Hamlet

Manga Classics

by Stacy King (Adaptor), Crystal S. Chan (Contributor), Julien Choy (Illustrator)

Hamlet Manga features original story by William Shakespeare with adaptation by Crystal Chan and art by Julien Choy. Hamlet is a tragic story of revenge written by William Shakespeare. Set in Denmark, and originally titled The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, the play tells the story of Prince Hamlet who is ordered by the ghost of his own father to seek revenge on his uncle Claudius. Hamlet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1602. Set in Denmark, and originally titled The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, the play tells the story of Prince Hamlet who is ordered by the ghost of his own father to seek revenge on his uncle Claudius. In his hunger to seize the throne, Claudius had murdered Hamlet’s father (the king of Denmark) and then went on to marry his deceased brother's widow. Hamlet is Shakespeare's longest play and is considered among the most powerful and influential works of world literature. Hamlet was one of Shakespeare's most popular works during his lifetime, and still ranks among his most performed, adapted and filmed plays of his collection.

Genres: Manga, Classics, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Comics, Drama

476 pages, Hardcover

First published January 21, 2020

About the author

Hi there! I'm a Toronto-based writer and editor who works in both prose and graphic novel formats, usually for younger readers.

My current projects include:

Dungeons and Dragons Young Adventurer's Guides - introducing new players to the classic role-playing game through amazing new artwork and streamlined prose.

Manga Classics - faithful adaptations of western literary classics with Japanese-style artwork.

Beyond writing, my interests include historical costuming, comics, manga, young adult fiction, magic realism, chocolate, and the oxford comma.

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

the art is *chef's kiss*

[Laura Díaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

SOBRESALIENTE.

[Jenny Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy the manga classics for the most part, and the Shakespeare plays are turning out to be the better ones content wise. This is the full text of Shakespeare's Hamlet, presented in manga form. All five of his plays in this series are full text. This helps bring the play alive, though there are no notes on the language, which may make it harder for a first time reader of Shakespeare to fully understand. I love the art style in these as well!. Overall, I can most definitely recommend this if you enjoy manga!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is breathtaking. The art is just gorgeous -- crisp and moody, atmospheric and alluring. And the story is "staged" very nicely, suiting the actions to the words in ways that made the story come to life.

I handed this off to my kids when I was done with it. All three of them have read a retelling of Hamlet, so they knew the basics of the story already, and who the characters were. My 14-yr-old and 12-yr-old both read this whole manga, and they did ask me a lot of questions about archaic words, but they did not have trouble understanding the story. My 12-yr-old read part of it and decided it was too creepy and weird, so she stopped reading. I agree with her that the Ghost is quite creepy -- he's supposed to be, but I understand why she would object.

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This manga adaptation of Williams Shakespeare's Hamlet is the perfect way to introduce Shakespeare to readers who might feel intimidated by the original play. The text is modernized, but still captures the original style of Shakespeare. The entire play is intact, and all the beauty of Shakespeare's words comes through wonderfully in this modern adaptation.

I am so impressed with the way the text was modernized, and with the integrity and thoughtfulness that went into editing it. It really does feel like something that Shakespeare would have written if he had been alive today. There is no jarring modern slang to ruin the beauty of the lines. It feels like someone just translated the words from another language, and made it easy to understand for modern readers, but without losing any of the flavor and emotion of the original text.

The beautiful artwork brings the play to life! Every page is just so gorgeous! The art is delicate and attractive. I love the designs for each character. Hamlet is serious and brooding, then suddenly wild and laughing when he is pretending to be crazy. You can really see his different moods through his expressions and body language. Even the shadows around him and little details in his clothing show how his mood changes.

Every character is so expressive and dramatic! Their clothing, their facial expressions, their hair and eyes and body language; it all comes together to paint the perfect picture of these characters. They really come to life!

I have read the original play a couple of times and it was wonderful to see how this wild drama is adapted into manga form! Hamlet is such a tragic figure, and this book perfectly captures the tragedy and ferocity of the story.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

[Teri-K · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Hamlet. It's the full, original text. It's possibly the greatest play ever written. It's also about a very depressed young man who gets more depressed as the story continues. So it's very, very hard for me to read and fully appreciate this, as I'm constantly having to not become depressed myself when I read it. Thus the four stars. It deserves 5 for quality, but I don't "enjoy" reading it, so I'll deduct one.

