Hamlet: Poem Unlimited

Interpretations of Shakespeare’s plays are polarized along two approaches. At one end of the spectrum are intensely cerebral theorizing academics (e.g., Jonathan Bate, James Shapiro, Stephen Greenblatt). The other end is occupied by the proponents of religious-mystical-cultish views (e.g., Piero Boitani, Beryl Pogson, Martin Lings). Harold Bloom does not belong to either of these two groups; he is somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. In his book “Hamlet: Poem Unlimited,” he makes frequent references to various scriptures and other mystical sources. His understanding of Shakespeare, however, cannot be confined to any known mystical or religious system. Therefore, he is often accused by reviewers of some sort of secular agnosticism.Yet, Bloom’s perceptivity has allowed him to arrive at an understanding of Shakespeare that is much more valuable than other scholars’ intellectual gymnastics. The main theme of Bloom’s analysis is human consciousness. He recognizes that there are several levels of heightened states of consciousness, to which he refers as “new men.” These various levels, or dimensions, were developed gradually in the past and could be traced to the various historical periods (“In the Hebrew Bible, David is a new kind of man, as is his descendant, Jesus, in the Greek New Testament. Hamlet marks a third newness, secularized.”) Consequently, he implies that Shakespeare’s writings are equivalent to “the invention of the human.”Bloom observes that the multidimensionality of “Hamlet” remains hidden from other scholars and troubles “even the most rigorous and subtle minds, like Hume’s and Wittgenstein’s.” It is through this multidimensionality that the audience watching “Hamlet” experiences several levels of the play at the same time. In other words, the audience is exposed to several views simultaneously, particular (sequential) and panoramic (holistic). The panoramic view includes not only the five acts of “Hamlet;” it encompasses all Shakespeare’s plays. Such an exposure stimulates the brain to operate simultaneously in both, the sequential and the holistic modes. The net effect of such an experience is the awakening of innate capacities of the human mind. When the innate capacities are activated, the conventional notion of time and locality breaks down. It is then that seemingly odd and improbable events, which are separated by large distances and taking place at different times, start to form a single and coherent narrative. (This is the reason that in Shakespeare’s plays are plenty of anachronisms and seemingly improbable events.) In this way, the plays prepare the human mind for an encounter with higher states of consciousness. (Just like science fiction has prepared the human mind for an encounter with astrophysics and modern cosmology.) One, however, has to be familiar with the science of heightened states of consciousness to fully comprehend Shakespeare’s symbolic presentation. Nowadays, this science is being referred to as quantum consciousness.Bloom, however, is lacking technical knowledge and proper terminology to describe correctly his intuitive understanding of the play. This is why he is at pain trying to express precisely and coherently his experiences with Shakespeare. His vocabulary, just like the terminology of most Shakespearean scholars, is limited to the archaic terms of the classics, medieval mysticism and religiosity. This sort of terminology is not sufficient to describe precisely enough the symbolism of the process that is illustrated in Shakespeare’s plays. (Shakespeare makes plenty of references to the classics and the scriptures; however, he uses these references to underline their flaws and limitations and to point out their inadequacy to the process which he is describing.)Despite being unfamiliar with that specific science, Bloom has been able to identify quite a few important features of the play’s multidimensionality. He is correct when he observes that “but more than any other writer, he (Shakespeare) sets in motion energies that in themselves give the impression of being transcendental.” He is also on point when he writes that “We need the shipman’s card, on which all thirty-two compass points clearly are marked.” At the same time, he is wrong when concluding this statement with “but no such chart is available to us.” Such a chart is laid out within the plays. But the key to it cannot be found in the Greek and Latin classics, or in religions, or in Wilde, Chekhov, Joyce, Dostoyevsky, Ibsen, Proust, Pirandello, Nietzsche, Beckett, or other commentators of Shakespeare. And that is the challenge for all Shakespearean scholars. As long as their erudite minds are walled up by fragmented concepts of the past, they have no chance to get in touch with the true value of Shakespeare’s writings.The value of Shakespeare’s writings is not so much related to “the invention of the human.” When approached correctly, Shakespeare’s plays constitute a recipe for “the restoration of the human.” This recipe is like a hidden deposit of knowledge which is our only true terrestrial heritage and endowment. At this very moment in our history, it becomes more and more obvious that the absence of real humanity in our everyday life is the main cause of our past and current problems.So far, Bloom is the only one among Shakespearean scholars who has sensed the presence of that hidden deposit in the Bard’s plays.

