Which is weird since I just saw a great video of Judi Dench, Shakespearean actress extradordinaire, discovering by Ancestry her Danish ancestors were the noble Bille family, who happened to be married to Tycho Brahe family, and he being a brilliant Renaissance astronomer with relatives called Rosenkrans and Guildenstern, and somehow they postulate that Shakespeare may have done a royal Danish command performance before all this . . .
As they say, you just cannot make this stuff up.
P.S. The Judi Dench book, Shakespeare, the Man Who Pays the Rent, is brilliant and historical Shakespeare insight.
Not persuaded that Hamlet for kids is a good move, but, yeah, this is smart. The Ghost could be an AI character he created on his TikTok. And could look like many different personages.
this whole concept you have created kinda of reflects Paapa Essiedu’s production of Hamlet - it’s an interpretation that focuses more on the narrative Hamlet being an outcast, without changing too much of the main frame of the story. such a great piece ted, and an insightful way to apply this tragedy to modern day contexts !
"There are millions of us now, and our ranks our growing."
Is this so? I would hear more about why you said this. More importantly, to my mind, is there more to it than just people talking online? Bc i do think its kinda trendy rn to talk, online ofc, about wanting to live a real life, but im wondering if people are actually *doing* anything(hopefully "yet")
Im genuinely asking, not making assholey cynical comments disguised as questions, as i often do.
"He’s the over-educated and under-employed worker who can’t get a job because of AI."
Idt we're there yet, but ill admit i really have no idea about any actual numbers regarding this. Still, i think the problem goes deeper. Its really about how our society views "us", what value it places on average people in the work force, and its stated-vs-actual goals. But theres plenty of work to do. I think its high time people(parents, teenagers, young adults) take more responsibility for their own education. Bc school, for the average student, isnt about learning how to do much of anything. Its more about preparing people to be good consumers. So before we jump to blaming outside influences, i think its worth looking at what *we* could do to remedy this situation. And we'd better do so soon.. another generation or two dies off and alot of practical knowledge about living will be lost. But perhaps thats what itll take to get people interested in learning such things. The wells not quite dry enough to *really* miss the water yet.
This was the article ive enjoyed the most in some time. I would totally go see that production of hamlet, and i definitely want to see that grand theft hamlet. This was better than the shit sucks and is getting worse as i predicted articles that, while i tend to agree with the broader strokes, never take us anywhere.
I appreciate the analysis, but have a few points of contention. Hamlet is a distinctly masculine tale, broadly about his failed journey from boyhood to manhood. Hamlet suffers an identity crisis, especially demonstrated by the fact that he has no name and is referred to by his father’s name, Hamlet, his lineage. Who/what is Hamlet? That seems to be the question.
The way Hamlet connects to men today seems to me to be in a shared sense of purposelessness, emotionally or physically absent fathers, and the view of all masculinity as toxic. I don’t quite find in the play that the touchpoint between Hamlet and today’s age is that he was a doomscroller or incel, or other comparisons made of the sort.
My working theory is that Gex X and Gen Z feel a close connection to Hamlet while Boomers and Millennials are drawn to King Lear. Might have to explore this further in a post.
What a wonderful new vision of Hamlet. It will not fit all, but when cast over such a large number, it will fit most quite readily. Those not stuck in place, by heritage, will yet go forth, and see what is or can be.
Tom Stoppard performed one of the most impressive feats of writing gymnastics when he penned Rosencratz and Guildenstern are Dead in Hamlet-ese. As depressing as the current relevance of the Hamlet plot is that AI could do a reasonable job of aping Stoppard’s genius because we continue to allow it to feed on human creative brilliance.
Very insightful. I saw a modern dress production of Julius Caesar, and one of the characters Casca) used a PDA to great effect. A production of Hamlet with David Tennant made great use of CCTV. Shakespeare's plays really are endlessly adaptable. I love your Instagram idea
There's a special providence in
the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be
not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: THE READINESS IS ALL.
Hamlet is not an incel -- nor is he merely a victim of his time as you are suggesting in your superficial analysis.
