The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet Prince of Denmarke

“To be or not to be, ay there’s the point.” Before Hamlet was one of the greatest works of western civilization, it was the story of a prince wrestling with the aftermath of his father’s death and seeking justice for his murder. Originally published in 1603, the “bad quarto” of Hamlet stands much of what we know about the play from its longer versions on its head, and forces us to consider Shakespeare as a man who wielded not only the mightiest pen in his company, but also very likely carried a sword on its stages.