We're not reviewing "Hamlet" here. That's been done pretty thoroughly for about 400 years, and I think we'd find that the overall rating is a solid "5".

We should be reviewing this edition - the Ignatius Critical Edition.

What sets this apart are the Introduction by Joseph Pearce, and the seven critical essays. They shed a lot of light on the play. One of the highlights I remember is about the "To be or not to be" speech, where the first essay points out that the accent is on "is": ".... that IS the question" (page 185). That emphases the existential nature of his question.

This book takes a Catholic look at "Hamlet". Pearce notes these lines:
Act 4, Scene 3, 8th speech (lines 19 - 23):

King: Now Hamlet, where's Polonius?
Hamlet: At supper.
King: At supper! Where?
Hamlet: Not where he eats, but where 'a is eaten: a
certain convocation of politic worms are e'en at
him. Your worm is your only emperor for diet,
....

A clear reference to the Diet of Worms (1521, where Luther defended his "95 Theses"). And in Act 1, Scene 2, the King and Queen try to persuade Hamlet not to go back to Wittenberg - that's the university where Luther posted those 95 Theses.

The other essays look at the psychology, the religious background, and other aspects of the play.

In all, it's a good resource for anyone who wants to get beyond the surface of the play.