....men in suits could kick drunks on the street
....brilliant kids could stop speaking to their parents
....welfare mothers could just get their acts together
....kids would just follow the rules
....the strong could get rid of the weak

All would be well for this book.

....Nada. One of the characteristics of a PoMo writer is his shifting of shapes. Cantor slips from the shape of the traditional critic reading Hamlet line-by-line to that of the critic tackling the most PoMo of topics--a TV show like Gilligan's Isle. Such shifting presumes a certain above-it-all divinity in which Cantor is in all shapes (close reading/cultural studies//canonical/pop culture//Hamlet/Gilligan's Isle) and in no shapes. Downright nihilistic, one might say...

This is a great introduction to the play within a Reniassance context. The author does an admirable job in reconstructing the historical and literary contexts surrounding Hamlet. For example, the conflict which the play embodies between classical ideals of heroism and Christian skepticism is well-developed. Overall, this is the best place to begin any study of Hamlet, and it may be all you'll need. The language is clear and concise, in contrast to the pompous jargon-laden prose of so many "post-modern'" critics. Well-written, well-argued, well-informed: one of the best works available on this quintessential Renaissance play.