STUDY GUIDE PERFORMANCE IN SHAKESPEARE’S DAY ELIZABETHAN AUDIENCES When you think of Elizabethan theatre, you might picture an orderly scene: perhaps a large auditorium, neat rows of chairs, audience members sitting quietly and attentively. However, this image could not be further from the reality of Elizabethan theatre! A crowd at a rowdy sports event or an audience at a circus are more comparable to the audiences that viewed Shakespeare‟s plays on the Elizabethan stage. By the 1570‟s, playgoing was a popular activity in London. Many authorities in London tried to ban theatre because they feared that such large gatherings of people would lead to riots, prostitution, and the spreading of the bubonic plague. The government opposed theatre, so naturally playhouses became even more attractive to audiences. At its climax, the theatre swarmed with as many as 25,000 people a week to see plays. Those who made up the Elizabethan audience ranged from the wealthy aristocracy to the common laborers. Like a modern concert today, the theatre of Shakespeare‟s day had varying prices—the better the seat, the higher the price—allowing such economically and socially diverse playgoers to enjoy the same entertainment. STANDING ROOM ……………………………………………………….…………………………………ONE PENNY Known as the “yard” or “pit,” this section of the theatre had no seats. Audience members in in this space were known as “groundlings” because in most playhouses the pit was an actual yard of plain earth next to the stage. The groundlings were packed into this area which held 500 people. Standing to see entire plays that often lasted for three or more hours in a crowded and smelly amphitheater, the groundlings sacrificed comfort to view theatre. THE GALLERY ………………………………………...……………………………………….……………TWOPENCE If an audience member was willing to pay two pennies, she could have a seat on a bench under one of the roofed galleries. This allowed for a more comfortable viewing experiencing. LORDS’ ROOMS………………………………………...……………………………………….……………TWOPENCE The lords‟ rooms were the most expensive seating in playhouses, but the price matched the perks. These seats often sported cushions rather than plain wooden benches. The lords‟ rooms had obstructed views of the stage; however, the rest of the audience could clearly see the wealthy playgoers who sat in the lords‟ rooms. With such large audiences flocking to playhouses, the actors on stage were not the only people on display. The visibility of audience members allowed them to play a large part in the social atmosphere of the playhouses. Audience members, especially the elite, were just as concerned about being seen by the public as they were about seeing a play; therefore, the visibility offered by the lords‟ rooms was worth the higher price. THE THEATRE The architecture of the early modern stage is continuously studied and re-created in hopes of understanding the aspects that made this notorious form of entertainment appealing to its audiences. Because many authorities did not agree with playhouses and referred to plays as “lewd and profane,” many outdoor playhouses were built on the outskirts of cities. The most well known theatres were: The Curtain, The Theatre, The Swan, The Rose, The Globe, and The Fortune. The most well-known indoor playhouse was known as Blackfriars. The outdoor playhouses were often much larger than the indoor ones. The outdoor theatres held two to three thousand individuals, while the indoor theaters, such as Blackfriars, claimed to hold only six hundred citizens. Many outdoor theaters were in a circular shape with seating throughout the high walls. This circular construction suggests that viewers were able to see the stage from all points of view. Researchers have described the stage as a platform several feet above the ground that was projected into a center area. This structure along with ground placements may have been beneficial to the actor-audience relationship and participation. Theatres held a roof only above the back part of the stage, which was usually held by two large columns. The roof often served as heaven, while a hidden trap door on the stage‟s floor depicted hell. Doors or curtains located at the back of the stage would conceal or suddenly reveal actors to the audience. Curtained areas known as “discovery spaces” were used as closets, tombs, chambers, or shops. THE ACTING COMPANIES Playing companies were established during this time period in order to control the large reproduction of plays. The two largest companies during this era were Lord Admiral‟s Men and Lord Chamberlain‟s Men (Shakespeare‟s company). These two companies included approximately twenty to thirty men for their productions. Because women were not allowed to act in Elizabethan theatre, young males played female roles. The voices of the prepubescent males were still high-pitched and their muscular physique was not matured, so young males could perform convincing female portrayals. Elaborate, layered costumes also helped to make the young males look more feminine, while wigs and makeup completed the entire transformation from male to female. ABOUT THE PLAY ACT I On a dark night at Elsinore castle in Denmark, Barnardo and Marcellus, accompanied by the educated Horatio, attempt to speak to a ghost resembling the late King Hamlet. The three men decide to share with Prince Hamlet what they have seen. The recently crowned King Claudius gives a speech both celebrating his marriage to Queen Gertrude and grieving the death of the late King Hamlet, thereby establishing his claim to the throne. Prince Hamlet is mourning the death of his father and he is further distraught over his mother‟s quick remarriage to Claudius. Laertes, the son of the lord Polonius departs for France after warning his sister, Ophelia, about the dangers of a relationship with Hamlet. That night, the ghost appears to Hamlet claiming to be the spirit of his father, King Hamlet, who reveals the details of his death and charges his son to seek revenge. ACT II Ophelia tells her father about Hamlet‟s apparent madness. Polonius concludes that Hamlet‟s behavior must be a result of his love for Ophelia and is eager to tell King Claudius about his discovery. Polonius reveals to Claudius that Hamlet‟s love for Ophelia is the source