Hamlet Study Guide by Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre

2014 STUDY GUIDE

TABLE OF CONTENTS Shakespeare: the Man Behind the Plays .........................................................................................2 About the Play .....................................................................................................................................3 Who’s Who in the Play .....................................................................................................................4 The Timelessness of Hamlet .............................................................................................................5 The Revenge Tragedy Genre ...................................................................................................................... 6 Creating the Look: Costume Design.............................................................................................7 “The Play’s the Thing”: Scenic Design...........................................................................................8 A Director’s Vision: Robert Quinlan..............................................................................................9 Existentialism ...................................................................................................................................................10 Christianity in Hamlet.......................................................................................................................11 Before the Play...................................................................................................................................12 After the Play .....................................................................................................................................13 Attending the Play.............................................................................................................................14 About AST..........................................................................................................................................15 Works Consulted .............................................................................................................................16

Shakespeare: the Man Behind the Plays pl The exact date of Shakespeare’s birth is unknown. He was baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 26, 1564. Because baptisms usually occurred within a few days of birth, his birthday is generally celebrated on April 23, the same day as his death in 1616. He was the first of three children to live past infancy and grew up with four younger siblings. His father, John Shakespeare, was a prominent figure in the town's business and politics. When Shakespeare was eleven to twelve years old, his father’s wealth and influence declined, and he withdrew from society. Because of William Shakespeare’s success, however, in 1596 his father was granted a coat of arms, and his family moved to the finest house in Stratford. Growing up, Shakespeare attended a grammar school where he was exposed to Latin and classical writing; many of his plays contain the same classical references that he was likely to have been taught in school. At the age of eighteen, Shakespeare married the twenty-six year old Anne Hathaway. They had their three children, Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith, all before Shakespeare’s twenty-first birthday. Hamnet would die eleven years later, in 1596, shortly before Shakespeare began writing Hamlet. What Shakespeare did in the next seven or so years is unknown and frequently referred to as “the Lost Years.” It is not until 1592 that he is mentioned as being involved with theatre in London, but his theatrical career likely started in the late 1580s. Originally an actor, he found his niche in playwriting. He is most famously known for his work in The Globe Theatre with the theatre company called The Lord Chamberlain’s Men—later called The King’s Men. He owned shares in this company and was the first playwright in England to earn a percentage of the box office income. Prior to this, writers would only make money by selling their scripts. Shakespeare was a master at whatever he tried. He exceled in comedy, tragedy, and history, and would frequently mix elements of different genres; his tragedies have a great deal of comedy, and many of his comedies have startling dark moments. He wrote over 150 sonnets and invented over 1700 words still used today, such as bedroom, bloodstained, eyeball, and amazement. He liked to toy with what society believed to be true. He would upset society’s ideas of love, friendship, revenge, and insanity, and had no problem asking tough questions or giving his plays unsettling endings.

About the Play The cold nights at Elsinore have been troubled twice by the mysterious ghost of its late ruler, the warrior King Hamlet. King Hamlet’s brother Claudius sits upon the throne, newly wed to the widowed Queen Gertrude. Young Prince Hamlet remains melancholy in the wake of his father’s death, despite his blooming relationship with the fair Ophelia. Prevented from returning to school in Wittenberg by his uncle and mother, Hamlet is told of the appearance of his father’s spirit by his friend Horatio and the watchmen. Upon encountering the Ghost, Hamlet learns that Claudius murdered him. Hamlet swears to avenge his father’s murder, while pretending to be insane to disguise his actions. Meanwhile, Ophelia’s brother Laertes has returned to France, leaving her solely in the care of her father Polonius, an attendant to Claudius. Hamlet’s madness sets the court in disorder. Claudius and Gertrude employ Hamlet’s schoolmates Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to find the cause of Hamlet’s madness and cheer him up. Polonius informs the monarchs of his belief that Ophelia’s withdrawn affection has spurned Hamlet to madness. As their investigations take place, a company of players arrives at Elsinore. Eugène Delacroix, Hamlet and Horatio in the Graveyard Hamlet asks them to put on a play that mimics the (1839, Oil on canvas) tale the Ghost told of Claudius’ murderous act. Judging Claudius’ reaction to the play, Hamlet is convinced of his uncle’s guilt. Hamlet resists an opportunity to kill Claudius upon seeing him in prayer. Shortly thereafter, Hamlet kills Polonius as he eavesdrops on a conversation between the prince and his mother. Nervous and suspicious, Claudius sends Hamlet to England (with a secret order for his immediate execution). Laertes returns, enraged by his father’s death, just before Ophelia, herself fallen into madness, drowns herself. After being sent away, Hamlet secretly escapes and returns as Prince Fortinbras of Norway marches on Elsinore. After learning of Ophelia’s death, Hamlet reveals his presence and returns to the castle, challenged to a fencing match with Laertes to resolve their conflict. Claudius has the tip of Laertes’ foil poisoned, along with a cup of wine for Hamlet, in order to secretly kill him. The plot collapses as both Hamlet and Laertes are struck with the poisoned blade and Gertrude drinks from the poisoned cup before Claudius can prevent it. With his plot revealed, Hamlet strikes down Claudius before he himself falls. In his final moments, Hamlet grants succession to Fortinbras, who has the slain prince carried away in honor as cannons are fired and martial music is ordered.

Whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Who in the Play

The Timelessness of Hamlet Hamlet’s Denmark is filled with tension: the kingdom has lost one ruler and is adapting to another; the Queen has controversially wed her brother-in-law soon after the previous King’s death; the threat of war lingers in the air; the guards have seen a ghost; and Prince Hamlet is torn between avenging his father’s death and Renaissance Christian morality. The time period of this production was selected to show how universal the chaos of Hamlet’s world is. During the 1930s, the entire globe was still feeling the effects of World War I (1914-1918). Denmark was in an economic depression. Farmers, one of Denmark’s largest working forces, were losing their land, and trade was bad. Denmark’s government, which consists of a monarchy and a parliament, was also unstable and opposing extremists fought for control. When World War II began in 1939, Denmark wanted nothing to do with it. The Danish remained neutral in WWI, and they planned to continue their neutrality policy, but this proved impossible. In April of 1940, German troops invaded Denmark in the middle of the night and threatened to bomb the country unless the Danes surrendered. Knowing that they could not fight off German forces, the Danes agreed to surrender, and the five year occupation of Denmark began. Life in occupied Denmark initially was not much different than life before the war. The German government agreed not to interfere with Denmark’s government, and overall, the occupation was met with a grudging acceptance. As the war went on, however, the German government stopped making requests of Denmark and began making demands. The Danish people were resilient: they ran an underground press; previously opposing political groups worked together to prevent Nazisympathizers from gaining seats in the government; and they kept up a successful spy network. It was thanks to espionage efforts that Denmark learned ahead of time that Germany had decided to target the country’s Jewish population and was able to evacuate the majority of its Jews citizens out of the country. Because the Danish government refused to “adequately” address the issue of resistance the Danish regime was completely taken over. The King was dethroned and all of Parliament was replaced with German-appointed officials. In the final days of the occupation, the entire capital city went on strike, and Denmark began sinking its naval ships so that the Germans couldn’t use them. In order to gain control, Germany cut off all communication, electricity, gas, water, and any resources possible to Denmark. The resistance remained strong, and likely preoccupied with more pressing issues, Germany gave up control of Denmark in 1945. The troubles of Occupied Denmark aren’t entirely different than those of Shakespeare’s age: court life was full of espionage, and each new ruler could enforce new laws or even change the entire country’s religion. At the time Hamlet was written the Queen was sixty-eight years old and heirless: a change in rulers was soon due. Despite its origin in the 1600s, the questions Hamlet poses about life, death, love, and existence are questions that are still sources of debate and contemplation today.

