EN 3535 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Hamlet Q1, Ninety-Five Theses, Theatricality
14 Apr 2020
School
Department
Course
Professor
EN 3535
January 31, 2020
Lecture 17
• Preoccupied with life and the meaning of life
• Conflict between brothers – the hostile brothers
Meta Theatre
• People playing a role
• Aware of the theatricality of war
• Queen Elizabeth’s Speech at Tilbury
• Progress around the countryside
o Took her courtiers and members of her household with her to pay visits to the leading
noble families
o Great country palaces were designed to host dignitaries at enormous expense
o Go from house to house and impose upon the noble households around the countryside
• Ophelia asked to perform: pretend to read
Hamlet
• Q1 – 1603 very different from Q2 – 1604
• People like to think that Shakespeare’s Q1 was written by an actor who performed in the play,
or by an audience member who saw the play
• Revision was a regular part of working in the theatre
The Protestant Reformation
• Revolution of thought and religious belief
• German university founded in 1502; Wittenberg (the place where Hamlet is studying)
• Martin Luther’s 95 theses nailed tot the door of the Catholic Cathedral, beginning the
reformation
• Pope had armies that they used to involve themselves in conflicts
• Spiritual assertions of power as well as earthly
• Pope could depose kings; had power over kings
• Elizabeth accused of heresy by the pope, she didn’t like this
• A play set in the 16th century, only 100 years ago
o Makes the content more topical and relevant to a 17th century audience
• Liberal Arts, Theology, Medicine taught at Wittenberg
o Could study Latin and Greek: foundational literal traditions
• Theology: you were going to go into the church
• Wittenberg developed a reputation for radical thinking
o Teaches a skeptical thinking; doubt and scepticism Is what hamlet has learned from
going here
