Date: 31^st October, 2019

Time: 1:15 – 3:40 p.m.

Venue: Room 203, East 1A Building, Zijingang Campus, Zhejiang University.

【Speaker Introduction】：William Baker’s works include Studies in Victorian and Modern Literature: A Tribute to John Sutherland； Bernard Kops : Fantasist, London Jew, Apocalyptic Humorist；L. Kavaloski, Comparative Drama； A Harold Pinter Chronology； Form and Feeling in Modern Literature:Essays in Honour of Barbara Hardy；The Facts on File Companion to Shakespeare；Tom Stoppard: A Bibliographical History；William Shakespeare，Harold Pinter.

【Lecture Abstract】：This presentation will focus upon seven aspects of interest in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The purpose will be to demonstrate that the play has considerable relevance to your own life and activities. Also will introduce you to the idea of “Shakespearian tragedy” and show that Shakespeare and Hamlet well reward further study.

The areas in the play that attention will be drawn to include:

Hamlet as an example of Shakespearian tragedy and what is meant by Shakespearian tragedy?

Hamlet as a drama of parental conflict, of conflict with a father, especially a mother and a relation, in this instance an uncle.

The play as an exploration of friendship and trust as exhibited through the “hero”, Hamlet’s relationship with Horatio and his apparent girlfriend Ophelia.

The depiction and atmosphere of fear in the play through an examination of the presentation of external and internal threat.

Hamlet as a detective story, with the “hero” Hamlet as the main detective attempting to find out who killed his father.

Hamlet and play acting, the role of disguise in the play: and it’s illustration of how we attempt to deal with people we are hostile to.

Hamlet as an example, an illustration of Shakespeare’s great poetry.