Detecting the Dane: Recreating Shakespearian Genre in a Level Literature

Abstract

Abstract There is a well-established practice in schools in England of ‘retro-fitting’ genre to Shakespeare’s plays, namely, considering them within a genre which did not exist at the time of writing. This article explores a contemporary example: Hamlet studied as crime writing. The justification for studying the play through this lens is explored, and the ways in which this relates to concepts of genre. While rejecting the justifications offered by the syllabus in which this play is set, a presentist approach suffices to allow the consideration of Hamlet as crime. The article considers the possible insights offered into the play, and reciprocally into the genre, by using the lens of crime writing to consider Hamlet. The enjoyability of such an approach is acknowledged, but the potential downsides for students who encounter the play in this way are also considered.