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Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 3.15.97: Top | Help


The Devil's Advocate

As was pointed out in (I believe) the introduction to the Arden Shakespeare the act of killing R&G, after they had obviously betrayed their friend for political power (and not just in terms of death, but in terms of violating the trust ever since their first appearance) would be *expected* by an Elizabethan audience. The fact that we are horrified today by the fact that Hamlet might actually, gasp, kill anyone doesn't change the fact that -- given the social clime in which Hamlet lives and in which Hamlet was created -- it would be absurd to accuse Hamlet of callousness for the act of killing his two supposed "friends".

Posted by Justin Bacon on April 01, 1997 at 15:08:26
In Reply to "R & G" posted by Smurfette on April 01, 1997 at 10:17:23


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Replies | Post Reply | Shakespeare Queries From Genuinely Interested Students 3.15.97: Top | Help