Hamlet Poem Unlimited is Harold Bloom’s effort to do justice to Hamlet the play and Hamlet the character—that brightest star in the Shakespearean cosmos. In his earlier commentary Bloom felt he paid so much attention to issues of textual criticism that the immense power of Hamlet was lost. Hence this opusculum.For Bloom, Hamlet is above all the incredible tragedy/paradox of the seemingly infinite human consciousness caught in a body destined for annihilation. Admittedly, some of Bloom’s own Gnosticism gets thrown in here. There are references to the high places banned by the Hebrew prophets and the Nag Hammadi gospels. Personally, I would have liked more Shakespeare and less Bloom.But the book is an overwhelming success as a commentary. Read before or after a serious study of the play, the reader is bound to see Hamlet with deeper insight.More than that, Bloom sees Hamlet as surpassing the mere tragedy of the Danish court and inspiring Faust, Quentin Thompson, Stephen Daedalus and the other heroes of modern literature. One could say that not only one’s view of Hamlet but one’s whole outlook on modern literature is transformed.In short, highly recommended. I withheld five stars only because I didn’t think Bloom needed to devote so much verbiage to his idiosyncratic religious views. But overall a wonderful book that can be read in one sitting. Hopefully, like the unlimited poem of Hamlet, Bloom’s criticism continues its own unlimited path towards more popular understanding of the Bard.

Bloom says that he wrote this book as a postlude to "Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human". It is a short book, but it is not a slight one. There is a lot here to meditate over, read again, and argue over. Bloom certainly didn't write this expecting anyone to agree with everything he writes. In fact, a teacher is poorly served by his students if they simply accept what he says as if it were scripture. If the student doesn't understand or isn't persuaded, he must question. If he disagrees, he must argue. If he agrees, he must take what the teacher gave him and take it further. Don't think that because this book quotes extensively from the play and is only 154 small pages long that you won't have a lot given you.I enjoyed Bloom's "Invention of the Human" a great deal, but I am glad that he has given us more of his insights into Hamlet. Bloom's thoughts about how the play should be presented, what other critics have written, how his own perspectives have changed over the years, what it means to have a play within a play within a play. I also found his discussion of which verse is archaic and which is written to be understood as bad verse quite illuminating. Since my ear cannot hear the shades of Elizabethan English quite so clearly I have to admit that I didn't pick up that the slaughter of Priam was supposed to be taken as awful. I will have to work on hearing the language in all its varieties within this play and the others.I think it is vital to remember that works like this provide their greatest value by giving us a path to further thought, study, and deeper reading. We waste them by either accepting or rejecting their arguments at face value. This is a book that everyone who loves Shakespeare and Hamlet should read and then make their own judgments. I found this a very valuable book.

Harold Bloom gives us an extensive and intimate tour inside the the mind of Hamlet, providing an abundance of insight into his motivations, behaviors, conflicting emotions, his antics and the unparalleled beauty of his poetry! A must read for all Shakespeare lovers and Hamlet groupies!

I think it was Oscar Wilde who questioned whether "Hamlet's" critics were mad or only pretending to be mad. Certainly, this fascinating and extraordinary play has prompted not only some fine critical analysis from amongst others Wilson Knight, T.S. Eliot, A. C. Bradley, L.C Knights, Maynard Mack et al, but also much that is bizarre to put it kindly - for example the far from slim volume that argues that all the hero's problems stemmed from his being overweight! "Oh, that this too, too solid flesh would melt."!No play can have felled more forests or exhausted more ink wells. I have long been an admirer of Harold Bloom, a critic, who during the depressing period of so much agenda-led literary criticism, has come to books with a fine and open mind. He stands in the tradition of Eliot, Leavis and Trilling in being prepared to venture qualitative judgements. His discernment is evident in the value he places on such great American novels as "As I Lay Dying" and "Blood Meridian". It is a brave man who takes on a fresh critical perspective on "Hamlet". Harold Bloom offers a refreshingly personal reading, sometimes quite quirky, but always stimulating. I don't think his reputation will come to rest on these pieces but a rare sensibility is again at work. It is well worth the reading.

I've been teaching secondary English for nearly thirty years, and have been a fan of Harold Bloom for a while. I've read and used The Invention of the Human as a teaching tool in my senior English classes for several of Shakespeare's plays. But, in my opinion, this little book fell on its face. The author states in the intro to Hamlet: Poem Unlimited that it was intended as a companion book to his essay on Hamlet in The Invention of the Human, so it seemed like something worth buying. I'm disappointed to say that it's mostly just a collection of disjointed and unfinished short comments about various parts of the play. He often starts off to develop ideas, but then just quits and moves on to the next topic before he really makes a point. A couple of times Bloom makes statements that were so far out in left field re: the play that it felt as if he hadn't even read Hamlet at all (I know...weird for one of the foremost Shakespearean scholars, but there it is...) or was so lost in his own meandering musings on the play that he was making stuff up that he couldn't support from the text. Anyway, not to disparage the dead, but this book isn't worth wasting your money on.

as always, bloom writes masterfully. there is much to be learned by reading such a literary phenomenon. however, it may be--may be--that shakespeare's motive in writing the play was primarily dramatic, that he intended to construct a riddle. make not hamlet the peerless player his centrepiece but his wonderful riddle which endlessly undercuts any determination. if this is so, then bloom, ace chewer of koans, remains enchanted, forever enthralled with Hamlet the character, caught up in precisely the riddle--the mousetrap--that shakespeare set. of course, i may be way off.

il libro, oltre a essere di fondamentale interesse per gli amanti di Shakespeare, è estremamente ben fatto anche dal punto di vista tipografico e grafico

Good stuff