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Summary: Shakespeare's Finest
Review: A tragedy by William Shakespeare, written around 1599-1601. Before the play opens, the king of Denmark has been murdered by his brother, Claudius, who has taken the throne and married the queen, Gertrude. The ghost of the dead king visits his son, Prince Hamlet, and urges him to avenge the murder. Hamlet, tormented by this revelation, appears to be mad and cruelly rejects Ophelia whom he loved. Using a troupe of visiting players to act out his father's death, the prince prompts Claudius to expose his own guilt. Hamlet then kills Ophelia's father Polonius in mistake for Claudius, and Claudius tries but fails to have Hamlet killed. Ophelia drowns herself in grief, and her brother Laertes fights a duel with Hamlet. Hamlet's dilemma is often seen as typical of those whose thoughtful nature prevents quick and decisive action. Hamlet contains several fine examples of soliloquy, such as " To be or not to be" and Hamlet's earlier speech lamenting his mother's hasty remarriage and Claudius' reign which opens "O! that this too too solid flesh would melt". Much quoted lined "Neither a borrower nor a lender be", "Something is rotten in the stste of Denmark", "Brevity is the soul of wit", "To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;" The lady doth protest too much, methinks," and "Alas, poor Yorick". Arguably Shakespeare's finest play and one that can be read again and again.
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Summary: the best work of world lit
Review: enough said? what can be said. mind, body, soul is explored to its fullest extent and we leave asking way too many questions that what we can in with. i feel prenentious just writing about the work. i'm not worthy but everyone is human enough to take something away from this, if nothing else a fear of treating your father poorly and having him come back to haunt you :)
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Summary: Simply the best play every written
Review: If there was any one novel or play which defines Shakespeare as the greatest writer in the English language, that play would be Hamlet. In it, Shakespeare combines comedy, tragedy, drama and philosophy all with stunning and unimaginable grace. The author's ability to manupilate the English language into such poingnant speech is truly astounding, and there is no better example of his abilities than in Hamlet.
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Summary: HAMLET - A great play made EASY
Review: The Shakespeare Made Easy series makes reading the Elizabethan English understandable with the use of side-by-side text as oppose to traditional footnotes and annotation. By removing what is a reading obstacle for many, the plays of Shakespeare can be enjoyed for their brilliance and depth. With the side-by-side text, I found myself unconsciously bouncing between the 'old' and the 'new' English based on my interest and comprehension of the words and the play. With the translated version, for example, it made reading Hamlet's famous soliloquies a pleasure to ponder and to begin to understand. The editor's Introduction gives a concise overview of the life and times of William Shakespeare. It is certainly enough for the casual reader, and but just a rudimentary beginning for any serious student. I have a better understanding of Hamet today than I did when I was in college more than two decades ago. The Shakespeare Made Easy series makes reading these great plays fun at any age; and probably a prerequisite for the undergraduate.
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Summary: Essential listening
Review: I listened to this version of Hamlet over and over again in preparation for a production I costumed last year. And I still listen to it on long car rides -- it's a great production. Having the full text read so well led me to new insights about the characters. Contrasting these interpretations to those of our own actors showed how flexible Shakespeare's writing is. And listening to the full text helped me understand why our director cut what she did. While the volume level is sometimes uneven (as it always seems to be with BBC Radio and TV productions), this is still essential listening for anyone preparing to act in, direct, or study Hamlet. Branagh is, well, Branagh -- sometimes the ego gets in the way, and sometimes he is astounding. The "oh, that this too, too sullied flesh would melt" speech is one of my favorites -- he falls into a wonderful rhythm that just carries it forward at the perfect pace. I think he handles the "my thoughts be bloody, or nothing worth" speech better here than in the film version -- the shouting and musical crescendo overwhelmed what should have been a more intimate speech. In any case, buy and listen -- you won't regret it.
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Summary: MAXnotes for Hamlet
Review: I have seen 5 different types of these aid books and this one is by far the easiest to understand, as well as the most in depth. It explains hamlet to you in a way that is easy to understand and interesting. I would recommend this book out of all the other Litterary aid's for Hamlet.
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Summary: My students were never so happy
Review: ...as when I told them about this book. It makes both content and context much easier. They understand what is being said and why it is important. I recommend this series to anyone studying Shakespeare. It cuts through all the language barriers and leaves you with and easily understandable text.
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Summary: What Is The Meaning of Hamlet?
Review: Hamlet is considered, by many scholars, the pinnacle of Shakespeare's dramas. If you haven't read it yet this this Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism edition would be a great place to begin. The text notes that are included with the play are very helpful to understand some of the more difficult language nuances that are inevitable with any Shakespeare. The structure is well laid out and conclusive. It complements the complexity of Hamlet very well. Of course Hamlet is one of the great paradoxes and mysteries every written. The search of finding yourself and what it is that fuels the human spirit. Hamlet can be a very confusing play because of the depth of substance. However, the critical essays that suppliment the reading make it very accessable. Each of the critical essays are of different schools of literary criticism: Feminist Criticism, psychoanalytic criticism, post-structuralist (deconstuctionist) criticism, Marxist critism, and finally a New Historicist criticism. Before each critism there is clearly written introduction to explain the motives and histories of that type of criticism. This edition of Hamlet will not only introduce the reader to more Shakespeare, but also explain the play and help to familiarize the reader with literary criticism too. It is a beautiful volume that cannot be more recommended if you are wanting to buy a copy Hamlet.
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Summary: Hamlet is timeless!
Review: Hamlet is one of those few plays that will still be taught a 1000 years from now since it deals with the basic morals of society. My favorite line is when Hamlet complains about Denmark being a prison and states the following: "Why, then,'tis none to you, for there is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so. To me, it is a prison." This will always be true since, what people think a feel are all based on perception.
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Summary: WONDERFUL!
Review: This is a MUST read book! Have you ever read any Shakespeare books? well, if you haven't, now's the time to start! Hamlet was the first book i've read of Shakespeare and I loved it! and I think you will too. After I read Hamlet, I started to read Othello, Julius Ceaser, and all the other Shakespeare books. I still have a few to read, but i just love them! This book will hook you on and if you're traveling, this is a great book to bring on the plane! Trust me, this book is DEFINATELY worth buying!
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