The Revenge Tragedy Genre

The Revenge Tragedy genre, as the name suggests, tells the story of a quest for revenge that ends in tragedy. It originated in the Roman tragedies of Seneca, such as Oedipus and Medea, and was popularized in Elizabethan England by the Thomas Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy (1587). Some of the main ideas that were inherited from Seneca’s tragedies include: • • • • • • • •

The revenge was personal, often seeming like a religious duty The revenge was often prompted by a ghost The revenger was warned to conceal his quest for vengeance Unnatural revenge was met with punishment Hesitation could briefly delay the vengeance Criminals bore full responsibility for their crimes The guilty person could repent Suicide was an option; however, it was not the preferred option

Shakespeare’s audience would have been aware of these conventions and would have fully expected them to be present in Hamlet. Indeed, many of them are, but Hamlet does not neatly fulfill its role as a Revenge Tragedy. Unlike its predecessors, Hamlet focuses not only on the act of revenge, but the ethical concerns of vengeance and acts as a social commentary open to multiple interpretations.

\\\

Creating the Look: Costume Design The costume design for Hamlet is influenced by the fashion of the military and the upper class in the 1930s and 1940s. Both King Hamlet and King Claudius, as the heads of their country, wear the fashion of military generals. The other men—excluding soldiers—wear suits. Gertrude is shown in a variety of dresses and Ophelia wears slacks, which were just beginning to become fashionable for women during this time period. Costume designer Lauren Roark chose as the color pallet for all of the main characters dark colors, primarily featuring blacks, grays, and reds. The players, who show the truth of Claudius’ betrayal through their performance, are the only characters dressed in bright and vibrant colors.

Claudius

Hamlet

Ophelia

Gertrude and Attendant

Player King & Player Queen

“The Play’s the Thing”:

Scenic Design

Instead of a traditional set-up with the actors on stage and the audience watching from offstage, the audience is onstage with the actors. The seats are arranged at the back of the stage with an open aisle down the middle, facing the empty theatre. The acting space has several entrances and exists, including the use of the empty house and scaffolding to give the playing space varied levels. The scenic design choices were made to mirror several of the themes in Hamlet, especially those of: Acting Hamlet is filled with people pretending to be something they are not. Claudius is hiding a murder. Polonius, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern all spy on Hamlet. Ophelia and Gertrude pretend not to know about the spying. The night watch must act as if they have not seen the Ghost, Hamlet “[adopts] an antic disposition,” and, finally, there is a play within the play. With so much deception, Hamlet’s world becomes a place where it is nearly impossible to know who can be trusted and who is merely playing a part. Public life versus Private Life Hamlet takes place in a court setting which means that all of the characters are expected to act in accordance to their social positions. When is Gertrude acting as a mother, and when is she acting as a queen? When is Polonius acting as a father, and when is he acting as the King’s advisor? How many of the characters’ actions are based on what they actually feel instead of what they are expected to do? By having the seating onstage, the audience becomes part of the public aspects of court life, and the private moments of the characters’ lives.

Design by Jeff Kmiec

A Director’s Vision: Robert Quinlan Q: This isn’t your first time working with Hamlet, correct? A: I have been involved before as an actor. There was one year, when I was in my twenties, where I played both as Laertes and Horatio back to back, so I worked on the play for about six months straight… And I’ve worked on it as a teacher, in class, with students, but this is the first time I’ve actually directed Hamlet. Q: What do you think keeps drawing you back to this play? A: Well, the more I come back to this play, the more I see it from a different perspective. I think when I was in high school was when I first really got into Hamlet… I think what I liked about it so much is that Hamlet is so misunderstood by the people around him. And I think a lot of young people relate to Hamlet that way….I remember memorizing his speeches and tapping into his passion and anger at the world. But the more I come back to it, the more I start to see some different layers in it…the play for me this time has a lot to do with boundaries…it’s a coming of age story. It’s about the boundary between youth and age. It’s also about boundaries between nations. It’s about the boundary between actor and audience. Q: You chose to stage this production in the 1930s-1940s, Denmark. What made you make that choice? A: I’d like to think of this production as a kind of universal production that’s not specifically set in any year. But we have definitely looked to the 1930s-1940s as an inspiration for costumes…Shakespeare set his play for an Elizabethan audience in a time back in their history when there was political unrest and turmoil and chaos. For us, looking back, I felt the 1930s in Europe offered some of those same things. Q: Since you decided to make the play more modern in terms of time, when you were interpreting the script did you still take Elizabethan ideas into consideration? A: I think this production should feel universal and some of the design choices are made based on the architecture of The Globe. I wanted to take into consideration Elizabethan practices such as live music and the idea of a heaven and a hell in the staging. Q: You’ve made some very interesting staging choices, such as having the audience on the stage with the actors. What made you want to stage it this way? A: …Hamlet…has an intimate relationship with the audience. The metaphor for this is…that of the theatre. We are facing the audience towards the empty seats of the Reynolds theatre as the backdrop for the action and Hamlet is able to speak with the audience quite intimately with what is going on with him. Q: In relation to this production of Hamlet only, how do you feel about the question of Hamlet’s sanity?” A: For me, Hamlet is sane. The idea of him being mad is something that he uses as a device in order to find out the guilt of Claudius and to select the perfect time to get his revenge.

