Overview

"A mysterious, melancholic, brooding Hamlet has gripped and fascinated four hundred years' of readers, trying to ""find"" and know him as he searches for and avenges his father's name. Setting itself apart from the usual discussions about Hamlet, Hunt here demonstrates that Hamlet is much more than we take him to be. Much more than the sum of his parts - more than just tragic, sexy youth and more than just vain cruelty - Hamlet is a reflection of our own aspirations and neuroses. Looking for Hamlet investigates our many searches for Hamlet, from their origins in Danish mythology through the complex problems of early printed texts, through the centuries of shifting interpretations of the young prince to our own time when Hamlet is more compelling and perplexing than ever before. Hunt presents Hamlet as a sort of missing person, the idealized being inside oneself. This search for the missing Hamlet, Hunt argues, reveals a present absence readers pursue as a means of finding and identifying ourselves."

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9781403970367

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'This thoroughly engaging tour de force not only ranges brilliantly over four centuries of Hamlet criticism but also makes a significant contribution to that rich tradition: Hunt's subtle and compelling reading of Hamlet's encounter with Yorick's skull deserves a place among the very best critical interpretations of one of the most famous scenes in world drama, and it alone is well worth the price of the book.' - Eric Rasmussen, Co-editor of the New Variorum Hamlet and of the RSC Complete Works of Shakespeare 'Marvin Hunt's remarkable book seemingly responds to every earlier study of Hamlet deserving response. It offers a comprehensive, at times severe history of Hamlet criticism that is, quite wondrously, mixed with the author's personal experiences and preoccupations. His investigation will enliven searches for literature's most elusive character for another generation.' - Mark Taylor, Author of Shakespeare's Imitations 'This book offers an excellent introduction to the complexities of interpreting Hamlet. Any reader will profit from the detailed discussion of source material, rival texts, and reception history; more seasoned scholars will find provocative insights on every page. Hunt's vision of Hamlet/Hamlet as the lost child of Western history is, I believe, profoundly moving.' - James Schiffer, Professor and Head, Department of English, Northern Michigan University, USA.

Author Information

MARVIN HUNT earned his Ph.D. in Renaissance Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA, in 1987. He has written widely in Tudor-Stuart literature including Sir Philip Sidney, Edmund Spenser, and Shakespeare. A member of the Modern Language Association, the Shakespeare Association of America, and the Southeastern Renaissance Conference, Professor Hunt has been twice a fellow at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, DC. He has also written widely for popular audiences on subjects ranging from African-American history to baseball and has been reviewed in The New York Times.

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