Understanding Shakespeare: The Complete Guide To Hamlet

A deep dive into the characters, themes, and story of Shakespeare's famous tragedy with critical perspectives

What you'll learn

Key themes, characters, plot points, and ideas within Hamlet will be discussed as we go through the play scene by scene.

This course will teach you how to examine a text from a variety of critical perspectives.

You will learn about Hamlet in historical context, how it was first performed and received by Elizabethan audiences.

You will examine interpretations from multiple actors and directors to show how the text can be brought to life in a variety of ways.

You will learn the basics of literary theory with examples of critical approaches such as: Historical, Marxist, Feminist, and Psychoanalytic

You will learn critical thinking and reading skills that can be applied to other areas of literary study.

You will become familiar with how academics engage with a text in an ongoing dialogue.

You will learn about the changing interpretations of Hamlet from its original performances to the present day.

Learn from an instructor with an M.A. in English and a deep familiarity with Shakespearean drama.

An annotated edition of Hamlet with explanatory notes is included as a downloadable PDF. Links to all additional readings and video clips are also included.

Requirements

There are no prerequisites for taking this course. All you need is curiosity!

Description

In this course, we’ll be taking an in-depth look at Shakespeare’s famous tragedy and discussing its plot, characters, themes, and lasting impact on English literature and drama. Hamlet is renowned for its rich psychological and philosophical complexity, but these are only part of what makes it so rewarding. At its heart, it is not a very complicated story at all. Anyone can relate to Hamlet’s rage, grief and desire for revenge.Before we discuss the play, we’ll first talk about Shakespeare’s life and the historical period he was writing in to get some context for what Hamlet would have meant to Elizabethan audiences and what it would have been like to see it performed at the Globe by Shakespeare’s theater company the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Then we’ll go through the play scene by scene and talk about plot and characters, important themes and symbols, and the use of language. I’ve included video clips from various performances so you can see how different actors and directors interpret Shakespeare’s words and bring them to life, showing how this text is very much alive—it can be read and performed in many different ways. We’ll also examine the character arcs of the four main characters.Finally, we’ll read some critical responses to Hamlet and get a sense of how literary critics have engaged in an ongoing dialogue with this rich, multifaceted text. We’ll discuss how different critical lenses such as historical readings, feminism, and psychoanalytic theory can yield fascinating readings that shed light on themes within the play that might not be readily apparent at first glance.Join me for a deep dive into this text that has fascinated readers and theatergoers for over 400 years, and find out why "the play's the thing."

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 What You'll Learn

Lecture 2 Introduction to Hamlet

Lecture 3 Shakespeare's Life & Elizabethan Theater

Lecture 4 Tragedy on the Elizabethan Stage

Section 2: Hamlet: Act I

Lecture 5 Act I, Scene 1

Lecture 6 Act I, Scene 2

Lecture 7 Act I, Scene 3

Lecture 8 Act I, Scene 4

Lecture 9 Act I, Scene 5

Section 3: Hamlet: Act II

Lecture 10 Act II, Scene 1

Lecture 11 Act II, Scene 2

Section 4: Hamlet: Act III

Lecture 12 Act III, Scene 1

Lecture 13 Act III, Scene 2

Lecture 14 Act III, Scene 3

Lecture 15 Act III, Scene 4

Section 5: Hamlet: Act IV

Lecture 16 Act IV, Scenes 1-3

Lecture 17 Act IV, Scene 4

Lecture 18 Act IV, Scene 5

Lecture 19 Act IV, Scenes 6-7

Section 6: Hamlet: Act V

Lecture 20 Act V, Scene 1

Lecture 21 Act V, Scene 2

Section 7: Character Analysis

Lecture 22 Character Analysis: Hamlet

Lecture 23 Character Analysis: Ophelia

Lecture 24 Character Analysis: Claudius & Gertrude

Section 8: Critical Perspectives

Lecture 25 "Smiling, damned villain": Was Hamlet the Villain of the Play?

Lecture 26 "If the king like not the comedy": Humor in Hamlet

Lecture 27 “Tragical-comical-historical-pastoral”: Hamlet in Historical Context

Lecture 28 "The witching time": Hamlet and Horror

Lecture 29 "Frailty, thy name is woman": Gender in Hamlet

Lecture 30 "The play's the thing": Performance in Hamlet

Lecture 31 "Madness in great ones": Hamlet and Class

Lecture 32 "This fell sergeant": Death in Hamlet

Lecture 33 "A king of infinite space": Hamlet and Psychoanalytic Criticism

This course is recommended for learners with an interest in Shakespeare and literary theory, and anyone who wants to learn more about one of the Bard’s most enduring tragedies.