Shakespeare's Hamlet

✍ Scribed by William Shakespeare, Terri Mategrano

• Publisher: Cliffs Notes
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 243
• Series: Cliffs Complete
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

In the CliffsComplete guides, the novel's complete text and a glossary appear side-by-side with coordinating numbered lines to help you understand unusual words and phrasing. You'll also find all the commentary and resources of a standard CliffsNotes for Literature.

CliffsComplete Hamlet covers details of the most widely produced and critiqued Shakespearean play. Written in poignant language, Hamlet contains all the elements necessary for a good tragedy, including a brave and daring hero who suffers a fatal flaw.

Discover what happens to the complicated cast of characters — and save valuable studying time — all at once. Enhance your reading of Hamlet with these additional features:

• A summary and insightful commentary for each chapter
• Bibliography and historical background on the author, William Shakespeare
• A look at Early Modern England historical, intellectual, religious, and social context
• Insight into the play's classical elements and language
• A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters
• Review questions, a quiz, discussion guide, and activity ideas
• A Resource Center full of books, articles, films, and Web sites

Streamline your literature study with all-in-one help from CliffsComplete guides!

✦ Table of Contents

CLIFFSCOMPLETE ® Shakespeare's Hamlet......Page 1
CONTENTS AT A GLANCE......Page 7
TABLE OF CONTENTS......Page 9
INTRODUCTION TO WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE......Page 11
Family life......Page 12
The plays: On stage and in print......Page 13
A note on ShakespeareÌs language......Page 16
INTRODUCTION TO EARLY MODERN ENGLAND......Page 17
Intellectual context......Page 18
Religious context......Page 19
Political context......Page 21
Social context......Page 22
The theatre......Page 24
The printing press......Page 26
Works cited......Page 27
ShakespeareÌs sources......Page 28
Synopsis of the play......Page 29
ShakespeareÌs techniques......Page 31
ShakespeareÌs language......Page 33
Theatrical and critical history......Page 34
CHARACTERS IN THE PLAY......Page 37
ACT I......Page 39
Act 1, Scene 1......Page 41
Act I, Scene 2......Page 49
Act I, Scene 3......Page 60
Act I, Scene 4......Page 65
Act I, Scene 5......Page 70
ACT II......Page 79
Act II, Scene 1......Page 81
Act II, Scene 2......Page 86
ACT III......Page 109
Act III, Scene 1......Page 111
Act III, Scene 2......Page 119
Act III, Scene 3......Page 136
Act III, Scene 4......Page 140
ACT IV......Page 149
Act IV, Scene 1......Page 151
Act IV, Scene 2......Page 153
Act IV, Scene 3......Page 155
Act IV, Scene 4......Page 159
Act IV, Scene 5......Page 162
Act IV, Scene 6......Page 170
Act IV, Scene 7......Page 172
ACT V......Page 181
Act V, Scene 1......Page 183
Act V, Scene 2......Page 195
CLIFFSCOMPLETE REVIEW......Page 211
BOOKS AND ARTICLES......Page 219
FILMS......Page 221
AUDIOCASSETTES AND CD- ROMS......Page 222
CLIFFSCOMPLETE READING GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE......Page 223
Index......Page 225