Spies and Players

About this episode

The episode discusses the dynamics between characters in Shakespeare's Hamlet, focusing on the roles of the king, queen, and Hamlet's friends.

Send us Fan Mail GEORGE: So right away: the scene begins with the king and queen acting like concerned parents. But it feels… staged. SHAKESPEARE: Because it is staged. Mark their language: they crave a cause, a label, a tidy diagnosis — “What ails him?” Yet their hands are already in the plot. They have hired watchers. Concern and control wear the same cloak here. GEORGE: And the watchers are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern — Hamlet’s old friends. Let me ask bluntly: are they villains? ...

People in this episode

Host: George Bartley

Topics covered

• Shakespeare
• Hamlet
• theater
• drama
• character analysis

Keywords

• Shakespeare
• Hamlet
• Rosencrantz
• Guildenstern
• theater
• drama
• character analysis

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Hamlet

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