Hamlet (Folger Shakespeare Library)

Sensational. This is seriously challenging The Tempest to be my most favourite play and story of all time. It should be compulsory reading for all of humanity. Hamlet is the tale of a young and lonely Prince struggling with the grief of his father’s death, “O God, God, / How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable / Seem to me all the uses of this world!” The premise of the play is grief, and its initial themes are bereavement and loss. I think this is the reason for its unwavering popularity and why it has only become more of an object of fascination over the centuries. The dark seductions of death are irresistible, especially when set against a backdrop of despair. It is in our nature to be drawn to the most fundamental of human fears, the eternal question of the “undiscovered country”, what lies after death. But when the ghost of Hamlet’s father appears, the play expands to encompass not only loss, but murder, suicide, jealousy and vengeance. From the most famous speech of all time, “to be or not to be”, to the most famous image of all time, Hamlet in the graveyard with the nameless skulls, the play channels our most passionate emotions and forces us to consider the nature of death, the very conscience itself, and the consequences of unbridled vengeance. Shakespeare wrote it at the time of a great tragedy in his life, the death of his 11 year old son, Hamnet, and the intensity of the play is partly due to this familiarity with the graveyard and with burying one’s brightest hopes. Hamlet struggles with the concept of the afterlife throughout the play, and it becomes something that tortures him incessantly. He is constantly held back from rash action by his conscience, by his morality, and the more this makes us like him, the more it makes him loathe himself. The question is, why to this day does Hamlet remain so relevant? I think it is because it begins with the untimely death of a loved one, and all the pain and heartbreak that comes with the realisation that though your world has been shattered, everyone else’s simply continues. Grief is a ghastly immovable thing, especially at the sharp end, it feels engulfing, intractable, but it is an emotion of such raw power that everyone can relate to it in their own way. Essentially, the Ghost tells Hamlet that his Uncle Claudius really murdered the King and that he must “revenge his foul and most unnatural murder”, as “the serpent that did sting thy father’s life / Now wears his crown.” So Hamlet is burdened with the task of avenging his father, one that is made all the more difficult by the dark and dangerous world he lives in: Denmark’s courts of intrigue, deception and corruption. And this atmosphere is felt by everyone, the air is heavy with it, as the soldier Marcellus so poignantly remarks, “Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” With these layers upon layers of surveillance we are constantly on edge, never quite sure which side everyone is on and who is overhearing what for what end. It is my belief that Hamlet works out quite quickly that he is being watched, as he ensures his Uncle is convinced he is mad, therefore giving himself the time and opportunity and disguise to figure out exactly what to do. After all, the spies are everywhere… In this building chaos, we see Hamlet’s true thoughts and feelings emerge from the turmoil through his masterfully lucid and poignant soliloquies. And one of these has become the most famous speech in all of literature, when the troubled Prince asks himself the question that every single person considers at one time or another in their life: what is the point? To have these questions that every individual confronts privately to be so publicly confronted in a voice of such control, such thoughtfulness, such poignancy, is extraordinarily powerful. As Hamlet is alone, posing this question so explicitly, the audience inevitably begins to consider it and we try to come up with our own answers. And so Hamlet becomes a deeply personal character as he channels all this emotion and addresses probably the greatest fear of our species: death. There’s something about it that transcends time and place. We can always identify with moments of crisis but it is so resonant and powerful because it deals with the desire to simply escape, to give up. Indeed it is powerful to ask these questions even now but in Shakespeare’s time it was revolutionary. Suicide was utterly forbidden, illegal, something that if someone was accused of they would be exiled from society and executed, a stake through the heart. And yet here is a man rationally considering his options, actually considering suicide. The only thing that appears to hold him back is “the rub”, a greater fear and a greater source of sorrow and despair, “the dread of something after death.” From the masterpiece that is the play within a play to Hamlet's lightning fall into darkness, the ending of the play has to be the bloodiest in the entire Shakespearean canon. Ultimately, Hamlet achieves his vengeance more by accident than by design. He has had little control over any of it. What is most striking is that he actually asks for Laertes’ forgiveness, suggesting a definite mental change. He has reconciled with the idea of death, no longer fearing the supernatural. He does blame his actions on his madness but the guilt at assuming full responsibility would no doubt destroy him. And so his morality is hindered by the strength of his honour. But it is in his very last speech with his dying breaths that he finally faces death and the question of the “undiscovered country”, staring into the afterlife. And almost with relief he has an eerie awareness that there is nothing, just a void, “the rest is silence.” The fact that this realisation gives him such a powerful feeling of calm and peace is truly moving, and so refreshing. We should not be afraid of a void, we should welcome the beauty of the silence. The sheer poignancy of the scene is in his plea to Horatio for his story to be told, for the play to be performed and performed again. So Hamlet’s life was not in vain. It does not end in silence.

