Driven to Distraction

I have not had much time of late to devote to things Hamlet.  The burdens of work have kept me from being able to sit with a full-scale production or a piece of writing longer than a short passage.  With the Thanksgiving holiday very near (and Christmas break just about one month away), I look forward to getting back to Hamlet and other Shakespearean delights.

When I do, one of the first things could be a book that I picked up late in the summer:  Sweet Prince:  The Passion of Hamlet by Douglas Brode.  A novel about the characters, it was recommended, although not entirely positively.  The tagline on the rear cover--"Was Hamlet gay?"--perhaps should dissuade me.  In any event, the book is there, perched among many on my "To Read" list.  Until then...

Zhivago Hamlet

Here's another offbeat entry into the Hamlet world.  A poetic "Hamlet" appears in Boris Pasternak's novel, Doctor Zhivago.  An English translation of the poem is presented in the Bloom anthology.  After reading it and deciding that it was post-worthy, I made a quick Internet search to find the poem for shameless cutting-and-pasting.  I found the Russian version, but my ability to read Cyrillic is a bit rusty (i.e., completely nonexistent).  English translations abound, but they also differ in text.  Presented below are two variations, one by Ann Pasternak Slater and the other by Eleanor Rowe.  (Incidentally, neither is an exact replication of the version I read originally.)

Version I:  Ann Pasternak Slater translation
The murmurs ebb; onto the stage I enter.
I am trying, standing in the door,
To discover in the distant echoes
What the coming years may hold in store.

The nocturnal darkness with a thousand
Binoculars is focused onto me.
Take away this cup, O Abba, Father,
Everything is possible to thee.

I am fond of this thy stubborn project,
And to play my part I am content.
But another drama is in progress,
And, this once, O let me be exempt.

But the plan of action is determined,
And the end irrevocably sealed.
I am alone; all round me drowns in falsehood:
Life is not a walk across a field.

(http://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/nov/06/saturday-poem-hamlet-boris-pasternak)

Version II:  Eleanor Rowe translation
The rumbling has grown quiet. I walk out on the stage.
Leaning against a door jamb,
I try to catch in a distant echo
What will happen in my lifetime.

At me is aimed the murkiness of night;
I'm pinned by a thousand opera glasses.
If only it is possible, Abba, Father,
May this cup be carried past me.

I cherish your stubborn design
And am agreed to play this role.
But now a different drama is underway;
This time, release me.

But the order of the acts has been determined,
And the ending of the journey cannot be averted.
I am alone; all drowns in Pharisaism.
To live life is not to cross a field.

(http://www.johnderbyshire.com/Readings/hamlet.html)

Poetic Hamlet

In the Bloom critical anthology, I came across several poems dedicated to Hamlet.  They were written by Walter de la Mare, who has penned numerous poems about Shakespearean characters.  The Bloom volume contained the three poems relevant to Hamlet:  "Hamlet," "Polonius," and "Ophelia."  I included the text of the tribute to the title character below, courtesy of an Internet site (referenced after).  It is an interesting portrait of Denmark's Prince.

Umbrageous cedars murmuring symphonies
Stooped in late twilight o'er dark Denmark's Prince:
He sat, his eyes companioned with dream--
Lustrous large eyes that held the world in view
As some entranced child's a puppet show.
Darkness gave birth to the all-trembling stars,
And a far roar of long-drawn cataracts,
Flooding immeasurable night with sound.
He sat so still, his very thoughts took wing,
And, lightest Ariels, the stillness haunted
With midge-like measures; but, at last, even they
Sank 'neath the influences of his night.
The sweet dust shed faint perfume in the gloom;
Through all wild space the stars' bright arrows fell
On the lone Prince--the troubled son of man--
On Time's dark waters in unearthly trouble:
Then, as the roar increased, and one fair tower
Of cloud took sky and stars with majesty,
He rose, his face a parchment of old age,
Sorrow hath scribbled o'er, and o'er, and o'er.

Other poems at  http://www.readbookonline.net/books/De%20la%20Mare/389/

Bamlet

A two-for-one special on posts today...  As much as I detest discussing politics, I could not resist the photo from today's New York Post.  I don't know how I feel about Shakespeare's tragic hero being compared to the subject of the article, but it does provide for amusing copy.

Halloween Hamlet

What better way to spend a Halloween evening than with Hamlet and vampires?  The opportunity presented itself in the guise of the film, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Undead.  Like its relative, Zombie Hamlet, this was another one of those "Because I had a gift card" purchases.  (See 9/27/15 post.)  Unlike its relative, this film was an unfunny and muddled mess.

The film opens with the following disclaimer:  "Since the 1600's there have been numerous versions of Shakespeare's Hamlet adapted to portray vampires.  This is one of them."  I don't recall any other versions of Hamlet and vampires; maybe they don't get as much press as the non-vampirical ones.  The premise of the film involves Julian, a rather unlikable loser who lives in a room in the office of his father, a doctor.  Julian's father, attempting to give his son some ambition to change his lot, presents Julian with a newspaper want-ad:  "Off-Broadway production of Hamlet seeks young controllable human theatre director."  Julian comments that it sounds pretty stupid (viewer be warned), but he heads to the theatre anyway.

Julian meets theatre owner, playwright, and resident vampire, Theo Holmes.  The play for which Theo needs a director is his work, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Undead.  Upon seeing the title, Julian comments, "Gonna be interesting to see how Shakespeare and zombies go together."  When Theo corrects him that the play involves vampires, not zombies, Julian retorts, "Yeah, that makes way more sense."  (Another warning to the viewer.)

During rehearsals, we see Julian's treatment of the characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.  He ties them together, literally, to reinforce the idea that they are part of one character.  (Seen it before; 8/25/13 post.)  The actors are awful.  Consider this contribution from one of the pair:  "Since we're talking about the play, right, like, I was thinking we could do these modernizations, bro."  Instead of Rosencrantz and Guildensterns (with the extra s), he offers the following updates:

• Rosenbros and Guildendude

• Dudenkrantz and Dogenstern

• Rosenbros and Goldenho

What follows is an incomprehensible 55-minute trip through drama and the supernatural.  The local Rosicrucian and Goldenstone Society, which has a branch dealing with Hamlet and vampires, gets involved in the action.  Add to the mix numerous vampires, Ralph Macchio as a terribly-stereotyped Italian gangster (Why?) selling hand sanitizer in a gun-shaped container (really), and Jeremy Sisto parodying his role as a police detective on Law and Order.  By the time it's all over, even the Holy Grail and the real Prince Hamlet have appeared.

Whereas Zombie Hamlet proved that one could have fun with the Shakespearean work, this film disproved the point.  It tries too hard to be funny, and none of the humor works.  (In fact, the film put this blogger to sleep, multiple times.)  The DVD contains deleted scenes, which leads this one to wonder how bad a scene must be not to make this film.  If you decide to give this one a try, be warned.  It's not a very satisfying ride.