Modern Salons

Salons were prominent theatres of conversation and exchange in the French literary and philosophical movements of the 17th and 18th centuries. Although such gatherings for in-person discussion have decreased dramatically after the 1940s, recent years have witnessed the re-emergence of salon culture around the world (https://www.fourseasons.com/magazine/discover/salons-around-the-world).

I recommend reading this article as it's a good read. Salons have become a trend in cities like London, Paris, and New York, where people gather monthly to casually talk about literature, psychology, science, art, or other ideas in a nurturing environment. Literary salons are numerous, but there are also salons in which subjects such as science are explored. A prominent example is Salon London (examples of topics discussed: http://www.salon-london.com/content/Events/), whose objectives are "Science, Art, Psychology." Salon culture have also reached regions other than Western Europe and America. Literary salons are big in Dubai, and the Sunday Salon, a literary salon, has set up a group in Nairobi. The article points out that in literary salons, novice writers are able to show their works to people and even get a publishing deal if they're lucky.

I think that this renaissance of salon culture is proof of human's need for face-to-face interaction and mental exercise by discussing creative ideas and casually talking about what you like while drinking a glass of wine or apple juice. The author of the article particularly emphasizes the nurturing environment of salons compared to the rather dismissive and unfriendly setting of online forums. I was actually reminded of a quote in Screenagers, which I imagined I would never do. In the documentary, a man who is something like a financial adviser says that web conferencing will never replace in-person conference meetings because people trust each other less when they interact through screens than when they meet in person and shake hands, etc. I agree with this statement, and I believe salon culture is an excellent promoter of not only taking a step back from our digital lives, but also sparking creative minds and discussing on equal grounds.

Voltaire, a Wise Investor

In class, we learned that Voltaire's speculations in the French East India Company made him rich by 1726, when he would have been just 32 years old. I was interested in Voltaire's finances because not many writers and intellectuals end up being rich. In fact, a great deal of famous writers, artists, and composers in history died poor; Voltaire's contemporary, Mozart, is known to have spent the end of his life being sued by friends for debts owed. So Voltaire the Investor was probably as smart as Voltaire the Writer.

As a young man, Voltaire was wise enough to realize that he would need to become financially independent in order to support his own writing. Thus, he cultivated friendships and relationships with the Paris brothers and other wealthy bankers, who taught him how to invest and manage his money. As a result of his wisdom, Voltaire was a millionaire by the time he was 40 years old.

Voltaire passively invested in currencies and commodities in nations all over the world, all earning profit and interest. By the time Voltaire was 55 years old, it was estimated that he earned $937,500 per year. He also had luck with the lottery. After Voltaire returned to France from exile in Great Britain, he joined up with French mathematician Charles Marie de La Condamine, who proposed buying up the lottery that was organized by the French government to pay off its debts. Voltaire earned a lot of money from this lottery. He even managed convince the Court of Finances that he was of good conduct and so was able to take control of the capital inheritance from his father that had been tied up in trust.

Question of Suicide in Candide and Hamlet

Hamlet dwells on the matter of suicide quite often, and his famous "soliloquy" (on stage, Ophelia pretends to read a book, and Claudius and Polonius are hiding) poses the question of whether he should commit suicide or not:

"To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them. To die, to sleep—
No more—and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to! 'Tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep—
To sleep—perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life:
[...]
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all" (3.1:56-83).

Hamlet thinks that people do not commit suicide because they are cowards and fear what happens after death. I was reminded of this scene while reading Candide. In chapter 12, the old woman, who was the daughter of a Pope, continues to convey her unfortunate life story to Candide and Cunégonde. Near the end of her story, she talks about suicide:

"A hundred times I wanted to kill myself, but always I loved life more. This ridiculous weakness is perhaps one of our worst instincts; is anything more stupid than choosing to carry a burden that really one wants to cast on the ground? to hold existence in horror, and yet to cling to it? to fondle the serpent which devours us till it has eaten out our heart? [...] I have seen a vast number of people who hated their existence; but I never saw more than a dozen who deliberately put an end to their own misery."

Like Hamlet, the old woman says that people are cowards and guesses that this weakness is "one of our worst instincts." The old woman seems to be more acceptive towards suicide than Hamlet.

The matter of suicide is one of the most complex questions of human nature, and I think it will continue as a moral and intellectual challenge for the rest of human existence.

