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RR
28th February 2006, 11:11 AM
Shakespeare Shaken, not Stirred - 3

By Badri


Act One Scene Two

The second Scene of the first Act begins with Claudius in court. Ahem…that would be a royal court, although Hamlet would have sooner preferred Claudius to have been in a court of justice. In case you do not remember the previous installment of our analysis of Hamlet, or have not read it at all, Claudius is Hamlet’s uncle. That would make him Hamlet Sr.’s brother. He is quite a lot to the old king. His brother, murderer, cuckolder and usurper. He was born the king’s brother, rose up to become his murderer, married his wife and took this throne. Pretty neat, what? Taking away a person’s life, wife and throne, all at one shot.

Anyway, Claudius is in court. A good king, who is also an usurper, should know that a word of praise and appreciation for his courtiers once in a while keeps him safe on the throne. A good courtier should know that all praise and agreement to the king keeps him alive and still in court. It is these finest principles of political philosophy that we see in action when Claudius holds court.

Claudius begins by a lengthy speech, where he mourns his brother’s death, and also celebrates his wedding. “We have, as it were, a defeated joy” he says, referring to the two events.

“With an auspicious and a dropping eye,
With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage,
In equal scale weighing delight and dole”

And in case the courtiers might feel the decision to marry and be enthroned was his entirely, he gives them a fair share of blame.
“Your better wisdoms, which have freely gone
With this affair along.
For all, our thanks.”

Quite a clever fellow, this Claudius, for he reminds them that they have approved both of his marriage and accession. He then announces that Fortinbras of Norway was raising an army to win back some of the lands lost by his father to the Old King Hamlet, and seeking a diplomatic solution, sends two negotiators to Norway. Not that, he adds, he believes Fortinbras would have a military victory.

He then acts the concerned ruler, and asks Laertes what he desired of the King. Claudius already knows what this is all about, but pretends to enquire of Laertes, to give the impression to Hamlet that he is indeed a worthy successor to the throne. Laertes requests permission to return to France from whence he had come to attend the coronation. Again, Claudius, in keeping with his pretense, asks Polonius, Laertes’ father if he is agreeable to this. The latter agrees and Claudius gives him permission to go to France.

Finally, as though leaving the worst to the last, Claudius turns to Hamlet. “But now, my cousin Hamlet, and my son,” he says.

To which, Hamlet mutters to himself with a pun, “A little more than kin, and less than kind” meaning Claudius is a bit too much of family, and too less kind.

Of course, since this being an aside, Claudius doesn’t hear it, and goes on. “How is it that the clouds still hang on you?”

Once again, Hamlet puns, “Not so, my lord; I am too much in the sun” referring here to how he is now son to too many people – his father, and now Claudius, thus drawing our attention to the irony of it all.

His mother now joins in as well, telling him to stop mourning his father’s death. Truly, he is carrying it on a bit too much, when all people have long stopped the mourning.

Claudius pitches in and says all fathers have this habit of dropping off, and that he lost a father, just as his father lost his and so on and so forth. While it is a son’s duty to sorrow for a while, to go on and on about it is rather unmanly, and would Hamlet please stop moping around, giving everyone a guilty feeling. Besides, he says, Claudius himself is much a father to Hamlet, and both Claudius and his mother Gertrude tell him to reconsider his desire to return to Wittenberg, to which Hamlet accedes.

Everyone leaves the scene, but Hamlet begins one of his famed soliloquies. This was the old Bard’s way to say anything and everything he wanted said. Thus he has Hamlet pondering on the meaning of life, wishing he could die, if God had not forbade suicide. He laments bitterly over his father’s death and his mother’s unfaithfulness and would have gone on more if Horatio, Marcellus and Bernardo - our friends of the first scene -hadn’t come in just then.
Hamlet recognizes Horatio, but just to be sure says, “Horatio,--or I do forget myself”

It is indeed Horatio, who says, “The same, my lord, and your poor servant ever” hoping Hamlet would understand his plight and give him a pay raise. But Hamlet is smarter, even in his grief. He quickly says, “Sir, my good friend; I'll change that name with you” elevating him from servant to friend. At least, you don’t have to pay friends anything!

Let us paraphrase this conversation from now on. We might deviate a bit from the original script, but hey, who cares!

HAMLET: So what brings you here, Horatio? Why have you come from Wittenberg?

HORATIO: Well, think you cutting classes is only your right? I have a truant disposition as well, and gave the old professors at Wittenberg the slip.

HAMLET: Oh you were ever the nerd, don’t give me that! You always sat at the first bench, trying assiduously to suck up to the teachers! Anyway, if you had to run away from Wittenberg, why here? Why not to some better place.

HORATIO: Heard your pop kicked the old bucket, pal, and so came to his funeral.

HAMLET: None of that, man, you came to my mother’s wedding, didn’t you?

