Hamlet (Classic Drama - William Shakespeare) (Clasicos de La Literatura) (Publicaciones del Complejo Teatral de Buenos Aires, #2)

by William Shakespeare

Professor Cedric Watts (Editor), Dr Keith Carabine, Cedric Watts (Editor), and Keith Carabine

Edited, Introduced and Annotated by Cedric Watts, M.A., Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of English, University of Sussex.

The Wordsworth Classics' Shakespeare Series presents a newly-edited sequence of William Shakespeare's works. The Textual editing takes account of recent scholarship while giving the material a careful reappraisal.

Hamlet is not only one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, but also the most fascinatingly problematical tragedy in world literature.

First performed around 1600, this a gripping and exuberant drama of revenge, rich in contrasts and conflicts. Its violence alternates with introspection, its melancholy with humour, and its subtlety with spectacle. The Prince, Hamlet himself, is depicted as a complex, divided, introspective character. His reflections on death, morality and the very status of human beings make him ‘the first modern man’.

Countless stage productions and numerous adaptations for the cinema and television have demonstrated the continuing cultural relevance of this vivid, enigmatic, profound and engrossing drama.

• ISBN10: 1853260096
• ISBN13: 9781853260094
• Publish Date: 5 May 1992 (first published 1 January 1920)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Wordsworth Editions Ltd
• Edition: Annotated edition
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 192
• Language: English

Reviews

[jeannamichel]

Kenneth Branagh is a genius among men. Most of this book is the transcript of Hamlet by Shakespeare since Branagh’s film uses the full story. Still, the film diary and Branagh’s introduction was enlightening. It certainly made me want to watch his film again.

[nightingalereads]

Loved Hamlet. (Both the character and the play)

[celinenyx]

Whew, old English people talk weird!

The only Shakespeare play I know is Romeo and Juliet, which I listened to as audio-play (is that a thing?). I missed a lot of what was going on in that one, but since it was people talking I didn't rewind to try to understand it better. When reading Hamlet as a book, I noticed I don't understand a thing this guy is saying.

Seriously.

I barely notice that I'm a non-native English speaker when I read normal books. I'm at that stage where you just understand the words instead of translating them to your own language in your head, and I read English as fast as I do Dutch. For me it seems that Shakespeare doesn't speak English at all at times. I understand the words - but in the sentences he makes they just don't make sense at all. I was constantly rereading parts to no avail. I understood what was happening and the general story, but once a character started a monologue I was completely lost.

I did enjoy the parts that I did understand. A girl that completely loses her mind, an incestuous marriage, emo dude that sees ghosts, what's not to like? People drop like flies in Hamlet, which I found amusing.

I'll try to watch the play - maybe that will help me understand it better. As for now, I feel a bit lost.

[Linda]

Reading this again started out like a chore, because I HAD to read it for classes, however, I liked it a lot more now than when I was in my teens - wonder why?
I guess I got the subtle things a lot more, and the betrayal that was all around. I wonder if such a story would be as famous if it was written now?