The Views about Hamlet, and Other Essays (Classic Reprint)

Clear, expert survey of Hamlet criticism that helps readers see how major ideas fit together.

This volume examines why Hamlet delays revenge and how critics have explained the drama’s central mystery. It frames ethical questions, assesses competing theories, and shows how different readings can fit together or clash.

• It tracks how leading thinkers from Coleridge to Taine and beyond have interpreted Hamlet’s actions and temperament.
• It explains how debates about the ghost’s truth, moral duty, and personal conflict have shaped the play’s long critical life.
• It explores the authorship questions around The Taming of the Shrew and its relation to A Shrew, including how scholars judge style, structure, and influence.
• It discusses how literary criticism can be disciplined by pattern, comparison, and careful weighing of evidence—without sacrificing nuance.