Hamlet (|c OET |t Oxford English Texts) - Hardcover

Shakespeare, William

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9780198129103: Hamlet (|c OET |t Oxford English Texts)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198129106 ISBN 13: 9780198129103

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1987

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This edition of Hamlet represents a radically new text of the best known and most widely discussed of all Shakespearean tragedies. G.R. Hibbard argues, in a substantial introduction, that the presently accepted text is not, in fact, the most authoritative version of the play. Instead, he turns to the First Folio of 1623, Shakespeare's "fair copy" of the play that has been preserved for us in the Second Quarto. This revision of the play is more "theatrical" in the best sense of that word--it provides, as Shakespeare intended, a better, more practical acting script. Such changes as the omission of Horatio's account of the omens preceding Caesar's assassination, and Hamlet's on the drunkenness of Danes, give the play new momentum, and lend credence to Hibbard's claim that the familiar conflated text of Hamlet is a much more "problematic" play than it appears to have been in the First Folio.

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Book Description:

This edition tells the story of Hamlet in production, from Burbage at the Globe to Branagh on film, relating stage interpretations to developments in the theatre, in literary criticism and in society. The detailed stage history records an ongoing process of discovery, as successive performers have found what it is in the play that will speak most powerfully to the audiences of their own times. The introduction focuses not only on star Hamlets, but on whole productions of the play including supporting players and, in this century, direction and design.

From the Publisher:

This book is perfect for AP classes and is often selected for inclusion on the AP exam. The notes, reading pointers, and vocabulary in this addition will also help students at a lower reading level get the most out of these classics.

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