Hamlet in Never too Late to Read Classics

Oct 27, 2023 Josh Caporale rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Joseph Brodsky put together a list that contained all of the books that he believed people should read in order to have an intelligent conversation. He named four Shakespeare plays: Macbeth, Richard III, Antony and Cleopatra, and this well-known play, Hamlet. Aside from the reference to the romantic relationship between Romeo and Juliet and how it is frequently used metaphorically to describe a passionate relationship between two people, the next reference that is most frequently used is Hamlet' Joseph Brodsky put together a list that contained all of the books that he believed people should read in order to have an intelligent conversation. He named four Shakespeare plays: Macbeth, Richard III, Antony and Cleopatra, and this well-known play, Hamlet. Aside from the reference to the romantic relationship between Romeo and Juliet and how it is frequently used metaphorically to describe a passionate relationship between two people, the next reference that is most frequently used is Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy. This soliloquy is frequently misunderstood, where instead of pondering one of life's decisions, Hamlet is pondering the decision about life itself. All you have to do is keep reading:

"To be, or not to be,--- that is the question:--- whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them?--- To die,--- to sleep,--- no more; and by a sleep to say we end the heart-ache..." (Fall River Press edition, page 688).

So yes, it is not a decision that is as light as whether you should or should not go to McDonalds or whether you should or should not get the Big Mac. This is contemplation of life or death and Hamlet speaks this with agony, not assertion. Patrick Stewart did allude to this a bit better with his "A 'B' or not a 'B'" monologue on Sesame Street.

Anyway, the story of Hamlet is very noteworthy. Hamlet's father was killed by his brother, Claudius, who went on to marry Hamlet's mother, Gertrude, who is his sister-in-law. Hamlet is clearly upset and after being told by his friend, Horatio, that he came across his father's ghost, Hamlet himself meets with his father's ghost and is told to bring down Claudius. Hamlet falls for Ophelia and is also supervised by Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, with whom he went to school. Hamlet has a very strong cast that is used effectively. Hamlet, himself, is a loose cannon that is very much an ongoing subject for psychological analysis. His snarky attitude has contributed to some pretty hysterical moments in the play, including the play within the play that he puts together. I also thought the aspects of timing really stuck out, primarily how a particular moment is brought up, but not revealed until the end of the play.

Hamlet takes a bit of a different direction as far as technicalities and arrangements are concerned. This play is more about Hamlet as an individual, his state of mind, and his circumstances rather than merely his pursuit of his romantic feelings for Ophelia. While it does play a role, there is a lot more to this play than that. Hamlet is very much a play about analysis, and one cannot help but feel the need to approach this play analytically. Of course, one can and will likely enjoy this play for its face value, but it does lead to a lot of thinking beyond the text. There is probably more studying that can be placed on this play than any of his plays that I can think about.

Out of what I have read among Shakespeare's plays, I would rank this around 3rd or 4th. Macbeth is my favorite, followed by Julius Caesar, and I place this along with Measure for Measure at the moment. I was more entertained by Measure for Measure, but I feel that there is still a great deal of dimension that brings merit to this play. With that being said, my admiration for Hamlet lies more on the grounds of respect for its craft rather than that entertainment value where you can read something for leisure. Of course, reading Shakespeare's plays are more of an academic act rather than a leisurely one, but there is a lot of critical thinking that comes with Hamlet. ...more

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Dec 17, 2024 Laura (Reading is a Doing Word) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2024-read, play, shakespeare

Hamlet is the 15th of Shakespeare's works we've read together as part of the #UpstartCrows2023 Shakespeare Readalong.

It's virtually impossible to review Hamlet! I suspect it's one of the most studied texts in the English Speaking world and I doubt my thoughts would add anything uniquely insightful to the discourse already out there!

Instead here's a summary, in Horatio's words, of what to expect going in:
"So shall you hear
Of carnal, bloody, and unnatural acts,
Of accidental judgments, casual sl ...more

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