What I love most about Shakespeare is he affirms that humans have not changed that much. This is a lesson that runs from the ancient Greek plays to Broadway. Human emotion, reason, chaos, fear, loyalty, motivation, and love remain amazingly unchanged. And Hamlet is one of the most complex characters ever created. Reading Shakespeare, one cannot but help being humbled by his talent (and your interpretation).
James, excellent point about the unchanging and disappointing nature of Man. It is the same with the Bible (or Torah). The reason God prohibits idol worship is because it STILL exists. Oh, few bow down to stone idols any more, but they do paint the image of an anti-Semitic mentally-ill climate loon on murals and even put the image of a career criminal on the walls of baseball stadiums. Worship of the self is perhaps the hardest idol to break. AG
Aristotle divided humans into nature and personality. Personality is the good and bad, nature is the drive to survive and multiply. Personality is our moral self. However, we are by nature chemical energy — long DNA chemical reactions that require and emit energy. And one of the first laws of physics is energy is chaos. Thus, try as we may, survival and our moral shield conflict in a struggle to gather, conserve, protect, and exert energy. And how that energy is applied can be with with reason or chaos. This is why people can be both kind and cruel. Hamlet’s struggle was between his natural self and his personal morals which gave off an energy that drove him between reason and chaos.
Once again, humanity has found a young, female Chauncey Gardner-like figure or a Holy Maid of Kent. A soothsayer the crowd wants to turn into an oracle. Our compassion for those with autism and their mysterious natures makes us want to claim they have a perception that escapes the rest of us. And while they can add up numbers quickly or see inconsistencies in a painting, they are stuck in one gear and unable to understand how humans must slide back and forth between our natural self and our personality without succumbing to the chaos of our energy and instincts. Greta is not a guru, she is like a former President who was often lost, … she is abused.
... "bare bodkin Junior shoves stupidly"... Gotta love the alliteration and the allegory. I will never think of Hamlet the same way. Which is to say, I will think of him and smile. We don't evolve, only our props. Same as it always was! Enjoyed this thoroughly. Thank you!
I admit that Hamlet is one of Shakespeare's works, that I never saw in a play or that long movie.
But, after reading your terrific column this morning, I'm sincerely glad that you have studied it so thoroughly, so I wouldn't have to.
My favorite line in your column is; "Please anyone out there, what's the difference between a soliloquy and a selfie?" That was a very clever way to make your point.
There is a difference, sort of, soliloquies are verbal, and selfies are visual. But, that's just a superficial difference. Otherwise, there is no difference really. They are both narcissistic in their own fashion.
I'm going to be thinking about your column all day. Imagine how different the play would be if at any point in his visit to Hamlet, OG would have suggested that, if Hamlet was going to avenge him, Carpe Diem!
Okay, guys, I know he's my husband of several hundred years, but man, I thought this was one of the funniest things I have EVER read. I proof-read for him and I could really not look for any errors because I was laughing so hard I couldn't see. Hamlet as "twerp". I think that's what they call an "original" idea! So any errors are HIS fault for rendering me incapable of seeing well. AG
I don't deny the levity in the column, but I was fascinated by the attention to detail regarding the original play, the multi-faceted motion picture, and the other works that reviewed Shakespeare & Hamlet. I thought it was an amazing intellectual effort, that he tied together all these items very effectively.
You know, Max has shown this rare ability to combine multi-demensional items in a logical and easily digestible manner in his other columns. I've seen others try to accomplish this feat with mixed results, but Max seems to have the ability to do this very difficult chore at will.
I didn't see this trait in his novels, but those have a different style entirely. I may have said this before, but, I'm guessing that his vast musical experience, and his talent in arranging musical presentations may stem from the same ability that he demonstrated this morning. Combining disparate things, and making them appear to be part of a whole entity is a gift.
You are correct. But like Bloom you forget that Hamlet was written for a different time and a different audience. We see it though out eyes but the original audience was seeing something more akin to their time Shakespeare is fluid enough that people can see what they want to see.
And the writing is great. Great writing either by Heinlein or Shakespeare will always be around. Shakespeare is more open to multiple interpretations then Heinlein. Can't have to many different views of Starship Trooper. I use to belong to the Newark Science Fiction Club In the way back. Met a lot of SF authors like Asimov, Clarke, etc. Never Heinlein. Regret that but I don't think he traveled much because of his health at the time.