NB - These full original text Manga are a super way to read Shakespeare, whether it's your twentieth time through the play or your first. The way the text is bubbled means a reader isn't wrestling with the iambic pentameter that throws so many folks, and the drawings help to emphasize important parts.

My 13 year-old grandson read Macbeth this way and was shocked that he liked it and could read it. "I've heard that Shakespeare was the greatest writer ever, but I never thought I'd be able to read him," he told me. For a reluctant or less able reader, or anyone who finds it difficult to read plays or is simply intimidated, I can't recommend these highly enough. For my own part I find experiencing the play a new way to be fascinating, and fun. Except that Hamlet is never fun for me. sigh

[Haley Durfee · Rating 3 out of 5]

The artwork is stunning and perfectly matches the text. It was really interesting to read Shakespeare in modern English and fully understand what he was saying.

Content: (the reason this is only 3 stars)
Shakespeare was quite fond of off-color puns and jokes, something made obvious in the modern English version.
Suicide, sex, and incest are all mentioned and discussed. Nothing overly graphic is depicted.

[Queen V™ · Rating 5 out of 5]

At these mangas are feeding my unhealthy shakespeare obsession?

Yes, yes they are.



Will I continue them?

Why of course.

[Khari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have finished Hamlet, and I cannot recommend this book highly enough! It was awesome! Like, totally, completely, unequivocally awesome! Manga is the perfect medium to read drama and I would go so far as to say that every drama ought to be produced as manga, it was that awesome. I am very seriously considering purchasing every one of the Shakespeare plays that has been converted to manga because it makes Shakespeare so much more accessible to the reader.

I'm an English Lit major and I adore my books, but I have to admit that I never really got Shakespeare. I started working my way through his complete works when I was about 13 and got bogged down and never finished. I did an independent study of him in university and read and did textual analysis of 5 of his plays, but they didn't stick. I didn't walk away having gained anything from reading them that I recall. I think that may have been because, like Chesterton, Shakespeare needs to percolate in your brain a while before you understand his pure genius. At least, I needed that time of philosophical awakening.

Not only is Hamlet full of everyday quotations that have just stayed in our vernacular, but it is full of solid philosophy. I completely get why people pack out the theater to watch this play to this day. It's not just a tale of love, revenge, murder, and adultery, it's an exploration of the meaning of life, the duty of family and country, the line between madness and sanity. It's genius. I feel as though the beginning of the downfall of our society can be pinpointed with scary accuracy to when we stopped requiring the reading of Shakespeare. Or maybe that is too harsh, when we as a society stopped reading or watching Shakespeare for pleasure. There is a lot in here. There is common sense, morality, philosophy, politics, and statesmanship. There are examples of what not to follow and examples of what to follow. Be like Horatio, don't be like Polonius.

That is not to say that I understood everything about this drama, I didn't, but I am assured that I understood more than I would have had I simply read the words alone. It's amazing to me that even though there is so much linguistic variation between the time that I am reading this and the time that it was written and yet there are still lines that cut to the bone. I mean listen to this: "For there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." Shakespeare meets modern psychology. It is how we choose to interpret things that determines how they affect us. We can look at something as a tragedy, or we can look at it as an opportunity, and simply that change in perspective completely transforms the outcomes. Then there is "There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt in your philosophy" which is a perfect comeback to every all-encompassing ideology ever to have possessed someone. It's even a perfect riposte to those such as Krugman who seem to think that they know all there is to know, that their idea of how economies work is the end-all and be-all, perfect for predicting and solving every problem. Alas, no human is capable of understanding everything.

I for instance don't understand Polonius. Well, I mean obviously he's a brown-noser and what he says changes completely depending on who he is with, but I don't understand what he is doing when he sends his servant to France. Is he trying to destroy his son's reputation? Why? Or is this whole scene just to show that Polonius was never worth the loyalty that Ophelia and Laertes paid to him? I don't know. Does anyone else?

[viv · Rating 5 out of 5]

epic

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hamlet (Manga Classics) art by Julien Choy, 464 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Udon Entertainment, 2019. $18. 9781947808126

Language: PG13 (23 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Hamlet is appalled by how quickly everyone moves on from his father’s, the king’s, death -- even his mother is remarrying when she should be in mourning. Then Hamlet sees his father’s ghost and learns that he was murdered. The need for vengeance consumes Hamlet, and nothing will stand in his way.

