"Disease"

See what you want to see.

Neurosis:

[noo-roh-sis, nyoo-]
–noun, plural

“A class of functional mental disorders involving distress but neither delusions nor hallucinations, whereby behavior is not outside socially acceptable norms.”

Never Know For Sure

Before basing my interpretation of Hamlet’s character on V. The Material And Sources Of Dreams (continued) and Hamlet and His Problems, I stopped to remember my own, uninfluenced interpretation. Hamlet is a obvious troubled coward man, whose father’s death affected him profoundly. He experiences the re marriage of his mother and this repulses him, because the new kind is his uncle. He witnesses the appearance of his dead father as a ghost and it tells him to revenge, and ever since Hamlet looks for a way to ease his grief and disappointment through actions that he seems unable to fulfill. It angers him is the censorship he is put up to of his desperate disagreement with his mother’s marriage and his father’s murder. But he is limited to act because of his lack of bravery and too much hesitation.

Turns out I’m not so far off. Dr. Derwey agrees with me, “Hamlet represents the type of man whose active energy is paralyzed by excessive intellectual activity (…)” (V. The Material And Sources Of Dreams (continued)) this is a disease of upper class people caused by stress, diagnosed as neurasthenia. He is indeed “paralyzed", this can be seen in David Tennat’s performance of the famous “to be or not to be” where he practically doesn’t move while reciting the soliloquy. His mind is so full of a mixture of emotions, thoughts and feelings that he cannot move, less so act. It reminds me of a depressed person, who is numb and whose eyes are unfocused. Without a doubt Hamlet is a mentally ill character. T.S Elliot suggests something similar, “It is thus a feeling which he cannot understand; he cannot objectify it, and it therefore remains to poison life and obstruct action.” Hamlet does not understand himself. There is an excess of thoughts and hesitation. But then arouses the question why Hamlet acted on other persons and doesn’t really get to the real vengeance he is looking for?

Dr. Derwey interprets, according to Freud and psychoanalysis that Claudius is what Hamlet always wanted to be and he sees himself reflected on him and therefore inhibiting him to take action against him, as he is supposed to. Based on the ancient text Oedipus Rex, the male child will in most cases have a desire for the mother since she is his first sexual attraction. And for the father the male child feels a certain impulse of hatred because he threatens the child. Therefore, Dr. Derwey says that Claudius is “the man who shows him in realization the repressed desires of his own childhood.” (V. The Material And Sources Of Dreams) This is interesting. Duuh there are other interpretations, but this is accurate, according to Freud. T.S Elliot argues that Hamlet’s “madness” is feigned. For Shakespeare it was so. Hamlet’s levity, tricks and behavior are faked to trap any suspicion. But as Dr. Derwey proved with Freud and Professor Stoll of the University of Minnesota states, today we can interpret Hamlet’s characters in ways that Shakespeare would have never imagined thanks to the psychological discoveries. “We should have to understand things which Shakespeare did not understand himself.” As T.S Eliot closes his essay. There is no wrong interpretation. Maybe I’m wrong thinking that Hamlet lacks bravery, according to T.S Eliot he could surplus it enough to feign his madness. We may never know for sure.

Relief Or Luxury

Guilt is one of the most annoying feelings. It is a mixture of regret for what you have done, anger at yourself because you did it, confusion because you don’t know why you did it and impotence because there is nothing you can do to undo it.
Claudius realizes after the play that indeed he is guilty of a horrible crime. He was not so aware of it because he was enjoying the fruits of his scheme. Nobility, a wife, a throne, power, luxury. Yet he cannot escape the feeling that will, and does, eventually overwhelm him.
“My fault is past. But, O, what form of prayer
Can serve my turn? 'Forgive me my foul murder'? “
What is done is done. He cannot change his present because his crime is in the past. Claudius wants to be forgiven, partly because if he is forgiven by the “heavens” then he won’t be punished. And partly to release the feeling of guilt that crushes him. He does not know what he can do to overcome his murder. He mocks at himself asking God simply for forgiveness. Using quotations to repeat his own words. He calls his crime “foul” because he knows that he will eventually be revealed, he suspects already.