SHAKESPEARE, William, “HAMLET”, Thompson, Ann and Taylor, Neil (Eds), 2006, Arden Shakespeare, Bloomsbury Press, ISBN: 978-1-4725-1838-5 9800, Paperback CAVEAT: When editors are involved, book listings are difficult. I opted for Shakespeare as the main entry as that is what most readers will be searching. For anyone “just” looking for a copy of “Hamlet”, this is not your edition. For anyone studying the play below Advanced level, this is not your edition. This Arden edition is a six hundred page, “door stop”, forty centimetres thick; it is critical and historical commentary, research, authoritative scholarship of the very highest order. The Arden scholars’ edition’s reputation is well-earned. Pages 1-175 - research and literary criticism Pages 177 - 494 - “Hamlet” text BUT three quarters of each page is notes and/or detailed commentary. Pages 494 - 600 - Appendices, notes and index. Arden Shakespeare’s are for researchers and students above Advanced level, “casual” reading they are not. I bought my copy second-hand to replace one which has seen better days after careful study. I was delighted. For £3.50, my copy looks new. I am not trying to dissuade readers from the Ardens, just providing clarity. The edition quality is excellent - paper, binding, fonts, etc. A six hundred page paperback needs puts a strain on even the best glue spines. For those searching for the plot, a brief plot is below. “HAMLET” PLOT Prince Hamlet of Denmark is devastated by the sudden death of his father, King Hamlet, and angered when his mother, Queen Gertrude, quickly marries his uncle Claudius, who has seized the throne. The ghost of Hamlet’s father appears, revealing that Claudius murdered him. Hamlet vows revenge but struggles with doubt, morality, and his own hesitation. To confirm Claudius’s guilt, Hamlet stages a play mirroring the murder, which unsettles the king. Claudius plots against Hamlet, while Hamlet’s erratic behaviour drives Ophelia (his love interest) into madness and eventual death. In the final act, a duel between Hamlet and Ophelia’s brother Laertes turns deadly. Poison and treachery lead to the deaths of Gertrude, Laertes, Claudius, and finally Hamlet himself—leaving the Danish throne to Prince Fortinbras of Norway. Like operas, I make no comment on the plot, just point out that “Shakespeare” is found in the language, the spoken words of the actors. The heightened language, imagery and neologisms are Shakespeare. Comprehensive Arden editions, heighten the experience still further. Choose your edition to ensure your enjoyment of “Hamlet”, Shakespeare at his richest.

This is a large book and it won't suit you at all if you're looking for something portable, but that aside I'd highly recommend it if you don't mind spending the money. I'm sure there are superior editions for people who care more about the text than the appearance, but it's my weakness that I like book to be a nice object. I personally don't see the point or attraction of the illustrations that are cut over several pages but there aren't that many of them. In my copy one or two pages were imperfectly printed which was disappointing but not enough to spoil the overall product. Reading through the work is made quite easy as notes and explanations are always on the facing page. I also enjoyed the introductory essay. I will be buying more of these and I hope they go on to print more than the four plays currently available.

2nd hand and very good quality. This book has a vast introduction and appendices. It’s full of information and pictures to give a full experience of Hamlet and how to appreciate the text.

How dare he hath the temerity to thus critic the Bard of bards? Absolutely no doubt that there is some of Shakespeare's finest language to be found in here, but I still think it's one of his daftest plots and, despite the efforts of a long line of greatest thespians who've established careers on wrestling with it, his most unrealisable character. I mean why? Sure, your uncle has murdered your dad and married your mum, and your dad's ghost is understandably upset. That's a good basis for a plot. But dad's ghost wants his teenage boy to exact revenge upon the uncle without a care that that just might be a little too much to ask. And the boy sets about doing it in the most extremely roundabout manner conceivable, that eventually maximises collateral damage, leaving everyone dead at the end, variously of poison, sword thrusts and suicide. The boy's plan, insofar as he has one, involves pretending to be mad, but pretending only for some and not others, which sometimes gets awkward for us and the characters to keep track of. And the reason for adopting this circuitous ploy is all so Shakespeare can set a play inside a play, the upshot of which is merely to show the uncle and his mum that he knows what their game is, which he could have just said to start off with. Then we end with the massive sword fight that again, we could have just had to start with without all the faux madness shenanigans and self-referential theatre. But still we get the greatest language; wit, soliloquies, insights into the human condition. So good in fact it still has to get five stars despite the ludicrous plot.

