Approaching Shakespeare Hamlet
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Oct 23, 2012 The podcast explores the nostalgia in Hamlet through the use of father and son sharing the same name. It discusses the textual differences in various editions of the play and explores the origins of the name 'Hamlet'. The influence of religious identity, Protestant theology, and Spanish tragedy are also analyzed. The chapter on Heroic Repertoire and Parallel Performances explores the presence of heroic figures in the play and the relationship between action and speech. The importance of naming in Hamlet and its connection to nostalgia is discussed, along with how it relates to older theatrical culture and Shakespeare's biography.
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Tragedy Naming Convention
- Hamlet is named after its main character, which is typical for tragedies.
- Comedies, unlike tragedies, tend to be named for moods or phrases.
Source of Hamlet's Name
- Shakespeare often takes plot and character names from source material.
- In Hamlet, the name originates from Amleth in Saxo Gramaticus's history of the Danes, likely via a French translation.
Doubled Name
- Shakespeare's Hamlet uniquely doubles the name for father and son, unlike any source material.
- This repetition emphasizes the play's focus on the past and the son's struggle to forge an independent identity.