Shakespeare's Hamlet has intrigued scholarly critics as wellas casual playgoers and has led to more debate than anyother play. Is Hamlet mad or just pretending? Why do theguards, Horatio, and Hamlet see the ghost, but Gertrudenot see it? Are the characters of Fortinbras, Reynaldo, andVoltemand superfl uous to the play? What is Horatio's placein Elsinore? Starting from the spoken lines, explanationsfor these and other questions are offered in this book.Encouraged here are staged interpretations of Hamlet thatmore adequately imagine stage directions and characterdevelopment. This readable book is equally for those withcasual, scholarly or professional interests in Hamlet.