Now in their third round of edition, it started in the XIX century, the Arden series are deep and long reviews and essays on the works of Shakespeare. They review the different versions of the plays and sonnets - focusing in the quartos and folio and make a very thorough study on the spelling, punctuation, grammar and typos. It is hard to rate anything on Shakespeare with three stars only, but in my opinion, these books are not for the general reader, only for scholars and students of literature. Due to the numerous footnotes it is very hard to follow the play, so it is easy to read it in a conventional edition. The notes and essays are long, taking hundreds of pages and, eventually (again, when the reader is not a scholar), the read is a tad tedious. To conclude, a well of knowledge for scholars and students; for the general reader, do go to one of the many editions of annotated complete works (my favorite, the RSC published in 2007).

How can Shakespeare be anything other than excellent.? MH

Obviously for criticism of the text, Amazon reviews is hardly the place so I am reviewing the Penguin Popular Classic edition. For £2 this edition is fairly good quality, although the paper is extremely thin and the cover creases easily. The book contains no notes so for learning isn't the best but for revision or performance it suffices, although making notes in the margin can only really be achieved with a pencil or a biro; the paper is as absorbent as tissue paper. You can download this for free but if you'd rather have a basic physical copy then this is exactly what you're looking for.

Back in the late 60's, I saw a movie version of Hamlet at the Odeon theatre in my hometown. I looked up Hamlet productions on the IMDB and find that it was likely the 1989 movie with Nicol Williamson as Hamlet. I had taken five Shakespeare plays in high school but not Hamlet. I was unfamiliar with the play beyond the usual quotations from it. I didn't understand a word of it. Looking at the commentary on the Internet, I find that I was not alone in this. William spoke in a thick brogue and very quickly. At the time, I put up my lack of understanding as a lack of capability on my part. Hamlet was for other people who had a more subtle intelligence than mine. Imagine my surprise then when I saw Kenneth Branagh’s four-hour movie version of the uncut play. This was fast moving, exciting, insightful and powerful drama interspersed with some very funny comedy. Hamlet was completely accessible even to someone like me. Perhaps, it wasn’t me who was lacking subtlety but the previous versions of the play that I had seen with their cuts and impenetrable dialog were the things that were lacking subtlety. These were productions of a meta-Hamlet. People could be familiar with the play and recognize parts of it in the production and appreciate the play and the production in that way. Given my experience with Branagh’s version, I looked forward to reading the play as part of my project to read all the literature that I was assigned to read in school but didn’t. I’ve read my five high school plays and have moved on to attempt to read as many of the plays as possible. I found the Folger editions of the plays and with their side-by-side notes. I’ve found that I can read these plays with what I think is some degree of understanding. Each Folger edition has a brief essay on the play from a modern perspective. The Hamlet essay pointed out that the interpretation of the play has changed markedly over the centuries. Earlier critics looked at the personality of Hamlet and found him to be someone who was not capable of dealing with the issues that he faced. The author of the Folger essay points out that modern critics look more to the society in which the action takes place. They see an analog of the modern surveillance state in the actions of the characters to constantly spy on each other’s actions. The Danish court in Hamlet is one in which there is no common purpose. Characters vie with character for advantage. Each is out for his own benefit and are indifferent to the consequences of their ambition on others. Claudius murders the king and conspires to kill Hamlet multiple times. Hamlet is indifferent to the deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and the pain to which he put Ophelia. Hamlet is a revenge play, but it is a revenge play in which those seeking revenge are as lacking as their enemies. The Folger edition says that the play can carry many readings and that is the reading that it carries for me. I have seen this in some other Shakespeare Plays. The Henry IV plays argue against the ambitions that cause the death and famine of internecine wars. Hamlet carries a play within a play that mimics the Danish court. However, for me, the Danish court is also a play that carries on in its own action indifferent to the factors of the real world. The players conspire against each other while in the real world the army of Fortinbras approaches to destroy the artificial world that they create among themselves. In this, I see the essential weakness of the surveillance state. We are faced with this same issue today as Shakespeare pointed out in his own time. Self-interest and suspicion breed only pain, hinger and death. The society they enable is unstable. It has no centre and cannot hold.

