William Shakespeare's "Hamlet"

by Ann Thompson, Neil Taylor

One of the most frequently read and performed of all stage works, Shakespeare's Hamlet is unsurpassed in its complexity and richness. Now the most extensively annotated version of Hamlet to date makes the play completely accessible to readers in the twenty-first century. It has been carefully assembled with students, teachers, and the general reader in mind.Eminent linguist and translator Burton Raffel offers generous help with vocabulary and usage of Elizabethan English, pronunciation, prosody, and alternative readings of phrases and lines. His on-page annotations provide readers with all the tools they need to comprehend the play and begin to explore its many possible interpretations. This version of Hamlet is unparalleled for its thoroughness and adherence to sound historical linguistics. In his introduction, Raffel offers important background on the origins and previous versions of the Hamlet story, along with an analysis of the characters Hamlet and Ophelia. And in a
concluding essay, Harold Bl

Genres: Classics

Paperback

Published June 1, 2004

Reviews

[Shinldk69 · Rating 5 out of 5]

j'avais peur de le lire pcq c'est la pièce la plus longue de shakespeare mais c'est vraiment un banger

[adrianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

mai són suficients relectures de hamlet

[Michele]

It's Shakespeare. Not exactly a beach read but not horrible. I did use Spark Notes as an accompaniment so that I could get all the meaning
.

[Shahine Ardeshir]

I picked this book up hoping to gain some insight or perspective on a play I know and love dearly. Unfortunately, what I got instead was a lot of reminders of the plot and language used, as well as some history around possible sources. Nothing more. I didn't have a single 'aha' moment while reading Ann Thompson's critique.

That being said, it's no doubt an extremely diligently-researched and very articulate read. The language is impeccable, the knowledge of the play itself, its many performances and the historical context around it is unquestionably detailed. But for me, each section was missing a purpose, an agenda, a point (or several) that the writer would want to convey. And after a while, I tired of the intellectual jabber.

Not worth a read, in my opinion. Would have rather just read the original play again.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read Hamlet. Love Hamlet.