Existentialism Though the roots of existentialist thinking can be traced back to Ancient Greece, the movement flourished in the aftermath of WWI (1914-1918) and WWII (1939-1945). The wars shook people’s beliefs, and they began questioning life, existence, and morality. Although existentialism takes many different shapes, the following topics are common to nearly all branches and can all be found in Hamlet. Anxiety & Authenticity: This idea focuses on some of the conflicts that occur within a person’s existence: between faith and reason, the self and others, etc. It also looks at how to measure existence, reason, and values: Can they be measured via actions and consequences? If a person’s life is full of conflicts, then how can they be authentic to themselves? Freedom & Situatedness: A person’s actions are not controlled by outside forces. People are completely in control of their actions and must be held accountable for them. Freedom takes place within a context. Every part of a person’s circumstances—social position, time period, surroundings, etc.—can affect how a person choses to use their freedom. Actions are always judged by others. Existence & Philosophy as a Way of Life: Existence is action; humans are what they do. Existence typically involves acknowledging, but not being able to resolve, conflicts in life, and involves anxiety over death. People actively contemplate the meaning of human existence and how it relates to other forms of existence. Irrationality & Absurdity: The natural world has no apparent reason for existing; science offers a description of the world but not a way of understanding it. Because freedom is absolute, choosing to follow anything—thereby restricting freedom—is absurd. Once an action is performed, it becomes a concrete reality. Since it cannot be taken back, the free action then becomes unfree. Humans can either acknowledge all of the absurdities and flaws of existence (which means that it is absurd for them to willfully follow any traditions, or do anything at all), or pretend that they are not aware of the absurdity of existence, and, therefore, lie to themselves. The Crowd: Values are accepted because everyone believes them. People hold on to traditions rather than contemplate the meanings of values. However, if everyone holds certain values to be true, then how can they not be true?

Christianity in Hamlet Christian ideas run deeply through the core of Hamlet. Hamlet makes Marcellus and Horatio swear on his sword because the shape of it resembles a cross. Hamlet states God “fixed His canon gains self-slaughter,” and the Gravediggers and Priest do not believe Ophelia deserves a Christian burial because of her suicidal death (1.2 131-2). Two of the most prominent Christian allusions are that of Cain and Able and Purgatory. Claudius’s crime, the murder of a brother, carries an allusion to the Biblical story of Cain and Abel. After God accepts Abel’s sacrifice, but rejects Cain’s, Cain kills his brother out of jealousy, the world’s first murder according to the Judeo-Christian tradition. In response, God curses Cain and all of his descendants. While Claudius’s motives for killing his brother are never directly stated, his use of the phrase “primal eldest curse” when describing his inability to repent alludes directly to Cain’ (3.3 43). A more direct example is the use of Purgatory in the play. The purpose of Purgatory, its structure, the opportunity for escape, and its existence were the subject of debate long been the Elizabethan era. Shakespeare’s audience would have been aware of these debates, most notably those concerning the buying of indulgences and prayers to ensure one’s way out of Purgatory. These practices were commonly used by monarchs, but are never mentioned by the ghost Hamlet. Martin Luther flatly rejected this practice in 1517 when he posted his Ninety-Five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences to the door of All Saint’s Church in Wittenberg, effectively launching the Protestant Reformation. Shakespeare wrote in post-Reformation England, though the Hamlet is set in pre-Reformation Denmark. The only character who alludes to the sale of indulgences is Claudius, and he denies the validity of the practice: “In the corrupted currents of this world/Offence's gilded hand may…/[Buy] out the law: but 'tis not so above” (3.3 57-60). King Hamlet’s ghost comes from beyond the grave to send his son on a quest for vengeance; he never requests that his son attempt to pray for his soul or otherwise attempt to rescue his soul from Purgatory. It may be that King Hamlet shares Claudius’s view that salvation cannot be bought; however, it is somewhat odd that King Hamlet makes no request to have Hamlet pray for his soul, and he shows no signs of regret or repentance for whatever crimes have led to his fiery term in Purgatory. The use of Purgatory in Hamlet raises several thought-provoking questions. Can an obsession with revenge corrupt a person to the point that they would rather remain in Purgatory, avenged, than ascend to heaven? Is the fate of the soul unchangeable? Are there crimes that eternally doom the soul? How powerful is prayer? Can prayer assuage all sin? It is equally possible that Purgatory in Hamlet is not so much a concrete idea as it is a metaphor. The Ghost appears in the opening scene of the play which means that from the outset, Denmark is in association with Purgatory. The atmosphere of Denmark is highly unstable: the country is on the verge of war, has faced an abrupt shift of power, and, if the divine right of rulers is to be believed, is being ruled by a lying king—an affront to God himself. Hamlet, the only character to converse with the Ghost, spends most of the play in a state of in-betweeness, or an internal purgatory.