HORATIO: Well, what can you? It did follow a bit rather too quickly, didn’t it?

HAMLET: Thrift, Horatio, thrift. My step-father and uncle is too much of a miser. He decided to have a cold wedding lunch, with all the meats that were left over from the funeral. My father, I think I see my father, Horatio.

HORATIO panics, thinking the ghost is back: Where, where?

HAMLET: In my mind’s eye, you fool, that is where.

HORATIO: Oh, that’s alright then. By the way, we saw him last night.

HAMLET: Who? Saw who?

HORATIO: Your father, the king. For two nights, these two gentlemen here, Bernardo and Marcellus have been seeing him in the watch, but fear turned them into jelly and they could only watch dumbly. Last night, they told me about it, and I saw him too – in full arms.

HAMLET: But where was this?

MARCELLUS: My lord, upon the platform where we watched.

HAMLET: Did you not speak to him?

HORATIO: My lord, I did. But he refused to answer. It did look like he wanted to say something but the rooster crowed and the ghost vanished

HAMLET: You are sure it was my father? Did you see his face? How was his face?

HORATIO: More in sorrow than in anger, very pale, looking at us all the time

HAMLET: Did he stay long?

HORATIO: Well, remember when we played hide-and-seek? You always cheated by counting a bit too fast. You could have counted to a hundred and that’s how long he was there

MARCELLUS BERNARDO: Longer, longer.

HORATIO: How you do people know? You were not even there when Hamlet and I played hide-and-seek…oh you mean the ghost, no, not when I saw it. It vanished awfully quick.

HAMLET: Doesn’t matter how long…tell me, was his beard grizzled?

HORATIO: His beard? It was just the same, grizzled alright, a regular salt and pepper. Why, did you think they have better dyes in hell after you died? Get it? Better dye!

HAMLET: Haha Horatio, haha. By the way, I make the puns around here, remember? I will watch tonight. Maybe my father will walk again.

HORATIO: I warrant he will.

HAMLET: I am sure it is my father. Listen up then. I will come tonight, and try to speak to him. And if you have not told anyone else, then hold your silence a while more. Bye for now, we’ll meet tonight between eleven and twelve.

Exeunt all but HAMLET
HAMLET: My father's ghost in arms! All is not well. I doubt some foul play. Wish the night would come sooner. But till then, I will wait.
Exit

(To be continued)[tscii:9f9f047308][/tscii:9f9f047308]

pavalamani pragasam
1st March 2006, 07:26 PM
Simply hilarious! I never imagined Shakespeare could be so interestingly transliterated! Carry on, badri!

Badri
3rd March 2006, 10:05 AM
Thanks, Mrs PP! Let me see how far I can take this!!

P_R
3rd March 2006, 01:20 PM
[tscii:80b5d9139a]Hi Badri, nice to have the column back after a break.

In your last edition you said you were not going to walk us throught the whole play. I found this edition mixed: Your exlpanation of the Shakespearean puns were like explaining the punch-lines. But I liked the stuff that were your own: like your play on the word servant and "better dye".

Would love to hear some Shakespeare scholar choke over : "and would have gone on more if Horatio, Marcellus and Bernardo - our friends of the first scene -hadn’t come in just then. "

But IMO the winner is: all fathers have this habit of dropping off. :lol:

Above all nice to know you enjoyed (enough to quote) some of my favourite lines: "With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage,
In equal scale weighing delight and dole”

So what if Claudius is as insincere as they come. The lines go to prove, the time-worn fact , that art rises above context.

Great going ! I request you to write in every edition of the Magazine and cover a wider range of 'Ol Bill's stuff: with mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come.[/tscii:80b5d9139a]

Badri
6th March 2006, 04:32 AM
Thanks PR! As usual, your compliments overwhelm and humble me!!!

True I did say I will not walk thro' the entire play, but then, the idea of paraphrasing and doing a semi-spoof struck me, and I experimented with that in this edition.

But would love to hear from the readers what they'd like.

You, Mrs PP etc. What do you feel? Should I go on like this edition???

pavalamani pragasam
6th March 2006, 08:09 AM
Please, do!

Querida
15th March 2006, 11:22 AM
Badri you keep this up and you'll make kids actually drop those insipid cliffnotes and read the real thing! I would quote the many parts I enjoyed but then I'd just end up quoting it all. :D

a.ratchasi
2nd May 2006, 03:44 PM
Badri you keep this up and you'll make kids actually drop those insipid cliffnotes and read the real thing! I would quote the many parts I enjoyed but then I'd just end up quoting it all. :D

I don't know about the kids, but it surely made me to!! :)

Badri
3rd May 2006, 06:37 AM
Hmm, thanks everyone! And aplogies that this month's Mag did not carry the next installment...my excuse - too busy at work! Will try and get one out soon!

KKK
3rd July 2006, 10:08 AM
Good!