This edition of Hamlet represents a radically new text of the best
known and most widely discussed of all Shakespearean tragedies.
Arguing that the text currently accepted is not, in fact, the most
authoritative version of the play, this new edition turns to the
First Folio of 1623--Shakespeare's "fair copy"--that
has been preserved for us in the Second Quarto. Introducing fresh
theatrical momentum, this revision provides, as Shakespeare
intended, a better, more practical acting script.
Hamlet's combination of violence and introspection is unusual
among Shakespeare's tragedies. It is also full of curious
riddles and fascinating paradoxes, making it one of his most widely
discussed plays.
Professor Hibbard's illuminating and original introduction
explains the process by which variant texts were fused in the
eighteenth century to create the most commonly used text of today.
Drawing on both critical and theatrical history, he shows how this
gusion makes Hamlet seem a much more 'problematic' play
than it was when it originally appeared in the First Folio of
1623.
The Oxford Shakespeare edition presents a radically new text, based
on that First Folio, which printed Shakespeare's own revision
of an earlier version. The result is a 'theatrical' and
highly practical edition for students and actors alike.
ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics
has made available the widest range of literature from around the
globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to
scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of
other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading
authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date
bibliographies for further study, and much more.
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) gilt als einer der größten Dichter und Dramatiker der Weltgeschichte. Er verfasste zahlreiche Dramen, Tragödien, Komödien und Gedichte, mit denen er schon zu Lebzeiten Anerkennung und Wohlstand errang. Aber erst in den folgenden Jahrhunderten wurde er zum Prototypen des literarischen Genies, ohne den die Entwicklung der neueren Literatur von Goethe über Brecht bis in die Gegenwart hinein undenkbar ist.
