Hamlet

Synopsis

This self-contained, free-standing volume gives readers the Second Quarto text. In his illustrated introduction to the play's historical, cultural, and performance contexts, Neil Taylor presents a thorough survey of critical approaches to the play. He addresses the challenges faced in reading, editing, or acting a play with the depth of content and tradition that Hamlet possesses. He also establishes the historical and cultural context in which the play was written and explains the arguments about the merits and deficiencies of the First and Second Quarto and the First Folio. Taylor points to the many novelists, both men and women, whose work refers to or bears commonalities with Hamlet , to suggest an ongoing to need to resolve "the continuing mystery of Hamlet " in print and on stage. An appendix contains the additional passages found only in the 1623 text, and other appendices on the editorial process, the traditions regarding the act division at 3.4/4.1, casting, and music are also included. Table of Contents List of illustrations General editors' preface Preface INTRODUCTION The challenges of Hamlet The challenge of acting Hamlet The challenge of editing Hamlet The challenge to the greatness of Hamlet Hamlet versus Lear Hamlet in our time The soliloquies and the modernity of Hamlet Hamlet and Freud Reading against the Hamlet tradition Hamlet in Shakespeare's time Hamlet at the turn of the century The challenge of dating Hamlet Was there an earlier Hamlet play? Are there any early references to Shakespeare's play? Can we date Hamlet in relation to other contemporary plays? Hamlet 's first performances The story of Hamlet Murder most foul An antic disposition Sentences', speeches and thoughts The composition of Hamlet The quartos and the Folio The quartos The First Folio The relationship of Q2 to Q1 The relationship of F to Q2 What, then, of Q1? Editorial practice Why a three-text edition? Hamlet on stage and screen Hamlet and his points Enter the director Hamlet and politics Novel Hamlets Hamlet meets Fielding, Goethe, Dickens and others Hamlet and women novelists Prequels and sequels The continuing mystery of Hamlet THE TRAGICAL HISTORY OF HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK (The Second Quarto, 1604-5) APPENDICES Appendix 1: Folio-only passages Appendix 2: Textual discussion Appendix 3: Editorial conventions, sample edited passages and a comparison of scenes across the three texts Appendix 4: The act division at 3.4/4.1 Appendix 5: Casting Appendix 6: Music Abbreviations and references Abbreviations used in notes Works by and partly by Shakespeare Editions of Shakespeare collated Other works cited Index "