The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 16.1956 Sunday, 27 November 2005
[1] From: Bill Arnold <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Friday, 25 Nov 2005 12:55:32 -0800 (PST)
Subj: Re: SHK 16.1947 Gertrude-Ophelia
[2] From: Geralyn Horton <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Friday, 25 Nov 2005 16:48:07 -0500
Subj: Re: SHK 16.1947 Gertrude-Ophelia
[3] From: Larry Weiss <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Friday, 25 Nov 2005 16:56:06 -0500
Subj: Re: SHK 16.1947 Gertrude-Ophelia
[4] From: M Yawney <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Saturday, 26 Nov 2005 16:46:24 -0800 (PST)
Subj: Re: SHK 16.1947 Gertrude-Ophelia
[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Bill Arnold <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Friday, 25 Nov 2005 12:55:32 -0800 (PST)
Subject: 16.1947 Gertrude-Ophelia
Comment: Re: SHK 16.1947 Gertrude-Ophelia
John Reed writes, "1. Really? What's so absurd about it, exactly? 2.
What's the difference between Gertrude killing Ophelia, and Macbeth
killing Banquo?"
The answer is, to scholars, a *huge* difference: textual! The text of
the play *Macbeth* supports the conclusion whereas the play *Hamlet*
does not. Therefore, it is *absurd* to draw the conclusion. That is,
unless you can *prove* the conclusion, textually.
Bill Arnold
http://www.cwru.edu/affil/edis/scholars/arnold.htm
[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Geralyn Horton <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Friday, 25 Nov 2005 16:48:07 -0500
Subject: 16.1947 Gertrude-Ophelia
Comment: Re: SHK 16.1947 Gertrude-Ophelia
John Reed <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
>What's the difference between Gertrude killing Ophelia, and
>Macbeth killing Banquo?
Macbeth reveals that he is planning the murder, hires men to carry it
out, confesses it to us afterwards. Big difference!
G.L. Horton
<http://www.stagepage.info>
[3]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: Larry Weiss <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Friday, 25 Nov 2005 16:56:06 -0500
Subject: 16.1947 Gertrude-Ophelia
Comment: Re: SHK 16.1947 Gertrude-Ophelia
>What's the difference between Gertrude killing Ophelia, and
>Macbeth killing Banquo?
To begin with, one's in the play and the other isn't.
[4]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: M Yawney <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date: Saturday, 26 Nov 2005 16:46:24 -0800 (PST)
Subject: 16.1947 Gertrude-Ophelia
Comment: Re: SHK 16.1947 Gertrude-Ophelia
The difference is in Shakespeare's dramaturgical practice. Shakespeare
does not conceal major plot points or leave the action ambiguous. There
are issues of motive and character that he does leave ambiguous, but the
only unclear plot points are found in corrupt texts of his play.
In other words, Shakespeare makes it clear that Macbeth is responsible
for Banquo's death. He does not make it clear that Gertrude killed
Ophelia. This inference comes from playing intellectual games with the
text.
Playing such games is certainly a fine, amusing, and stimulating thing
to do, but it is playing in the gaps. One can create all sorts of
backstories of Gertrude murdering Ophelia, Claudius molesting Hamlet,
Ophelia seducing Guilderstern, and any number of things that Shakespeare
neither states or denies within the playscript.
But these speculations are a game. They are not reflective of
Shakespeare's work. Just because Shakespeare does not say Gertrude did
not kill Ophelia does not mean that she did.
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