The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 16.1403  Friday, 26 August 2005

From: 		Kenneth Chan <
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Date: 		Friday, 26 Aug 2005 09:12:06 +0800
Subject: 16.1389 Joshua Logan and "Hamlet"
Comment: 	Re: SHK 16.1389 Joshua Logan and "Hamlet"

L. Swilley writes:

 >>"Kenneth Chan <
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 >>Shakespeare's message actually does not reside in what his
 >>protagonist learns about himself. The message resides in the
 >>audience's emotional experience of the play in its entirety.
 >
 >[Isn't the "message" of the play the plot thereof? Isn't the
 >action of the play one dimension, the audience reaction entirely
 >a distinct other?]
 >...
 >[If the "message" is everything, how many times must it be
 >repeated before the audience gets it? Might not the play end
 >with the third dramatic form of the "message" just to be sure
 >that even the more obtuse among us get the point?  If not,
 >what is the developing pattern of the dramatic incidents that
 >presents more than the "message"?  In any case, what is
 >"message" more than what is commonly called "theme"?
 >Does your idea of "message" (or theme) preclude the
 >description of the play as the action of the main character?]"

Instead of discussing all this in the abstract, it is far better to look 
at an actual concrete example of how Shakespeare works. I think you will 
know what I have been trying to say if you go to my article at 
http://homepage.mac.com/sapphirestudios/qod/article2.html which 
demonstrates how Shakespeare conveys a large part of his message in Hamlet.

With best wishes,
Kenneth Chan
http://homepage.mac.com/sapphirestudios/qod

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