Well Read Company Book Reviews: ‘Hamlet’ by William Shakespeare
Our nine brand new designs are now all available to buy! Welcome to our new blog post series, in which we will be reviewing the novel or play behind our designs. This first of which is one of Shakespeare’s most famous and impressive tragedies: Hamlet. The story of the Danish Prince is celebrated with our brand new gothic design, which is printed onto our famous handbag that looks like a book. Grab your book bag or purse for the bookworm in your life before they all sell out!
‘This above all: to thine own self be true’
Hamlet is Shakespeare’s longest play, full of supernatural horror and dramatic descents into madness. Celebrate the Bard’s ingenuity with our skull-like playing figure design, which brings to life the spooky atmosphere of this wonderful play.
The play begins with the ghost of Hamlet’s father, the King of Denmark, asking his son to avenge his murder by killing his uncle Claudius. Hamlet feigns insanity and plots revenge, setting off a trail of tragic events which end with the death of nearly everyone he knows, including his lover Ophelia. The play ends with an engrossing duel in which four characters are killed, including Hamlet himself.
The white knuckled pace and tension of Shakespeare’s play have drawn audiences back to it throughout generations. Those hungry for a taste of the macabre will be satisfied, as will anyone who wants to add a spooky twist to their style with these perfect literary gifts. The supernatural doesn’t have to be reserved only for Halloween- add a bit ghostly intrigue to an outfit for any season!
‘Now cracks a noble heart. Good-night, sweet prince; And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest’.
Hamlet has endured it’s popularity so well because it asks the existential questions we still find ourselves wondering today: what is the human condition? Is it better to be alive and suffer, or dead and non-existent? We all know that relatable feeling of isolation that comes from the dramatic teenage years, Hamlet echoes these feelings of being lost in a cruel world in a way that everyone can relate to. ‘Though this be madness, yet there is method in't’ As well as this, Shakespeare manages to sneak in many vital themes into his play: love, loss, death, madness, morality, trust - just to name a few! Hamlet remains the most performed and adapted Shakespeare play, and it isn’t hard to see why. Celebrate this philosophical, white-knuckled tragedy with one of our wonderful literary gifts, sure to bring a smile to any literature lovers face.
