Hamlet: Poem Unlimited

In his New York Times bestseller Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human, Harold bloom showed us how Shakespeare shaped human consciousness, and addressed the question of authorship in Hamlet. In Hamlet: Poem Unlimited, the celebrated critic turns his attention to a reading of the play itself and to Shakespeare’s most enigmatic and memorable character.Hamlet: Poem Unlimited is Bloom’s attempt to uncover the mystery of both Prince Hamlet and the play, how both prince and drama are able to break through the conventions of theatrical mimesis and the representation of character, to make us question the very nature of the theatrical illusion. Bloom takes us through the major soliloquies, scenes, characters, and action of the play, to explore the enigma at the heart of the drama, which is central to its universal appeal. Bloom also gives a warmly personal and full account of the play’s history and discusses how it has become an extraordinary part of human consciousness.

Author Biography

Harold Bloom is Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University, Berg Professor of English at New York University and the recipient of many awards and honorary degrees. He is the author of more than twenty books.