Hamlet; Act 2 Mid-break to Madness explained

 Act Two

A footnote.

I am writing this note to lend my voice to the writings here, that may be seen as deviating from the original, and to some a delightful read. I hope the latter for while having read Hamlet in perusing the notes and analysis; I was not prepared for the plot of the tale to be what it was as read here. 

Initially, Hamlet to me was a play of vengeance; the son told by the dead father’s soul who appeared as a ghost told him that his death was unforetold but done by murder. That drove me to work on the adaption.

And of course, the theme of madness formed a cloud on Hamlet as a character. As was quoted; In Hamlet, Shakespeare wrote madness because of devastating losses in the characters' lives, meaning that trauma, shock, or mischance might affect their sanity. In addition to this, he also wrote about the madness of excessive or unrequited love. (https://cansuyagsiz.medium.com/the-concept-of-madness-in-hamlet-by-shakespeare-f7464ec6f47b#:~:text=In%20Hamlet%2C%20Shakespeare%20wrote%20madness,of%20excessive%20or%20unrequited%20love.)

I had kept the focus on madness when I begin my writing, I have many thoughts of mine exploring the concept of madness to the other characters. I explore them from Hamlet to Polonius, Hamlet’s friends, and Even Ophelia. What may be read as minor roles were expanded to relate them to the topic of madness as in how madness may rule in them.

Who are they? And how do they relate to Hamlet and his coming vengeance? Rosencrantz and Guildenstern and the Lenten players are all given a new lease of buildup.

So were Polonius, Laertes, and Ophelia, the family caught in this madness, and how they were affected by Hamlet. I also explore the castle in its background, and like most castles, maybe there was more to tell than just describing its towers and gates. Yes, I did the moving of the location from the ramparts to the walls for reasons I will explain later.

Denmark, an estate instead of a state, and the royals were celebrities; both are adored by the audience, hence my setting for Hamlet to be an actor. Did I draw from another King in my writing as the icon here? Not there at all. The King here was more set to the original actor of the tale.

Why the ‘sexually’ driven content? Well, for one, sex sells in the current reads. It drove me at times the content to maddening urges but that is another tale. Sex, as seen here, was added in as an interlude but it does serve the main play.

For one, the King was murdered as an act to take the widow as the lover; yet to be explored later. Hamlet was seen to desire (Love was uncertain) yet he held back feigning every excuse even madness was said to one of them.

Ophelia the lady of desire was seen as pure in the backdrop of free loving as seen in the Lenten players. There was the scene where I placed Hamlet unable to perform with Ophelia to drive the tension on their needs caused by other factors that he at fault was not privileged to act upon.

Yet Hamlet voyeur on the former as an object of desire. Ever felt that when you looked at the centerfold and were all excited but felt guilty for the physical lover lying next to you? Hamlet to me could not do the physical for he viewed her as his mother. I stand to say not that he favored his mother as per the oedipal complex; ( hence my references to Hamlet’s reading. He was questioning his feelings.) He fears what his mother did may be what Ophekai will do to him. That will be explained more ahead.

The interludes served a purpose besides the ‘body lustful’ feel. (I have to admit while writing this here, my WHATSAPP received a ‘fashionable’ (My word for it) image that drew my attention to the hidden treasures of the lady. Oops! The vice of man stands the length of his age although he could only fantasize about the deed.

In summary, if you could understand my footnote here. the first two Acts were to set the foundation of the madness and now will move to the later parts of the acts on the vengeance, tapering perhaps the madness infliction.

Interludes? It will always be there. For that made sense of the madness here.

23/12/22