Hamlet (1603): Library Resources

Use the links below to search for criticism and interpretation of literary works, as well as biographical information about authors. To access databases from off-campus, you will need to log in with your MyAACC credentials or enter your library barcode number.

Use this database for general background information and to define unfamiliar words and phrases:

To further research historical context of literary works, use:

Use these databases to broaden your search:

No full text available?
Have only an article's abstract or just a citation?

Use the library's Finding Articles from Citations page, which is part of the Finding Materials from Citations Guide.

For assistance, contact the reference desk at 410-777-2456 or truxal@aacc.libanswers.com.

Full text of Shakespeare's Hamlet is available on the Web at:

• Bartleby.com (Harvard Classics)
• Bartleby.com (The Oxford Shakespeare)
• Folger Shakespeare Library: Hamlet
• Internet Shakespeare Editions
• MIT
• Project Gutenberg

Print copies are also available in Truxal Library.

You might find the following eBooks useful for researching Hamlet. 

If of your AACC photo ID or Truxal Library card to access these multimedia resources.

Conduct a "Subject Browse" search using the Library Catalog for either:

• Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.
• Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Hamlet.

You'll find library materials that provide biographical information about Shakespeare, as well criticism and interpretation of his work.

Search the Library Catalog for the following reference titles that contain material about Hamlet. These titles may be available in other college or public libraries.

• All Things Shakespeare: An Encyclopedia of Shakespeare's World
• British Writers  [vols 1, 2, 3, 5]
• The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare and Contemporary Dramatists
• A Companion to Shakespeare
• Critical Survey of Drama [vol 6]
• The Critical Temper: A Survey of Modern Criticism on English and American Literature from the Beginnings to the Twentieth Century [vols 1, 4]
• Cyclopedia of Literary Characters [vol 2]
• Cyclopedia of Literary Places [vol 2]
• Cyclopedia of World Authors [vol 3]
• The Definitive Shakespeare Companion: Overviews, Documents, and Analysis [vol 3]
• Essential Shakespeare Handbook
• The Facts on File Companion to Shakespeare [vol 2]
• The Friendly Shakespeare: A Thoroughly Painless Guide to the Best of the Bard
• The Library of Literary Criticism [vol 1]
• Literature and Its Times [vol 1]
• Masterplots [vol 5]
• Shakespeare After All
• Shakespeare A to Z: The Essential Reference to His Plays, His Poems, His Life and Times and More
• Shakespeare's Characters for Students
• Shakespeare the Playwright: A Companion to the Complete Tragedies, Histories, Comedies and Romances
• Shakesqueer: A Queer Companion to the Complete Works of Shakespeare
• A Theatergoer's Guide to Shakespeare
• Understanding Hamlet: A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents
• William Shakespeare: His World, His Work, His Influence

Want more information about various productions and critical reception of this play?

Visit our Research Guide to Theater Arts

More ways to get help:

• Search our Frequently Asked Questions.
• Send us your question.
• Call us at 410-777-2456.
• Make an appointment with a librarian online via the Virtual Writing Center.

MLA-style and APA-style guidelines change periodically, especially for citing sources accessed electronically. For the most up-to-date information about how to cite sources correctly, visit:

Using a citation generator from a database or website? Double-check to be sure the generator has used the current rules.