Hamlet

by William Shakespeare, John Gilbert (Illustrator), Robert Mighall (Introduction)

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

The essential revenge story from the master of the stage, Hamlet tells the tale of a Danish prince as he begins to unravel, losing track of what's real and what's not. This timeless classic will always be a warning against the quest for vengeance by showing the repercussions of exactly that.

Shakespeare’s combination of violence, introspection, dark humour and rich language in Hamlet is intoxicating. It remains the world's most widely studied and performed play, and is a cornerstone of world literature.

Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover. This edition is illustrated throughout by renowned artist Sir John Gilbert and includes an introduction by Dr Robert Mighall.

A young prince meets with his father's ghost, who alleges that his own brother, now married to his widow, murdered him. The prince devises a scheme to test the truth of the ghost's accusation, feigning wild madness while plotting a brutal revenge until his apparent insanity begins to wreak havoc on innocent and guilty alike.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781909621862
Publisher:	Macmillan Collector's Library
Publication date:	08/23/2016
Pages:	216
Sales rank:	295,381
Product dimensions:	4.10(w) x 6.10(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, in 1564. The date of his birth is not known but is traditionally 23 April, St George's Day. Aged 18, he married a Stratford farmer's daughter, Anne Hathaway. They had three children. Around 1585 William joined an acting troupe on tour in Stratford from London, and thereafter spent much of his life in the capital. A member of the leading theatre group in London, the Chamberlain's Men, which built the Globe Theatre and frequently performed in front of Queen Elizabeth I, Shakespeare wrote 36 plays and much poetry besides. He died in 1616.

Date of Death:

2018

Place of Birth:

Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Place of Death:

Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom

Read an Excerpt

Act 1 Scene 1 running scene 1
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Hamlet"
by .
Copyright © 2011 William Shakespeare.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Young Readers Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Hamlet - William Shakespeare - Edited by Sylvan Barnet Samuel Taylor Coleridge: From The Lectures of 1811- 1812, Lecture XII
A. C. Bradley: From Shakespearean Tragedy
Maynard Mack: The World of Hamlet
Robert Ornstein: From The Moral Vision of Jacobean Tragedy

NEWLY ADDED ESSAYS:
Catherine Belsey: From The Subject of Tragedy
Carolyn Heilbrun: The Character of Hamlet's Mother
Sylvan Barnet: 'Hamlet' on the Stage and Screen

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Jonathan Bate is a passionate advocate of Shakespeare and his introductions are full of striking and convincing observations ... footnotes at the bottom of each page gloss unfamiliar items of vocabulary, paraphrase tricky meanings and uncover bawdy puns. There is a universe to be found in these annotations: the Renaissance world of power and fate, sex and death, language and philosophy.' – Times Educational Supplement

Editorial Reviews

"For those whose scholarship extends beyond the usual one-volume editions, this Hibbard Hamlet will prove the most fascinating of the decade."—Reg Saner, University of Colorado, Boulder

From the Publisher

★ 01/01/2014
For individual plays, these editions are appealing in their presentation of easy-to-read text with footnotes on alternate pages, next to the text, instead of buried in small print at the bottom of every page. The notes are precise and often feature contemporary illustrations. Supplemental essays convey modern perspectives on the plays, which are likely to be of interest to students.

Library Journal

This American-accented HAMLET is a churning, turbulent production with many fine moments resulting from its fast pace. This energy may inevitably lead to a few missed opportunities for quiet and meditation (or for the listener to have a respite), but the overall effect is satisfying. The greatest range is shown by Emily Swallow as Ophelia. Stacy Keach is also excellent—imposing, chilling, and nuanced as the ghost. Josh Stamberg plays Hamlet as tormented and confrontational. One of his finest touches enhances the outset of the recorder scene with restraint and calm. Listeners who follow along with a text of the play will best keep up with the rapid pace. G.H. © AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

MAY 2012 - AudioFile

2019-07-13
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

The timeless tale of the young and disaffected Danish prince who is pushed to avenge his father's untimely murder at the hands of his brother unfolds with straightforward briskness. Shakespeare's text has been liberally but judiciously cut, staying true to the thematic meaning while dispensing with longer speeches (with the notable exception of the renowned "to be or not to be" soliloquy) and intermediary dialogues. Some of the more obscure language has been modernized, with a glossary of terms provided at the end; despite these efforts, readers wholly unfamiliar with the story might struggle with independent interpretation. Where this adaptation mainly excels is in its art, especially as the play builds to its tensely wrought final act. Illustrator Kumar (World War Two, 2015, etc.) pairs richly detailed interiors and exteriors with painstakingly rendered characters, each easily distinguished from their fellows through costume, hairstyle, and bearing. Human figures are generally depicted in bust or three-quarter shots, making the larger panels of full figures all the more striking. Heavily scored lines of ink form shadows, lending the otherwise bright pages a gritty air. All characters are white.

A solid introduction for budding lovers of the Bard. (biography of Shakespeare, dramatis personae, glossary) (Graphic novel. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews