1

ATALKONHAMLET’SAPOCALYPSE

ByJohnHudsonINTRODUCTIONWorksofElizabethanliterature,includingsomeplays,werewrittenusingallegory.Everyonewouldgetthesurfacestorybuttounderstandtherealmeaningyouhadtolookbeneaththesurfaceanddigesttheallegory.ThissuggeststhatamajorobjectiveforperformingShakespeare’splaystodayshouldbetoenabletheaudiencestodigestthatallegory.Becauseveryfewpeopletodayhavethenecessarybackgroundknowledge‐‐‐oftheclassics,theBible,Judaism,rhetoricand16thcenturyevents‐‐‐thismeanscreatingadramaturgyandstagingoftheplaythatwillmaketheallegoryasobviousaspossible.Itwillmeancuttingtheplaytomaketheallegoriesmoreprominent.Itmaymeanputtinginextraasidesorextralines,orusingsignage.Itwillcertainlymeanavery‘presentational’approachtocostuming.Byusingthesesortsoftechniquesitispossibletoenable80%ofanaudiencetosay,inexitsurveys,thattheyhaveamuchbetterunderstandingofthemeaningoftheplaythanbefore.Ibelievethisisimportant,notonlybecausetheirunderlyingmeaningsarefascinatingandremarkable,butbecausethisiswhyShakespeare’splayswerewritten.Ibelievethatitiswrongtoshort‐changeanaudiencebyonlydeliveringthesurfacepresentation,andpreventanaudiencefromunderstandingwhatliesbelow.Ibelieveitisespeciallywrongfordirectorstooverlaytheirown‘highconcept’interpretations,settingtheplayintheVietnamwarorattheNorthPole,becausethisimposesathicklayerofvarnishovertheplaythatmakesitalmostimpossibletoseewhatliesbelow.Finally,Ibelievethatiftheyaretoeffectivelycommunicatetherealmeaningofaplay,thentheactorsneedtounderstanditthemselves.Canyouteachsomeoneaforeign

2

languageifyoudon’tspeakityourself?WellShakespeare’sunderlyingallegoriesareawonderful,ifdifficult,worldofmeaning,andthatrequiresactorstoapproachthetext,andperformance,innewways.THELITERARYMODELSFORHAMLETHamletwasbasedon3sourcesespecially—allavailableonline.Thefirstwastheso‐calledUr‐Hamlet,writtenbyKydaround1580.AcopyhassurvivedinGermanwhichhasbeenretranslated,ratherbadly,backintoEnglishasFratricidePunished.ButitstillgivesanideaofwhatKyd’splaywaslike.UsingsourceslikeSaxo‐GrammaticusandBelleforest’shistory,itisaSenecantragedywhichwentonbeingperformedtill1594.ItissetinDenmark,andbeginswithalongpseudo‐classicalintroduction.Thenitstartswiththetwosoldierswaiting,theghost,andthentheentranceofHamletwhodiscussestheghostwiththemen.ThenGertrudeentersanddissuadesHamletfromgoingtoWittenberg,andthePoloniuscharactersaysthathissonhasalreadygonetoFrance.HethenreturnstoannouncethatHamletismad,andOpheliaenterstocomplainHamletistroublingher.Thentheactorsarrive,Hamletmakesafewratherpedestrianremarksaboutacting,andaskstoseetheirplayaboutkingPyrrhus,whichwasaboutpouringpoisonintoabrother’sear,andsoon.Theplaycontainsnoallegoriesandnoreligiousreferences.ThesecondsourceisalongallegoricalreligiouspoemAFigforFortune(1596)writtenbyaRomanCatholic,AnthonyCowley.Ithas3sectionsaboutthehero,Elizanman:

• theghostfromhellandthegoddessofrevengeurgeElizantomurderandrevenge;

• agraveyardscenewherethehermitequippedwithaskullfullofwormsandthepictureofagraveurgesElizantostopbeingabeastandfollowChristandletgoofhisimpiousmelancholy;

• thefinalscene,basedontheBookofRevelationwherethehermitleadsElizantotheheavenlyJerusalem,thetempleofSion,wheretheforcesofJerusalemovercometheWhoreofBabylon.

