Zeffirelli's film adaptation of Shakespeare's play starring Mel Gibson as the titular prince. Hamlet (Gibson), Prince of Denmark, is in mourning for his father, whose death is quickly followed by widow Gertrude's (Glenn Close) marriage to Hamlet's uncle, Claudius (Alan Bates), who has assumed the throne following his brother's demise. When the ghost of Hamlet's father (Paul Scofield) visits him and claims to have been foully murdered by Claudius, the young prince vows to avenge his death. However, Hamlet's self-doubt and procrastination lead to further tragedy.