Other editions of book Hamlet: Study Guide

[This is the MP3CD audiobook format in vinyl case.]**A 2011 Grammy Nominee for Best Spoken Word Album** Blackstone Audio is proud to present the Oregon Shakespeare Festival's brilliant production of Shakespeare's disturbing and psychologically rich masterpiece Hamlet. Whether you're a Hamlet scholar or being exposed to this work for the first time, this stunning work of audio theater -- fully dramatized with performances by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival cast (*based on the 2010 stage production directed by Bill Rauch) -- is a must-listen. In Denmark a king is dead. His brother, Claudius, has snatched the throne--and the widowed queen, yet life goes on -- for everyone but Prince Hamlet. The prince, fixated on his uncle as the murderer, is charged by his father's ghost to avenge the wrong. Disconnected from the foul world around him, Hamlet strains under the weight of his task, descending into madness, both real and feigned.*Produced by Ira Burton

Perhaps the single most influential work of English drama, William Shakespeare's Hamlet is a timeless tragedy of the conflicted loyalties, madness, betrayal and terrible revenge. This Penguin Shakespeare edition is edited by T.J.B. Spencer with an introduction by Alan Sinfield. 'To be or not to be - that is the question' Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. When young prince Hamlet is confronted by his father's ghost on the battlements of Castle Elsinore, he is burdened with a terrible task: slay King Claudius, Hamlet's uncle, who the ghost alleges murdered him. Wrestling with his conscience, Hamlet feigns wild madness while plotting a brutal revenge, alienating his mother Queen Gertrude and spurning his lover Ophelia. But the act of insanity takes Hamlet perilously close to the reality, wreaking havoc on guilty and innocent alike. This book contains a general introduction to Shakespeare's life and Elizabethan theatre, a separate introduction to Hamlet, a chronology, suggestions for further reading, an essay by Paul Prescott discussing performance options on both stage and screen, and a commentary. William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was born to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden some time in late April 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon. He wrote about 38 plays (the precise number is uncertain), many of which are regarded as the most exceptional works of drama ever produced, including Romeo and Juliet (1595), Henry V (1599), Hamlet (1601), Othello (1604), King Lear (1606) and Macbeth (1606), as well as a collection of 154 sonnets, which number among the most profound and influential love-poetry in English. If you enjoyed Hamlet, you might like Shakespeare's Macbeth, also available in Penguin Shakespeare. 'It has everything - intrigue, romance, politics, violence, revenge, jealousy, wit. It plays itself out on such a grand scale' Kenneth Branagh

Shakespeare's timeless story of revenge, corruption, and murder is considered one of the greatest works in the English language. Prince Hamlet sets out to avenge his beloved father's death at the hand of his uncle Claudius - but Hamlet's spiral into grief and madness will have permanent and immutable consequences for the Kingdom of Denmark. Composed over 400 years ago, Hamlet remains one of the theater's most studied and performed works, and is presented here in a stunning, sound-rich full-cast recording. An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring: Josh Stamberg as Hamlet Stephen Collins as King Claudius JoBeth Williams as Queen Gertrude Stacy Keach as Ghost Alan Mandell as Polonius Emily Swallow as Ophelia JD Cullum as Laertes Matthew Wolf as Horatio Mark Capri as Ambassador and others Josh Clark as Gravedigger, Voltemand and others Henri Lubatti as Rosencrantz and others Jon Matthews as Guildenstern and others Darren Richardson as Player Queen and others André Sogliuzzo as Reynaldo and others Directed by Martin Jarvis. Original Music Composed & Performed by Mark Holden and Michael Lopez. Sound Effects by Tony Palermo.

Blackstone Audio is proud to present the Oregon Shakespeare Festivals brilliant production of Shakespeares disturbing and psychologically rich masterpiece Hamlet. Whether youre a Hamlet scholar or being exposed to this work for the first time, this stunning work of audio theater, fully dramatized with performances by the OSF cast, is a must-listen. In Denmark a king is dead. His brother, Claudius, has snatched the throne, and the widowed queen, yet life goes on—for everyone but Prince Hamlet. The prince, fixated on his uncle as the murderer, is charged by his fathers ghost to avenge the wrong. Disconnected from the foul world around him, Hamlet strains under the weight of his task, descending into madness, both real and feigned.

One of the greatest plays of all time, the compelling tragedy of the tormented young prince of Denmark continues to capture the imaginations of modern audiences worldwide. Confronted with evidence that his uncle murdered his father, and with his mother’s infidelity, Hamlet must find a means of reconciling his longing for oblivion with his duty as avenger. The ghost, Hamlet’s feigned madness, Ophelia’s death and burial, the play within a play, the “closet scene” in which Hamlet accuses his mother of complicity in murder, and breathtaking swordplay are just some of the elements that make Hamlet an enduring masterpiece of the theater.