet was a very good experience for me because it’s the only theatre play that I went to see this year. I went to the theatre with two friends which allowed me to talk and debate about it with them afterwards.

Thomas Casinhas-Arnaud