Before the Play The great and sometimes frustrating thing about a play is that no two performances are entirely the same. Different productions may take entirely different approaches to a script or choose to cut different scenes or edit some lines. Within the same performance, an actor may deliver a line one way on one night and a different way the next night. When you watch a play, you come knowing that you are about to view a unique experience that will never be seen again. Here are some questions you may consider before going to see a play: *What are the different versions of the script? Hamlet is a play that exists in various forms. Some performances perform only the text from a single version, but others take elements from different versions. *What are the time periods of the original play and of the production? Sometimes Shakespeare can be hard to understand because the beliefs of the 1500s and 1600s were so different from those of today. Likewise, the time period of this production (1930-1940), though more modern, also has beliefs that would be considered strange today. Knowing the attitude towards subjects like gender, friendship, love, philosophy, government, or any general information can help you understand some of the choices made in the play, either by the actor or director, or by the character in the script. *Look up controversies about the play. Many elements of Hamlet are still the subject of contentious scholarly debate. The sanity of various characters, the role of the monarchy, the strength of characters, gender roles, the meanings of particular lines, and more are all topics of debate. Knowing about these issues can help you look for and understand this production. Once you are seated in the audience, observe everything around you. Are there any visible props or scenic elements? Is any music playing? Take those last moments before the lights dim and the show starts to get a feel for the tone of the production.

After the Play When reflecting on a play, remember that theatre is about communication. Everything aspect of the play—setting, music, costumes, colors, acting choices—are all meant to communicate something to the audience. After the play, try to think of why the cast and crew made the choices they did: • • • • • • •

•

Did the music complement the atmosphere of the production? What was the color scheme? Were there characters who were dressed in similar colors? Were there characters who were dressed in contrasting colors? What was the acting space like? Were you surprised by some of the acting choices? What do you think of the theme of revenge in Hamlet? What is Hamlet’s revenge like compared to Laertes’ or Fortinbras’? What do you think the turning point in the play is? Does the play have to end the way it does? Could Hamlet take different actions, or, was there a point where the end was inevitable? What is the point of Hamlet’s madness? Is it real or, at least, partly real? If not, then what does it allow him to do? How does his madness, real or pretend, compare to Ophelia’s madness?

What parts of the play are still relevant today? Does Hamlet ask any questions that people today still ask? Are there any themes that are found in modern society?

A Wordle is a word cloud of the most frequently used words in a text; the larger the word, the more often it occurs. The Wordle above was generated from the full text of Hamlet and was created by the English Department of St. Columba's College.

