Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Publisher: The Modern Shakespeare (2012)

737 pages, eBook (Purchased Myself for $2.99)

Book Rating: 5 Stars

Content Ratings:

Violence: Mild-Moderate-Brutal

Swearing: Clean-Light-Filthy

Sexual Content: White-Pink-Red

Summary:

Hamlet’s father, the King, has recently died and Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, has assumed the throne and married Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude. Hamlet’s father’s ghost appears and tells his son to seek revenge, because he has been poisoned by his brother Claudius, who had become too greedy and wanted not only the King’s throne, but his wife as well.

My Thoughts:

While I could get the general idea of the story from the original text, I found the modern translation very helpful in gaining a bit deeper understanding of the story and the dialogue. It had been a while since I’d read any Shakespeare, and I was surprised at how bawdy some of the references were—but I guess the Renaissance period wasn’t exactly as buttoned up and proper as the Victorian or the Edwardian. Hamlet’s actions throughout this tale wreak so much havoc, for so many people, over the course of this tale, and by the end I wasn’t very impressed with him—he seemed kind of selfish and callous. I definitely felt in the end the best man came out on top, and everyone received their just desserts. Lots of great quotations, that I’ve heard so many different places, and I never knew that they came from this play—definitely cool to make those connections.

Edition Notes:

This Modern Shakespeare ebook edition is awesome for general reading, and includes three versions of the play to pick from (original play with modern translation embedded alongside each speech, the modern translation alone, or the original play alone). It is organized very efficiently for Kindle reading and maneuverability, and comes at a great low price—highly recommended for the general reader. If you are looking for a bit more academic reading experience, you can pay a little more and get the Folger Library Shakespeare edition (also available in ebook), which includes definitions/commentary on alternating pages from the text, and some critical analysis at the end—good for the reader wishing to be a little less influenced by a modern interpretation. If you are looking for a paperback copy with side-by-side modern translation, I’d recommend the No Fear edition.

Quotes:

“Frailty, thy name is woman!” -William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 2

“Give every man thy ear but few thy voice.” -William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 3

“This above all: to thine own self be true.” -William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 3

“Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” -William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 4

“Though this be madness, yet there is method in ’t.” -William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2

“In the secret parts of Fortune? Oh, most true. She is a strumpet.” -William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2

“The play’s the thing—” -William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2

“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 heartache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to—’tis a consummation devoutly to be wished! To die, to sleep. To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub, for in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause.” -William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1

“The undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns—.” -William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.” -William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 2

“I will speak daggers to her but use none.” -William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 2

“A knavish speech sleeps in a foolish ear.” -William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 2

“When sorrows come, they come not single spies but in battalions.” -William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 4, Scene 5

“A hit, a very palpable hit.” -William Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 5, Scene 2

Movie Adaptations:

Hamlet (1996)

Kenneth Branagh, Julie Christie, Derek Jacobi, Kate Winslet

Movie Rating: PG-13

My Rating: 4 Stars

Adaption: Verbatim-Tweaked-Veiled

Eye Candy: Plain-Pretty-Sultry

This adaption maintains the Shakespearean dialogue, but puts it in a stylized Victorian setting, and includes some visual embellishments (like glimpses of Hamlet and Ophelia being intimate). This is a very long film (a little over 4 hours), but exceptionally well done and the star-studded cast (Billy Crystal, Jack Lemmon, Robin Williams, etc.) is great. If you have the time to devote to it, an excellent adaption.

Hamlet (1990)

Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, Alan Bates, Helena Bonham Carter

Movie Rating: PG

My Rating: 5 Stars

Adaption: Verbatim-Tweaked-Veiled

Eye Candy: Plain-Pretty-Sultry

At just over 2 hours long, this adaption is obviously a bit condensed from the original play format, but it still keeps the Shakespearean dialogue, and the casting in this was superb! Even if you aren’t following the dialogue all that faithfully, the acting can carry you through the story here. Great adaption!

Hamlet (2000)

Ethan Hawke, Kyle MacLachlan, Diane Venora

Movie Rating: R