Frederick the Composer and Music Lover

We've talked about Frederick the Great and the idea of an enlightened despot, and one way that he sort of fits this image is his love of music. Growing up as a young boy, Frederick had a passion for the flute, which he supposedly hid from his father who did not think it was a good use of time. Later, he supported a vibrant music culture in his court, including the composing of dozens of his own flute works. He supported many prominent musicians including Carl Emmanuel Philip Bach, the son of the more famous Bach. The real Bach himself actually visited court one time and probably sought to gain favor with the emperor as he was tired of his current position as a musician in a smaller town. Frederick even gave Bach a musical theme that he reworked into a composition called The Musical Offering, which there's a video to below. It was interesting to see a specific way that Frederick supported the arts. Another interesting thing I saw though was the idea that he mostly supported the arts like this to help improve his image and distract from his many warlike activities. Frederick and his love of music show both the positive and more suspicious sides of the idea of him as an enlightened despot.

Hamlet and EVEN MORE Pop Culture

There has been a couple post already talking about Hamlet and pop culture, but due to Shakespear's influence, there are still tons more that we haven't talked about. Shakespear is so widespread that there are even tons of references to Shakespeare and his words in rap lyrics. Here are a few that I found.

1) Hamlet

"To be or not to be" may be the most famous line ever, so obviously there would be some use of this line in rap. Here are a few.

"To be or not to be
 That's the question,
 you feel me?"
- Puff Dady

"To be or not to be?
Last words from
Shakespeare"
- Wycleaf Jean

"To be or not to be
Sh*t
I don't know my decision"
- Lil Wayne

2) Macbeth

Another one of Shakespeare's most famous plays, so there is sure to be plenty of references.

"Something wicked,
This way comes"
- 2Pac

3) Shakespeare himself

"See,
I'm a poet to some,
a regular modern day
Shakespeare"
- Eminem

"Now I'm blessed
with the finesse
to express
like Shakespear"
- Nas

"The Shakespear of 16s,
I'm dipping my ink pen"
- Danny Brown

In this last one from Danny Brown, he is comparing himself to Shakespeare, but he says he writes 16 bars instead oh Shakespeare's 14 line sonnets.

Hamlet in MORE Pop Culture

We've talked about how influential this play is, and due to its influence, Hamlet has been featured in quite a bit of pop culture. I found some really cool references, which I discuss below:

1) Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement (when I saw this, I was pretty excited)

Lily, Mia's best friend, refers to Mia's maids as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern because they were very nosey and always tried to intrude in Mia's affairs.

2) Clueless (also was excited about this)

3) Beyonce's "Freakum Dress" (excited pt. 3)

Right in the beginning of the song before she starts to sing, Beyonce whispers "to be or not to be...not!" Listen for yourself!

The Globe

I'm sure by now everyone knows that Shakespear performed most of his plays at the Globe Theatre, but most people probably don't know of the Globe's rich history. The original theater was built in 1599 using timber from an earlier theater that was own by one of the six main Globe shareholder's father. Shakespear was also one of these original shareholders. Originally he owned 1/8 of the Globe, but over the years his share diminished to only 7%. On June 29th of 1613, the Globe burned down during a production of Henry VIII. A cannonball used for special effects during the play misfired and hit a wooden bean, setting the entire theater on fire. The theater was not rebuilt until the following year. In 1642, along with many other theaters in the London area, the theater was closed by the Puritans. It wasn't dismantled, however, until 1644-1652. It wasn't until 1997 when a reimagined version of the theater was made named "Shakespear's Globe." This construction was based on the models and dimensions from both the 1599 and 1613 theaters. Then in February of 2016, a pop-up version of the theater was made in New Zealand. It remained in New Zealand for around three months hosting various productions and plays. Then in 2017, this pop-up replica was constructed for another three months in another New Zealand location for a similar performance. Here you can find pictures of the modern theaters in London and New Zealand.

Closing Thoughts on Hamlet (comment below!)

Hey guys. As we close up our discussions on Hamlet, I wanted to create a discussion on the play itself and what we thought about it. Personally, I really liked it. I enjoyed the fact that the play got pretty introspective at times. Hamlet, on several occasions, breaks down the emotions he feels and comes up with his own philosophical theories that explore, for example, the impact of thought on psyche and the emotional impacts of suicide. Aside from his perceptiveness, I liked how Hamlet was his own type of protagonist. Clearly, as he's the eponymous character, he's supposed to be the hero. However, Hamlet's level of bravery and determination fluctuates greatly throughout the play. Sometimes, he's super motivated and driven by rage; whereas, at other times, he'll come up with any excuse in the book to avoid avenging his father. With this element of his character, Hamlet becomes more real as his qualms regarding his duty are understandable for the audience. Overall, I liked the play Hamlet and also the character Hamlet as well. What do you guys think? Do you like the play or the character or both? Also, I'm interested to hear y'all's opinions regarding the ending in which basically everyone just dies. I'm still not sure how I feel about it exactly.

