Hamlet

Rating:
Summary: Hamlet wasn't as bad as I thought
Review: After just finishing Hamlet, I realized that it wasn't as bad as I initially thought it would be. Shakespeare uses a unique blend of humor and tragedy to make for an interesting story. While I don't really like the old fashioned language, the book is fairly easy to comprehend and makes for a good read.

Rating:
Summary: Hamlet wasn't as bad as I thought
Review: After just finishing Hamlet, I realized that it wasn't as bad as I initially thought it would be. Shakespeare uses a unique blend of humor and tragedy to make for an interesting story. While I don't really like the old fashioned language, the book is fairly easy to comprehend and makes for a good read.

Rating:
Summary: hamlet (twilight zone the movie) is a good book
Review: hamlet (by which I mean twilight zone the movie) is a pretty good book. How do I know? Because I read some of it. It is the story of a really racist guy. He is really racist. Man is he rascist. Then he learns a lesson. Classic drama. I think shakespeare wrote it. Or some other guy maybe. Read it stoned too, that will totally help your whole...perception.

Rating:
Summary: To Buy or Not To Buy Should Not Be The Question
Review: Hamlet is without a doubt Shakespeare's finest work. Aside from being a true romantic and a captivating poet, Shakespeare could also pass as being a psychological genius. Though there are numerous characters in this play, (as in most of shakespeares works) Hamlet is the main focus of the play and it is seen that his internal struggles often overshadow many of the other subplots throughout the story (though in no way does it leave the reader oblivious to the other happenings in the story). The story is about the prince of Denmark whose father was killed by Hamlet's malicious Uncle Claudius who has seized control of the throne after his brother's death. Afterwards, Hamlet undergoes a series of internal conflicts and questions the validity of his father's ghost and is ultimately thought to be insane by those around him who witness his unorthodox actions and bizarre coments. After he is ordered sent away and returns, killing Rozencrantz and Guildenstern aboard the England-bound ship, Hamlet is pushed further into his own realm of "insanity" and soon after helps catapult one of the greatest climatic endings of Shakespeare's works. The final scene of this play is appropriate as it puts an end to the spiral downfall of Hamlet and those around him.

Rating:
Summary: To Buy or Not To Buy Should Not Be The Question
Review: Hamlet is without a doubt Shakespeare's finest work. Aside from being a true romantic and a captivating poet, Shakespeare could also pass as being a psychological genius. Though there are numerous characters in this play, (as in most of shakespeares works) Hamlet is the main focus of the play and it is seen that his internal struggles often overshadow many of the other subplots throughout the story (though in no way does it leave the reader oblivious to the other happenings in the story). The story is about the prince of Denmark whose father was killed by Hamlet's malicious Uncle Claudius who has seized control of the throne after his brother's death. Afterwards, Hamlet undergoes a series of internal conflicts and questions the validity of his father's ghost and is ultimately thought to be insane by those around him who witness his unorthodox actions and bizarre coments. After he is ordered sent away and returns, killing Rozencrantz and Guildenstern aboard the England-bound ship, Hamlet is pushed further into his own realm of "insanity" and soon after helps catapult one of the greatest climatic endings of Shakespeare's works. The final scene of this play is appropriate as it puts an end to the spiral downfall of Hamlet and those around him.

