Books by Theme (BBT): Hamlet

I thought it might be fun to post a few literary characters or works as themes. A few years ago, I planned a seminar on Hamlet, and I have a whole box of books I can search through over the weekend. Please add to the list any books that mention Hamlet or use any of the characters, the plot, the setting, or theme of the play. Here are a few for starters:

Gertrude and Claudius by John Updike. Tells the story from their point of view.

The Lunatic, the Lover, and the Poet by Myrlin A. Hermes. This is the story of Horatio and his relationship with Hamlet. A bit on the risqué side. It's fun for Shakespeare lovers because of all the references to his other plays.

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by To Stoppard. A one-of-a-kind- spinoff with a philosophical bent. And so much fun! (The movie, with Gary Oldman and Tim Roth, is also amazing.)

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by Dave Wroblewski. I have to admit, it's in the box and hasn't been read yet. Anyone care to give a short review?

Some YA titles:

The Shakespeare Stealer by Gary Blackwood

Something Rotten: A Horatio Wilkes Mystery by Alan M. Gratz

Hamlet: A Novel by John Marsden

I really enjoyed the one by Blackwood, the Gratz was OK and I haven't read the Marsde yet.

I'm not much of a YA reader, but I do have Ophelia by Lisa Klein in my box.

A bit of a stretch, but I've also read and very much enjoyed Ophelia's Fan by Christine Balint. It's based on a true story about a Harriet Smithson, a young Irish woman who takes Europe by storm in the 1830s with her portrayal of Ophelia. She later marries the composer Hector Berlioz.

Ill Met by Moonlight by Sarah A. Hoyt

Take the humor out of A Midsummer Night's Dream and replace with a hefty dose of Hamlet, stir in the Tam Lin legend, then throw the Bard himself in and you'll have Ill Met by Moonlight.

I have to admit I'm more than a little bit intimidated by Shakespeare. I tried to read one of his plays long ago and couldn't make out a word of it and decided I wasn't clever enough for it. I've got The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and looking forward to it, but now I'd like to know how it relates to Hamlet. Is there some kind of 'Hamlet for dummies' that I can pick up somewhere?

#5: There's Shakespeare for Dummies and The Complete Idiot's Guide to Shakespeare plus countless other guides to his works. But don't fall into the trap of reading about Shakespeare rather than reading him! He can be intimidating, but with a little effort he can be immensely rewarding. Before I start reading one of his plays I read a good synopsis of it and then I watch a movie version. There are tons of Hamlets available on DVD, but my current favorite Hamlets are David Tennant and Richard Burton. Plays are meant to be watched so it's not "cheating" despite what most of my English teachers thought. Seeing the actions that go with the words, especially if you've read the synopsis, really helps sort out who's who. I also recommend getting an annotated edition of the play. I like Bloom's annotated editions because the notes are at the bottom of the page rather than at the end of the book. Read slowly and thoroughly and you'll be a Shakespeare scholar before you know it.

5: Plenty of editions come with notes explaining the older terms and phrases ("Get thee to a nunnery") that makes Shakespeare so intimidating to modern readers. Do not fall into the other trap, though, of thinking you need a side-by-side "translation" of Shakespeare into "modern" English, or have someone constantly talk it down to you.

Shakespeare appealed to the common masses, and is full of low-brow and bawdy humor; I don't believe there is a page without at least one double entendre, even in his tragedies. So, it's not a matter of being un-clever enough for Shakespeare.

And I agree that his works are best seen when performed (well).

#6-7 Thanks for the suggestions. Amanda, as you say, I'm not so much interested in reading about Shakespeare, just would like to be able to understand his writing. I did had The Taming of the Shrew at one time, and interestingly enough, I found that if I read the text aloud, while imitating an English accent to the best of my abilities, I could make some sense of it. But it was a lot of work and I eventually gave up. I like the idea of watching the movies first and annotated books of his plays would also be very helpful.

I'll take Hamlet any way I can get it. I really like the Kenneth Branah version of the play. I've herd he's a purist and he certainly didn't cut out anything, which I'm thankful for. I have the complete works of Willy, but bought Hamlet so I would have a more portable copy, but they cut out my favorite part!