 |
Shakespeare's Hamlet, regarded by many
as "the world's most famous play by the world's most famous
writer," is one of the most complex, demanding, discussed,
and influential literary texts in English. As a means of access
to this play, this unique collection of primary materials and commentary
will help student and teacher explore historical, literary, theatrical,
social, and cultural issues related to the play.
In an approach unique for this series, author
Richard Corum guides the reader through a literary analysis of
Hamlet's options. He examines the popular theatres of the
day in which Shakespeare and his company first produced Hamlet
and discusses the genre of tragedy in which it is written.
Through judicious selection of primary historical documents, the
work provides contexts for understanding Hamlet's melancholy,
the ghost of Hamlet's father, the theme of revenge, and Hamlet's
feigned madness. Chapters on Gertrude and Ophelia illuminate
these characters in the context of the play and early modern English
culture.
This online sourcebook contains a variety of materials, many of which
are not readily available elsewhere: essays, poems, histories, treatises,
official documents, stories, religious tracts, homilies, memoirs,
engravings, and village records. In addition, the online sourcebook
provides the user access to:
- E-text of Hamlet with scene summaries
- A survey of 18th and 19th century paintings based on Hamlet
with analyses of the artwork
- E- texts of: Macbeth; i; Machiavelli's The Prince;
An exhortation concerning good Order, and obedience, to Rulers
and Magistrates; Erasmus' Praise of Folly; Reginald
of Piperno's Supplement to Aquinas's Summa Theologica;
The Third Book of Daemonologie by James VI of Scotland;
Lucius Apuleius' The Golden Ass Being the Metamorphoses;
Jane Anger Her Protection For Women; and others
- Biographical profiles of: Richard Burbage; Machiavelli; Phillip
Stubbes; Thomas Nashe; Thomas Kyd; Robert Burton; Reginald of
Piperno; and others
- Virtual tour of the Globe Theatre
- Glossary of cultural references and historical idioms from
Shakespeare's Hamlet
- Web-based study questions
|
