Hamletmachine (German: Die Hamletmaschine) is a postmodernist drama by German playwright and theatre director Heiner Müller, loosely based on Hamlet by William Shakespeare. It was written in 1977, and is related to a translation of Shakespeare's Hamlet that Müller undertook. Some critics claim the play problematizes the role of intellectuals during the era of Communism in East Germany; others argue that the play should be understood in relation to wider post-modern concepts. Hamletmachine is not centered on a conventional plot, but is partially unified through sequences of monologues in which the protagonist leaves his role and reflects on being an actor.