Hamlet is often considered to be one of the greatest plays of all time. It is also one of the most discussed and analyzed pieces of literature ever. Figuring out where to begin researching it or even writing about it can be a daunting task. How does one trace the critical literature written about the play? What is there even left to be said about it? Bloom’s Guide aims to launch readers into this critical world of Hamlet. Aside from a minimal amount of background information, the book contains some of the more popular essays associated with it. While it may be a decent starting point when delving further into Hamlet, it is a disappointing overall collection of material that will ultimately not get readers very far. It covers a moderate range of topics developed in the play but fails to go deeply into any of them.After a general introduction and brief bio, the guide attempts to put the play in a little more context by discussing its backstory. While this section is also brief, it at least provides information about the war of the poets and the rise of the child actors around 1600. This was one topic in the play that I found confusing, and it was nice to see a little explanation about the situation here.After a synopsis of the play, the guide moves on to its most prominent aspect: the critical essays—or, at least short abridgments of them. The topics range from madness to melancholy to the theater to the writing of the play. While these are fine, I was disappointed that more room wasn’t provided for religion or politics, two aspects of Hamlet I find particularly interesting. That being said, there are a few noteworthy essays. Harold Bloom calls Hamlet the secular Bible and suggests that Hamlet is a virtuoso artist who remains unfulfilled. Charles R. Forker discusses the use of acting in the play. Most of the characters act to hide their secrets or manipulate others for their own personal advancement. Hamlet, on the other hand, acts to expose these characters’ wrong doings. Even these essays, though, feel somewhat desiccated due to their brevity. They merely scratch the surface on the issues they cover, which means readers will need to look elsewhere to get a more thorough account of any of these topics. Fortunately, the book is short, and if nothing else, readers won’t waste much time getting through it.
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