John Mills spotlights the various ways in which the role of Hamlet has been performed over almost four centuries. He launches this work with the first Hamlet portrayal, that of Richard Burbage, and then, in chronological order, describes and analyzes the Hamlets of the other actors who make up the great tradition of English-language Shakespeare acting. Mills devotes an entire chapter to each actor, focusing on acting style, text interpretation, theatrical and critical influences, popular and critical responses, and more. He offers a scene-by-scene account of the central figure's performance, with special emphasis on business and line-readings.