Hamlet

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 mothers infidelity, Hamlet must find a means of reconciling his longing for oblivion with his duty as avenger. The ghost, Hamlets feigned madness, Ophelias 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.

Each Edition Includes:

• Comprehensive explanatory notes

• Vivid introductions and the most up-to-date scholarship

• Clear, modernized spelling and punctuation, enabling contemporary readers to understand the Elizabethan English

• Completely updated, detailed bibliographies and performance histories

• An interpretive essay on film adaptations of the play, along with an extensive filmography

Often credited with creating a popular movie audience for Shakespeare, Kenneth Branagh has wanted for many years to bring to the screen the complete, full-length version of Hamlet. His desire becomes a reality when this epic drama, featuring an all-star cast and produced and directed by Branagh, comes to theaters this fall. This tie-in book includes Branagh's Introduction and screenplay, a production diary, color stills, and more.

Each Edition Includes:

• Comprehensive explanatory notes

• Vivid introductions and the most up-to-date scholarship

• Clear, modernized spelling and punctuation, enabling contemporary readers to understand the Elizabethan English

• Completely updated, detailed bibliographies and performance histories

• An interpretive essay on film adaptations of the play, along with an extensive filmography

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon in April 1564, and his birth is traditionally celebrated on April 23. The facts of his life, known from surviving documents, are sparse. He was one of eight children born to John Shakespeare, a merchant of some standing in his community. William probably went to the Kings New School in Stratford, but he had no university education. In November 1582, at the age of eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, eight years his senior, who was pregnant with their first child, Susanna. She was born on May 26, 1583. Twins, a boy, Hamnet ( who would die at age eleven), and a girl, Judith, were born in 1585. By 1592 Shakespeare had gone to London working as an actor and already known as a playwright. A rival dramatist, Robert Greene, referred to him as “an upstart crow, beautified with our feathers.” Shakespeare became a principal shareholder and playwright of the successful acting troupe, the Lord Chamberlains Men (later under James I, called the Kings Men). In 1599 the Lord Chamberlains Men built and occupied the Globe Theater in Southwark near the Thames River. Here many of Shakespeares plays were performed by the most famous actors of his time, including Richard Burbage, Will Kempe, and Robert Armin. In addition to his 37 plays, Shakespeare had a hand in others, including Sir Thomas More and The Two Noble Kinsmen, and he wrote poems, including Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece. His 154 sonnets were published, probably without his authorization, in 1609. In 1611 or 1612 he gave up his lodgings in London and devoted more and more time to retirement in Stratford, though he continued writing such plays as The Tempest and Henry VII until about 1613. He died on April 23 1616, and was buried in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford. No collected edition of his plays was published during his life-time, but in 1623 two members of his acting company, John Heminges and Henry Condell, put together the great collection now called the First Folio.