And then there is this:
https://science.psu.edu/news/astrophysicist-finds-new-scientific-meaning-hamlet
Which is weird since I just saw a great video of Judi Dench, Shakespearean actress extradordinaire, discovering by Ancestry her Danish ancestors were the noble Bille family, who happened to be married to Tycho Brahe family, and he being a brilliant Renaissance astronomer with relatives called Rosenkrans and Guildenstern, and somehow they postulate that Shakespeare may have done a royal Danish command performance before all this . . .
As they say, you just cannot make this stuff up.
P.S. The Judi Dench book, Shakespeare, the Man Who Pays the Rent, is brilliant and historical Shakespeare insight.
Very interesting link.
In the 80s in the country south of Nashville I built an 8 inch reflecting telescope and spent many nights using it
Then you certainly will like the Tycho Brahe story too.
Not persuaded that Hamlet for kids is a good move, but, yeah, this is smart. The Ghost could be an AI character he created on his TikTok. And could look like many different personages.
Why dont you like the hamlet for kids idea?
this whole concept you have created kinda of reflects Paapa Essiedu’s production of Hamlet - it’s an interpretation that focuses more on the narrative Hamlet being an outcast, without changing too much of the main frame of the story. such a great piece ted, and an insightful way to apply this tragedy to modern day contexts !
"There are millions of us now, and our ranks our growing."
Is this so? I would hear more about why you said this. More importantly, to my mind, is there more to it than just people talking online? Bc i do think its kinda trendy rn to talk, online ofc, about wanting to live a real life, but im wondering if people are actually *doing* anything(hopefully "yet")
Im genuinely asking, not making assholey cynical comments disguised as questions, as i often do.
"He’s the over-educated and under-employed worker who can’t get a job because of AI."
Idt we're there yet, but ill admit i really have no idea about any actual numbers regarding this. Still, i think the problem goes deeper. Its really about how our society views "us", what value it places on average people in the work force, and its stated-vs-actual goals. But theres plenty of work to do. I think its high time people(parents, teenagers, young adults) take more responsibility for their own education. Bc school, for the average student, isnt about learning how to do much of anything. Its more about preparing people to be good consumers. So before we jump to blaming outside influences, i think its worth looking at what *we* could do to remedy this situation. And we'd better do so soon.. another generation or two dies off and alot of practical knowledge about living will be lost. But perhaps thats what itll take to get people interested in learning such things. The wells not quite dry enough to *really* miss the water yet.
This was the article ive enjoyed the most in some time. I would totally go see that production of hamlet, and i definitely want to see that grand theft hamlet. This was better than the shit sucks and is getting worse as i predicted articles that, while i tend to agree with the broader strokes, never take us anywhere.
I appreciate the analysis, but have a few points of contention. Hamlet is a distinctly masculine tale, broadly about his failed journey from boyhood to manhood. Hamlet suffers an identity crisis, especially demonstrated by the fact that he has no name and is referred to by his father’s name, Hamlet, his lineage. Who/what is Hamlet? That seems to be the question.
The way Hamlet connects to men today seems to me to be in a shared sense of purposelessness, emotionally or physically absent fathers, and the view of all masculinity as toxic. I don’t quite find in the play that the touchpoint between Hamlet and today’s age is that he was a doomscroller or incel, or other comparisons made of the sort.
Comon Ted... "There number is legion" ? Really?
Very clever! You missed all that could be done with the play inside the play. That could be the video game.
My working theory is that Gex X and Gen Z feel a close connection to Hamlet while Boomers and Millennials are drawn to King Lear. Might have to explore this further in a post.
Ah, there's the rub!
What a wonderful new vision of Hamlet. It will not fit all, but when cast over such a large number, it will fit most quite readily. Those not stuck in place, by heritage, will yet go forth, and see what is or can be.
Tom Stoppard performed one of the most impressive feats of writing gymnastics when he penned Rosencratz and Guildenstern are Dead in Hamlet-ese. As depressing as the current relevance of the Hamlet plot is that AI could do a reasonable job of aping Stoppard’s genius because we continue to allow it to feed on human creative brilliance.
"A hit, a very palpable hit!" (Act 5, Scene 2)
Very insightful. I saw a modern dress production of Julius Caesar, and one of the characters Casca) used a PDA to great effect. A production of Hamlet with David Tennant made great use of CCTV. Shakespeare's plays really are endlessly adaptable. I love your Instagram idea
To Be or Not to Be: https://store.steampowered.com/app/324710/To_Be_or_Not_To_Be/