The full title of this play is "The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark," but it best known as simply "Hamlet." It's estimated to have been written between 1599-1603. "Hamlet" is Shakespeare's longest play and generally acclaimed to be one of the most powerful and influential tragedies in the English language.
Below is a kind of rubric to apply when assessing the nature of a tragedy, and a tragic figure. While some critics consider Hamlet especially complex and problematic, those qualities are also what make him open to anyone's guess.
If you've never read "Hamlet," review a short synopsis. Or choose a figure from a Shakespearean tragedy you are familiar with.
There are three factors to consider in determining the degree of tragedy:
Once you've worked through this rubric and identified the three factors, you've established a great point of reference for reading Hamlet.
Source: Meghan, Wiki
This six-minute video is a small piece of a larger series on exploring Shakespeare. Though it's a little dry, it's full of great information from leading critics. To review the sonnets on your own, refer to The Amazing Web Site of Shakespeare's Sonnets (http://www.shakespeares-sonnets.com).