In anticipation of a trip to the theatre. I don’t read much Shakespeare, but really enjoyed this and found it compact and easy to read.
The play is very mono-focussed, unlike I think a lot of Shakespeare plays – the original murder, the unmasking of the participant(s?), is Gertrude involved or innocent?, the accidental death of side players (Polonius, Ophelia) - all leading towards the showdown and revenge at the end.
An interesting point made by Emma Smith is that by the end the Danish monarchy is completely obliterated enabling the Norwegian Fortinbras to assume control of the country, an analogy to English fears towards the end of Elizabeth 1's reign (and the successor English monarchs were a Scottish (Stuart) family).
Comments