The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark is a tragedy by William Shakespeare and one of his best-known and most oft-quoted plays. It was written at an uncertain date between 1600 and the summer of 1602.
Hamlet may be the most frequently produced work in almost every western country, and it is considered a crucial test for mature actors. Hamlet's " To be, or not to be" soliloquy (Act Three, Scene One), the most popular passage in the play, is so well known that it has become a stumbling-block for many modern actors.