Artistic Interpretations of Hamlet

As one of Shakespeare's most renowned plays, Hamlet has been artistically represented many times. I found some cool representations (below) that added to my perspective of the events that went down in the play.

1) Hamlet and Ophelia by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

This scene depicts the moment in which Ophelia returns Hamlet's gifts. This painting is really cool because its background is more important than Hamlet and Ophelia themselves. If you look closely, the chair on which Hamlet rests his arm houses an engraving of the Tree of Knowledge guarded by two angels with swords. Around the tree lies a serpent that wear a crown which is reminiscenet of the ghost's lines in the play: "But know, thou noble youth, / The serpent that did sting thy father's life / Now wears his crown." Also on the seat is a carving of the Old Testament story of Uzzah. Uzzah was bringing the Ark of the Covenant to King David, and when the oxen carrying the Ark shifted, he held out his arms to steady it. The second he reached out his arms to steady the Ark, God struck him dead. Basically, he was the victim of his good intentions, just like Ophelia. Ophelia left Hamlet because of her father's wishes; she had no malicious intents. The parallel between Uzzah and Ophelia is demonstrated through the similar, flailing position of their arms. 

2) The Closet Scene from "Hamlet" by Richard Dadd

As its title reveals, this is from the famous "closet scene." Originally, this painting also incorporated Dadd's version of the apparition; however, it was removed at some point. It's interesting to pay close attention to the facial expressions of both Hamlet and Gertrude. After spotting the ghost, Hamlet is wide-eyed and shocked. In response to his reaction, Gertrude is fearful of her son and shows a almost a look of disappointment towards him.

Poison, a Coward's Weapon

Poison is a recurring theme in many of Shakespeare's plays (e.g. Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, King John, Antony and Cleopatra, Richard III, Hamlet). In the Elizabethan era, poison was seen as a coward's way to kill as chivalry was very important. Also, people believed in witchcraft and thought that poisons and potions were supernatural powers. In the 1600s, men fought for their honor in duels, and it was thought to be better to die than to be a coward. Thus, poison was considered a weapon of a man with no honor and respect for himself. One can argue that Hamlet is a coward because of his indecisiveness about his revenge, but we can all agree that Claudius is the coward of cowards. He asks other people to kill Hamlet, and he plans with Laertes to use poison during the fencing duel. However, as is throughout the play, what goes around comes around, and Claudius drinks drops of poison as well.

One thing that I was thinking about was the question of Gertrude's death. Did she know that the drink had poison in it? Why did she drink it? Maybe she intentionally saved her son after feeling guilt in the night that Hamlet talked with her at her room? I don't know.

This is an interesting article about poison used in Shakespeare's plays: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140416-do-shakespeares-poisons-work

Hamlet Sand Sculpture

I found this really cool sand sculpture of hamlet that I would like to share:

http://www.helenabangert.com/Webalbum%202004/shakespeare_2004.htm

Just Can’t Wait to Be King

It’s not exactly a secret that Claudius wanted that crown.  I mean, he did kill his own brother and all.  Kind of like how Scar killed Mufasa and eventually took power.  So here’s something I’ve been wondering: how exactly did Claudius become king when King Hamlet died?  Super weird, right?  Shouldn’t the throne have gone to Hamlet Jr.?

Well, not exactly, because a parliament elected the Danish monarch.  In this election, only guys who had royal blood could be elected, and only some of the nobles got to vote. Usually that meant that the “next-in-line” just got the crown (in this case, Prince Hamlet), but it was possible for someone else to receive parliament’s approval.  In Act 5, Scene 2, Hamlet references “elections.”  And as we discussed in class, Claudius claims, “Nor have we herein barr'd your better wisdoms, which have freely gone with this affair along,” insinuating that the nobles (and presumably the parliament, therefore) are totally fine with the marriage.  Claudius could have even used Gertrude to intervene in the election process so that he could get the crown.  Not to mention that Gertrude is called an “imperial jointress,” meaning that she, too, has power, power that Claudius could have simply leeched onto to strengthen his own position in the eyes of the parliament.  Hamlet was also off at school in Wittenberg, so perhaps he wasn’t there for the election process, a situation of which Claudius no doubt took advantage. 