of his behavior; in an effort to prove this they decide to set up an encounter between Hamlet and Ophelia and spy on them. The King invites a group of actors to Elsinore and Hamlet asks the actors to recite a speech that he is fond of. Hamlet requests the Murder of Gonzago to be performed the next night with a speech of his own inserted. Hamlet resolves to use Claudius‟ reaction to the play as evidence of his guilt. ACT III After spying on Hamlet and Ophelia, Claudius is convinced that Hamlet‟s behavior is not a result of feelings for her. Polonius plans to spy on Hamlet again in Gertrude‟s room after the play. Before the play, Hamlet instructs the players and asks Horatio to watch Claudius‟ reaction to the play so that he may have a second opinion regarding Claudius‟ guilt. The play mirrors the death of King Hamlet except that in the play, the king is killed by his nephew. However, Claudius‟ reaction provokes Hamlet to act. Later, in Gertrude‟s room, the queen and Polonius wait for Hamlet‟s arrival. Polonius tells the queen that she should chastise Hamlet for his recent behavior. Hamlet storms into the room and they argue. Fearing for her life, Gertrude calls out. From his hiding spot, Polonius cries for help. Hamlet draws his sword and stabs it through the tapestry, killing the unseen Polonius. He continues to denounce his mother and rail against Claudius until suddenly, the ghost of his father again appears before him. ACT IV Frantic after her confrontation with Hamlet, Gertrude tells Claudius what has happened. Claudius wonders aloud how he will be able to handle this public crisis without damaging his hold on Denmark. He tells Gertrude that they must ship Hamlet to England at once and find a way to explain Hamlet‟s misdeed to the court and to the people. Elsewhere, Hamlet has just finished disposing of Polonius‟s body. The king tells Hamlet that he must leave at once for England. Hamlet enthusiastically agrees and leaves Denmark. Later, a furious Laertes storms into the hall, ready to avenge his father‟s death. A messenger enters with a letter from Hamlet to Claudius, which informs the king that Hamlet will return to Denmark the following day. The king begins to think of a way for Laertes to ensure his revenge without creating any appearance of foul play. The king speculates that if Hamlet could be tempted into a duel with Laertes, it might provide Laertes with the chance to kill him. Laertes will use a sharpened sword rather than the customary dull fencing blade. Laertes also proposes to poison his sword, so that even a scratch from it will kill Hamlet. The king concocts a backup plan as well, proposing that if Hamlet succeeds in the duel, Claudius will offer him a poisoned cup of wine to drink from in celebration. Gertrude enters with the tragic news that Ophelia, mad with grief, has drowned in the river. ACT V Hamlet and Horatio enter the churchyard at a distance and watch the gravediggers work. When the funeral procession for Ophelia enters the churchyard, including Claudius, Gertrude, Laertes, and many mourning courtiers, Hamlet realizes who has died. At the same moment, Laertes becomes infuriated with the priest, who says that he cannot give Ophelia a proper Christian burial because she might have committed suicide. Laertes leaps into Ophelia‟s grave and Hamlet, declaring his own love for Ophelia also jumps into the grave. The next day at Elsinore Castle, Hamlet is summoned to fence with Laertes. The court marches into the hall and the king says that if Hamlet wins the first or second hit, he will drink to Hamlet‟s health, then throw into the cup a valuable gem and give the wine to Hamlet. The duel begins and Hamlet strikes Laertes but declines to drink from the poisoned cup. He hits Laertes again, and Gertrude rises to drink from the cup. They fight again, and Laertes scores a hit against Hamlet, drawing blood. They manage to exchange swords, and Hamlet wounds Laertes with the poisoned blade. The queen falls and moans that the cup must have been poisoned. Laertes tells Hamlet that he, too, has been slain, by his own poisoned sword, and explains the King‟s actions. Hamlet stabs Claudius with the poisoned sword and forces him to drink down the rest of the poisoned wine. Hamlet tells Horatio that he is dying and urges his friend to stay alive and tell his story. MEETING THE CHARACTERS HAMLET is the Prince of Denmark, and the son of the late King of Denmark, also named Hamlet. The death of his father, King Hamlet, has left Hamlet a grieving man. To many of the other characters in the play, Hamlet‟s prolonged and intense grief seems like madness. Also, Hamlet resents his mother Gertrude for remarrying his father‟s brother Claudius so quickly after his father‟s death. When Hamlet‟s father‟s ghost appears telling Hamlet that Claudius murdered him so that he could marry Hamlet‟s mother and become king, Hamlet swears to his father‟s ghost that he will seek revenge and kill Claudius. Hamlet‟s obsession with revenge drives him to fits of anger and contemplations about the meanings of life and death. Hamlet is a complicated character, full of contradictions. He is reflective and philosophical, and becomes frustrated with his indecisiveness and hesitancy in killing his uncle for revenge. However, even though Hamlet is hesitant, he is capable of impulsive and violent acts. GERTRUDE, Queen of Denmark, is Hamlet‟s mother and the widow of King Hamlet. Gertrude married King Hamlet‟s brother Claudius only a few months after her husband‟s death. Gertrude seems greatly troubled by Hamlet‟s strange behavior and his prolonged mourning. Even though she seems to care for Hamlet, he sees her as weak and corrupt for entering into such an incestuous marriage to the murderer of her husband. HORATIO is one of Hamlet‟s best friends. Hamlet trusts him above anyone else and goes to him for advice. He values his cool temper even though he despises this in himself. Horatio remains loyal to Hamlet throughout the play and seems to be the only person on whom Hamlet can rely. ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN were schoolmates of Hamlet. They grew up together and were best friends when they were young. Because of their connection with Hamlet, Claudius recruits them to spy on Hamlet to determine the cause of Hamlet‟s strange behavior. Neither have a problem betraying Hamlet‟s friendship in order to serve the King. Hamlet suspects their loyalties and does his best to dodge them throughout the play. FORTINBRAS is the Prince of Norway. He is the son of the king of Norway who was defeated by old King Hamlet. Fortinbras raises an army to reclaim his inheritance lost by his father to King Hamlet of Denmark. At the end of the play Hamlet recommends that Fortinbras be made King of Denmark. There are definite parallels to be drawn between Hamlet and Fortinbras. Both are the sons of kings and princes of their country and both are the nephew of the current king. THE GHOST is an apparition taking on the form of Hamlet's father, the late King Hamlet of Denmark. This spooky specter appears to Hamlet in Act I to give him an assignment: avenge his rather suspicious death. The Ghost is a mysterious figure. Is he really Hamlet's father? Is his story of murder true? What does his appearance say about the afterlife and the fate of the old king's soul? These questions cause Hamlet much emotional and psychological turmoil throughout the play. CLAUDIUS is the brother of Hamlet's father; not only did he inherit the throne ahead of Hamlet, he also married Hamlet's mother much too soon after the old king's funeral. Because of this quick marriage, he is Hamlet's main antagonist even before Hamlet is told by the Ghost that Claudius killed the old king. Claudius's speech is dangerous; he uses his quick wit and manipulation to poison the minds of others in order to increase his own power. He is suspicious of Hamlet throughout the play. POLONIUS is an adviser to Claudius, and the father of Laertes and Ophelia. He is convinced throughout the play that Hamlet's madness is caused by his love for Ophelia; Polonius has ordered her to reject the prince's advances. Much trouble is caused by Polonius's meddling, including his own downfall. LAERTES is the son of Polonius. Although he absent (in France) for most of the play, he appears often enough to provide a contrast to Hamlet. Laertes is hot-tempered, confident, and quick to take action. He is easily pulled into a dark plan by the conniving Claudius, to disastrous effect. OPHELIA, Polonius's daughter and Hamlet's big crush, is a brief but haunting presence in Shakespeare's play. Forced by her father to reject Hamlet and then spy on him as he appears to go mad, Ophelia is a tragic figure of unrequited love, sorrow, and madness. CONNECTING THE CHARACTERS ABOUT THE PRODUCTION: AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DIRECTOR Bob Hupp is the Producing Artistic Director of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre and the director of the Rep‟s current production of Hamlet. Bringing Shakespeare‟s classic masterpiece to life requires an entire team of artists and designers: the set designer, lighting designer, fight coordinator, composer, prop designer, costume designer, actors and stage crew all work together to pull off the show. As director, Mr. Hupp‟s job is to oversee every aspect of the production and ensure that all the elements work together to form a coherent final product. ON ACTING... “You have to approach the play like it‟s the first time the play‟s been done, but you know, it‟s Hamlet, so it has a huge footprint. The actors have all seen all the famous productions. They will have all watched the films. You have to say them, „Okay, don‟t bring that baggage to the process.‟ I suspect most of our actors have worked on Hamlet at some point in an acting class or on stage and you have to create world that everyone‟s in for this audience, at this time, and put aside all the other baggage and all the other preconceptions. In some respects for the actor playing Hamlet, there are traditions that certain actors have initiated and you have to decide „Am I going to continue those traditions? Am I going to continue the things that have been done in the past or am I going to break out and try new things?‟ That‟s an exploration you do in the rehearsal process. Basically, you try to talk to the actors about bringing out the language, honoring the language, focusing on telling the story through the language.” ON THE SET DESIGN... “I never want things to be slavishly historic; I‟m not trying to create a museum piece. I‟m not trying to recreate some kind of pageant. This play will land around the turn of the century or around the era of World War I, around 1914-1919, just because that gives me that flavor of political change and upheaval in Europe. However, it will not be slavishly accurate no matter what rough era I choose to set it in. To me the play is timeless, so I like the elements of design to reflect the timelessness. Nor do I want the design to get in the way of the words. [There is an ]old adage in theatre: dense text- sparse set, sparse text- dense set. I always prefer a more minimal, more sculptural approach to set. The design will be very sparse— almost no furniture on stage ever. I don‟t expect any set changes. I might have a couple of pieces of furniture, but it‟s not going to be like, „Now we‟re in the castle‟ so we have a castle. I don‟t care for those things. I like my design to be abstracted and again, focus on the words.” ON THE TEXT... “The subtlety , the nuance, the contradiction, the complexity of the character is unprecedented. I don‟t know that there‟s another character that‟s been created in literature— any literature—that is as complex and rich and speaks to people of every era of every walk of life the way the character of Hamlet does. This sort of revenge tragedy is one of the singular stories ever told in Western literature. You can‟t read it and feel like you have a handle on it. There‟s always another Hamlet to explore, there‟s always something to think about or contradict or agree with. Every word that you read, you can find something in your own culture, in your own era that makes it timeless.” ON THE CHARACTER OF HAMLET... “I think first of all, he‟s funny. He‟s got a great sense of humor. He has a pretty good gig going until things go bad with his dad. He‟s got a pretty girlfriend, he‟s got a good education, he‟s going to inherit a kingdom that‟s in power, that‟s a very powerful kingdom. At