Theplayborrowedlanguageandconceptsfromthispoemespeciallyinthegraveyardscene‐‐‐andturnedthemupsidedown.SoHamletmeetsagravediggerwiththeskulls,butinsteadofgivinguphismelancholyandfollowingChrist,hedoesexactlytheopposite.Asweshallsee,insteadofceasingtobeabeast,hegoesonandbecomesthebeastofApocalypse from theBookofRevelation.ThethirdsourceforHamletistheBookofRevelationitself.ThisisthelastbookoftheChristianBibleanddescribestheApocalypseorDoomsday,themostsacredeventinChristiantheologybecauseitwaswhenChristwassupposedtoreturntobringanewworld.Revelationdescribesagreatbattlebetweentheforcesofevil(thebeastandthewhoreofBabylon,thebeastfromthesea,theAnti‐Christandthekingofthepit),allofwhomareopposedagainsttheforcesofGodledbyChristandtheWomancrownedwiththesun.TheforcesofChristianitywinintheendandanewheavenlyJerusalemdescendsfromthesky.

3

Structurally,theBookofRevelationisconstructeduponthethemeofsevens:sevenletterstosevenchurches,sevenseals,sevenjudgmentsandsevenbowlspouringoutplague.Forinstancetheseventrumpetsaresoundedacrosschapters8‐11ofRevelation.Trumpet1isassociatedwithhail,fireandbrimstone.Trumpet2withagreatmountainandfirefallingintothesea.Trumpet3withastarcalledWormwood.Trumpet4witheclipsesanddarknessofthesun,moonandstars.Trumpet5isassociatedwiththeabyss,andlocustslikehorses.Trumpet6isassociatedwithagreatriver.Finallytrumpet7isassociatedwiththunder,andunleashessevenbowlsofGod'swrathwhicharepouredoutbysevenangels(15:1).HAMLET’SSTRUCTURALRESEMBLANCETOBOOKOFREVELATIONPerhapsthemostamazingthingaboutHamlet–whichisquiteobviousoncesomeonepointsitout‐‐isthatitisalsobasedoncataloguesofsevens.Revelationhassevenangels.SodoesHamlet.RevelationhasseventrumpetblastssodoesHamlet.RevelationhassevenletterssodoesHamlet.ThenHamletgoesonandcreatesitsowncatalogueofsevensongs,sevensoliloquiesandtheseven‐folddeathsthatareaccompaniedbytheslaughterofCain,whoisrepresentedbyClaudius.

• 7trumpets.Thetrumpetblastsare1,2,1,1,2,128;1,4,7;2,2,364;3,2,89;3,2,133;5,1,220.

• 7AngelsappearinHamlet“Solust,thoughtoaradiantangellinked,”,“likeanangel,in

apprehensionhowlikeagod”,“Ofhabitsdevil,isangelyetinthis”,“Aministeringangelshallmysister“,“Artmoreengaged!Help,angels!Makeassay”,“Andflightsofangelssingtheetothyrest!”,“angelsandministersofgracedefendus!”

• 7LettersClaudius’lettertoEngland,Norway'slettertoClaudiusdeliveredbyVoltemand,andHamlet'sfiveletterstoOphelia,Horatio(4.6.8‐28),Gertrude(4,7.36),Claudius(4.6.20and4.7.36‐46)andtotheKingofEngland(5.2.31‐35).

• 7Soliloquies'Othatthistoosulliedfleshwouldmelt'(ActOne,SceneTwo);'Oallyou

hostofheaven'(ActOne,SceneFive);'OwhatarogueandpeasantslaveamI!'(ActTwo,SceneTwo);'Tobe,ornottobe,thatisthequestion'(ActThree,SceneOne);'Tisnowtheverywitchingtimeofnight'(ActThree,SceneThree):'Andsoagoestoheaven'(ActThree,Scene3):'Howalloccasionsdoinformagainstme'(ActFour,SceneFour).

• 7Songswhicharesunginsnatches.WhyLettheStruckenDeer(3.2)Hobbyhorse(3.2),BonnySweetRobin(4.5),TomorrowisStValentine’sDay(4.5),Walsingham(4.5)AndWillHenotComeAgain(4.5),Iloathethatdidlove(5.1).

• 7foldDeathsforthedeathofCain/ClaudiusTHEFORCESOFHEAVENANDHELLINHAMLETButitisnotonlyaspectsofthestructureoftheplaythatfollowRevelation.Thecharactersdoaswell.TheplaywrighthastransformedthecharactersfromKyd’sUr‐Hamlet,intoallegoriesforthecharactersfromBookofRevelation.Thecharactersare

4

dividedintotwodifferentfamilies,onesupposedlyofgoodandtheotherofevil.LetslookfirstlyattheforcesofChristianitywhoformthefirstTriad.ThisisthePolishfamilyofPolonius(whosenameistheLatinforPolish).