He is now in a quandary, “I stand in pause” because he does not want no give up the previledges of becoming king, but he knows that keep on living with the guilt will become unbearable. Patrick Steward performs this perfectly. He does not move while speaking, only to kneel at the end of the soliloquy. There is a bit of evil in his expression, and it changes back and forth to misery but also arrogance because of his achievements. “May one be pardoned and retain th' offense?” Claudius’s greed is expressed in the faint smile that Steward does. He wont give up his regards. He wants to find a way to be forgiven without a punishment nor loosing “my crown” and “my queen”. And again! Like Hamlet, Claudius is afraid! Of death. Being judged, as he knows he should be judged and punished, in heaven, or better said, hell. Aware he is that, against his will, some kind of action he has to take for his sin: “Bow, stubborn knees,”. And aware as well of his own character and that it will not be easy for him because he is stubborn and greedy. What will Claudius do?

Beauty

Above Hamlet's obvious disturbance, his words are right. Harshly he says it ‘cause he’s hurt, but true:

“Ay, truly; for the power of beauty will sooner
transform honesty from what it is to a bawd than the
force of honesty can translate beauty into his
likeness: this was sometime a paradox, but now the
time gives it proof. I did love you once.”

Beauty is a threat. Very easily women can be victims of it and become whores, as Hamlet suggests. No matter how honest and good this woman is. Beauty is ironic, it should be synonym of goodness, but it is not! This makes it a paradox, self-contradictory. A person that is beautiful inside means that her heart is pure, with good intentions and incapable of evil. But this beauty outside isn’t. Hamlet says that beauty overpowers honesty. It’s more appealing, duuh. So pretty women are sinful! Even though this should not be a generalization, Hamlet is doing so ordering Ophelia to go to a nunnery, and not to sin because her condition leads her to do so. And Hamlet is already accusing Ophelia of sin, mostly because he is upset for the returning of his “remembrances," and to hide this obvious feeling: “I did love you once”. Once, but not anymore. Buhu, the rest of us know the lie, otherwise he would not have cared that she gave him the gifts back, right? Poor Hamlet, cheating himself with his own true feelings.

Hesitating

Yes, the famous known soliloquy by Hamlet “to be or not to be”. I have asked myself ever since we started reading Hamlet, why is this so famous? And I came to the conclusion that everybody has once asked themselves this question. Every human being has felt, or will feel, the way Hamlet feels in this scene, in different intensities of curse. Yet, Shakespeare is the only one to write it down. Not only write it down but magnified it almost like celebrating this hesitation of human’s minds when it is in trouble.

David Tennant is in profound desperation and he seems as if he had given up any kind of hope. He leans on the wall like in need of a support because his body (as his mind) cannot take it anymore. He hesitates while speaking, exactly what Hamlet is doing in the soliloquy, vacillating. What more accurate interpretation than hesitation every time a word is pronounced? He takes 11 seconds to go from “To be, or not to be: that is the question:” to “Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer”. He is debating between life or death. If one is in such situation, it may take more than 11 seconds to decide. Do I want to die and end my suffering or keep on living in misery? He is in misery, that’s a fact. If you are happy and satisfied with your life you would probably not ask yourself the question, it’s redundant. What a coward! It embarrasses him his fear and indecisiveness, his lack of braveness to embrace suffering. He is certain that it is not noble to be afraid, but he asks himself as an excuse to justify his thoughts and emotions.

Tennant closes his eyes, like trying to find the answers within him. He is frowning, his expression is of anguish, he searching for a way out to this entanglement that he finds himself into. But fails. And opens his eyes (1:21) to find the same room, the same self, which is not dreaming as he might wish to (it is in this exact lines that he opens his eyes, “coincidently”):
“To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come”
But awake. He’s afraid as well. Hamlet is afraid. Afraid of living, and afraid of dying. He is scared that death, like sleeping, can bring nightmares, and his living misery will continue on in death. This “rub”, this mischance, prevents him from committing suicide.

