A young prince comes back from college, summoned by his father’s death and his mother’s remarriage. Forward-looking and well educated, he re-enters a world where the past is always present, where nothing is clear and questions abound. He shares those questions with us; he struggles to find answers and a path forward. It is a world of ghosts and broken promises, a past that finally overwhelms the dream of a brighter future. But it is also a world of theater.
Hamlet comes after Shakespeare’s exploration of the English past in his so-called history plays. It is the first of his major tragedies, followed by Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. Hamlet wrestles with England’s ancient past; Macbeth looks to the future success of the Stuarts and the union of England and Scotland.
Why does this sprawling play of ghosts and mothers and duels and suicide remain the most iconic and famous of all of Shakespeare’s works? We’ll discover and discuss the multiple (four) versions and the collision of the old and the new at the drama’s core.
Humphrey Tonkin was president of the University of Hartford during the 1990s and founder of the Presidents’ College as the 90s came to a close. For almost twenty years earlier in his career, he was professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania. He has written books and articles on Elizabethan literature, linguistics, and translation. Recent publications include an edited volume on Language and Sustainability (2023), an edition of the poems of Clarence Bicknell (2023), and a translation of Shakespeare’s Coriolanus into Esperanto (2023).
Thursdays, March 26, April 2, 9, 16 | 2 p.m.–3:30 p.m. | KF Room/Harrison Libraries | $80
Brought to you by the Presidents' College, where we connect the curious through lifelong learning.
For other stimulating Presidents' College offerings, see our printable PDF.
Faculty and staff are eligible to take one Presidents' College lecture for free every semester, or to receive a one-session discount ($20) for a longer course. Contact us at pcollege@hartford.edu or 860.768.4495.
Our snazzy Presidents’ College Gift Certificates are also ready for purchase. Giving the gift of knowledge is a great way to celebrate birthdays and un-birthdays in style while inviting friends and family into the Presidents' College circle.