Is Hamlet Overrated?

If people have heard of Shakespeare, then they have probably heard of Hamlet. Hamlet is one of Shakespeare’s most well known plays, but I honestly feel as though the play is just like any other tragedy that Shakespeare has written. In Romeo and Juliet, two lovers at the top of the social ladder fall to their demise at the end of the play (in a rather disappointing manner, in my opinion). In Othello, the affluent hero dies once again with plenty of blood spilled at the end. This is the structure for all of Shakespeare’s tragedies, so I didn’t really find Hamlet unique in its plot.

I didn’t know the “skull scene” was a well known part of the play until after I watched it in class. However, I didn’t realize its significance on the first read. After a second look, there is symbolism that I didn’t notice before. Shakespeare plays require a lot of analytical reading, especially with the archaic words. Even so, I do acknowledge the literary value his work contains. When I first read The Winter’s Tale, classified as one of Shakespeare’s comedies, I had a sudden realization of Shakespeare’s genius. The way he had planned every little detail from the beginning of the play to create an unexpected ending (Hermione’s statue coming to life) really made me appreciate his writing. So, although I did not enjoy the plot of Hamlet, I won’t deny the literary value that came from the symbolism and meaningful soliloquies.