The visuals in this graphic novel adaptation are beautiful, as per the standard I have seen with Manga Classics, and they helped convey how dramatic the characters are. I love the clarity granted to the reader from the illustrations that accompany Shakespeare’s words, though I found that this classic is more difficult to understand than other adapted classics, needing other supplements to help me interpret what happens in certain scenes. The mature content rating is for innuendo and mentions of prostitution; the violence rating is for blood, murder, and suicide.

Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2020...

[Hannah Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can I just get all of Shakespeare’s plays adapted into Manga?

I really enjoyed this. Not all the choices of staging and characterization are what I would have preferred (why is Horatio such a milk-sop), but that’s true for any adaptation on stage. In some ways, however, this is a Much better way to experience the play that reading it, if you can’t watch it performed.

Shakespeare’s works are PLAYS not books. They were always meant to be seen and heard. So this is as close to a performance as you can get in book-form.

One thing I really missed, however was the verse-format. There is something lost when we can’t see how the text would be laid out on the original page.

That aside... who doesn’t want a pretty Anime-Bishie Hamlet? ^_^

[Cam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I fucking loved it, this is my favorite manga adaptation so far. It's just perfect, the designs, the characters, the script! It was the original script from the play, which got me more invested in the story. Also, my bisexual heart stopped working when Hamlet and Ophelia showed up.

[sam bam · Rating 4 out of 5]

hamlet kinda hot doe

[Rain R]

The story begins with the return of Hamlet to Denmark after his father’s death. He is shocked to find his uncle Claudius on the throne and his mother Gertrude married to him. Hamlet is visited by his father’s ghost, who reveals that Claudius murdered him and demands that Hamlet avenge his death.
The author wrote the graphic novel adaptation of Hamlet to bring Shakespeare’s classic play to new audiences in a visually engaging and accessible format.

The genre of this story is drama. It explores themes of revenge, betrayal, madness, and moral corruption, making it a classic example of dramatic literature.

In the graphic novel adaptation of Hamlet, the setting and characters were portrayed in an interesting and visually engaging manner. The author’s style was characterized by a blend of traditional Shakespearean language with modern graphic novel elements, creating a unique tone and mood that captured the original play. The plot moved along well, maintaining the suspense and intrigue of the story. While the overall story line remained faithful to Shakespeare’s work, there were creative explanations and visual depictions that added depth to the story.

Overall Hamlet Graphic Novel is a gripping adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy that captures the characters through vivid illustrations and engaging storytelling. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that's interested in character adaptation and that's interested in drama and also loves Shakespeare stories.

[Stven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shakespeare, literary monument though he may be, unrivaled poet laureate of the English language and the Monty Python of his day, can be exceedingly difficult for a 21st-century audience. There are so, so many unfamiliar words and phrases. "Threatening the flames with bisson rheum; a clout upon that head where late the diadem stood, and for a robe, about her lank and all o'er-teemed loins, a blanket, in the alarm of fear caught up; who this had seen, with tongue in venom steep'd....." There's no way I can make sense of this torrent of words without laboriously puzzling them out and having a dictionary hip to archaic English at the ready. (Online Cliff's Notes suggest "blinding tears" for "bisson rheum," by the way.)

For me in my particular precarious position in history, it turns out that a manga rendering of Hamlet is the best chance I've ever had to get a handle on this story. I get what I would get the benefit of with a live performance, to wit, the setting of the scene and a depiction of the characters and the actions and emotions of their moments on stage, but I also get those labyrinthine speeches slowed down to where I have half a chance of understanding them. I don't actually sit there with a dictionary and parse every word, but I do take my time and use the contextual clues to get some sense of what the characters are saying.

I believe this is the best thing that's happened to Shakespeare since Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet.

[Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hamlet is the tragedy of a young man driven to murder and madness, feigned and real. As with the rest of the Manga Classics series, Chan has here kept the full script of Hamlet intact. For readers who cannot make it to the theater to see Hamlet performed and for those who struggle to read the original, in particular, this is an accessible and appealing alternative. The visuals offer insights into the play, for example in the way that a character’s duplicity is shown with two versions of their face, each with different expressions, making concrete what is being discussed in the dialogue. Watch who is wearing shoes, that will give a clue as who is not in his or her right mind. Chan and Choy visualize Shakespeare's metaphors by depicting animals roaring and slithering through scenes. They don't shy away from the violence of the play; there are blood splatters galore, and Hamlet's father's death by poisoning is particularly grisly. The book concludes with information from Chan about her research on Danish castles. Udon offers teacher guides with lesson plans for its adaptations, which teachers using the book will find helpful.
Manga classics include Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
I'd give it 3 1/2 stars if that were allowed on Good Reads

[Carolina Colleene · Rating 2 out of 5]

Language: PG13 (23 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG13; Violence: PG13
Hamlet is appalled by how quickly everyone moves on from his father’s, the king’s, death -- even his mother is remarrying when she should be in mourning. Then Hamlet sees his father’s ghost and learns that he was murdered. The need for vengeance consumes Hamlet, and nothing will stand in his way.
The visuals in this graphic novel adaptation are beautiful, as per the standard I have seen with Manga Classics, and they helped convey how dramatic the characters are. I love the clarity granted to the reader from the illustrations that accompany Shakespeare’s words, though I found that this classic is more difficult to understand than other adapted classics, needing other supplements to help me interpret what happens in certain scenes. The mature content rating is for innuendo and mentions of prostitution; the violence rating is for blood, murder, and suicide.
Reviewed for https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/

[Sophia Castillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Downright hilarious. Hamlet's colossal flair for the dramatic lends itself well to this kind of adaptation, where theatrics are expected to be amped up beyond what is humanely possible.

Some of my favorite parts include:
- Hamlet walking around with a book on his face
- hop hop hop
- Hamlet bending over backwards to talk to Polonius
- Hamlet crawling around his book like a lizard muttering "words... WoRdS... WORDS..."
- Get thee to a nunnery!!
- King/Uncle: Our son shall win.
Queen/Mom: He's fat


Although preserving the full unabridged text made the adaptation a little more difficult/time-consuming to read, it make sense given that Shakespeare (and theatre is general) is prone to be interpreted in various ways. I appreciated the illustrator's dedication to preserving the ambiguity of the text wherever possible, such as the famous "To be, or not to be" soliloquy.

[Rubi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually a lot more interesting than I remember. Alas, it's a tragedy so I don't like the ending. But it's full of action and counter actions and even though I knew the events, I was still rooting for crazy Hamlet and felt bad for Ophelia, who died thinking Hamlet didn't love her 🙁
Really enjoyed it and highly recommend for a refresh on Hamlet 👍

[F. O. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do I like the story of Hamlet? No. But am I impressed at how much work went into adapting it into manga? Yes. I also figure that if Shakespeare meant for his plays to be watched by an audience, reading it in manga form is closer to what was originally intended than just reading the script myself. I am on a Manga Classics kick!

[Branthly Sauveur · Rating 5 out of 5]

The artwork was stunning. I read the full-text original version not the modern version and it was amazing. I would not have trudged through that Old English any other way. Going to try and read Macbeth next. I was able to use the art to get context clues on what was being said and the message being sent. It was overall a phenomenal read. Definitely re-readable and fun time.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this randomly at a used bookstore and I ended up really enjoying it. As much as I love Shakespeare, I do not like reading plays and reading the full text in a manga format made the experience so much more enjoyable for me.

Definitely makes the play much more accessible, I really appreciate this edition.

[Christopher Madsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really great way to bring Shakespere to a young audience. The full text of the play illustrated as a graphic novel. Manga is not my favorite illustration style but this book gave me the opportunity to really look at and understand the language in a way i wouldn't have just reading the straight text.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent adaptation. It sticks to the original text entirely, and the visualization provided by the art is largely carefully thought out. I can see this working well for somebody who absolutely needs to read the play but struggles to picture the action with only stage directions.

[Brooke Geweke · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a pretty good classic manga, I think tho I got more out of the original play than this but it was still very entertaining

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

God, I just love this play so much...

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent presentation of a classic! The illustrations, like live actors, make it much easier to follow and understand the language, in both form and content.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this overall. I'm more of a casual Shakespeare fan so I actually learned a little about some of the original text's meaning.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never knew I needed a Hamlet manga, but I did. The drawings are clever, effective, and true to the spirit of the play. I enjoyed myself immensely.