-
Essay / Stoppard's Interpretation of Hamlet: A Shift in Ideology
How does Stoppard's transformation of Hamlet reveal a shift in ideology?Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Stoppard's transformation of Shakespeare's Hamlet changes values and worldview from the original. These changes result from the change in context between the two texts. The Elizabethan worldview was of an ordered universe, where reality could be expressed through language and known law/logic was applicable. On the other hand, Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead reflect a more contemporary ideology, where the universe is inexplicable and the audience has no sense of certainty. According to this worldview, language is a confused expression of reality and there is no logical existence. It is this difference in context between the two pieces that contributes to his change in ideology. Language serves as a source of meaning in Hamlet. This is evident in the conflicted dialogue between Hamlet and Gertrude: Gertrude: Hamlet, you have greatly offended your father. Hamlet: Mother, you have greatly offended my father. Gertrude: Come, come, you answer with a vain tongue. Hamlet: Go on, go on, you ask with a wicked tongue. Here, Hamlet mocks the rhythm and words of Gertrude's reproaches. By echoing the rhythmic structure of Gertrude's language, Hamlet manages to shift the finger of accusation from his own behavior to that of his mother, thereby taking control of the confrontation through his use of language. Hamlet's reaction to Ophelia further demonstrates this point. The sounds of his words upon immediately seeing her – “gentle… nymph… orations…” – suggest a feeling of gentleness towards her. However, once Ophelia speaks in the forced, formal tone advised by her father, Hamlet seems frustrated that her impersonal language is blocking any proper communication between them, saying "Are you honest?...is that what it is you who speak in such an empty manner?” " This reflects the ideology that there is a universal means of communication, an ultimate expression of truths that, if broken, cause unrest and chaos. In Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, language interferes with meaning rather than to reinforce it. The repetition that characterizes much of the dialogue makes it obvious; the conversations always return to where they started, as here: Guil: No matter... we'll get away with it like a nightingale at a party. romanRos: You would be muteGuil: Like a mute in a monologueRos: Like a nightingale during a Roman festivalGuil: like a star on a bannerRos: like a nightingale during a Roman festivalThis ping-pong of ideas, where each concept is thrown from one side to the other, suggests a lack of direction and progress The futility of language also appears in the frequent modifications of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's clichés, as shown when Rosencrantz confuses the metaphor "It will put a stick on them." in the spokes,” declaring instead “This will put spokes in their wheel” and thus exhausting the statement of meaning. In another case, Guildenstern says, “Certainly not. If you wish,” contradicting his statement and thus emphasizing the subversion of the language. The ideology that drives this play is based on an arbitrary and confusing world in which nothing is certain. Shakespeare presents the universe as an ordered place, disrupted by "most loathsome, strange, and unnatural" events such as the murder of a king. Hamlet sees himself as a “scourge and minister” whose duty is to take revenge on his father. This goal of revenge influences his actions to a certain extent. For example, he.