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This story is a perfect example that literature is
open to many interpretations
Just before leaving Oxford Laura has a
discussion with a friend who claims that
Americans often don’t understand the true
meaning of Shakespeare Hamlet, because
Shakespeare was a very English poet.
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She protests, and claims that human nature is
the same all over the world, apart from certain
details.
The friend gives Laura a copy of Hamlet, to
study while in the bush, in hope of her gaining
“the grace of correct interpretation”.
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To many people in English culture the play of
Hamlet is well-known, and accepted without
many difficulties.
However, in the Tiv culture there are several
errors in the plot that the chiefs point out.
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While visiting the Tiv in Africa, Laura is asked
to tell the elders a story from her culture.
It is at this point that she finds her chance to
tell about Hamlet because she thinks it is one of
the most important pieces of literature in her
society.
Laura thinks that the story will be fairly easy to
explain because of it is generally understood by
everyone.
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"I was quiet sure that Hamlet had only one
possible interpretation, and that one
universally obvious”
Once the story started, it was clear that the Tiv
had a completely different way of thinking,
and interpreting story’s.
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The first error that the elders found in the story
was the word usage that was used to translate
non-existent word in the Tiv vocabulary.
The word "chief" was used in place of king or
ruler, which may not seem to make a difference
to her understanding.
However, to a culture that relies heavily on
chiefs, the story is greatly changed because the
word “chief” brings about many
responsibilities.
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Trying to explain that the “chief” was dead,
brought about a lot of confusion.
To the Tiv people there is no such thing as a
ghost, which means as soon as they found that
King Hamlet came back to visit Hamlet, the Tiv
thought it to be an omen sent by a witch.
The Tiv rely on interpretations to make sense of
stories, and the only way for them to interpret
Hamlet is to relate its meanings to their culture.
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The story telling tradition among Tiv people is
considered to be an art.
The audience are critical
She thought the story was universally
intelligible
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Even when
clearifying
the characters
of the play,
the
interruptions
continuous
“I told you that if we knew more
about Europeans, we would find
they really were very like us. In our
country also,” he added to me, “the
younger brother marries the elder
brother’s widow and becomes the
father of his children. Now, if your
uncle, who married your widowed
mother, is your father’s full
brother, then he will be a real father
to you. Did Hamlet’s father and
uncle have one mother?” (P207)
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Bohannan’s reaction was uncertain
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She thought they had the same mother
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Was not sure the story does not say
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For Tiv it is vital component of relationship
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Therefore crucial
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They think Hamlet (the character) is stupid
Don’t understand why Claudius’ marriying
Gertrude is a problem
In their culture it appropriate response of a
man to his dead brother’s wife
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Old man reprimended her
Pointed out that these genealogical
disorganisements made all the differences to
the story
Ask elders of her group about the detailes
when she is back
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This clearyfies
approaching to a text
differently when
considering the
cultural modes of the
society
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“He had no other wives,” I told
him.
“But a chief must have many wives!
How else can he brew beer and
prepare food for all his guests?”
I said firmly that in our country
even chiefs had only one wife, that
they had servants to do their work,
and that they paid them from tax
money.
It was better, they returned, for a
chief to have many wives and sons
who would help him hoe his farms
and feed his people; then everyone
loved the chief who gave much and
took nothing—taxes were a bad
thing.
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One of the elders of Tiv mentined – no young
man should challenge his elders
Witchcraft influenced him since they dont
believe ghosts
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It was terrible and wicked thing to seek
revenge against the uncle, father now.
Tiv believes that Hamlet should have appealed
to his father’s age-mates-empowered to avenge
“No man may use violence against his senior
relatives” the Tiv say
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“it is clear that the elders of your country have
never told you what the story really means.”
“ We believe you when you say your marriage
customs are different, or your clothes and
weapons. But people are the same everywhere;
therefore, there are always witches and it is we,
the elders, who know how witches work.”
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“you must tell us some more stories of your
country. We, who are elders, will instruct you
in their true meaning, so that when you return
to your own land your elders will see that you
have not been sitting in the bush, but among
those who know things and who have taught
you wisdom.”
funny
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Tiv reaction demonstrates the multiplicities of
meaning acc to perspective
The Tiv’s re-telling of Hamlet is indicative of
the cognitive process of interpretation of a
western literary work in light of another
culture’s epistemolgy
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Their reaction highlights the importance of
locating a text within a cultural context
Bohannan and the Tiv listeners had no choice
but to misrecognize eachothers’ narratives.
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For Tiv the story was
No less powerful
 No less morality weighted
 No less tragic
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