Subversive Power of the Theater Revealed in Hamlet and Othello
Theatrical performance is vital not only to the presentation of Hamlet and Othello, but it is vital to each of the play's respective stories. Several key characters control, manipulate, or script a theatrical performance of their own. Through subtle suggestion and explicit or implicit storytelling, Shakespeare's use of theatrical performance within his own plays underscores the subversive power of the theater.
It is no secret that Shakespeare embeds within many of his plays subtle suggestions which were subversive to the thoughts and attitudes at the time. Through the construction of the play within a play, Hamlet subverts the notion of kingship. In the play, without even speaking himself, Hamlet constructs a particular version of reality so chilling that Claudius leaves the theater. While this is obviously due to the startling similarity that Claudius sees between the play and his own life, the subtle idea implied is the idea that royalty can be simplified to nothing more than acting. If the roles of the king and queen can be played so well that Claudius leaves the room, seeing the striking similarity between the play and his life, then there is no reason why kingship itself cannot be acted. This subversively delegitimizes the power of the throne. Moreover, it is only in the scenes related to the mousetrap that Hamlet shows signs of leadership. He says to the players, "Follow him, friends. We'll hear a play tomorrow . . . You could for a need / study a speech of some dozen or sixteen lines / which I would set down and insert in't, could you / not?" (Shakespeare II.2:546-553). He is directing the action, asking the ability of the players and telling them exactly what they should do. The fact that Hamlet, the man who would be king, is a leader only in a performance subverts the idea of leadership being something firmly ingrained within the soul of a human being. Instead, it is replaced with the notion that kingship is not something that can be passed down from generation to generation, but something that can be acted, as if it could be turned on and off at will. The nobles and leaders of a country, then, are not inherently born with power because of their familial origin, but they have the same basis of human experience as the common man, an idea which would've been utterly rejected in Shakespeare's time.
Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night is a comedy that has been interpreted in different ways, enabling one to receive multiple experiences of the same story. Due to the content and themes of the play, it can be creatively challenging to producers and their casting strategies. Instead of being a hindrance, I find the ability for one to experiment exciting as people try to discover strategies that best represent entertainment for the audience, as well as the best ways to interpret Shakespeare’s work.
Most of the criticism of the failure on Camp David 2000 Summit was pressed at the Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat. In Dennis Ross’s The Missing Peace: The Inside Story of the Fight for Middle East Peace, Dennis Ross states that Yasser Arafat came into the Camp David negotiations with an all or nothing mindset, such that “if the demands were not Arafat’s, he would not accept it”. It states that he would have nothing of it, if it was not what he wanted. In this book Dennis Ross stated that Yasser Arafat wanted a “one-state solution” instead of adjacent Israeli and Palestinian states, but a single Arab state encompassing all of Historic Palestine. Arafat’s unwillingness to accept any offers that wasn’t what he wanted lead to the failure of the Camp David 2000 Summit.
Hamlet makes extensive use of the idea of theatrical performance; from revealing characters to not be what they seem - as they act to be - to Hamlet’s play The Mousetrap and his instruction of acting to the players. The extensive use of the stage in the stage directions, as well as numerous monologues and asides, have Hamlet itself acting as a literary device for the motif of theatrical performance.
Israel has been dealing with Palestinian pressures to give back the land that they consider “theirs” and other leaders have had different views on how to handle aggression from the Palestinians. Ehud Olmert’s views included handling the conflict with peace and not using violence. He suggested to Mohamed Abbas a convergence plan which centered around the idea that the Israeli people would be forced out of the West Bank which is an are...
Venkova, Savina. “Theatrical Analysis: Hamlet, Shakespeare.” Rev. of Hamlet, by William Shakespeare. Helium. Helium Inc., 2011. Web. 20 Apr. 2011.
When a play is presented on film, the director takes the script, and with poetic license, interprets it. A film not only contains the actual words of the author (in this case Shakespeare), but it includes action, acting, and cinematographic techniques; the three are used to better portray the author’s story. Using these elements, the director’s interpretation of the plot is reinforced. The film provides symbolic images and a visual interpretation, hence Shakespeare’s play “Macbeth” is better understood by the viewers.
