Introduction -- Shakespeare's life -- Shakespeare's theater -- William Shakespeare and Hamlet -- A brief chronology -- A note on the text -- The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark -- Appendix A: References to classical history and mythology -- Appendix B:References to the Bible -- Appendix C: Sources and analogs: 1. from Saxo Grammaticus, Historia Danica (1180-1204) -- 2. from Fran cois de Belleforest, Histoires Tragiques (1576) -- 3. from Der bestrafte Brudermord (1710) -- Appendix D: Domestic Issues in Hamlet -- 1. Marriage and Incest -- 2. Women and obedience -- Appendix E. Some textual variations in Quarto 1 -- 1. Another "to be or not to be" -- 2. Different advice to the players -- 3. The queen offers to help Hamlet -- 4. The queen laments Ofelia's death -- 5. A shorter scene before the duel -- Bibliography.