However, it does seem strange that Claudius would have won an election over Hamlet, seeing as Claudius complains about how the people love Hamlet so much…guess it just speaks to how manipulative Claudius can be.

The subtle similarities between Star Wars and Hamlet

Star War, an epic, a true masterpiece, but most of all, a Hamlet story. Luke Skywalker, a young prodigy in the art of the force,  is on a quest for revenge on the death of his father. Like Hamlet, Luke seeks revenge on behalf of his father's death. Star wars is a revenge epic, it follows a young man on a quest for revenge. Darth Vader, the alleged murder, would represent Claudius and Luke Skywalker would be Hamlet. Princess Leia could resemble Ophelia, but that would not be likely because she turns out to be Luke Skywalker's sister.  This is one of the many examples of the hamlet troupe being used in modern day cinema.

(Gert)rude Awakening About the Queen in Hamlet

As we said in class, Shakespeare references many contemporaries in his plays.  So that raises the question: who’s Gertrude really?

In the play, she’s the controversial figure who marries her brother-in-law and her husband’s murderer.  In real life…well, just like the character herself, that’s not so clear.  Some critics have even raised the question: did Gertrude perhaps conspire with Claudius to kill Hamlet Sr.?  (Maybe, probably, not, but it’s an interesting theory to consider.)

Wikipedia describes Robert Dudley, 1st Earl of Leicester, as “the favourite and close friend of Elizabeth I's, from her first year on the throne until his death. He was a suitor for the queen's hand for many years.”  He eventually married a woman named Lettice, whose son was the Earl of Essex.  Now, this was a somewhat controversial move by Lettice, because, well, Leicester was kiiind of suspected to have killed her husband.  Oops!

And then we’re also familiar by now with Mary, Queen of Scots, who is suspected to have engaged in a whole bunch of intrigue that involved killing a couple lovers.  Mary then married the Earl of Bothwell, and people weren’t so happy about that, either. 

But wait, there’s more!

In 1599, apparently, Robert Devereux, second Earl of Essex, randomly busted into Queen Elizabeth’s bedchamber.  The Queen was super mad—I mean, it WAS pretty inappropriate.  And she was kinda self-conscious because she was getting on in years and had scars as a result of smallpox.  (But who just bursts into the queen’s room without permission, anyway?!?) Another account claims that in 1598, Elizabeth didn’t grant one of his requests, so he “turned his bath on her.”  When she hit him, he tried to grab his sword, but a courtier stopped him.  Well, whatever the case, Essex later tried to lead a rebellion, so he got his head chopped off.  At one point in the play, Hamlet likewise bursts into Queen Gertrude’s bedchamber.  Interesting parallel.  But it gets more interesting when you consider Act 5, Scene 1 and Hamlet talks about “paint an inch thick.”  Perhaps this line is a reference to Elizabeth’s makeup to cover up her scars from smallpox.

All things considered, it’s fascinating to consider just whom Shakespeare based Queen Gertrude off of.  Was he implying that the queen did, in fact, help kill her own husband?  Or was he referencing an incident at court with which many in his audiences would have been familiar?  Or did he have other motives as well?  I guess we’ll never truly know.

Hamlet Looking In

One thing that I was continuously impressed with in Hamlet is how introspective Hamlet is. If you think about the time period, and Hamlet's position, you wouldn't necessarily expect a character like that to be so open about his thoughts and emotions. From the very beginning, Hamlet speaks honestly about the grief he feels, end is able to easily identify it in himself and express it to others. He is equally as insightful into the resulting depression, and he expresses all of this despite maintaining a position that may have been seen as requiring a certain amount of stoicism.

I think that Hamlet's knowledge and expression of his emotions makes Hamlet distinct in that it offers a portrayal of a human experience from a very intimate perspective. Not only is this important today, but at the time Hamlet was written it may have been pioneering.