Superb! A mini-Shakespeare for our desolate times. And Patti's comment below reminds us why Shakespeare will never die, in spite of the continued attempts by our ruling educational elites to murder him.
Gerry, he had a better high school education (suburban Chicago) than MOST of us even in the good years of education before Teachers' Unions. All the teachers at his high school had to have at least a Master's Degree. One ad I saw for teachers in a small town in Minnesota many years ago stipulated "must like children." Yikes! AG
Great, just great, but what I was never quite capable of expressing myself . . . not back in that college Shakespeare seminar (would have been act of self-immolation) or when forced by herd instinct to attend rhapsodical versions over the decades since. Thanks (and it was a fun read).
A very late comment, for which I apologize. I can never read commentary on Hamlet without remembering a 19th-century critic's take on the reason for Hamlet's inaction. The title of the critique was "The Impediment of Adipose". It was amusing to me as a college freshman; now that I look around and see half the country suffering from this impediment, I must think the critic was both perceptive and prescient.
Interesting take on Hamlet. I'm a Shakespeare novice who read Hamlet in high school and saw the play once. Do you suppose that your opinion of Hamlet might be similar to Shakespeare's? Maybe Shakespeare also thought Hamlet was a twerp.
Since I studied science and business, I never read Shakespeare. When I finally did, I recognized most of the lines from common usage, as the Earl of Oxford is the most quoted writer ever.
Max you nailed it.
What I love most about Shakespeare is he affirms that humans have not changed that much. This is a lesson that runs from the ancient Greek plays to Broadway. Human emotion, reason, chaos, fear, loyalty, motivation, and love remain amazingly unchanged. And Hamlet is one of the most complex characters ever created. Reading Shakespeare, one cannot but help being humbled by his talent (and your interpretation).
James, excellent point about the unchanging and disappointing nature of Man. It is the same with the Bible (or Torah). The reason God prohibits idol worship is because it STILL exists. Oh, few bow down to stone idols any more, but they do paint the image of an anti-Semitic mentally-ill climate loon on murals and even put the image of a career criminal on the walls of baseball stadiums. Worship of the self is perhaps the hardest idol to break. AG
Susan,
Aristotle divided humans into nature and personality. Personality is the good and bad, nature is the drive to survive and multiply. Personality is our moral self. However, we are by nature chemical energy — long DNA chemical reactions that require and emit energy. And one of the first laws of physics is energy is chaos. Thus, try as we may, survival and our moral shield conflict in a struggle to gather, conserve, protect, and exert energy. And how that energy is applied can be with with reason or chaos. This is why people can be both kind and cruel. Hamlet’s struggle was between his natural self and his personal morals which gave off an energy that drove him between reason and chaos.
Once again, humanity has found a young, female Chauncey Gardner-like figure or a Holy Maid of Kent. A soothsayer the crowd wants to turn into an oracle. Our compassion for those with autism and their mysterious natures makes us want to claim they have a perception that escapes the rest of us. And while they can add up numbers quickly or see inconsistencies in a painting, they are stuck in one gear and unable to understand how humans must slide back and forth between our natural self and our personality without succumbing to the chaos of our energy and instincts. Greta is not a guru, she is like a former President who was often lost, … she is abused.
Worship of the Self is the one true idol before which all other idols bow.
Exactly. Idolatry is first and foremost the worship of self.
Why did I find that great? rhetorical question. I look forward to Thursdays to stretch my mind. To learn something I did not know before.
... "bare bodkin Junior shoves stupidly"... Gotta love the alliteration and the allegory. I will never think of Hamlet the same way. Which is to say, I will think of him and smile. We don't evolve, only our props. Same as it always was! Enjoyed this thoroughly. Thank you!
Incredible, Max, simply incredible!!
I admit that Hamlet is one of Shakespeare's works, that I never saw in a play or that long movie.
But, after reading your terrific column this morning, I'm sincerely glad that you have studied it so thoroughly, so I wouldn't have to.
My favorite line in your column is; "Please anyone out there, what's the difference between a soliloquy and a selfie?" That was a very clever way to make your point.
