Two More Hamlet Related Items

[hcaceres]

I did not like the poem because I cannot extract anything meaningful from it. I cannot tell if the author is trying to ridicule the fight between Laertes and Hamlet or simply attempts to describe another perspective. Either way, I fail to see the point.

I believe that Amos Oz statement is too simplistic when considering the war and the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. I agree that both possibilities he argues are possible, but it is not the only result. Amos is trying to summarize something that cannot be compressed because of the deep roots and magnitude that this quarrel contains.

[mariecburt]

Hamlet Off Stage: Laertes Cool
DC Berry

Laertes has groupies, proof he has taste,
has cool. Wears skate-board clothes: elephant pants,
the crotch snagging his knees, tent-size tee-shirt.
He wants the play staged at a roller rink:
him, Fortinbras, and me wearing in-lines,
the rest in quads. And instead of a duel,
we throw ourselves a roller-derby brawl.
Why not? Do something with a little class
to offset the end's cartoon slaughter house.

Connect this poem to our definition of tragedy.

Secondly, and I think much more serious, is an interesting point made by celebrated Israeli author Amos Oz:

He said in an interview a few years ago that Israel really has two paths - one leads to an end like a Shakesperian tragedy, where the stage is filled with corpses, and pretty much everybody is dead; the other leads to a Chekovian tragedy (Anton Chekov - Russian playwright who wrote "The Cherry Orchard"), where everybody is a litte bit disappointed about how things turned out, maybe shaking their heads, but walking away with their lives. Oz said he opts for the Chekovian tragic ending.

Considering our reading of Hamlet, your knowledge of Shakesperian tragedy, and maybe a little help from wikipedia's decent page on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli...inian_Conflict
,comment on Oz's statement.


1. I believe the poem is using humor to explain the crazy way that the characters in Hamlet approach the duel. They take it so light-heartedly as if it weren't a big deal, almost not even caring that their lives are on the line.

2. I agree with Oz's statement about Israel, and I think the same statement could also be used with many counties with conflict. I think many of these countries are destined to end as a Shakesperian tragedy by they way they're governed.

[montanaro.g]

A quick thought on the pseudo-poem:
Although it has some idea behind such vulgarity, I think that Shakespeare would be ashamed of being quoted (indirectly) on such a poem. This poem has a more contemporal connotation of a tragedy, becuase instead of fighting (literally), they duel each other to a sport; in this case, skate-boarding. More than being an example of a tragedy or direct relation to Hamlet, it is more of a parody to what Hamlet and the Shakespearean tragedy represent.

I must say that Israel's future is somewhat foreshadowed by Shakespeare, because the Muslims will not rest until they see Israel exterminated. You have a country like Iran that has been openly advocating a war against "Jews and their allies." The Israelites have already been targeted since Roman times, maybe their time has come to an end. You never know.
I personally, prefer having a peaceful Middle-East where everybody lives in a somewhat-peaceful arrangement. But I guess that is not possible. Instead of having a mass killing spree on behalf of both sides, I prefer having a not so popular approach to the Middle-East issue where most people are angry at the outcome but then things return to "normal."

*Note: Sorry if I generalize. No harm was intended.

[alexiacalo]

The poem shows a different interpretation of Hamlet, trying to relate it to more modern terms. In my opinion it is an awful and demeaning poem. The poem does mention a duel but does not really seem like a tragedy. The poem is simply a poor imitation of the true masterpiece and becomes pathetic with its vulgar attempt to make a more contemporary version of the scene. Its effort to be comical is pitiful and exaggerated.


Oz's account really simplifies the whole outcome of the affair. I like how he narrows the consequences and makes such simple and easily understood comparisons. However, i'm not sure how accurate his conclusions are.

[sofiastaburuaga]

The poem tries to show a rather modern side to Hamlet but it ends up losing the play's main concept of tragedy which is that everyone dies at the end and that it is a very sad, dark and gloomy ending. Saying that the duel between Hamlet and Laertes can be settled in a skating rink is just a childish solution and it changes the concept of the play completely. Oz says that Palestine is going to have a shakespearean end by saing that a tragedy is going to take place because everyone is going to end up dead because they are fighting each other. There is a duel between two sides one representing Hamlet and the other Laertes. I actually dont think that there will be a mass murder in palestine because there are organizations like the United Nations that have the job to re-establish peace and take actions into their own hands to see that this happens.