Hamlet is Shakespeare's most popular, and most puzzling, play. It follows the form of a revenge tragedy, in which the hero, Hamlet, seeks vengeance against his father's murderer, his uncle Claudius, now the king of Denmark. Much of its fascination, however, lies in its uncertainties: What is the Ghost, Hamlet's father demanding justice, a tempting demon, an angelic messenger? Does Hamlet go mad, or merely pretend to? Once he is sure that Claudius is a murderer, why does he not act? Was his mother, Gertrude, unfaithful to her husband or complicit in his murder? The authoritative edition of Hamlet from the Folger Shakespeare Library, the trusted and widely used Shakespeare series for students and general readers, includes freshly edited text based on the best early printed version of the play, newly revised explanatory notes placed on pages facing the text, scene-by-scene plot summaries, a key to the play's famous lines and phrases, an introduction to reading Shakespeare's language, an essay by leading Shakespeare scholar Michael Neill offering a modern perspective on the play, fresh images from the Folger Shakespeare Library's rare book holdings and an up-to-date annotated guide to further reading. The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC is home to the world's largest collection of Shakespeare's printed works and a magnet for scholars from around the globe. Beyond publishing, the Folger offers exhibitions, performances and programs throughout the year. This book is featured on The Book Club with Michael Knowles, PragerU's show dedicated to the great books of Western civilization. In this episode, Michael Knowles is joined by Andrew Klavan to discuss the themes of inaction, appearance versus reality, doubt and truth in Shakespeare's greatest play, and how closely they still mirror modern society. 📺 Watch the episode: Andrew Klavan — Hamlet by William Shakespeare Own this Folger Shakespeare Library edition of Hamlet, and discover why Shakespeare's most puzzling play still speaks so directly to doubt, truth and the difficulty of acting on what we know.
