In the first act of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the Ghost of the dead King of Denmark appears to his son, setting off a chain of events that culminates in the play’s notoriously bloody finale. But how would this mysterious figure have been understood in Shakespeare’s time?

Harvard professor Stephen Greenblatt guides learners through an exploration of the Ghost’s uncanny theatrical power and the historical contexts from which the character emerged. You will be introduced to the narrative sources of Hamlet, the religious convictions that shaped how Renaissance England understood the afterlife, and how the Ghost would have thrilled and challenged its original audience. By focusing on the Ghost, you will see how the play grapples with issues like death, mourning, remembrance, and the power of theatre.

Through short video lectures, readings from the play as well as later works by Coleridge and Joyce, and conversations with experts, you will develop critical tools with which to "unlock" the play's possible meanings.

Part 1: Spirit? Apparition? Illusion?
Part 1, we read Acts 1-2, analyzing how Shakespeare introduces the mysterious figure of the Ghost and builds up to Hamlet's encounter with it.

Part 2: Imagining the Afterlife
In Part 2, we continue our reading with Acts 3-4 and look closely at the religious controversies following the Protestant Reformation.

Part 3: The Theater of Mourning
As we finish reading the play, we weigh the idea that the play is "about" revenge with the idea that it is "about" remembrance.

Part 4: The Texts of Hamlet
In Part 4, we turn to the earliest printed texts of the play, situating them in a broader understanding of early modern print and manuscript production. 

Join renowned scholar and best-selling author, Stephen Greenblatt, Cogan University Professor of the Humanities at Harvard University, for this look into the heart of Hamlet. For beginners, it is a great introduction. If you're reading Hamlet for the hundredth time, it is the perfect chance to revisit and refresh your "take" on Shakespeare's greatest tragedy. Revolving enrollment. Please enroll HERE.