Gregory Doran directs this BBC adaptation of the Royal Shakespeare Company's 2008 sell-out production of Hamlet featuring David Tennant in the title role and Patrick Stewart in the role of Claudius. Embittered by the death of his father the King, and subsequent marriage of his mother Gertrude (Penny Downie) to his uncle, Claudius (Stewart), Prince Hamlet (Tennant) is further discomfited when he encounters the ghost of his late father on the castle battlements. The ghost tells Hamlet that he was murdered by Claudius, and must be avenged. Claudius promises to bring his uncle to justice, but his efforts are continually thwarted by his own indecision, leading to madness and death for those around him.