Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Norton Shakespeare | 1997 | Stephen Greenblatt | Buy |
| 2 | Hamlet in Purgatory | 2001 | Stephen Greenblatt | Buy |
The Norton Shakespeare was published in 1997 with Greenblatt as general editor. The edition reflects his New Historicist approach by presenting the plays within their cultural moment. Rather than treating Shakespeare as a timeless genius who transcended his era, the edition shows how his work participated in the conflicts and debates of early modern England. The introductions explain the religious controversies, political tensions, and theatrical practices that shaped each play.
Hamlet in Purgatory (2001) examines how Shakespeare’s most famous play responded to the Protestant Reformation’s rejection of purgatory. In Catholic theology, purgatory was a place where souls underwent purification before entering heaven. Protestants abolished this doctrine, eliminating prayers for the dead and the possibility of contact between the living and the departed. Greenblatt argues that Shakespeare was grappling with a crisis in how people understood death and mourning. The ghost of Hamlet’s father comes from sulfurous and tormenting flames that sound like purgatory, creating theological confusion in a Protestant England where purgatory officially no longer existed.