German philosopher Karl Marx transformed the way people analyze literary works. He asserted that the behavior and judgment of people in society are determined by economic factors. Typical readers analyze literature from the text in which it is presented, rather than analyzing its meaning. The Marxist critical lens encourages the reader to pay attention to the details of the text, particularly the systems of social power within the plot. Social class is based on the positions people hold in society, the composition of certain groups and the hierarchical system can greatly change the outcome of a story. Reading a text from a Marxist perspective requires the reader to focus on how the characters interact with their environment and the people around them. The different social classes, persecutions, social inequalities, racism are aspects to watch out for when reading Marxist. The goals of a Marxist literary critic include evaluating the social trends of the literary work and comparing them to the social trends of today and the specific time period in which it was written. The analyst must also recognize which social class the author belongs to and how this may affect the portrayal of certain characters. By analyzing Shakespeare's most remarkable play, Hamlet Prince of Denmark, the reader will understand the hierarchical system, the relationships between the characters, the different classes and their social acceptances, as well as the struggle for political power in Denmark and the beliefs Shakespeare's personal social These interactions between social classes are the source of the conflicts and events in the play. During the first act of play, the representation of social classes begins to unfold. Shakespeare...... middle of paper ...... for Hamlet's speech about his former family jester Yorik. During this speech, Hamlet begins to question the social class system and the results it produces. He begins by wondering how people with so much power and influence in the world end up in a hole underground: "Is it not possible to imagine that the noble ashes of Alexander the Great could end up plug a hole in a barrel? » (V, 1.179). It mentions the names of people at the top of the hierarchy like Caesar and Alexander the Great. He wonders why the people who once ruled and conquered the world end up in ashes on the ground? “Oh, that this land, which has kept the world in awe, should repair a wall to expel the faults of winter!” But sweet, but sweet for a moment” (V,1, 195). Shakespeare poses the question of why we divide ourselves into classes, when after we die we are subject to the same fate..