The tragedy of Kim Jong Nam: a Hamlet story

After reading an article in the latest issue of GQ, covering the horrific death of Kim Jong Il’s eldest son: Kim Jong Nam, I was able to draw parallels between Hamlet and the drama within the tyrannical Kim Jong lineage.  Two women, who used a lethal dose of the nerve agent VX as their weapon, murdered Kim Jong Nam. Kim Jong Nam was Kim Jong Il’s eldest son. Nam was entitled to the throne, but after his father married another woman who gave birth to two other boys (include Kim Jong Un), his claim to power disappeared. Il had always suspected that Nam was not meant to fulfill the role as tyrant, he beloved that Nam lacked the instincts required to be in that kind of power. Nam, at a very young age, was sent to a “posh” private school” in Geneva. After graduating and returning to North Korea, he was appointed as a top general in the North Korean army. Realizing he was not meant for the role, Nam left the job and was exiled from his home country. Nam then went on to live a lavish lifestyle, jumping from country to country and using the fortune from his family to fund his lavish adventures. Once Un came into power, Nam was cut off from the family’s fortune and series of attacks were launched direct towards Nam. This is where the story takes a Hamlet like plot. Nam, Hamlet, in this case, has been excommunicated from his home country by his own blood: Kim Jong Un (who would be Claudius). Un orders for Nam to be killed, similar to Claudius sending hamlet to be assassinated, however, the story differentiated because Un’s assignation was successful.

What Voltaire Thought of Hamlet

As he did with most things, Voltaire apparently had some pretty strong opinions about Hamlet. I was surprised, in a way at least, to read his criticism, as I always think of Voltaire as a figure who was in support of combatting convention. Voltaire thought the play was vulgar and brutish, in line with other English plays, and that it "would not be tolerated by the vilest populace of France, or Italy." He says that the English fascination with ghosts is preposterous, and that a plot such as the one in the play could easily be attributed to a "drunken savage."

However, I suppose it makes sense that Voltaire would take on this perspective because, while he may have been somewhat of a rebel, he always maintained an air of sophistication. I think his opposition to the piece must come from its upfront boldness, whereas Voltaire is known for his sarcasm and sly wit. In his typical underhand style, Voltaire does, however, give a nod to Shakespeare, saying: "But amidst all these vulgar irregularities, which to this day make the English drama so absurd and so barbarous, there are to be found in Hamlet, by a bizarrerie still greater, some sublime passages, worthy of the greatest genius. It seems as though nature had mingled in the brain of Shakespeare the greatest conceivable strength and grandeur with whatsoever witless vulgarity can devise that is lowest and most detestable."

Ultimate Lesson from Hamlet: Don't Procrastinate

Procrastination is part of human nature. Whether we want to deny it or not, we would be lying if we say that we had never done our work in a deadline-induced panic. We love to hold off until deadline day to submit college applications, and right now, we are writing blog posts with one eye on the clock. Our parents' advice to do things ahead of time comes through one ear and exits through the other. After reading Hamlet, however, we would be ignorant and heedless to continue procrastinating.

When Hamlet is aware of the circumstances of King Hamlet's death, he is extremely motivated to avenge his father: "Haste me to know't, that I, with wings as swift as meditation or the thoughts of love, may sweep to my revenge" (1.5). However, in the same scene, his procrastination begins: "The time is out of joint. O cursèd spite, that ever I was born to set it right!"

Hamlet's procrastination, or "delay" as he calls it, only makes him suffer more. Some quotes:
"O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I! Is it not monstrous that this player here, but in a fiction, in a dream of passion, could force his soul so to his own conceit" (2.2).
"What would he do had he the motive and the cue for passion that I have?" (2.2).
"Yet I, a dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause, and can say nothing" (2.2).

Later on, Hamlet seems to have forgotten his plan for revenge as he doesn't even know if he wants to live or die: "To be or not to be, that is the question" (3.1).

In Act 3, Scene 3, Hamlet has the perfect opportunity to kill Claudius, who is praying, but Shakespeare doesn't want a premature ending to the play and Hamlet even offers excuses for his indecisiveness: "Now might I do it pat, now 'a is a-praying, and now I'll do't. And so 'a goes to heaven, and so am I revenged. That would be scanned" (3.3). He concludes that killing his uncle while he is praying would be a "hire and salary, not revenge," and procrastinates once more: "Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent. When he is drunk asleep, or in his rage, or in th' incestuous pleasure of his bed, at game a-swearing, or about some act that has no relish of salvation in't—then trip him, that his heels may kick at heaven, and that his soul may be as damned and black as hell, whereto it goes" (3.3).

At this point, even Hamlet's dead father is tired of waiting for his son to do something, as he appears to him (and Gertrude, who can't see the ghost) and tells him not to forget.

