Hamlet is Shakespeare’s most popular, and most puzzling, play. It follows the form of a “revenge tragedy,” in which the hero, Hamlet, seeks vengeance against his father’s murderer, his uncle Claudius, now the king of Denmark. Much of its fascination, however, lies in its uncertainties. Among them: What is the Ghost–Hamlet’s father demanding justice, a tempting demon, an angelic messenger? Does … angelic messenger? Does Hamlet go mad, or merely pretend to? Once he is sure that Claudius is a murderer, why does he not act? Was his mother, Gertrude, unfaithful to her husband or complicit in his murder?
The authoritative edition of Hamlet from The Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers, includes:
-The exact text of the printed book for easy cross-reference
-Hundreds of hypertext links for instant navigation
-Freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play
-Newly revised explanatory notes conveniently linked to the text of the play
-Scene-by-scene plot summaries
-A key to the play’s famous lines and phrases
-An introduction to reading Shakespeare’s language
-An essay by a leading Shakespeare scholar providing a modern perspective on the play
-Fresh images from the Folger Shakespeare Library’s vast holdings of rare books
-An annotated guide to further reading
Essay by Michael Neill
The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC, is home to the world’s largest collection of Shakespeare’s printed works, and a magnet for Shakespeare scholars from around the globe. In addition to exhibitions open to the public throughout the year, the Folger offers a full calendar of performances and programs. For more information, visit Folger.edu.
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A romantic coming of age novella about an adolescent Danish hog (or ‘hamlet’) who inherits a humble abode by the countryside. He has a very strong father figure, healthy relationships with his mother and girlfriend, and a loving and caring uncle. There wasn’t much conflict to be had, and I wish the plot was a bit darker. All in all, a commendable piece by a burgeoning author.
By the way, I hear Disney’s “The Lion King” is loosely based off this…but I don’t really see the resemblance though.
What can one say? “Hamlet” is the pinnacle of family tragedy and the edge of madness. Depending on the day, this is either the greatest tragedy ever written, or the second-greatest. Hamlet-MacBeth, MacBeth-Hamlet; for me, that’s the contest. For a great double-feature experience, read “Hamlet” first, then follow it up with Tom Stoppard’s “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.”
4.5 out of 5 stars to Hamlet, a tragedy published in 1600 by William Shakespeare. Buckle your seat belts, as I have a 38 page review to share… Just Kidding! Well, I do have a lengthy review I could include from a previous course on Shakespeare, but I will not do so here… chance are you’ve already read the play or seen some film adaption, perhaps even a staged version. I’ve seen a bunch of them and read the place 4 times (once in high school, twice in college and once just for pleasure). Here’s the thing about this play: There is WAY too much to absorb in just one or two reads. Each time you read the play, you pick up on new interpretations, new meanings and new thought patterns. Each time you watch a new performance, the actors and directors choose a different angle or approach. Hamlet is all of us. And we will always take from it something we want to believe… likely based on what’s going on in our life at that time. If you are having relationship issues, you’ll probably focus on that aspect of Hamlet’s life. If you feel depressed, you’ll questions “to be or not to be.” If you are happy, you’ll root for him to do the right things. I’m not sure if that’s how Shakespeare intended it to happen, but he certainly left it open on purpose. Maybe not to allow us to have completely widespread views and interpretations, but enough to choose the key things we want to focus on. I think maybe I need to read it again this summer!
After I finished reading, there was something that nagged me already since the first pages; If Hamlet’s father was the King, Hamlet should have been the crown prince. So why did Claudius become the King after his brother died, instead of Hamlet? I decided to ask M.L. Rio, an author and literary researcher who made of Shakespeare a central theme in her literary activities. Her answer was; “While I would love to be able to answer this question, 400 years of scholarship haven’t been able to answer this question. The breach of primogeniture in Hamlet has bothered Shakespeare scholars for decades, because it’s never satisfactorily explained within the play. However, there has been a lot of conversation about how much this irregular succession might have affected Hamlet’s psyche, and whether it’s something we ought to take into account when dissecting Hamlet’s character–as academics are wont to do … (Uncertainty is a defining feature of Shakespeare studies.)”
Sigh – now at least I understand why studying Shakespeare is considered by many as a study of human nature and life in general; you get a grasp upon the meaning of uncertainty.
However, the social networks seem to cut through of 400 years of scholarship, faster than a knife through the butter. A dude on Tumblr, who goes by the nickname “Piapajus” (go figure), commented that the Danish monarchy used to be elective at that time. Because of Hamlet’s absence for studies in Germany, Claudius managed to convince the council to vote for him.
I researched it and it’s true; the Danish monarchy was elective till 1660, when Frederick III instituted a hereditary monarchy. It would also offer a reasonable explanation for Claudius’ speedy marriage with Gertrude; to secure the votes of a fraction of the council controlled by her clan or family. Wonder where the scientists will take their dissection of Hamlet’s psyche now.
Beyond brilliant (or so my thinking makes it).