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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