Hamlet 

John Austen created this ink drawing, titled "Hamlet," to illustrate Shakespeare's famous tragedy. Note how the composition is structured within a circle, a visual device that contains the emotional turmoil of the scene. Austen uses stark black ink to create dramatic contrasts between light and shadow. This heightens the tension of the moment, where Hamlet confronts the ghost of his father. The floral patterns surrounding the figures seem to trap them, suggesting the inescapable nature of fate and the weight of Hamlet’s responsibilities. The faces interspersed among the flowers hint at the many layers of deception and hidden motives within the play. Consider how the linear precision and the stylized forms reflect the Art Deco aesthetic prevalent in the early 20th century. Austen’s Hamlet is not just a representation of a scene, but a study in how form and design can amplify the play's themes of death, betrayal, and madness.