Plot summary

A company of actors arrive at a castle deep in the Irish countryside and set into motion the story of Shakespeare's Hamlet. The lives of the actors and their characters intertwine as Prince Hamlet confronts the ghost of his father and seeks revenge on the treacherous Claudius, his uncle and newly appointed king. Hamlet's pursuit of vengeance scorches the lives of everyone inside the castle walls and lays bare the many contradictions and ambiguities of human existence. At the play's end, seven days have passed and the actors emerge, leaving the castle and characters behind.