We've christened the famous 'nunnery scene', between Hamlet and Ophelia at the end of the first half, the 'nunnery wood scene' - in recognition of the country park on the outskirts of Worcester - a good place for a Sunday afternoon wander on an early Spring day!
Been thinking about the misogyny in Hamlet (and, arguably throughout Shakespeare) - is Hamlet the hero, anti-hero or the Everyman figure? This sounds a bit like an A Level English question! but it is one that the actor (and director) have to tackle, one way or another. Who is he? why does he act like he does? Why, at the end of the play, when (Spoiler Alert!) he dies, are we all bereft, when he has behaved so badly/oddly/madly? Hamlet has to be likeable and engaging or the play won't work. You don't want to watch a spoilt child having a tantrum for 2 hours. He treats everyone pretty badly, is rude to his mother and the way he treats Ophelia in Nunnery Wood, is frankly unpleasant.
Directors/actors are often tempted to add a bit of roughing up in this scene but does violence against women really belong here? Perhaps it's more important to work out what's going on. Hamlet seems angry and cruel and yet Ophelia exclaims 'what a noble mind is here o'erthrown' She sees his behaviour from another angle and, believes it crucially very out of character and different to the relationship they had had before. A tender relationship in which Hamlet had given her gifts and love tokens. And yet..'get thee to a nunnery' - that's quite clear! Is his new behaviour part of a plan? We think, after much thought, rehearsal and discussion, we are approaching one interpretation. We are very aware it is one among many....we welcome your responses when you come to see the play! Let's have a chat and a drink after...
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