Annotated Bibliography

Downing, Crystal. “Reading Hamlet.”  Hamlet: with Contemporary Essays.  Ed. Joseph Pearce. San Francisco: Ignatius Pr, 2008. Print.

Downing’s essay, Reading Hamlet, presents a different approach to the interpretation of the tragedy of Hamlet.  Interpretative ambiguity throughout the play often leads to misreading lines, resulting in different meanings.  Right at the beginning of the essay, Downing tackles the most important misinterpretation in Hamlet- “To be, or not to be, that is the question”.  Incorrect emphasis on that leads people to interpret this as Hamlet battling over suicide.  Instead, the emphasis is on being, “to be” which expresses Hamlet’s longing to know the meaning of existence.  Thus, Hamlet’s search for understanding plays out throughout the tragedy.  Downing continues to explore other puns and word usage that can significantly alter the image of the character that the reader has of him or her.  She also investigates Shakespeare’s choice of school Hamlet attends, Wittenberg, and the historical and religious significance it has on the play. 

            Downing displays different interpretations of Hamlet that most likely have been overlooked by many readers.  She points out how one simple line, such as “I am too much in the sun”, can say so much about a character.  She also examines the misreading characters have of other characters, such as Hamlet and his father’s ghost. 

            Downing’s insight on the usage and interpretation of words in Shakespeare’s play can easily challenge the reader’s previous analysis of Hamlet.  Her essay would be beneficial to any person looking to critically analyze the tragic play.  It is also useful to any student looking for a new approach to writing a paper, especially for Shakespeare’s work.  Downing’s well crafted and researched essay can open the minds of those who never thought about Hamlet like this.