the time Denmark controlled England, for instance. So it was a pretty good gig and then things kind of go south when his dad dies and his mom remarries so quick. So it really is about this guy who is unprepared for the immensity of the task in front of him and who is smart enough to know he‟s not his dad. His dad was a man of action. Hamlet is a more reflective guy, and it‟s much harder for him. He thinks too much. He is introspective in that regard and he is not a man of action. He has to grow up really fast.” ON HIS RESPONSIBILTY AS DIRECTOR... “We have a great team of people. A composer will have some original music in the play. Our sound design, our lighting design, costume, set, and fight choreographer are all excellent people who have all worked together with me before on other Shakespeare [shows]. I think we‟ve assembled a great group of actors for this production. My job at this point in the process is to work with the disparate elements: the actors are here, the costume designer is there, the designers are over there. I‟m the only continuity between the those things that are happening right now. In another month or two, all those elements will come together, and hopefully, they will gel. Sometimes you get all the best ingredients and the cake tastes like crap. But sometimes it doesn‟t. Sometimes it‟s delicious. We‟ll see.” ON HIS HOPES FOR THE SHOW... “I want them to come away saying, „Wow, that was a great story. That was fun. I thought I was going to come out here and be bored to death.‟ or „Somebody made me come see it, and I‟m glad I saw it because I feel like this was a real relevant story.‟ I hope people enjoy themselves.” ABOUT THE PRODUCTION: THE COSTUMES OF HAMLET OPHELIA HORATIO LAERTES THE PRIEST THE GHOST CLOSE-UP ON HAMLET The importance of Hamlet as a character is evident in his continuing popularity among scholars, actors, students, and teachers. Hamlet is a challenging character to understand and to portray because he embodies every dramatic situation that exists in life. He struggles with his relationship with his parents, his friends, his love, the supernatural, his country‟s safety, and revenge. He must make decisions that will affect the rest of his life as well as the future of his country. While most of us have never encountered such dramatic situations, we can attempt to understand why Hamlet is so conflicted. WHY DOES HAMLET DELAY? The question most asked by students is why Hamlet delays in action when provided an opportunity to take his revenge. This is perhaps the most complex question to answer due to the many variables involved. While watching the play, try to keep in mind the many motivations behind Hamlet's act of revenge: Burden of proof: can he act without being certain of his uncle's guilt? Justice: how can one right a wrong without committing a crime of their own? Politics: what would killing the king do to the country or to Hamlet's status as prince? Religious Belief: would the death of his uncle by Hamlet's own hand be an ethical solution and what would the result of the action be on Claudius' soul as well as Hamlet's? IS HAMLET INSANE? Whether Hamlet is going insane or not has been a topic of debate among many readers of the play. Was it a clever trick or a manifestation of paranoia? Watch closely throughout the production for signs of Hamlet‟s madness. Does it seem genuine or performed (or both)? What makes you think so? WHY IS HE SO OBSESSED WITH DEATH? One of the many fascinating aspects of the play is the questions it raises about the nature of death. Throughout the play you'll notice Hamlet becoming obsessed with the topics life, death, and what happens after we die. The theme of death appears again and again in the play through characters such as the Ghost and Yorick as well as thoughtful soliloquies on Hamlet's part. Try asking yourself the following questions throughout the play: What does this say about Hamlet's emotional state? How does this relate to the theme of revenge? What does this mean on a moral or spiritual level? WHAT ARE HIS THOUGHTS ON WOMEN? Hamlet‟s feelings about the women in his life change after the death of his father. He has a sudden distrust for his mother because of her questionable marriage to her husband‟s brother and this bleeds into Hamlet‟s opinion of all women. Where do you see signs of this in the play? How do the women in Hamlet‟s life react to his behavior? Why is this important? HOW DOES HE FEEL ABOUT HIS MOTHER? Some people have suggested that Hamlet has an unusually strong emotional attachment to his mother that borders on sexual attraction. Many scholars use this as an answer to why Hamlet is so heartbroken over his mother‟s marriage to his uncle. Others have debated that Hamlet is more upset over the fact that his mother married that man that murdered his father. Could it be that jealousy drives Hamlet‟s desire for revenge against his uncle? Or is he just emotionally conflicted and his actions are confused with sexual desire? WHO ARE SOME FAMOUS “HAMLETS” OF THE PAST? Richard Burbage, c.1600 John Phillip Kemble,1781 Kenneth Branagh, 1996 Mel Gibson , 1990 Edwin Booth, 1870 Jude Law, 2009 TO BE OR NOT TO BE: A CLOSER LOOK HAMLET, ACT 3, SCENE 1 HAMLET : 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 the 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, For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, Th‟opressor‟s wrong, the proud man‟s contumely, The pangs of disprized love, the law‟s delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th‟unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin? Who would these fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovered country from whose bourn No traveler returns, puzzles the will, And makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue of resolution Is sicklied o‟er with the pale cast of thought And enterprises of great pith and moment With this regard their currents turn awry, And lose the name of action. Soft you, now, The fair Ophelia!