When Hamlet sees Fortinbras and his army at a plain in Denmark, he has the opportunity to reflect on his procrastination: "What is a man, if his chief good and market of his time be but to sleep and feed ... Now, whether it be bestial oblivion, or some craven scruple of thinking too precisely on th' event ... Sith I have cause, and will, and strength, and means to do't" (4.4).

In the end, Hamlet kills Claudius, but he also dies. He took the complicated path when he could have done it the easy way.

Hamlet and Madness

A few weeks ago in philosophy, we watched a TED Talk by a journalist discussing madness. One story he brought up was quite interesting to me and also relevant to our class. He said that he found out about a guy who lived in England that was going to jail for around 5 years. During his first week in prison, the guy was told by his cellmate that he should fake insanity. His inmate told him that if he faked insanity he would be sent to a soft cushy facility with his own TV and everything. So the guy went to the prison's psychiatrist and told him that he got sexual pleasure from crashing cars into walls and that he liked to watch people as they die to make him feel more normal. So instead of being sent to a cushy hospital with his own TV, he was sent to Broadmoor Hospital. This was a hospital for the most dangerous of the mentally ill. As soon as he got there, he realized his mistake and tried to convince everybody that he was normal again. He found it tough and soon realized that it is a lot easier to convince people that you're insane than the opposite. He ended up spending fifteen years in the hospital, three times as long as he would have in the prison. The journalist then talked to several doctors and psychiatrist, including the one at the prison. The doctor at the prison realized that he was faking his madness, but the doctor believed that faking madness was a sign of actual madness. This is particularly interesting in terms of Hamlet in determining if he is actually insane or not. In the TED Talk, the journalist talks about a number of other really interesting points so I will leave a link to the video in case anyone would want to watch it.

https://www.ted.com/talks/jon_ronson_strange_answers_to_the_psychopath_test#t-684663

Fifteen Minute Hamlet

There have been several posts about Hamlet adaptations and references, and I found one that is really pretty hilarious, Tom Stoppard's 15-Minute Hamlet. This play is an abridged version of Hamlet that cuts everything but the most famous quotes and lines from the play, of which there are quite a lot. 15-Minute Hamlet actually comes from a play called Dogg's Hamlet by Tom Stoppard, the writer of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, which we will read. Dogg's Hamlet, a play meant to be performed along with Stoppard's Cahoot's Hamlet, is about a group of schoolchildren who speak the weird language of Dogg, which uses english words but without the same meanings that we associate with the words, rehearsing the fifteen minute version of Hamlet. Cahoot's Hamlet depicts a performance of an abridged Macbeth by actors under the watch of a secret police. The two plays together are meant to explore themes of the nature of language and literary censorship, particularly in Czechoslovakia (which we know all about). The comically abridged version of Hamlet from these plays has been taken and frequently performed because it's a very amusing take on such a well-known work of literature. The inclusion of all the famous line's is hilarious when they are just stitched together right next to each other, but also celebrate the great cultural impact that the play has had.

Below is a video of one adaptation of 15-Minute Hamlet into a film version, which stars Phillip Seymour-Hoffman. In this film version, Shakespeare is filming this abridged performance. The short film shows the continuous filming of a 13 minute version of the play, then shows Shakespeare and others cutting and editing the film down to a rapid-fire 2 minutes of Hamlet highlights that is even more absurd and funny. The acting also pokes fun at certain famous elements of Hamlet, such as Ophelia and Hamlet's relationship and the Oedipus Complex undertones in the work, as depicted by how creepily close Hamlet is to his mother in the closet scene in the first run through the play, which escalates to Hamlet like leaping on her in a ridiculous way in the 2 minute rendition. So if you have 20 minutes I would highly recommend watching this video, I think a lot of you might appreciate the humor. And maybe the night before the test the 15 minute version will be good to study if you don't want to watch through the 4 hour long full adaptations.

The Empire Strikes Back

Star Wars fans, you might be interested to know that the episode The Empire Strikes Back deliberately references Hamlet!

While Chewbacca is being held prisoner in Cloud City, he attempts to put back together C-3PO's body (a droid) and holds the head similarly to how Hamlet holds Yorick's skull.



