Hamlet

AUTHOR AND HIS LITERARY-HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, April 23, 1564 and died on April 23, 1616, but these dates are not entirely accurate.
At the time he was born, the renaissance was starting in Europe, so he is considered as an author of this literary movement. Even if it began in France, it spread through the continent, reaching Britain in theXVII century. The works of ancient classic authors were rediscovered, the local languages richly developed and the works were focused in men issues rather than in god and religion. Contemporary authors were, for example: Moliere, in France; Cervantes, in Spain and Goldoni, in Italy.
At those years (1555-1625), in Great Britain, the Elizabethan theatre was developing. Elizabethan theatre is a namethat refers to the plays written and performed during the reign of Elizabeth I of England, and is traditionally associated with the figure of William Shakespeare. It was a brief period of largely internal peace whit few and not very important religious issues where the parliamentary system was developed. 
After studying in the Stratford Grammar School Latin grammar and literature, when he was 18years of age, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. Later, and because of unknown reasons he moved to London,  soon he became an actor, writer, and finally, co-owner of The Globe theatre, which was used to host the troupe Lord Chamberlain's Men in which he participated with works by William Shakespeare as King Lear, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello, etc..
William Shakespeare highlighted as aplaywright and a poet.
First, in the drama and tragedy: "Hamlet," "Macbeth," "Othello," "Romeo and Juliet." Also in the drama and the comedy "The Merry Wives of Windsor" and "Dream of a Summer Night.

BACKGROUND OF THE PLAY
This play took place in medieval Denmark, a country in the north of Europe, between the Baltic Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It had a very peculiar political system at thattime. As it is mentioned in the play, there was an elective monarchy, the King, which was appointed by a private council, could name an heir, influencing the decision of that council, but it wasn’t really hereditary.

GENRE (sub-genre)
Hamlet is a drama of ideas, having a deep dramatic progression through all the play. Hamlet fits into the generic classic category of "Tragedy." Morespecifically, is a "Revenge Tragedy". This literary work in which the main character wanted to obtain revenge, as a consequence of a tragic flaw (Hamlet’s fathers murder). This original genre developed by the author focuses the attention in the characters, not in the action as was done before. To achieve the drama he uses monologues and dialogues whit a characteristic brilliant style.
Hamlet, likeShakespeare's other plays, is written in a combination of verse (poetry) and prose. He uses a mastery of language dialogs and monologues, in the dialogs he uses a variety of registers and tones mixing comedy and tragedy, and in the monologues, such as with hamlet character, he uses the madness, mixing it with deep thoughts, showing an anticipation of the absurd. Where rhetorical skills, metaphors andsymbols are really common.

INNOVATIONS
Hamlet is also an innovative work. Shakespeare created a new subgenre: the revenge tragedy. He developed the traditional tragedy by focusing the attention in the revenge of Hamlet for his father’s death and the feeling that this action caused. Even if it is more dedicated to the reflexion the story became progressively violent, eventually abandoning thedecor sense of that time and making some gory scenes. The actions were dense, deeply connected and linked, producing a new type of suspense that creates intrigue and interest.
The most important innovations were that the break the rules of unity of the plays of that time: Time, space and action. He combines the main and the secondary actions at the same time. He didn’t use a unity in the space; he...