The Conscience Of The King...
Now, before we begin, let me preface this by saying today's post IS NOT a slap, nor mockery at ANY political figure, person, or party.
Nor does it reference the original Star Trek episode from the 1960s.
It does, instead mean that I spent the better part of last evening, enmeshed in one of Shakespeare's tragedies, namely HAMLET.
You heard right...this 57 year-old just HAD to park himself in front of the television, a cold Dr. Pepper at the ready, tuning into PBS, and watching the Royal Shakespeare's Company production of Hamlet...ALL 180 MINUTES OF IT (thankfully, they "gave me pause" for 5 minutes after the first 90 minutes).
We studied Hamlet in high school, back in those Pleistocene days when dinosaurs ruled the Earth, and by dinosaurs, I mean huge honking cars with names like ELECTRA, BONNEVILLE, and GALAXIE....LOL.
This was one of those "plays" that usually bored the hell out of adolescents...and I admit to that fully.
It wasn't until I LEFT school, that I became aware of all the nuances contained in such a masterpiece of literature.
There are just SO many "life-lessons" contained within the play, you can either read it or watch it time and again,.and you keep coming away from it with something NEW.
Last night's performance did NOT disappoint.


David Tennant and Patrick Stewart played Hamlet and Claudius, respectively, and I must say that this was even better than Mel Gibson's version (with Glenn Close as Gertrude - 1990) or... Kenneth Branagh's interpretation (1996 - AND a full FOUR hours long).

What sets THIS particular performance apart from previous versions is that it is performed in a "modern-day" setting (replete with CCTV cameras), and while you might wince at such liberties that are taken, after viewing it, you will have a better appreciation for the work.
A timeless play, set in "the now", makes for better comprehension of the classic language, also.
You wind up "getting it", as it were.
Hamlet is also a play where we can find SO many quotes that we still toss about today, without even thinking.
Remember the old saying: "There's something rotten in the state of Denmark"?
Came from HAMLET.
Or how about: "This above all - to thine own self be true"?
Yepper...good old HAMLET.
What about: "Brevity is the soul of wit"?
Oh, yeah...that's HAMLET.
And then there's always: "Though this be madness, yet there is method in't".
You know it better as THERE'S A METHOD TO HIS MADNESS.
You get the idea, right?
I suppose one might say, when observing some slacker with saggy jeans, cocked baseball cap, and a loping stride, that:
"The Apparel oft proclaims the man..." (Hamlet - Act I, Scene III - spoken by Polonius)
Shakespeare sure knew his shi...I mean "stuff", didn't he?
He managed to tap into a marvelous part of each and every one of us.
There have been volume upon volume of books written ABOUT the study OF Hamlet, let alone the actual play itself.
You've got the psychoanalytical aspect, the sociological aspect, and the moralistic aspect...just to name a few.
You could spend much of your life studying Hamlet, and by that I mean not necessarily the play itself, but rather how it RELATES to people and what motivates them into pursuing things that might or might not be noble, depending on your POV.
I remember having to read passages in high school (we all took turns), and we read it in SUCH a boring manner.
You'd get more emotive readings from the recently deceased...LOL.
Now, I've always admired ANYONE who performed ANY of Shakespeare's plays on stage...you gotta memorize SO DAMN MUCH...!
Cripes almighty, how DO they do it?
I was in a few shows in high school (had the lead in Guys and Dolls in 1969), and I had about SEVENTY-FIVE pages to commit to memory...PLUS songs. Initially, I panicked (as would any adolescent with raging hormones and a want to get a driver's license).
But, when it came down to "showtime", everything just fell into place...no "coaching" from the footlights AT ALL...I was stunned.
I suppose when "crunch-time" hits, you discover how marvelous the human brain can be.
Just when you think you can't (for the love of God) possibly remember (or perform) all that stuff...you DO.
And that's something I carried with me all these years...the ability to be "a quick study".
Show me how to do something once....fine. I can do it myself now.
That speaks to humanity itself; the human spirit...our ability to recall, learn, adapt, and proceed with things to their finish.
We NEVER know what we are capable of...until we DO it.
Remember, as Yoda says:
"DO...or DO NOT...there IS no try."
I guess Shakespeare (in some manner) made it way out there to Dagobah, too, eh?
Anyway...if you hate Shakespeare, I understand. It's not for everyone, even though we apply every single facet of humanity that HE wrote about every single day of all our lives.
But, if you really like Shakespeare, the DVD of last night's performance of Hamlet will be forthcoming on 8 May, 2010.
It will be different, and yet quite familiar. You might even see a part of yourself somewhere in that play.
And I think the Bard knew that by showing us OURSELVES, we can better get to know WHO we are, and thereby know others.
Therein lies the lesson for today.
Get to know yourself a little bit better...you'll be glad that you did.
After all, YOU spend a lot more time with you than anyone else, right?
Be well, make a difference today, and...
Stay safe out there, America.