Shakespeare: Hamlet

by Paul A. Cantor

Paul Cantor provides a new and clearly structured introduction to Shakespeare's most famous tragedy. Hamlet's status as tragic hero and the central enigma of the delayed revenge are seen in the light of the play's historical place in the Renaissance at the crossroads of the Christian and the classical traditions. The dramatic and poetic techniques used in the play are discussed, and a final chapter deals with the uniquely varied reception of Hamlet on the stage and in literature generally, from the seventeenth century to the present day.

Genres: Literary Criticism, Shakespeare, Fiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul is one sexy mf. I ENJOYED reading this 160+ page long essay on Hamlet, not only because of his brilliant structuring of different aspects one might be delving into regarding Hamlet, but also because simply the way he writes is captivating. It's hardly interesting to read about a book but somehow this was. Furthermore, Cantor gave some really cool points which I hadn't thought about before, or fully linked together, and actually expanded my perception of Hamlet. Cool guy.

[David Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

There have been many explorations of “the Hamlet Problem,” from Goethe’s thought that Hamlet was like a vase that “should have borne only pleasant flowers in its bosom” to Coleridge’s notion that Hamlet allowed his intellect to supplant his action. However, Paul Cantor argues that many of these explanations are old-fashioned and inadequate at best. While they may explain Hamlet’s character, they don’t explain his greatness.

According to Cantor, Hamlet is more attuned to the disparate philosophies of others. He knows how to behave like a prince, yet he equally knows how to converse with the traveling players. And, therefore, he has an awareness of the contradictions of the time, namely, the uneasy relationship between the Christian values of restraint and mercy and the classical ones of glory and domination.

Hamlet is asked to avenge his father’s wrongful death without harming his mother. In other words, he is put in a double bind: if he gets true revenge, then he would need to kill Claudius and Gertrude without losing some part of his soul, but in refraining from matricide, he must show forgiveness.

Cantor makes this argument cogently and does a good job putting it in context. He shows how other contemporary plays attempted to critique the standard revenge thriller but just couldn’t balance it all as well as Shakespeare. He also shows how a similar tension existed in one of the other major works of the period, Paradise Lost, as the story takes the form of an ancient epic, but denies its glory-seeking Satan the role of hero.

The last few sections of the book provide perfunctory comments on the play’s structure and Shakespeare’s language. I would have rather Cantor skipped these and went into more detail on his major argument, as Hamlet’s hesitation is what “gives us access to the heart of the Renaissance.”

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

It gave some very good viewpoints on ‘Hamlet’ and focuses mainly on the context of the Renaissance and thus the divide between classical and Christian values - meaning that Hamlet is unable to fulfil the ghost’s entreaties. This then focuses on the idea of the hero and again whether he is one or not based on the two different ideologies (this was repeated a few times in the book however). Overall insightful, especially to do with what actually happens in the play compared to some critical speculations.

[Shreya Pandey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the play that introduces one to most, if not all the major themes. Very readable and easy to understand!

[Derz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this play way more than King Lear but not enough to give it four stars. Hamlet is a frustrating protagonist. What I find interesting is his transformation from hero to somewhat of an antihero in the middle of the play. He's too whiney for me though and he treats Ophelia like shit. On that note, I didn't really care for any of the female characters in this play and Hamlet's incessant woman hating becomes annoying.

[Claire Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shakespeare is one of my favorite authors. I liked Hamlet the most out of the other works I've been required to read in school - so much so that I actually get really offended when people misinterpret it.

[Hollis Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

If someone I knew was reading 'Hamlet' and finding it difficult, and wanted a short book that explained some of the themes of the play without dumbing-down I would probably recommend this.

[Bana A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

will always be a personal favourite

[Maxwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would have earned five stars but for a few glaring editorial mistakes. A lovely and concise contextualization of Hamlet.