I have decided to keep my other blog for my crafting endeavours, and will continue this blog for other interests.
Our first written assignment for the free FutureLearn MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) is to create a blog post 'review' from someone who has seen an early (1600) performance of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' at the newly constructed Globe Theatre in Southwark. So here goes - I have imagined a letter from a lady to her sister, who is to visit London soon...
My dearest Sister, when you make your visit to us
next month, can I commend you to make known to my beloved Husband your desire
to visit the new playhouse at Southwark? For yes, we have a new playhouse, on the other
side of our great river, with seats around and a floor where the poorer people
stand. To sit was most welcome to me; I
pity the groundlings, although I am sure that if I were to be one of them, I
would still rejoice to hear Master Shakespeare’s words spoken with such
eloquence by the players. I would urge
you to make known to my Husband that you wish him to accompany us to a
performance of the latest play by that most glorious of playwrights Master
William Shakespeare.
My dear, have I conveyed to you the glory of his
words and poetry? I have earnest hopes that Master Richard Burbage plays for
us his role of Hamlet, the most tragical prince of Denmark, whose father was so
cruelly murdered by his brother. Hold, I hear you say, do not let me know
the substance of the play ... But I
assure you, my dear Sister, the plot is already known; do you not recall our
visit to the playhouse some six years since to see the enactment of 'the
tragedy of the Prince of Denmark'? It is at once the same in story, but is so
far above in the words and the playing as can be regarded as entirely a new
creation.
The play opens with the appearance of the ghost, who urges Hamlet to take revenge on his
false brother, the usurper of his throne and the new husband to his beloved
Wife, after so little time as to be dining at the wedding feast on the cold
meats provided at the funeral. My dear,
what unseemly haste! The players arrive
at the castle to play before the new king and Hamlet himself adds lines to
their play so as to enact the very scenes of the murder, to trap the usurper in
his guilt. Hamlet urges the players to
play true to their emotions, with no false ranting; and Burbage himself, the
most glorious actor, takes Hamlet's advice so entirely, that the audience weeps
along with him and the horrors that await him. He can talk to us both wildly, but again, in such a
gentle voice, his thoughts and wonderings made with such clarity...
For this, my dearest Sister, is no Revenge Tragedy of overacting, blood and
gore which we lately saw enacted at The Theatre. Master Shakespeare's
Hamlet is a man of the deepest thoughts and indecisions, which make the tragedy
so much more. I remember the words of one part most clearly, “to be or
not to be, that is the question” as the tragic, grief-stricken prince debates
with himself and the audience a self-imposed entry into ”the undiscovered
country from which none can return”…
And his love, the pure and innocent Ophelia, your
tears will I am sure flow like mine at her tragic situation …
But enough, I will write no more. I await your visit with much pleasure and
anticipation.
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