Who is the ghost? Why should Hamlet kill Claudius? Is Hamlet truly mad? Is Shakespeare Hamlet? Where did the ghost come from, really? Why does Ophelia suffer her fate?

Hamlet has puzzled scholars for centuries. Not only is Hamlet one of the most complex characters in all of Shakespeare's plays, but his propensity for complete madness and irrationality place all his epiphanies and insights into question. Furthermore, his madness does have method in it, as Polonius argues, which pushes the reader to question whether or not his madness exists at all.

Hamlet becomes even more complicated when you consider Shakespeare's life. Some scholars argue that Shakespeare is projecting himself into Hamlet and exploring his out youth, genius, and maturity. Others argue that Shakespeare is projecting himself into Hamlet's ghost and is exploring the nature of paternity and legacy in the wake of the death of his 11-year-old son. Some further speculate that Anne Hathaway (Shakespeare's wife) was unfaithful, thus the theme of infidelity is represented in Queen Gertrude's quick remarriage to Claudius (Shakespeare left Anne his "Second best bed" in his will and all his fortune to others; Anne's name also seems to be absent in all his plays and works).

For these reasons and more (we haven't even talked about the reliability of the ghost of King Hamlet!), Hamlet is an incredibly intricate play that challenges the reader and remains essential reading for any literary scholar.