Rating:
Summary: Was Hamlet Mad?
Review: His interactions with the other characters in the play, and his ability know in advance the corrupt plans of so many of his enemies at Elsinore, demonstrate Hamlet's sensible thoughts that would not go through his mind had he gone mad. There are also considerable distinctions between the actions of Hamlet in his "mad" state of mind and the few other characters that undoubtedly lost sanity. Hamlet is a smart, scholarly man, and faking a mental disability could certainly a part of his plot to revenge his father's death, which was a command of his father. Hamlet gives a warning to Horatio and others that he might act strangely at times, which would put whatever "mad" tendencies other may he displays into perspective. He unmistakably informs his mother, the queen Gertrude, that she was not to reveal to Claudius that he was "not in madness, but mad in craft" (3:4:9). She is not convinced that her son is okay, however he is clear in his point. A mad man would certainly not care about the other's thoughts and opinions of him. Horatio would probably have notice if his friend was acting out of the ordinary without a reason, and brought it to someone's attention, had it been serious enough. The first time the king and queen become aware of his "madness" is when Polonius announces it to them and tells them of Hamlets love for his daughter, Ophelia. Your noble son is mad: Mad call I it; for, to define true madness, What is't but to be nothing else but mad? But let that go...At such a time I'll loose my daughter to him..."(2:2:99).
If any of Hamlet's 'madness' is based on his talk of ghosts, the accusation is a blunder. Hamlet did not do a bad thing by frightening his uncle, but it certainly did make an impact. Claudius's startled state after the player's performance is proof that Hamlet is correct in his accusations. The Ghost of his father was the one that informed Hamlet of this ill deed. If the spirit were simply a fabrication of his imagination, than there would be no explanation for Hamlet's knowledge of his father's murder. He was the one that instructed the players to put on the show; therefore he must have gotten the information about the characters from some source, namely his dead father. If the ghost were there in the beginning, what would keep him from checking on his son from time to time? Young Hamlet was asked to seek revenge on his uncle, and the ghost is depending on him to do that. The spirit would have no choice but to be frequently watching his son, to know that he intends to do the job. There is so much evidence the specter is not just in Hamlets mind, that it is certain that the Ghost can not be considered when deciding that Hamlet is insane. Most of the "trustworthy" characters in the play recognize the ghost. Hamlet informs Horatio and Marcellus (1:5:190) that he will "put an antic disposition on", and might mutter strange phrases and demonstrate other acts of insanity. There is no doubt that others think he is unwell, but it could just be a statement used to back up the idea of sending the prince away. Claudius is opposed to Hamlets presence from the beginning, but chooses to let him stay for his own purposes. Though Prince Hamlets insanity is the main focus of distress for most, other individuals are mad as well, and for the first time quite genuinely. When Ophelia is seen as mad for the first time (4:5:28) she is openly singing and chanting- things that Hamlet never did. He talks of Polonius as a "fishmonger", and often makes reference to other seemingly ridiculous things, which could, and do at times, have deeper meaning. He was generally just talking sharply about some of his enemies. The strange behavior is probably a way to distract Polonius, Claudius, and perhaps the Queen, while Hamlet seeks revenge for his lifeless father. The most suspicious aspect of the "madness" is that his moments of visible mental uneasiness go on and off. One moment he will be talking nonsense to the King and his advisor, and within minutes he is talking in a perfectly understandable tone to his old childhood friends.
He questions issues of humanity often, especially towards the close of the play, which would explain his hasty choice to fence with this dangerous rival, that is plotting to take away the only thing Hamlet has, his life. Much unlike a truly insane person Hamlet does not act spontaneously. There is never a significant doing on his part that was not well thought out in advance The "madness" that Hamlet portrays in the tragedy, though believed to be true my many, is false. It possibly allowed Hamlet more time to plot the revenge for his father's death by Claudius, or was just an example of the young prince's love of drama. Either way, their were many flaws in his "act" that go unnoticed by the other characters, but can be picked up on by the reader. Hamlets frequent switching from sanity to madness, are obvious clues that he is pretending. The ghost of his dead father, and the play that proved his existence outside of Hamlet's mind are convincing confirmation that he was not hallucinating. All the characters that used Hamlets "disability" as a tool could be merely forcing themselves to believe that Hamlet is mad. He could just be going along with their unfortunate thoughts to convince them he is mad. Shakespeare's Masterpiece, Hamlet draws in so many people because of these debatable arguments. The question of Hamlets madness is reasonable, and after re-reading all the textual evidence, one must lean towards the fact that Hamlet is sane, for whatever reasons he chooses. It is a marvelous plan on his part, and should be noted as such.

Rating:
Summary: To be or not to be? That is the question!
Review: I am currently reading Hamlet.Even though it is difficlt reading
and most of the words and terminology are old English I found it to be a very deep read. The play deals with Prince Hamlet and his quest to gain revenge against his uncle Claudius who has murdered his father king Hamlet, seized the throne of Denmark and married his mother Queen Gertrude. The play deals with death, suicide, incest, and conspiricies. After this I plan on reading more of Shakespeare even though the terminology is slow reading.I recommend to people who hate reading Shakespeare to go out and get some cliffsnotes or sparknotes. That way you can read the summaries in the notes in layman's terms and compare it with the original text. This way you won't get lost and you'll know whats going on.

Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare's Best
Review: I don't fully understand (and don't want to) the many messages that overanalytical critics contend lay beneath the text of "Hamlet", but I will say that I never fail to get goosebumps upon reading one of the drama's majestic soliloquies. Better poetry has never been written in all of literature.

Rating:
Summary: Great, but with its flaws.
Review: I think Hamlet is remembered as a great work of literature not because of its executions of conventional/unconventional literary style, but instead I think it's remembered because Hamlet the charactor himself has very deep human flaws that people can relate to in some way or another. In fact, many people speculate that the story of Hamlet is related to Shakespeare's own experiences of coping with the death of both his father and his son (who was named Hamnet, unless I'm mistaken).

As for the play itself, parts of it seem rushed or just strange. Shakespeare the playwright had to make sure that all of his actors got some time on the stage, he had to make sure that his play was entertaining to the masses, and Hamlet the charactor is always refered to as "young" Hamlet in the play -- yet the actor who played Hamlet was 36 some odd years old at the time of the first production. As a result, Shakespeare had to write in a few lines that alluded to Hamlet the charactor being in his 30's (which is creepy considering his relationship to Ophelia the young teenager).

So yeah, speaking in terms of structure and mechanics of the play, Hamlet is horribly flawed. Speaking in terms of the stark realism of Hamlet the charactor, Shakespeare wrote a true timeless masterpeice.

Rating:
Summary: to be or to not be
Review: Mr. Shakespeare has given us a work of great poise and alacrity. Although critical reception is divided, I believe that as a writer he, shows great promise. Some inconsistancies characteristic of a young writer are apparent (such as the seemingly deliberate use of archaic language), but I'm sure Mr. Shakespeare will refine his style more in the future and treat us to even greater works. I am very curious to see what he publishes next.