A new type of study guide which combines an exploration of Shakespeare's language with specific help for students looking to develop their own critical responses and skills. This lively and informative guide uses close reading of Hamlet’s complex language to explore its themes and plot.

This lively and informative guide reveals Hamlet as marking a turning point in Shakespeare's use of language and dramatic form as well as addressing the key problem at the play's core: Hamlet's inaction. It also looks at recent critical approaches to the play and its theatre history, including the recent David Tennant / RSC Hamlet on both stage and TV screen.