The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 16.1904  Thursday, 17 November 2005

[1] 	From: 	Donald Bloom <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
	Date: 	Wednesday, 16 Nov 2005 10:18:59 -0600
	Subj: 	RE: SHK 16.1892 Gertrude-Ophelia

[2] 	From: 	John W. Kennedy <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
	Date: 	Wednesday, 16 Nov 2005 16:25:01 -0500
	Subj: 	Re: SHK 16.1892 Gertrude-Ophelia


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		Donald Bloom <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: 		Wednesday, 16 Nov 2005 10:18:59 -0600
Subject: 16.1892 Gertrude-Ophelia
Comment: 	RE: SHK 16.1892 Gertrude-Ophelia

John Reed writes: "It was my contention Gertrude knows all about how 
Ophelia died because Gertrude drowned her-on purpose-in order to protect 
Claudius and therefore her own power, privilege, and position.  This is 
after the Mad scene."

One of my favorite scenes is the one where Gertrude entices Ophelia down 
to the waterside using chocolates (Snickers bars in American 
productions), clubs her with a ball bat and shoves her into the river. 
This brilliant piece of dramatic workmanship is, unfortunately, 
frequently cut.

Cheers,
don

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		John W. Kennedy <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: 		Wednesday, 16 Nov 2005 16:25:01 -0500
Subject: 16.1892 Gertrude-Ophelia
Comment: 	Re: SHK 16.1892 Gertrude-Ophelia

John Reed <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>

 >I thought we discussed this recently also, but I can't find it.
 >It was my contention Gertrude knows all about how Ophelia
 >died because Gertrude drowned her -- on purpose -- in order
 >to protect Claudius and therefore her own power, privilege,
 >and position.  This is after the Mad scene where Ophelia
 >indicates she knows too much.  Then Claudius changes the
 >story to a better one: an accident becomes a "suicide."
 >Reminds me of the Baader-Meinhof gang story.

I thought James Thurber answered this sort of thing once and for all.

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