Different adaptations of William Shakespeare’s works have taken various forms. Through the creative license that artists, directors, and actors take, diverse incarnations of his classic works continue to arise. Gregory Doran’s Hamlet and Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet bring William Shakespeare’s work by the same title to the screen. These two film adaptations take different approaches in presenting the turmoil of Hamlet. From the diverging takes on atmosphere to the characterization of the characters themselves, the many possible readings of Hamlet create the ability for the modification of the presentation and the meaning of the play itself. Doran presents David Tenant as Hamlet in a dark, eerie, and minimal setting; his direction highlighting the
...rs of the political Likud party. "Israel's right faults Barak for trying to give too much to a Palestinian leadership they say is ill-willed," (Seitz, 25 November 2000). In recent reports, as Barak learns that he is becoming unpopular within his own country, he has tried to form a union with Ariel Sharon, the right wing leader in his country. But still, things do not point towards Barak's re-election, instead "...current polls show (former Prime Minister) Netanyahu would defeat Barak in a two-way race to lead the country, despite Barak's overwhelming defeat of the hawkish leader in the last Israeli elections," (Seitz, 25 November 2000). And as the political disagreements between the Palestinians and the Israeli leaders rage on, and with the uncertainty of how a new Israeli Prime Minister may act on these issues, the people wait and wonder when this will all end.
In today's world, technology is constantly changing from a new paperclip to an improvement in hospital machinery. Technology lets people improve the way they live so that they can preserve their own personal energy and focus on the really important factors in life. Some people focus their energy on making new innovations to improve transportation and the health of people that may save lives and some people focus on making new designs of packaging CDS. Technology is significant in everyone's life because it rapidly changes what is in the market. But, some new innovations of technology are ridiculous because they serve no purpose in helping mankind.
Mr. Sharon ultimately served in every Israeli war after 1948 and became well-known and respected as a bold and accomplished soldier, a cunning strategist and a natural leader. Mr. Sharon was first elected to the Knesset in 1973, and again in 1977. He was elected Minister of Defense in 1981. Mr. Sharon held a number of political positions, including Prime Minister of Israel from 2001 to 2006. Whether Mr. Sharon was leading men into battle in the military, or directing politicians and other leaders on the world stage, Mr. Sharon’s consistent goal was also to ensure the safety and future of Israel, some critics said “by any means necessary”.
The actions of Hamlet have changed up to the performance. Hamlet's behavior of being mad and depressed changed with the players because they are not involved with his "real" life and feels at ease and at his best, a prince reminding artists of the ideals their art is meant to uphold. The meanings of words have also changed. The meaning of "acting" plays a great role in the performance, not only by the observation of the entire audience, but by a more private and personal meaning or understanding of the play by Hamlet and the King.
Lord Action’s words, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” undoubtedly would have William Shakespeare in agreement. Based upon Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, one sees the correspondence between Lord Action’s quote and the plot of the play. The play, in its entirety, is centered around the corruptness of the royal court of Denmark. The king, Claudius, and queen, Gertrude, evidently have absolute power over the entire country; yet, the actions of Claudius spread corruptness throughout the royal court, as if a ramped virus spreads across the nation. In the midst of the chaos is Hamlet. The means by which Claudius is willing to discover Hamlet’s true intentions proves his scheming skills. The corruption of the royal court
In the words of Harvey Fierstein, “What looks absolutely fabulous in rehearsal can fall flat in front of an audience. The audience dictates what you do or don't change”. Clearly, the success or failure of any work of art depends, almost entirely, on its ability to engage and connect with its audience. Shakespeare, one of the greatest playwrights in history, certainly understood this concept. He targeted his Elizabethan audience skillfully, drawing them in and manipulating the way they interpreted his works. This is evident in one of his renowned plays, Hamlet. Attempts to target the audience are evident throughout the play, but focusing on one speech can provide a greater appreciation for Shakespeare’s deliberate efforts. In act four, scene two, while explaining that Polonius is dead, Hamlet says:
When asked to pick two plays of William Shakespeare, I could not help but think of my two favorite plays Othello and Hamlet. These are my favorite plays because in both it can be seen how the protagonist’s downfall was driven by themselves with help of others. For example, Hamlet is acting on instructions from his ghost father, while Othello was being manipulated by Iago. Each protagonist was put in a situation where their tragic flaws not only brought their downfall, but others as well, including their loved ones.
The “National Theatre Live” broadcast of Hamlet, though not truly live, was nonetheless an entertaining and engaging performance to watch in the Michigan Theater. The historical theater was a great location for the broadcast. The magnificent interior design of the theater was as impressive as the set of Hamlet in London, and the powerful pipe organ performance before the screening generated a solemn atmosphere, and the sum of these experiences made up for the two-dimensionality of the performance that so many people had come to watch together.