Hamlet

Ah, to be or not to be, that really is the question, isn't it? The immature and insane Hamlet would agree, of course. Hamlet stars in the eponymous play written by the prolific William Shakespeare, a masterful exploration of true human nature mixed with trademark tragic elements that not only distinguish this play as one of the darkest works in ol' Willie's repertoire, but also as one of the best. As minor character Marcellus points out, something is rotten in the state of Denmark. And it's up to poor, recently bastardized Prince Hamlet to save the day. But, as the play slowly progresses, it becomes quite apparent that the intellectual, depressed, possibly religiously zealous Prince has no intention of avenging his father's perceived murder. Along the way, he deals with the weighty topics of, I don't know, life and death, heaven and hell, love, leadership, and of course, sex. Hamlet excels as a study into the intricacies of the human brain, but I found it to be a little lacking on the action side. The play moves glacially and spends far too much time on irrelevancies and belaboring the point that Hamlet is a lunatic. However, finishing Hamlet is worth it, and it stands as one of my favorite Shakespeare plays as of now. 

First Line: " 'Who's there?' "

Author: William Shakespeare

Length: 287 pages