• OPHELIAisbothanallegoryfortheVirginMaryandalsoforMary’sequivalentintheBookofRevelation,theWomancrownedwiththesun.WorkbyChrisHasselhasshownthatthewaythatOpheliaisinterruptedwhilesewingandsittingisaparodyoftheannunciationtotheVirginMary.ThereferencestopregnancyandmaggotsinadeaddogareallusionstomedievaltheologyonhowMaryconceivedandremainedavirgin.Ophelia’sdeathsinginglaudsandwithacoronet,isaparodyofthe‘AssumptionofMary’intoheaventobecrowned.

• LAERTESishavingChrist’ssecondcoming“occasionsmilesuponasecondleave”.He

leapsoutofthegrave,ispresumablyrejuvenated(asLaerteswasinHomerwhentheoldmanisrejuvenatedbyAthena).Thisisthereasonforhisotherwiseinappropriatename.HeisacclaimedastheLord,andhasoutstretchedarmsasaPelicanfeedingpeoplewithhisblood‐‐awellknownChristsymbol.

• POLONIUSasthefatheroftheVirginMaryandofChrist,ispresumablyGodtheFather,

butisdepictedasafool.ThesecondmorecolorfulTriadistheDanishfamilywhorepresenttheforcesofevil,theforcesofAnti‐Christ.OneacademicsuggeststhattheinspirationforthisisthattheplayissetinDenmark,pronouncedinDanishasDanmark,andsometimesbelievedtobetheoffspringofthetribeofDan.DanisdescribedintheBibleasaserpent,andchurchtheologiansexpectedthetribeofDantogivebirthtotheAnti‐Christ.ThesecondTriadfamilyincludes:

• GERTRUDE,whohassexwithtwomenandwhoattheendholdstheChalicewithwhichsheispoisoned,istheWhoreofBabylonwhoalsoholdsapoisonedchalice.TheWhorewassometimesregardedasanallegoryforthechurch.Shewearsscarletandpurple.

• CLAUDIUS,whoisaserpent,andtheHyracianbeastwiththebodyofatiger,andwhois

calledaBeast,isthebeastfromApocalypsewhichhasthebodyofaleopard,headslikeaserpent,andonwhomtheWhorerides.TheheadsareassociatedwithCaesarsandClaudiusisthenameofadynastyofCaesars.TheBeastwassometimesregardedasanallegoryforthesevenhillsofRomeorthePope.Heisscarletwithblood.

• OLDHAMLETisinHellatthebeginningoftheplaybecauseheisHyperion.Hewasthe

GreekgodoflightwhowassimilartoApollo—thegodofthesun,fireandplagues—whowasimprisonedinthepitTartarus.HisequivalentintheBookofRevelationisApollyon,thedestroyer—whowasthekingofHell—andescapesfromthepit.Theplaymakesitquiteclearhemaybethedevil“ThespiritthatIhaveseen/Maybethedevil:andthedevilhathpower/Toassumeapleasingshape.”

5

THECHARACTEROFHAMLETHIMSELFPrinceHamletisthesonofthedevil,butasthesonofHyperionheisalsoHelios,thefirerygodofthesun.Howcanhebedevilishlyblackandalsofulloffirerylight?HisprimaryidentityisasLucifer,thelightbearer,thestarwhofellfromheavenintohell.Asademonprince,HamletwearsProvincialrosesonhisshoes,whichwereusedbystageactorstoindicateaclovenfoot.HealsousesexpressionsusedbytheViceorcomicdevilontheEnglishstage.HeistheAnti‐Christwhichismadeclearbythethreeallegoricalidentitieshetakeson;

• MARTINLUTHER,regardedbyCatholicsasthesecondantichrist.TheinitialpartoftheplayissetonthedaybeforeLuthernailedthe95thesesoftheReformationtothechurchdoorinWittenberg.Hamlet’smelancholyparallel’sLuther’sandheisassociatedseveraltimeswithWittenberg.Lutherworeblackandwasthoughttobepossessedbyanevilspirit.

