This PhD examines retranslation as a phenomenon in the theatre world on the basis of ten retranslations of Hamlet, all performed on the Dutch stage. Previous theories consider retranslation in two ways: or they consider it as a new attempt to make the perfect translation, or as an attempt to make the original text more accessible for the target culture. More recent theories pose that retranslation is the result of a conflict in the target culture, in which different, conflicting groups express themselves by using a new version of the text. This PhD shows that the motivation of retranslation on stage does indeed not only have to be sought in the interests of the public, nor only in the search for the perfect translation. Retranslation is a means that is used in an artistic conflict. With retranslation, the performers of the new text make themselves visible, with their view on the old play. In the analysis of a retranslation, special attention then should be paid to the way in which the new version distinguishes the performance in which it is used from previous performances by the use of different translation norms.