Hamlet and Revenge

by Eleanor Prosser

Reexamines Elizabethan attitudes toward revenge and challenges traditional interpretations of Hamlet's ethical dilemma

Genres: Shakespeare, Criticism

Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

Reviews

[Kevin Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to stumble across a copy of this in a thrift store about 10 years ago. It's exactly what historical criticism should be -- Prosser investigates how Shakespeare's contemporary audiences would have reacted to and thought about various elements of the play, and analyzes the implications that has for our own understanding of _Hamlet_.

I'd recommend this for anyone seriously interested in _Hamlet_ or (more generally) revenge tragedies. Compared to some of the criticism that I had to slog through in college, this was a relatively easy and approachable read.

It's hard to find copies of this today, but if you do come across it in a used bookstore or at a library sale, snatch up a copy -- if not for yourself, then for that niece, nephew, or neighbor who's thinking of majoring in English and could use an example of good academic work that really illuminates the text that's being studied.

[Razi · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far the best piece of historical criticism I have come across. Prosser reconstructs the Elizabethan stage conventions, demonology, religious beliefs, political situations and reads Shakespeare's play in the light of her findings. A must-read for any serious student of Hamlet.