--Nymph, in thy orisons Be all my sins remembered. This famous soliloquy begins with a line familiar to many: “To be, or not to be; that is the question.” This question is the subject of the soliloquy and can be interpreted in many different ways. The line serves to remind us of Hamlet as a philosopher. Hamlet has been called to action by the ghost of his murdered father but spends much of his time in indecisive thought. This failure to act is a great source of frustration for Hamlet. Notice how the soliloquy ends with the word “action.” By the end of the speech, Hamlet has effectively answered the question he posed at its onset. This soliloquy marks an important turning point in the play for Hamlet—he transitions from Hamlet the Philosopher, uncertain in his course of action and weary of his fate and responsibility, to Hamlet the Man of Action, steadfast in his resolve to carry out his father‟s revenge. Ending the soliloquy with “action” suggests another common theme throughout the play— acting. Hamlet is called to act out the role of justice mediator or avenger. In order to accomplish this goal, he acts insane. Hamlet is very specific about how he wants the play in the Mousetrap scene acted by the players. By ending the soliloquy with the word “action, Shakespeare presents a dichotomy between the internal process of thinking and questioning and the external mask the character must assume in acting out his roles on the stage of life. LINES TO LISTEN FOR William Shakespeare is easily one of the greatest wordsmiths in the English language. The beauty of his poetry, the wit of his prose, and the insightful philosophic underpinnings of his texts have stood the test of time. The play Hamlet is full of great speeches and famous lines— you might even know a few already! Here are a few lines to listen for... “THOUGH THIS BE MADNESS, YET THERE IS METHOD IN’T.” -ACT 2, SCENE 2, LINE 203 Polonius begins to realize that there is more to Hamlet‟s recently acquired madness. He, of course, sees that Hamlet appears to have gone completely mad, yet he knows that he has not lost his wit and clever tongue. Regardless of whether Hamlet‟s madness is genuine or feigned, Polonius recognizes a compelling driving force behind his behavior. .“THUS CONSCIENCE DOES MAKE COWARDS OF US ALL.” -ACT 3, SCENE 1, LINE 85 While contemplating what actions he must take in order to carry out the will of his father‟s ghost, Hamlet realizes that it is the conscience that makes taking action so complicated. Hamlet would love to strike down those which he believes have wronged him, but fears the consequences to his own soul of such a move. “I WILL SPEAK DAGGERS TO HER, BUT USE NONE.” -ACT 3, SCENE 2, LINE 366 This quote shows the importance of language in Hamlet and the ability to use it as a weapon. In this instance, Hamlet proclaims that he will be fierce when confronting his mother about her actions that have nearly driven him mad, yet he will restrain himself from doing any physical harm to her. Hamlet knows the power and effectiveness of his words will be greater than any physical abuse he could impose. “TO BE OR NOT TO BE, THAT IS THE QUESTION.” -ACT 3, SCENE 5, LINE 58 One of the most famous lines in the entire history of drama and literature, Hamlet is weighing life's numerous struggles against the uncertainties of death. This is the first line in one of Hamlet‟s many soliloquies and Hamlet expresses in this soliloquy his maddening frustration with his own frailties and lack of action. He ponders over the painful trials that can make life so arduous and he is trying to decide whether it is worthwhile to endure the grievous hardships and keep on living or if it would be better to just go ahead and embrace the eternal slumber that is death. Hamlet answers his own question later in the play. “WE FAT ALL CREATURES ELSE TO FAT US, AND WE FAT OURSELVES FOR MAGGOTS.” -ACT 4, SCENE 3, LINES 22-23 Hamlet is commenting on the process of natural renewal in a grossly tainted, meaningless world. He has become incredibly disenchanted with life, which he sees as having no purpose other than to prepare itself for death. This is just one example of Hamlet‟s cynicism which has been caused by the corruption that surrounds him. Even though death is fraught with uncertainty, its inevitability is the only certainty that Hamlet knows. "ALAS POOR YORICK." -ACT 5, SCENE 1, LINE 171 Hamlet is gazing upon the grim appearance of Yorick's skull that belies his fond memories of the jovial jester. He muses on the abrupt transience of life and finds it curious that someone he once knew so well now is now nothing more than a skull in the palm of his hand. As he is remembering his pleasant times with Yorick, the jester‟s skull also serves as a cold, cruel reminder of death‟s immediacy and inevitability, a thought which nauseates Hamlet. Hamlet is no longer experiencing death in a distant, abstract manner (ex. to be, or not to be?); he is now confronted with its harsh reality literally face-to-face. SHAKESPEARE FUN FACTS William Shakespeare was born April 1564 to Mary and John Shakespeare. He was baptized on the 26th of April as a member of the Holy Trinity of Stratford upon Avon and attended a Stratford grammar school close to his place of birth. When he was just 18 years old, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway (1556-1623) and they had three children: Susanna, and the twins Judith and Hamnet (1585-1596). Shakespeare died on April 23, 1616 and is buried at the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon. WOMEN IN A MAN’S WORLD: GERTRUDE & OPHELIA Gertrude and Ophelia play far more significant roles than their limited stage presence might suggest. The audience meets both characters at a time when Hamlet is questioning women and their behaviors, due to his mother‟s hasty marriage to his uncle. How does the play‟s focus on Hamlet and his emotions color the way we view her? Why did Shakespeare leave Gertrude‟s intentions unspoken and ambiguous? In the first encounter with Gertrude and Hamlet, she encourages him to stop mourning and accept the new king. Is Gertrude speaking as a mother or a queen? Does she seem to perceive her son‟s feelings of distress? Gertrude‟s position is always in relation to men; her roles are queen, wife, and mother. What difficulties does she face in balancing these roles? She obviously has power to influence Hamlet‟s emotions, but does Gertrude possess real authority? The confrontation between Hamlet and Gertrude takes place in Act 3, Scene 4. They are