Hamlet is not only one of Shakespeare's greatest plays but also the most fascinatingly problematical tragedy in world literature. First performed around 1600 this a gripping & exuberant drama of revenge rich in contrasts & conflicts. Its violence alternates with introspection its melancholy with humour & its subtlety with spectacle. The Prince Hamlet himself is depicted as a complex divided introspective character. His reflections on death morality & the very status of human beings make him 'the first modern man'.