I also recently learned of a non-Star-Wars-related fun fact to do with skulls.  In 1999, a comedian named Del Close donated his skull to a Chicago theater.  He wanted his skull to be used when Hamlet was performed, which it was.  Later on, though, some people noticed things that didn't seem quite right.  For example, there were screws in the skull.  One of Del Close's partners eventually admitted that the skull being used was actually a teaching skull because it had been too hard to clean and process Close's actual cranium!

Sweet Ophelia (Thank you, Zella)

So I just realized that a singer I listen to, Zella Day, drew inspiration from Hamlet to write one of my favorite songs by her. I can't tell y'all how many times I've listened to this song without deliberating the symbolism behind Zella's lyrics. Wow my head has been elsewhere.

First verse:
Believe me now, you're too young girl
Cherry pie and your gold curls
Growin' up like a grapevine
Wrapped around you in due time 

Some of the Chorus:
Sweet Ophelia!
When young blood escapes
Vows that break
Go up, up away 

Some of Verse 2:
Singing like it's a full moon (singing like it's a full moon)
Careless now that he has you (careless now that he has you)

Ophelia was too young and innocent to be subjected to the machinations of Denmark's royal court; 'cherry pie' (don't even) is sometimes associated with virginity and 'gold' represents virtue. The growing grapevine could represent her ordeal: she is constantly directed by the men in her life to preserve her innocence, she despairs over Hamlet's madness and his newfound distrust for her after she lies to him (Polonius and Claudius use her as a means to an end), and she herself eventually grows mad as a result of her father's death. Before her impending demise, she sings songs about death, loss of innocence, etcetera. She could care less about upholding appearances after experiencing death and heartbreak. While her purity was questionable throughout the play, when you dissociate the rot/decay motif from Ophelia and her role in 'tricking' Hamlet, she was just a sweet girl left unawares of what exactly was going on. 
By alluding to Ophelia's innocence, Zella implies the song's subject to be that of a girl who was forced to grow up too quickly (maybe she is comparing Ophelia to herself? If I ever meet Zella, imma ask her). 

Yo I'm not done

In continuation of my first post about what mental illness plagues Hamlet, there are a couple quotes I found that may support what I'm getting at.
Act 1, Scene 4 "Haste, haste me to know it, that with wings as swift / As meditation or the thoughts of love / May sweep to my revenge.” Hamlet makes a grand declaration to avenge his father and of course, tricks Guildenstern and Rosencratz into thinking he's crazy. But he becomes unsure after the First Player's 'for Hecuba' speech. He starts to ruminate almost to the point of inaction. 
Act 5, Scene 2 (quite a skip but I'm not going through every single act, lo siento) "Ere I could make the prologue to my brains, / They had begun the play,” Hamlet acknowledges to Horatio that he didn't think before he acted (a serious impulse that resulted in the deaths of Rosencratz and Guildenstern). In 5.2 he also recognizes that his episode with Laertes at Ophelia’s grave was likely the “bravery of his grief” putting him “Into a tow’ring passion." He also starts the scene saying that “in [his] heart there was a kind of fighting / That would not let [him]sleep.” Insomnia is another symptom of mania. 
And lastly, Hamlet's exchange with Ophelia in Act 3, Scene 2. Many people with bipolar disorder experience time differently. Hamlet demonstrates an inconsistent sense of time in this instance: 
H: O God, your only jig-maker. What should a man do but be merry? For, look you, how cheerfully my mother looks, and my father died within these two hours.
O: Nay, ’tis twice two months, my lord.
H: So long?
Poor dude is just so out of it. That's pretty rough.
Side note: As a movie buff, I seriously cannot get over what we've been watching in class. Kenneth Brannagh made me sympathize even more with Hamlet's character and also helped me better understand certain scenes and situations; not many movies or stage renditions of certain written works do said works justice, but Brannagh's depiction of Hamlet did just that.

Manic Depression?

Kenneth Brannagh certainly brought Hamlet to life. So much so that he has me thinking more about the nature of Hamlet's illness than before we started watching the movie. We all know Hamlet is suicidal, depressed - but what what type of depression plagues him so? "That is the question." There are many different types of depression. One type in particular, manic depression (also known as bipolar disorder), could apply to Hamlet. Some symptoms or indicators of bipolar disorder include high energy, loss of touch with reality, slowness in activity (he took a while to enact his plan for revenge ), frenzied speaking, irritability, risk taking behavior, disorganized behavior, aggression, agitation, crying, hyperactivity, impulsivity, restlessness, self-harm, unwanted thoughts, delusions, lack of concentration, false belief of superiority, depression (duh), manic episodes, agitated depression, and paranoia. Maybe I'm overthinking the diagnostics; after all, we don't know if he was born with it (I don't think he was) or if this was a manifestation of his father's murder (probably). Understandably, anyone could go crazy after experiencing such a loss. 
There was little to no information about mental illness in Shakespeare's lifetime, but his play definitely made an impact on how some people think of depression today. And I don't think Hamlet's state of mind entirely directed his prognosis. I think it was a combination of his mental instability and his surroundings. 