never alone together onstage until Hamlet kills Polonius. How does Gertrude react in the confrontation? Is she sincere? Shakespeare has woven a complicated story in Hamlet− much of it based on suggestion. The first time we meet Ophelia, Laertes is warning her about Prince Hamlet. What is Ophelia‟s response to her brother in this scene? As with Gertrude, the focus on Hamlet and his emotions influences the audience‟s perception of Ophelia. Her father, brother, and the king use Ophelia as a tool to unravel the mystery of Hamlet‟s behavior. How does their treatment of her demonstrate the way GET THEE TO A NUNNERY! Hamlet takes place a few hundred years before Shakespeare‟s own time, which was rife with religious turmoil between Catholicism and Protestantism. Hamlet raises many questions about these changes to the audience. In Act 3, Scene 1, Hamlet repeatedly commands Ophelia, “Get thee to a nunnery.” For centuries, the nunnery was an important institution for unmarried women. The decision to become a nun was respected. A life in the nunnery meant a woman was provided for, and so daughters who could not marry often ended up taking religious vows. Why would Hamlet tell Ophelia to go to a nunnery? By the first performances of Hamlet, the nunnery was a vanishing institution. What would the loss of this establishment mean for women in Shakespeare‟s England? Consider that a slang meaning for “nunnery” was “brothel.” This dual meaning makes Hamlet‟s demand quite different. How does it change your reaction to this scene? When Hamlet suggests that women are “breeder[s] of sinners,” what does he reveal about his view of women? treats her cruelly in the nunnery scene, and his statements about their relationship conflict. Are Hamlet and Ophelia deeply in love? Her soliloquy at the end of their confrontation is important; it reveals Ophelia‟s own thoughts. What conclusions can you draw about Ophelia‟s character? The following scene depicts a very different interaction between Hamlet and Ophelia at the play. Why does Shakespeare place these scenes together? As the story unfolds and her father is killed, Ophelia mirrors Hamlet‟s emotional unraveling. What parallels can you draw between them? How do the reactions of the other characters to their “madness” differ? The last time Ophelia is present is in Act 4, Scene 5, and she seems dramatically changed. Do you believe Ophelia has truly gone mad? The characters allege that she committed suicide. How do the ambiguous circumstances of her death affect our perception of Ophelia? SHAKESPEARE FUN FACTS Hamlet exhibits ideals appropriate to its time during the Renaissance, an age of rebirth of classical Greek philosophy. Hamlet's famous "To be or not to be" speech and other of his quotes like "there is neither good nor bad but thinking makes it so" and "'Seems,' madam? Nay, I know not 'seems...'" contain the seeds of existentialism, a philosophy which examines the nature of man’s relationship to the universe. Hamlet poses many questions that people still struggle with today. HAMLET, ACTING, & THE NATURE OF THEATRE IMAGINE... Your father, the King of Denmark, just died at the hands of your uncle. Your uncle Claudius has married your mother. To top it off, you have been denied the Danish crown by your usurping uncle. Your father‟s ghost demands you avenge his death by killing Claudius, yet you are not completely sure whether or not this wandering spirit is to be trusted. After all, how can you be sure the ghost is telling the truth? How can you prove your uncle is the murderer? Even if he is, how are you supposed to go about assassinating the King of Denmark? How would you explain yourself afterward? This is the predicament that leads Prince Hamlet to call upon the theatre as an arena of truth telling. At the end of Act II, Hamlet decides to write and produce a play reenacting his father‟s murder for King Claudius and the court hoping that Claudius‟s response to the play will prove his guilt. THE NATURE OF THEATRE This play-within-a-play device reveals something about the nature or theatre. With it, Shakespeare suggests that the theatre is not merely a place for us just to be amused or entertained—though these are the outward “…the purpose of goals. Rather, the theatre is also a place where we are exposed to playing, whose end, our own humanity, where we may look into a mirror image and discover a truth about ourselves. As Hamlet puts it, “…the purpose of both at the first and now, was and is to playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is to hold as hold as „twere the „twere the mirror up to nature, to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form mirror up to nature, to show virtue her own and pressure.” feature, scorn her own image, and the very Theatre, or the putting on of a play, allows us to see things within age and body of the ourselves we might not believe otherwise. Theatre causes us to question our own actions and motivations by seeing the results of the time his form and pressure. “ actions of the characters onstage. Shakespeare‟s play-within-theplay calls attention to this aspect of theatre by making us realize we Act III, Scene 1 are watching a play ourselves, a technique called metatheatre. THE NATURE OF ACTING Hamlet takes his players aside in Act III, Scene 2 and implores them to be honest: “Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you—trippingly on the tongue…” In other words, an actor‟s job in this indirect communication is to convincingly play natural life on the stage. Though the actors receive lines and stage directions from playwrights and directors, ultimately the actors‟ choices and the actors‟ portrayals will be what the audiences sees. The playwright‟s message rests in the hands of the actors. Actors therefore must be true to life and true to character, playing their given roles strongly and effectively. Hamlet is something of an actor himself. As the actors can not shout their lines at the tops of their voices or move about the stage with no reason, so Hamlet must not be too exaggerated in his portrayal of madness and or to overt in his pursuit of Claudius. If the actors are too weak or subtle, the “mirror image of nature” will be lost in the muddled performance. Similarly, if Hamlet is