ENL 4333-001 Fall 2024 - Taylor

This course will devote an entire semester to the most famous literary work in English. "Hamlet" exists in three different versions. In the earliest, written at the beginning of Shakespeare's career, Hamlet is 17 years old. In the last version, written after the death of Shakespeare's father, Hamlet is in his early thirties. In all versions, the play dramatizes the struggle against institutional injustice, politics, family conflict, mental illness, suicidal impulses, sexuality, violence, ethics, and masculinity. We will look at the original staging and at more than four centuries of interpretation by critics, philosophers, actors, and filmmakers. The course satisfies the requirement for one pre-1800 course. No previous study of Shakespeare is required; but it would be useful.