Hamlet

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Tragedy by William Shakespeare, first performed in 1601–02. Hamlet, after much hesitation, avenges the murder of his father, the king of Denmark, by the king's brother Claudius, who has married Hamlet's mother. The play ends with the death of all three.

Hamlet is haunted by his father's ghost demanding revenge, is torn between love and loathing for his mother, and becomes responsible for the deaths of his lover Ophelia, her father and brother, and his student companions Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. In the monologue beginning ‘To be, or not to be’ he contemplates suicide.

Red is said to stand for bloodshed. White represents peace, holiness, and eternity. Effective date: 9 December 1943. >>