not bold in his actions, his father‟s ghost will remain vengeful and restless. “Speak the speech, I pray you, as I pronounced it to you— trippingly on the tongue…” Act III, Scene 2 SEEMING vs. BEING The link between artifice and truth, performance and life, seeming and being is a recurrent theme throughout Hamlet. Hamlet finds himself caught in a conflict between seeming and being—how can he know which is which? Some may seem honest, but be corrupt. Friends may seem loyal, but be traitors. His beloved may seem innocent, but be at fault. The ghost may seem harmless, but be evil. For Hamlet himself, vengeance may seem righteous, but be damning. Shakespeare uses metatheatre to point out the universality of this issue. Hamlet gives great acting advice to the players, but fails when called upon to act himself. We as the audience watch the drama of deception and revenge develop on stage, and are in turn led to question ourselves and our own motives. SHAKESPEARE FUN FACTS Hamnet was Shakespeare's only son. Hamnet's name could have been the inspiration for the name of the character in The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark; Hamnet died at age eleven, and four years later Shakespeare made a shift from writing comedies and histories towards tragedies like Julius Caesar and Hamlet. TO DO BEFORE THE PLAY Before you see the play, take a look at topics below. Consider these questions and issues as you watch the play, then be sure to discuss them again afterward. Teachers can also use section of the study guide in the classroom. EXPLORING RELIGION Do some research on the Protestant Reformation. How did it influence the religious ideals of life and death for the citizens of England? For example, if a person was a Protestant, what would the appearance of a ghost mean? Likewise, what would it mean if he was Catholic? Who was in control of the government? What were general beliefs about morality and death? How do the characters reflect the beliefs of the time? Does Hamlet automatically accept that the ghost is his father? What are some other explanations for the supernatural appearance? How do the actions/words of some of the characters go against the beliefs that they express? Do they ever preach one thing only to do another later? Does religion add further ambiguity to the play or does it bring a sense of understanding to the confusion? EXPLORING REVENGE Hamlet is the most famous revenge tragedy. Research what makes a story a revenge tragedy. What events, emotions, or characteristics you would expect to find in the plot or characters themselves. What might be the moral implications of revenge, especially in this time period? Does revenge ever end? What are its consequences to the revenge seeker and his loved ones? Would there ever be a legitimate reason to seek revenge? What drives Hamlet and Laertes to seek revenge? Are their reasons acceptable? What other forms of justice could they have pursued instead of revenge? DEFINING MADNESS Can you think of some stereotypical signs of madness in real life and in the world of the play? How does madness in Shakespeare look different than madness in real life? Many of the characters in Hamlet think that both Hamlet and Ophelia became insane. Why do they think that? Did either one of them truly go mad, or could they merely be acting the part? Why do you think so? How does our culture today treat and look at those that are mad? Do the people in the play treat them differently? What could cause someone to go mad? List the reasons Hamlet and Ophelia may have been driven insane and discuss how those reasons would have led to that madness. Watch carefully for signs of insanity (or pretended insanity?) in the production. TO DO AFTER THE PLAY THE MANY VOICES OF HAMLET Hamlet was originally written and published by William Shakespeare in the early seventeenth century in a language known as Early Modern English. In the last 400 years that Hamlet has been around, the play has been reproduced and retranslated into many different forms and languages. For this assignment, you and a partner will read through the version of Hamlet done by Sarah Schmelling and then take one scene from Hamlet and remake it by “translating” it into a new language! WHAT TO DO: 1. Go to <http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2008/7/30schmelling.html> and read Hamlet: Facebook News Feed Edition by Sarah Schmelling. 2. Select a scene from Hamlet for you and your partner to “translate”. 3. On a separate sheet of paper, write down key lines/ interactions from the scene that you want to make sure you include in your rewritten scene. 4. With your partner, rewrite your scene in the new language you‟ve chosen. Be creative! POSSIBLE SUGGESTIONS: pirate talk a rap song New York cabby Canadian mountain man TEXT speak “Modern” English Old West Hamlet Use your imagination and have fun! ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FREEING SHAKESPEARE‟S VOICE Linklater begins this book with exercises designed to rid the reader of long-held beliefs about Shakespeare‟s language and to allow an emotional connection to his writing. She then analyzes how Shakespeare‟s use of figures of speech, iambic pentameter, rhyme, and other literary techniques contribute to his characters, stories, and meaning. Linklater, Kristin. Freeing Shakespeare's Voice: the Actor's Guide to Talking the Text. New York, NY: Theatre Communications Group, 2006 A STUDENT‟S GUIDE TO WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE This book is divided into two segments. The first provides a concise overview of Shakespeare‟s life and career, while the second takes an in depth look at several of the plays, including Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Julius Caesar, and Hamlet. It includes several works of literary criticism written with students in mind, and is useful for research projects. Mittelstaedt, Walt. A Student's Guide to William Shakespeare. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow, 2005 THE BEDFORD COMPANION TO SHAKESPEARE The Bedford Companion is a condensed formatted critical assessment of Shakespeare's life and times. It focuses primarily on the historical and political context of the Bard‟s life and includes documents and critical essays on Shakespeare's work. McDonald, Russ. The Bedford Companion to Shakespeare: an Introduction with Documents. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2001 SHAKESPEARE IS HARD BUT SO IS LIFE Fintan O‟Tool believes that the many prejudices and stereotypes regarding Shakespeare have made it difficult for new readers to understand the plays. Aimed at older students, this book takes a look at some of the more complex questions of Shakespeare‟s tragedies, such as whether Hamlet‟s insanity is real or faked, in enjoyable, easily understandable language. O'Toole, Fintan. Shakespeare Is Hard, but so Is Life: a Radical Guide to Shakespearean Tragedy. London: Granta, 2002 SHAKESPEARE: HIS WORLD AND HIS WORKS In this book, Rosen, introduces the reader to the world in which Shakespeare lived and wrote his plays. Shakespeare: His World and His Works places Shakespeare‟s plays in a historical context, as well as closely examining several of the plays (though not Hamlet). Rosen also examines what it is that makes Shakespeare so Important that we still read about him four hundred years later. Rosen, Michael. Shakespeare: His Work and His World. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2001 SHAKING HANDS WITH SHAKESPEARE Shaking Hands with Shakespeare: a Teenager’s Guide to Reading and Performing the Bard provides helpful tips for understanding Shakespeare‟s sometimes difficult to decipher language. It also examines the way the plays would have been performed in Shakespeare‟s era, how the way they have been performed has changed over time, and how understanding the performance can help the reader understand the meaning of the play. Schumacher, Allison Wedell. Shaking Hands with Shakespeare: [a Teenager's Guide to Reading and Performing the Bard]. New York [u.a.: Simon & Schuster, 2004. FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY ONLINE The Folger Library, located in Washington, D.C., is the world‟s largest collection of materials related to Shakespeare and the Renaissance. The online library contains highlights from the collection, articles on Shakespeare‟s life, works, and times, access to several Shakespearerelated publications, and multi-media learning materials, including a youtube channel. Be sure to check out the digital image collection to see thousands of rare documents, including firstedition copies of the plays, letters hand-written by Queen Elizabeth, and much more. Folger Shakespeare Library. Web. <http://www.folger.edu THE USBOURNE INTERNET-LINKED WORLD OF SHAKESPEARE An excellent introduction to the works of Shakespeare, the Usborne World of Shakespeare guides students through the language and themes of the plays, and also provides a helpful synopsis, who‟s who, and glossary for each play. The most recent edition also includes over fifty internet links for further reading and research. Claybourne, Anna, Rebecca Treays, Felicity Brooks, David Cuzik, and Cecco Mariniello. The Usborne Internet-linked World of Shakespeare. Tulsa, OK: EDC Pub., 2001. THE ARKANSAS REPERTORY THEATRE OUR STORY Founded in 1976 and enjoying its thirty-fourth season, Arkansas Repertory Theatre is the state‟s largest non-profit professional theatre company. A member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT D), The Rep has produced more than 280 productions including forty world premieres on its 354-seat MainStage and 99-seat black box SecondStage located in its historic building in downtown Little Rock. Robert Hupp, Producing Artistic Director since 1999 when founder Cliff Fannin Baker retired, leads staff, artists and a twenty-eight member Board of Directors, who serve as ambassadors to the community and govern The Rep‟s fiduciary growth and operations. With an operating budget of $3.1 million, The Rep relies on season subscriptions, special events, foundation support, corporate and individual donations, and National Endowment for the Arts and Arkansas Arts Council funding. With a staff of 33 including resident designers, technicians and administrators, The Rep also employs guest artists from across the country to produce works—created, rehearsed and built in downtown Little Rock—that range from contemporary comedies and dramas to world premieres to the classics of dramatic literature. The Rep‟s auxiliary groups, Friends of The Rep and Young Professionals, contribute time and energy to support the theatre through ushering, fundraisers, and organized events to bring new people into The Rep. In addition to the more than 70,000-100,000 patrons who experience The Rep‟s work annually, community support includes more than 400 volunteers who usher for The Rep‟s productions. The Rep also frequently engages in co-productions with other regional theatres and such local organizations as the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts. Educational and outreach programming has been integral to The Rep‟s mission throughout its 33-year history. Through statewide educational tours, a MainStage student matinee series, an apprenticeship program, residencies, workshops, the Summer Theatre Musical Intensive which brings young artists together for two-week sessions culminating in musical theatre performances on the Rep‟s MainStage, cross-curricular study guides, and artist-to-student mentoring in workshops and arts-intensive residencies, the components of The Rep‟s outreach supplement and augment the students‟ standard curriculum and offer experiences that enhance creativity and the overall learning experience. OUR MISSION Arkansas Repertory Theatre exists to create a diverse body of theatrical work of the highest artistic standards. With a focus on dramatic storytelling that illuminates the human journey, The Rep entertains, engages and enriches local and regional audiences of all ages and backgrounds. CONTACT INFORMATION For questions or comments concerning this production of Evita or the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, contact our offices at (501)378-0445. Additional information may also be found at www.therep.org. The Box Office may be reached at 1-866-6THEREP. This study guide was created collaboratively by the students of Dr. Paige Reynolds‟s English 4330: Shakespeare I course, offered by the English Department of the University of Central Arkansas.