There is a difference, sort of, soliloquies are verbal, and selfies are visual. But, that's just a superficial difference. Otherwise, there is no difference really. They are both narcissistic in their own fashion.
I'm going to be thinking about your column all day. Imagine how different the play would be if at any point in his visit to Hamlet, OG would have suggested that, if Hamlet was going to avenge him, Carpe Diem!
Okay, guys, I know he's my husband of several hundred years, but man, I thought this was one of the funniest things I have EVER read. I proof-read for him and I could really not look for any errors because I was laughing so hard I couldn't see. Hamlet as "twerp". I think that's what they call an "original" idea! So any errors are HIS fault for rendering me incapable of seeing well. AG
Didn't see any "errors."
I don't deny the levity in the column, but I was fascinated by the attention to detail regarding the original play, the multi-faceted motion picture, and the other works that reviewed Shakespeare & Hamlet. I thought it was an amazing intellectual effort, that he tied together all these items very effectively.
You know, Max has shown this rare ability to combine multi-demensional items in a logical and easily digestible manner in his other columns. I've seen others try to accomplish this feat with mixed results, but Max seems to have the ability to do this very difficult chore at will.
I didn't see this trait in his novels, but those have a different style entirely. I may have said this before, but, I'm guessing that his vast musical experience, and his talent in arranging musical presentations may stem from the same ability that he demonstrated this morning. Combining disparate things, and making them appear to be part of a whole entity is a gift.
You are correct. But like Bloom you forget that Hamlet was written for a different time and a different audience. We see it though out eyes but the original audience was seeing something more akin to their time Shakespeare is fluid enough that people can see what they want to see.
Which is why he’s still around.
And the writing is great. Great writing either by Heinlein or Shakespeare will always be around. Shakespeare is more open to multiple interpretations then Heinlein. Can't have to many different views of Starship Trooper. I use to belong to the Newark Science Fiction Club In the way back. Met a lot of SF authors like Asimov, Clarke, etc. Never Heinlein. Regret that but I don't think he traveled much because of his health at the time.
Perhaps you would prefer the version of Hamlet briefly brought to life in The Last Action Hero! (My husband reminded me of this). https://youtu.be/9Eont_yEGZs?si=tlgNz96Uq_bK1bxs
Superior version?
That was hilarious! Thanks for posting it! AG
Superb! A mini-Shakespeare for our desolate times. And Patti's comment below reminds us why Shakespeare will never die, in spite of the continued attempts by our ruling educational elites to murder him.
You clearly had a better high school education than I. Thanks for making Hamlet more understandable.
Gerry, he had a better high school education (suburban Chicago) than MOST of us even in the good years of education before Teachers' Unions. All the teachers at his high school had to have at least a Master's Degree. One ad I saw for teachers in a small town in Minnesota many years ago stipulated "must like children." Yikes! AG
Great, just great, but what I was never quite capable of expressing myself . . . not back in that college Shakespeare seminar (would have been act of self-immolation) or when forced by herd instinct to attend rhapsodical versions over the decades since. Thanks (and it was a fun read).
Great essay. I've always found Hamlet just boring navel-gazing.
But some great lines.
What a piece of work is man. . .
There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
To sleep, perchance to dream. . .
Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.
I would give you some violets, but they withered all when my father died.
A very late comment, for which I apologize. I can never read commentary on Hamlet without remembering a 19th-century critic's take on the reason for Hamlet's inaction. The title of the critique was "The Impediment of Adipose". It was amusing to me as a college freshman; now that I look around and see half the country suffering from this impediment, I must think the critic was both perceptive and prescient.
Well said - so well said.
Dude, you are spot on.
Interesting take on Hamlet. I'm a Shakespeare novice who read Hamlet in high school and saw the play once. Do you suppose that your opinion of Hamlet might be similar to Shakespeare's? Maybe Shakespeare also thought Hamlet was a twerp.
Shakespeare sure didn't do his character any favors. :)
Max if you take requests, next week do Hunter Biden.
Interesting idea. Hasn't he been done a lot already?
Depends what you mean by "done" and by whom.
There were many photos on his laptop showing Hunter being done by "working" girls.
Since I studied science and business, I never read Shakespeare. When I finally did, I recognized most of the lines from common usage, as the Earl of Oxford is the most quoted writer ever.