Denmark's Challenge and Hamlet's Task

Ian Lindquist at St. John's Review.

"Shakespeare goes out of his way to draw the viewer's attention to the public aspect of Hamlet's tragedy, starting with the title of the play, which is named not only after a character but also after a public role. But what is that role? What is Hamlet's task as prince? And how well suited is he for the execution of it? This paper is an attempt to understand the public aspect of Shakespeare's play."

See Shakespeare, Great Books of the Western World (first edition, 52 Vol., 1952) volumes 26-27, (second edition, 60 Vol., 1990) volumes 24-25.