mora55's review
someone got this for me as a gift years and years ago and i never read it. finally did and it was,, okay. pretty basic (i mean it's only 80 pg, focus on hamlet alone is expected) but still. honestly i was hoping for more explanation of the christian elements (considering "christian guide to the classics") since that's not something i have the background on in order to grasp the significance/implications, but it barely talked about it. the article i read about ophelia last month had wayyy more and that was literally Just about ophelia (whom this one barely touched on). this guy also seemed to take everything in the play at face value which seemed weird for an english professor. he did dismiss freud out of hand though and had a few thoughts i found interesting (1. hamlet/claudius parallels, 2. hamlet's delay in acting, 3. public justice v private revenge) so he has some rights. don't bother specifically seeking this out to read though, not worth it
josiahdegraaf's review
4.0
Ryken's whole series here explaining the great themes of the classics is absolutely phenomenal and my go-to resource now if I'm reading or teaching a book he's written on. This book is no exception. While I'm not quite sure if I buy his theory that Hamlet is a martyr as opposed to a tragic hero, he defended his theory well and brought up a lot of important aspects of the play while doing so. For a play as complex as Hamlet, this book is a great resource for understanding different interpretations of the play.
Rating: 4 Stars (Very Good).
Rating: 4 Stars (Very Good).
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