John Everett Millais' Ophelia

As you would expect for a work so influential, there are many artistic depictions inspired by Hamlet, and one of the most famous is British painter John Everett Millais' painting Ophelia, which depicts Ophelia right before her drowning. Here is a picture of the painting:

The picture shows an idealized Ophelia right before she dies, surrounded by beautiful (and realistic) natural surroundings. Some of its features such as the flowers she is holding draws from Gertrude's speech about how Ophelia died. Some critics have compared Ophelia's pose in the painting to classical depictions of saints and martyrs, which is a kind of interesting way to idealize Ophelia as a character.

Notably, this painting is often held up as one of the most famous examples of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood style of painting. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was a group of English painters who rejected the art coming after Renaissance painter Raphael, who was representative of the style promoted by the Royal Academy. The influential group criticized other artists of the time, such as genre artists and more famous painters like Joshua Reynolds. John Everett Millais was one of the 3 co-founders of the Brotherhood and Ophelia has many of the typical elements of the Brotherhood's work, especially its realism particularly in its depiction of nature. This has made Ophelia one of the most famous artistic depictions of something from Hamlet.

Contrapasso and Self-Defeating Traps in Hamlet

In class we have mentioned how many of the traps in Hamlet set by different characters end up hurting the people who try to set them. Examples include Polonius hiding behind the curtains, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern carrying the letter meant to kill Hamlet but actually ordering their own execution, and, of course, Claudius' plan to finally kill Hamlet that leads to his own death. While not exactly the same, I think this recurring turn of events resembles in some ways contrapasso in Inferno. In Inferno, the punishment for sin is the sin itself, which makes it symbolically appropriate and somehow satisfying. Similarly, the traps that the characters in Hamlet lay for others end up hurting themselves. I think it's interesting because in both cases this is used because it is somehow satisfying to the reader. The introduction to Hamlet discusses how we want Hamlet to avenge his father, but we want him to do it in an appropriate and fitting way that feels right. Claudius setting the trap that ends up causing his death certainly qualifies and resolves the play in a sort of satisfying way (aside from the fact that Hamlet and most of the other characters, even the ones we sympathize with, are dead). For some reason, it seems like a natural human tendency to appreciate the irony of someone being punished for their sins with the result of the sin itself. We want to see the downfall of Claudius since he is evil and selfish, but him causing his own death makes the downfall that much sweeter.

Manipulation in Hamlet and Sometimes a Great Notion

While I was reading the passage from Hamlet where he is trying to manipulate Rosencrantz and Guildenstern into telling him if they were sent, I was reminded of a passage from Sometimes a Great Notion, a novel I am reading by Ken Kesey. Hamlet uses his relationship with the pair to manipulate them into confessing their motives, saying “But let me conjure you by the rights of our fellowship, by the consonancy of our youth, by the obligation of our ever preserved love…if you love me hold not off.”

Obviously, Hamlet’s cunning comes to light here. He is very quick to use Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s regard for him as leverage. In Sometimes a Great Notion, Jonathan Draeger is a union representative who has a very  simplified outlook on everyone, and has no reservations in manipulation. His view is described by the narrator:

“Love—and all its complicated ramifications, Draeger believed—actually does conquer all; Love—or the Fear of Not Having It, or the Worry about Not having Enough of It, or the Terror of Losing It—certainly does conquer all. To Draeger this knowledge was a weapon; he had learned it young and for a quarter-century of mild-mannered wheeling and easy-going dealing he had used the weapon with enormous success, conquering a world rendered simple, precise, and predictable by his iron-hammered faith in that weapon’s power.”

While Draeger’s outlook if probably more intense and engrained than Hamlet’s, I think he experiences a bit of what Draeger is describing. He goes to great measures (conquering all) to find whoever killed his beloved father, and easily uses love to manipulate Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.  In his cynical mindset, Hamlet similarly oversimplifies the world into a set of prisons and dungeons, of which he claims Denmark is the worst.