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HAMLET
A Taste of What's to Come
HAMLET
ACT I
SCENE II
KING CLAUDIUS
Although the death of my brother is raw
I’ve gone and married my sister-in-law
His demise was a shock, I have to admit,
But it’s high-time we got over it.
And now I am the ruling class
It’s time to deal with Fortinbras
His Uncle’s now king; he’s old and he’s barmy
But he’s now in charge of the Norwegian army
I’ve written to ask him if he can
Restrain his nephew’s battle plan
Voltimand, Cornelius,
I want you two to deal with this
A Taste of What's to Come
HAMLET
ACT I
SCENE II
KING CLAUDIUS
Although the death of my brother is raw
I’ve gone and married my sister-in-law
His demise was a shock, I have to admit,
But it’s high-time we got over it.
And now I am the ruling class
It’s time to deal with Fortinbras
His Uncle’s now king; he’s old and he’s barmy
But he’s now in charge of the Norwegian army
I’ve written to ask him if he can
Restrain his nephew’s battle plan
Voltimand, Cornelius,
I want you two to deal with this
In this fresh take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Paul Leonard Murray, director of the Belgrade English Language Theater, condenses the play into a one-hour version with accessible language and lively rhyming couplets. The adaptation lightens the tone with clever humor while still capturing the essence of Hamlet’s internal struggle and quest for justice.
The story follows Prince Hamlet, grieving his father’s death and disturbed by his mother’s quick remarriage to his uncle Claudius, who Hamlet learns is his father’s murderer. Torn between revenge and doubt, Hamlet’s turmoil grows as he confronts betrayal from friends and lovers, including Ophelia.
This version is ideal for introducing students to Shakespeare or honing speaking skills, with the key themes of guilt, madness, and revenge intact. It’s perfect for drama clubs, student theater, or literature classes looking for a fresh way to engage with the Bard’s most famous play.
I love Paul Murray’s Hamlet. Like the original Bard himself he’s a true wordsmith, translating with humour for a modern audience. It’s pure Shakespeare, fun, clever and accessible. Shakespeare done how Shakespeare intended for the masses!
Matthew McNulty
- Actor, The Terror, Domina, Cleaning Up
“The new version of Hamlet with its clever rhyming couplets is great fun to read and would be thoroughly enjoyable to watch. It makes Hamlet totally accessible to a new audience and would definitely encourage further interest in Shakespeare. Fully recommend.”
Richard Fleeshman
Actor,William Shakespeare in Something Rotten!Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Laurence Olivier Award nominee
I love Paul Murray’s Hamlet. Like the original Bard himself he’s a true wordsmith, translating with humour for a modern audience. It’s pure Shakespeare, fun, clever and accessible. Shakespeare done how Shakespeare intended for the masses!
Matthew McNulty
- Actor, The Terror, Domina, Cleaning Up
“The new version of Hamlet with its clever rhyming couplets is great fun to read and would be thoroughly enjoyable to watch. It makes Hamlet totally accessible to a new audience and would definitely encourage further interest in Shakespeare. Fully recommend.”
Richard Fleeshman
Actor,William Shakespeare in Something Rotten!Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Laurence Olivier Award nominee
In this fresh take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Paul Leonard Murray, director of the Belgrade English Language Theatre, condenses the play into a one-hour version with accessible language and lively rhyming couplets. The adaptation lightens the tone with clever humor while still capturing the essence of Hamlet’s internal struggle and quest for justice.
The story follows Prince Hamlet, grieving his father’s death and disturbed by his mother’s quick remarriage to his uncle Claudius, who Hamlet learns is his father’s murderer. Torn between revenge and doubt, Hamlet’s turmoil grows as he confronts betrayal from friends and lovers, including Ophelia.
This version is ideal for introducing students to Shakespeare or honing speaking skills, with the key themes of guilt, madness, and revenge intact. It’s perfect for drama clubs, student theater, or literature classes looking for a fresh way to engage with the Bard’s most famous play.
I love Paul Murray’s Hamlet. Like the original Bard himself he’s a true wordsmith, translating with humour for a modern audience. It’s pure Shakespeare, fun, clever and accessible. Shakespeare done how Shakespeare intended for the masses!
Matthew McNulty
Actor, The Terror, Domina, Cleaning Up
“The new version of Hamlet with its clever rhyming couplets is great fun to read and would be thoroughly enjoyable to watch. It makes Hamlet totally accessible to a new audience and would definitely encourage further interest in Shakespeare. Fully recommend.”
Richard Fleeshman
Actor,William Shakespeare in Something Rotten!Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Laurence Olivier Award nominee
“Paul Murray has brilliantly adapted Shakespeare’s plays to expose them to an entire generation who might otherwise roll their eyes and miss out. These playful but entirely respectful adaptations stay true to the soul of the original plays while making them easily accessible to the uninitiated. I wish these books had been available when I was young.”
Dean Devlin, Co-writer/producer Godzilla, Independence Day, Owner Electric Entertainment
“In this fresh and lively adaptation of Hamlet, Paul Murray offers an ingenious re-imagining of the story told in one-fleeting-scene-after-another, packed with clever wordplay and wittily rhyming verse (often truly hilarious), and peopled by all the very recognizable characters who have embodied the story for over 400 years. Murray has crafted a piece that is playful and fun while never turning away from the drama that is at the heart of Shakespeare’s play. It is a unique work, delightfully theatrical, and well-suited for production both in the classroom and on stage.”
John Sipes
Professor Emeritus of Theatre, University of Tennessee, Former Artistic Director, Illinois Shakespeare Festival
“Paul Murray has brilliantly adapted Shakespeare’s plays to expose them to an entire generation who might otherwise roll their eyes and miss out. These playful but entirely respectful adaptations stay true to the soul of the original plays while making them easily accessible to the uninitiated. I wish these books had been available when I was young.”
Dean Devlin. Co-writer/producer Godzilla, Independence Day, Owner Electric Entertainment
“In this fresh and lively adaptation of Hamlet, Paul Murray offers an ingenious re-imagining of the story told in one-fleeting-scene-after-another, packed with clever wordplay and wittily rhyming verse (often truly hilarious), and peopled by all the very recognizable characters who have embodied the story for over 400 years.
John Sipes
Professor Emeritus of Theatre, University of Tennessee