William Shakespeare, HamletNo English play has proved as consistently challenging, as open to re-interpretation or as probing in its exploration of conscience as Hamlet. For this critical study, Sydney Bolt isolates six significant factors of the play - the plot, stagecraft, speech, roles, themes and the nature of tragedy - and demonstrates how Shakepeare's use of them has given us some of the most profound and universal drama ever written. The play is then examined in its historical context and compared with other Elizabethan revenge tragedies. There is also a discussion of the meaning of tragedy, and Hamlet is reviewed in the light of both classical and contemporary theories. -- |
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action actor playing ambiguity Amleth appears audience audience's behaviour BEST IN PAPERBACKS CALIFORNIA SANTA CRUZ characters Claudius Claudius's Closet Scene comparison conscience conventional court courtier CRUZ The University CRUZ UNIVERSITY Denmark disgust effect Elizabethan Elizabethan stage emotions example father fencing match final scene Fortinbras fourth soliloquy Gertrude Gertrude's Ghost Hamlet Hamlet's death heaven hero Hieronimo Horatio iamb iambic pentameter killed king Laertes Library The University lines Lussurioso madness means mind misogyny mother murder noble prince Nunnery Scene Oedipus Rex opening scene Ophelia Osrick passage passion performance play-within-the-play players Polonius prose Pyrrhus question revenge tragedy revenger's Revenger's Tragedy rhetoric role of malcontent role of revenger Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Shakespeare significance similar soldier speaks stage direction story syllable tells theatre theatrical third soliloquy thou tragic uncle University Library UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA/SANTA Ur-Hamlet verse villain Vindice warning watch words