William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”
Hamlet, in full Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, tragedy in five acts by William Shakespeare, written about 1599–1601 and published in a quarto edition in 1603 from an unauthorized text, with reference to an earlier play. The First Folio version was taken from a second quarto of 1604 that was based on Shakespeare’s own papers with some annotations by the bookkeeper. As Shakespeare’s play opens, Hamlet is mourning his father, who has been killed, and lamenting the behavior of his mother, Gertrude, who married his uncle Claudius within a month of his father’s death. The ghost of his father appears to Hamlet, informs him that he was poisoned by Claudius, and commands Hamlet to avenge his death. Though instantly galvanized by the ghost’s command, Hamlet decides on further reflection to seek evidence in corroboration of the ghostly visitation, since, he knows, the Devil can assume a pleasing shape and can easily mislead a person whose mind is perturbed by intense grief. Hamlet adopts a guise of melancholic and mad behavior as a way of deceiving Claudius and others at court—a guise made all the easier by the fact that Hamlet is genuinely melancholic[1].
The original quote: “And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain”. In “The Mission of Jane” was altered by Julian Lethbury while talking about the adoption of Jane: “In this harsh world it draws its breath in pain – “.