Thankyou Shakespeare

Men I’m amazed. What a brilliant idea. Agnes is a hero. I think about Shakespeare in his grave, he would have never imagined that his plays would do what they do today, and will keep on doing for many years to come. Shakespeare might have known that his plays were a big deal and that many people would be identified with the characters’ feelings and actions, but I don’t think he would know that his plays would change the life of a criminal. And I think about art, art it its many forms and interpretations and I have come to the conclusion that art might be a savior or a killer. A killer because it might make people crazy, many bohemians kill themselves because they are overwhelmed and can’t deal with so much emotion. In this case it is a savior. For this guy that played Leartes, this role changed his life. He realized he could be so much better and he wants to be a better man because found out that if he committed to something he could do it. He said that criminals were cowards, that he had been a coward and he doesn’t want to be one again, thanks to Shakespeare.
And the guy that plays Claudius and regretted the murder of his brother, and he himself regretted his crimes could let go his most underground feelings thanks to his role. And the one that played the ghost of Hamlet’s father that felt that his victim, the man whose life he had taken was talking through him while playing the role, he was able to communicate with him and let go of his hard feelings, thanks to the ghost.

I have acted, I don’t consider myself an actor but I do like acting and I have done many productions and enjoyed every minute of them. The feeling is the key. It is very easy to fall into reciting line without even knowing what you are saying. It even happens to me while reading Hamlet and I have to stop and say “wait, what? Let’s go back”. If you don’t feel or understand what your character is saying you might better give up the acting. I guess there is no better way to act an emotion than have had the emotion yourself. I would love to see the prisoners acting Hamlet. I think that everybody has felt a little Hamlet in their lives, and if they haven’t, they will. I know it is possible to really cry while acting, or burst out laughing, genuinely, and feel anger or sadness or joy. I believe in these criminals. I found myself smiling listening to this episode, I was touched. We are supposed to hate criminals, but I really felt like hugging them. What if reading Hamlet I find the answer to my doubts and easy troubles (compared to the criminal’s), and I feel as much or close to what this play should make you feel. Then I would have to thank Shakespeare, as these criminals thank ever since they discovered him. Also thank Agnes for taking into action the project that has shaped their life in a better way that they have been shaping it. The feeling is the thing, wherein you’ll catch the essence of your being.

Worth A Peak

Hamlet on Broadway
Jude Law makes the play much more interesting and profound. He takes Shakespeare to another level ;)

Interpretations

Two different actors, two different scenes, two different productions. Same play. David Tennant’s scene is much more as a play and less as a movie like Kenneth Branagh’s. He moves on the stage a lot and seems desperate. He even seems to be loosing his mind, and it is not for less because the very piece of Hamlet’s soliloquy that he is performing (Act 2, Scene 2.) the character is confused and feeling sorry for himself. He feels sorry for himself all throughout the play actually. And I guess this is why Hamlet is so famous, this pity of oneself is very common, but only Shakespeare was able to write it down. I felt sorry for the actor acting this scene. Desperate and annoyed. The fact that I felt this makes him successful I guess, as an actor. The whole point is to be able to transmit the feeling that the character, through bare words, is transmitting to the reader. I know it is the acting and the lines he is saying that is important when performing, but the props, the scenery and costume plays a key role as well. David Tennant’s clothes are modern and chilled. He is in jeans, bare foot, and a t-shirt with a skeleton printed on it (which btw is very symbolic) and nothing more. He is in a room quite empty with antique furniture, contradicting his clothes. But well, it is a hundred year old play, the language and the furniture are old, the actor is young as well as his clothes.

In Kenneth Branagh’s version he is not so much desperate, nor loosing his mind, he is angry. Furious. And disappointed, he is speaks at a slower pace and tastes the words deeply. As if feeding the anger he is feeling and even bursts out into a louder voice to free it. He moves much slower than Tennant. In this scene he is indeed disappointed with what had happened,. His father’s death and his mother’s marriage to his uncle. The scenery is more elaborate in this scene, a room filled with furniture, mirrors, as a fancy palace that it is. Hamlet is dressed in an elegant black suit that fits very much his emotion. It is not modern at all. I mean, I won’t find anyone dressed like that walking in the street today, nor in a funeral, nor in a cocktail. It is old stylish, matching Shakespeare’s times. Of curse they are in two different facades of Hamlet, and feelings of him, but their interpretations are accurate.

I seem to be getting a clearer idea of who Hamlet is, or isn’t. I want to get to know him better, like if he were a friend of a friend whom I’ve seen in pictures and heard a lot about but have not yet gotten the pleasure, or disgrace to meet. I feel closer to Hamlet after watching these two videos regardless the difference in interpretations.

First Taste Of Hamlet

Act I Scene III

Blood
Nature
Loves
Fear
Heart
Danger
Judgment
Leave

Farewell