• EMPERORNEROregardedasthefirstantiChrist.Hamletisstrugglingtopreventthesoul

ofNerofromtakingoverhisbody.Hedoesnotsucceed.Thematricide,killingoftheEmperorClaudius,killingofhiswife,hisinterestinmusic,beinganactor,performingonstage,actinginaplayaboutOrestes,writingverse,playingpranks,beingpursuedbyaghost,andbeingmadallechotheLifeofNerointhewellknownhistoryTheTwelveCaesarsbySuetonius.Nerowasknown,accordingtoSuetonius,asNero‐Orstes,sootherpartsofHamlet’scharactercomefromOrestes.Nerowasalsocomparedtothesungod.

• THESEABEAST,HamletcomesbackfromtheSeaandresemblestheBeastfromtheSea

intheBookofRevelationwhomakesimagesofthefirstbeast(intheplaythebrooches/portraitsofClaudius).

THISAPOCALYPSEALLGOESWRONGInsummary,HamletusesthecataloguesofsevensfromtheBookofRevelation,andthemaincharactersareparodiesofthecharactersinRevelation.InadditionHamletusessomeofAFigforFortune,anallegoricalreligiouspoem.TheplayissetonApocalypse,Doomsday,whichismentioned5timesintheplay.ManystrangeaspectsoftheplotsuchasthereferencestoWormwood,andtheattackbyLaertes(asChrist)onthecitadelofClaudius,comedirectlyfromtheBookofRevelation’sdepictionsofDoomsday.Atthebeginningthecockcrowingandthewaiting(adventmeanswaiting)aresignsofAdvent—thewaitingforthebirthofJesus.ButthetermwasalsousedfortheSecondAdvent,theParousia,thesecondcomingofChristwhichtookplaceonDoomsday.Thisiswhythegravediggerssaythatgraveslasttodoomsday.Theythenproceedtounmakethosegravesbytakingtheskullsout,showingthatitisthereforeDoomsdaywhenthespiritsareresurrectedfromtheirgraves.Exceptintheplaytheirskullsarecrudelythrownoutnotresurrected.

6

TheplotofHamletiscompletelyoppositetotheBookofRevelation.Itisnotananti‐Catholicplay.Itisananti‐Christianplay.ItisacompleteparodyofthemostsacredChristiandoctrines.Thekingofhellescapesfromthepit,andthedeviltellshissonLucifertotakerevengeforhisdeathandincarceration.Thesonofthedeviltakesontheidentityof3anti‐Christs.HefirstimpregnatestheVirginMary/WomanCrownedwiththeSun,leadinghertoabortthebabyandthendie.HekillsGodthefatherandthentheResurrectedChristinaswordfight.Hethenendsupkillingdirectlyorindirectly,boththeChurch(Gertrude)andRome(Claudius).TheRuleofGod(that’swhatOsricmeans)isutterlyineffective,amerefop.NonewJerusalemdescendsfromthesky.TheplaywrightisparodyingtheBookofRevelationinshowinganApocalypsethatfails.CONCLUSIONHavingshownthatmuchofHamletisaparodyofChristiandoctrinesetsthecontextforconsideringthecenter‐pieceoftheplay,theMousetrap,whichwillbethesubjectofasecondtalk.TheMousetrapispoorlyintegratedintotherestoftheplay,andhasnothingtodowiththeBookofRevelation.Itishoweveranotheranti‐Christiansatire,ofanotherancientChristiantext.ThisiswhyitformsthecenterpieceofthemassiveparodyofChristiandoctrinethatweknowasHamlet.

Hamlet’sApocalypsewillhaveaworkshopproduction/stagedreadingfor3nightsinNovember2010atManhattanTheatreSourcewww.theatresource.org

fordetailsemaildarkladyplayers@aol.com

FURTHERREADING

AlisonA.Chapman.‘Ophelia’s‘OldLauds’;MadnessandHagiographyinHamlet’in(ed)S.P.CerasanoMedievalandRenaissanceDramainEnglandvol.20(2007)111‐135.CherrellGuilfoyle.Shakespeare’sPlayWithinaPlay(1990).ChrisR.Hassel.“PaintedWomen:AnnunciationMotifsinHamlet.”ComparativeDramavol.32(1998)47‐84.LindaHoff.Hamlet’sChoice;AReformationAllegory(1988).ArthurMcGee.TheElizabethanHamlet(1987).PeterMilward.Shakespeare’sApocalypse(1999).