Attending the Play Attending a live performance is different than watching a movie. Not only must you be aware of the audience around you, but the actors can see first-hand how you are reacting to their performance. The following etiquette rules are to keep both the audience and the actors from becoming distracted and to make sure everyone enjoys the show:

• Arrive early. Finding your seat may take a while, and depending on the theatre company, there is a good chance that if you arrive late, you will not be allowed entrance. • The start of the play will be signaled by lowering and raising the lights. Please remain seated and quiet after this time. If at all possible, save any bathroom trips for either the intermission or the end of the play. • Intermission occurs roughly half way through the play and is signaled by the auditorium lights coming back on. Typically, intermissions last between ten and twenty minutes. The lowering and raising of the lights will signal the end of intermission, so please make sure you are back in your seat at this time. • Food and drinks are typically not allowed in theatres. If you need to bring any cough drops, it is best to bring them already unwrapped in a sandwich bag and keep them on hand, rather than storing them in a potentially noisy bag. • Be aware that actors sometimes use aisles and stairways as entrances and exits. Please keep them free of personal belongings. • Applause and laughter are encouraged; however, please do not shout, whistle, or make whispered comments to your neighbor during the performance. • Please turn all cellphones off. The actors know that they will have to deal with some distracting noises from the audience (coughing, shuffling, etc.); however, hearing an unexpected ringing, songs, or random noise can be highly distracting to the actors. Likewise, if you are on your phone, the actors can see you and will know that you are not engaged with their performance.

About AST

Founded in 2006, The Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre produces a repertory of family-friendly professional productions each summer in Conway. With our missions of artistic excellence, educational opportunities, and community outreach, the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre adds something unique in our region and provides thousands of families with a one-of-a-kind experience in a world- class facility. After seven seasons of outstanding theatre, education, and outreach opportunities, over 10,000 tickets sold to date, over 1000 tickets given away to local students and charities, over 75 intern scholarships created, and over 150 theatre artists hired from all over the country, 2010 is proving to be a great year for this one-of- a-kind festival, and we hope to see you again (and again and again!). For this theatre to most effectively serve our community, we need to represent our community! Become a part of this exciting experiment as a board member, volunteer, season ticket holder, member, or patron. Thank you for supporting your local theatre.

For more details and information about Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre, please visit our website: http://www.arkshakes.com/

Works Consulted

“Shakespeare: The Man Behind the Plays” McDonald, Russ. The Bedford Companion to Shakespeare: An Introduction with Documents. Google Books. Macmillan, 2001. Web. 19 April 2014. Mabillard, Amanda. Words Shakespeare Invented. Shakespeare Online. 2000. Web. 19 April 2014. Image “Shakespeare: Staging the World.” The Telegram. Web. 18 April 2014. “History of the Revenge Tragedy Genre” Alice B. Fort & Herbert S. Kates. “The Spanish Tragedy.” Theatrehistory.com. 2002. Web. 5 May 2014. “Elizabethan Revenge Tragedy: An Outline.” Smcdsb. Web. 5 May 2014. Skulsky, Harold. “Revenge, Honor, and Conscience in Hamlet.” PMLA: Publications of the Modern Language Association of America 85.1 (1970): 78–87. Web. 4 May 2014. “The Timelessness of Hamlet” “Holocaust Activity: Number the Stars.” Florida Atlantic University. 2013. Web. 1 May 2014. Oakley, Stewart P. The Story of Denmark. London: Faber, 1972. Print. “Hamlet and Elizabethan England.” OpenLearn. Web. 5 May 2014. Barber, Peter. “Scholars, Servants, Spies: William Weldon and William Swerder in England and Abroad.” Diplomacy in Early Modern Culture. Ed. Robin Adams & Rosana Cox. 30-45. Web. 5 May 2014. “Christianity in Hamlet” Greenblatt, Stephen. Hamlet in Purgatory. Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Press, 2001. Print. “Imagery and Symbolism of Cain and Abel in Hamlet.” Crossref-it. 2014 Web. 7 May 2014. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Shakespeare online. Web. 7 May 2014. “Existentialism” Burnham, Douglas, and George Papandreopoulos. “Existentialism.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Web. 7 May 2014. “Theatre Etiquette” “Theatre Audience Etiquette.” The Dixie. 2008. Web. 19 May 2014.