Más que una tragedia, es un laboratorio de la conciencia humana. Shakespeare desmonta aquí, con una elegancia feroz, las capas del pensamiento: duda, memoria, deseo, miedo, lucidez súbita y desmoronamiento inevitable. Cada monólogo palpita como si hubiera sido escrito esta mañana; cada silencio pesa más que cualquier gesto heroico. Lo sorprendente no es que Hamlet sea un clásico, sino que siga siendo un misterio. La obra rehúye la interpretación definitiva, y en esa resistencia reside su grandeza. El lenguaje —a ratos afilado, a ratos casi hipnótico— captura esa región imprecisa donde la razón se quiebra y la tragedia deja de ser un formato para convertirse en una experiencia. En un tiempo saturado de narrativas que explican demasiado, Hamlet continúa recordándonos que la literatura más poderosa no aclara: profundiza. Es una obra inagotable, vigente por la simple razón de que seguimos luchando con las mismas sombras que persiguen a su príncipe.

Hamlet is, of course, a great work that gets better with each rereading. The Folger edition ebooks of his plays are the best ebook versions of Shakespeare I have found so far because of how easy they made it to access the footnotes in the book. Unfortunately, the essays in the Folger editions tend to be boring and repetitious. That said, there is still a lot of good comment available online so it is less critical to have it in the ebook itself.

Très bon livre, avec explication des mots compliqués et du vieil anglais, commentaire et biographie de l'auteur. Idéal pour les étudiants en littérature

... which is best summarized in the pithy formulation that is a principal "takeaway" from this classic Shakespearean play: "To be or not to be, that is the question." Indeed, it is a gloomy play, with more than one character wondering if life is really worth it. The play commences with a ghost, who is Hamlet's father, who has returned to haunt the living, since he was murdered - by his brother, who is now the King. Furthermore, the reader learns early on, the wife of the now dead King quickly marries the new King; no "decent interval" required. And yes, she is the mother of Hamlet. That's the setup; Cliff Notes, as it has for generations of students, can walk you through the rest of the plot. I'll only add that not many of the principals are left standing at the end. And like those aforementioned generations of students, I was once one myself, though now I am "way past school." And like the vast majority of students, those Shakespearean school reading assignments rather perversely instilled a desire never to read Shakespeare again. At a very real level, one is just too young in high school to "get it." And the "stilted" language of the English of the Middle Ages only makes it harder. Perhaps the only way to instill a desire to read him in school would be to forbid it. I've been re-reading a number of works that I had to read in school, to see how the work and my perception of it have aged. "Hamlet" is a re-read. Now I've been able to observe, over several decades, the "craziness" that seems to come to people with power, as well as those who desire it. I now have known those who have died, and might call out for vengeance from beyond the grave. And I have observed the angst and indecisiveness in others, as so well depicted in the character of Hamlet. Ophelia, the young woman who Hamlet may have loved, has become a symbol for troubled young women, and she has lent her name to the title to a book or two. And there were some very famous women who followed her path, such as Virginia Woolf. I also know a few very real Danes, but they are far from angst-ridden. The most famous soliloquy, "To Be...," I mentioned earlier. It has been decades since I thought of that famous contemplation of death: "Alas, poor Yorick!- I knew him well..." Also, for decades, I've made references to getting something done "before we shake off this mortal coil" thinking it was probably somewhere in the Bible - but it turns out it was from Hamlet. And I thought Ben Franklin had said: "Neither a borrower or a lender be," so I was surprised to also find it in Hamlet. And then there were those I hadn't remembered or attributed, correctly or not, such as: "What is a man, If his chief good and market of his time Be but to sleep and feed? A beast, no more..." Overall, the re-read was a great experience. And it is now so easy to download the plays, one at a time, for under a buck, unto the Kindle. I've set myself a goal of trying to read one a month, starting with the re-reads of the major tragedies, and then on to some of the comedies and histories which I had not read before. For Hamlet, 5-stars.