Shakespeare: Hamlet

Cantor provides a clearly structured introduction to Shakespeare's most famous tragedy.

Paul A. Cantor (Author)

9780521549370, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 13 May 2004

118 pages
19.8 x 12.9 x 0.6 cm, 0.12 kg

'… provides a clear introduction to Hamlet …' Cahiers Élisabéthains

In this useful guide, Paul Cantor provides a clearly structured introduction to Shakespeare's most famous tragedy. Cantor examines Hamlet's status as tragic hero and the central enigma of the delayed revenge in the light of the play's Renaissance context. He offers students a lucid discussion of the dramatic and poetic techniques used in the play. In the final chapter he deals with the uniquely varied reception of Hamlet on the stage and in literature generally from the seventeenth century to the present day.

Chronology
Part I. Hamlet and the Renaissance: 1. The Renaissance context
2. Heroism in the Renaissance epic tradition
3. Tragedy and Renaissance man
4. The place of Hamlet in Shakespeare's career
Part II. The Tragedy of Hamlet: 5. The problem of Hamlet
6. Hamlet and the revenge play tradition
7. Hamlet and classical heroism
8. Hamlet and Christianity
9. Hamlet as tragic hero
10. The end of Hamlet
Part III. Dramatic and Poetic Technique: 11. The drama of Hamlet
12. The language of Hamlet
Part IV. The Heritage of Hamlet: 13. Hamlet in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries
14. Hamlet in the nineteenth century
15. The comic Hamlet
16. Hamlet in the twentieth century
Works cited
Guide to further reading.

Subject Areas: Literary studies: general [DSB]