Shakespearean Criticism: From Neoclassical to Hamlet’s Analysis
Critical Approaches to Shakespeare
17th Century (Neoclassical Criticism)
Ben Jonson: Shakespeare was a poet “not of an age, but for all time.” Criticized for not following Aristotelian rules but praised for his “Nature” and “Fancy.”
John Dryden: Highlighted Shakespeare’s “Images of Nature” but noted flaws in judgment and language. Adapted some of Shakespeare’s plays.
Thomas Rymer: Harshly criticized Shakespeare for ignoring classical unities and blending comedy and tragedy.
18th Century (Editorial Criticism)
Focused on textual editing and analysis of Shakespeare’s works.
Major editors: Rowe, Pope, Johnson, Malone.
Samuel Johnson: Praised Shakespeare’s characters as “common humanity” but criticized his lack of moral purpose and the mixing of genres.
19th Century (Romantic Criticism)
Coleridge: Saw Shakespeare’s works as “organic” with a unity of feeling. Characters are reflections of human nature.
Hazlitt: Celebrated Shakespeare’s portrayal of real, relatable characters.
Early 20th Century Criticism
G. Wilson Knight
Focused on imagery and atmosphere.
Argued that characters should be analyzed as artistic constructs, not real humans.
Caroline Spurgeon
Studied Shakespeare’s imagery to reveal his personality and thematic concerns.
Highlighted recurring nature-related imagery (plants, growth, decay).
Wolfgang Clemen
Connected imagery with dramatic elements like plot and character.
Rejected purely statistical or psychological methods of analysis.
Hamlet: Composition, Sources, and Themes
Date of Composition
Likely written between 1599 (after Julius Caesar) and 1602 (when it was entered in the Stationer’s Register).
Influenced by political events, such as the Essex Rebellion (1601), and theatrical trends like the “war of theatres.”
Sources and Inspirations
- Saxo Grammaticus: The Amleth saga (12th century), featuring themes of revenge, madness, and fratricide.
- Belleforest’s Histoires Tragiques: Added moral and religious justification for revenge, influencing Shakespeare’s treatment of themes like justice and divine punishment.
- Ur-Hamlet: A lost Elizabethan play (possibly by Thomas Kyd) that introduced the ghost and revenge motifs.
Textual Versions
- Q1 (1603): “Bad quarto,” likely a shortened acting version.
- Q2 (1604-05): More complete, possibly based on Shakespeare’s manuscript.
- First Folio (1623): Edited posthumously, with alterations for stage purposes.
Themes and Techniques
Metatheatrical Elements
References to Julius Caesar link actors and roles (e.g., John Heminges as Polonius/Caesar). Highlights the illusion of theater and the audience’s “double awareness” of actor and character.
Political Allusions
Hamlet reflects the political anxieties of Elizabethan England, such as issues of succession and rebellion. Rosencrantz’s dialogue about “inhibition” and “innovation” may reference the closing of theaters due to the plague or political disturbances.
Theatrical Context
The simplicity of props and staging emphasized the actors’ performances and the audience’s imagination. Elizabethan audiences were aware of the artifice of the stage, allowing for direct engagement with the play’s themes.
Critical Approaches to Hamlet
Melancholy and Psychology
A.C. Bradley: Hamlet’s delay stems from melancholy, a Renaissance concept tied to an imbalance of the humors.
Coleridge: Hamlet is paralyzed by overthinking, making it a “tragedy of thought.”
Philosophical Depth
The “To be or not to be” soliloquy explores existential questions, influenced by Belleforest’s moral dilemmas.
Hamlet’s introspection reflects Renaissance debates on fate, justice, and the nature of man.