The legendary author took on Shakespeare in his 2000 novel, which was a prequel to "Hamlet" and followed the tragic hero's mother and stepfather. In Updike's novel, Gertrude has an affair with her brother-in-law Claudius, but does not encourage him to kill her husband, and after the senior Hamlet's death, she senses him as a ghost. Many critics called Updike's novel enjoyable and innovative.
