Behind The Arras

[poliphilo]

Hamlet is a play about the surveillance society. Polonius is a spymaster- albeit a stupid one. He hires Reynaldo to spy on Laertes, he uses his daughter as an agent to draw Hamlet out while he and the king eavesdrop, he spies on Hamlet's interview with Gertrude. Traditionally played as a lovable, fluffy-haired, old man, he's actually a controlling bastard who richly deserves what he gets.

And then there's the King- who runs his own spies in the persons of the interchangeable opportunists, Rosencrantz and Guildernstern. 

Elizabethan/Jacobean society was fighting a War on Terror (which culminated in the discovery of the gunpowder plot) and there were spies everywhere. I think we can assume, from the treatment he metes out to them, that Shakespeare didn't like them and counted on his audience not liking them either. Hamlet kills Polonius and is responsible for the deaths of  Rosencrantz and Guildernstern and- as in a James Bond movie- I think we're meant to cheer.

We keep moving into new political territory- only to find that Shakespeare has been there ahead of us.  

Comments

Re: only to find that Shakespeare has been there ahead of us

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

And it was complete and uncut. And Branagh was brave enough to cast a Claudius that could out-act him, making the entire five hours a nerve-wracking duel. I could have wished for a stronger Ophelia, though, but Helena Bonham Carter had just done the Mel Gibson version, alas. Her fierce little angry Ophelia is the best I've ever seen.

Re: only to find that Shakespeare has been there ahead of us

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I love Jean Simmons in the Olivier film- maybe because I first saw it when I was young and impressionable. Her mad scenes make me weep.

Re: only to find that Shakespeare has been there ahead of us

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

I love Jean Simmons' Ophelia, too -- she projects an appealing aura of innocent bewilderment. That was some breakthrough role for a nineteen year old actress!

Re: only to find that Shakespeare has been there ahead of us

[saare-snowqueen.livejournal.com]

That's what makes Branagh - Branagh. Long after the pretty boys have retired to raise pigs or some such, he'll be making and acting in creditable movies. To me he's a kind of British Clint Eastwood.