哈姆雷特

Finally finishing the classes of [Knowing Shakespeare's Hamlet from the aspects of National Security and geopolitical] by Mike after about two months time.

Hamlet is really a classic masterpiece not only in England or Europe but also for students who are not native English speakers to know this charming language, not just as a tool, but a beautiful and interesting way of telling a good story which we r not familiar with.

Just like [A Dream of Red Mansions] in China, every time we read it, we would find something new in it and symbolic meanings of the real world. For example, the equality of people from different classes, genders, and also who have different pursues. I believe that there’s sth that we need to perceive beyond the political system in Ancient China, and just a family drama.

However, in Hamlet, it’s more like a geopolitical issue that I knew almost nothing before. According to what Mike discussed with us, the main question in this play is about a final and deep question ‘who has the right to define who as an enemy of the people?’ and also who is neutral, who is the friend or the leader of the people?

Hamlet has the power in law after his father’s dead, while Claudius had the power of military and finally became the new king. Characters like Claudius, Hamlet’s mother, Fortinbras and so on can be really political symbols in this famous play and can be found in the real world which similar things are happening around us(for example some political events in CHN). About the weakness of human beings, the great eager of owning power, murders, revenge……

However, Hamlet can be a really special person in this play as a people who are uninterested in power, in politics. He gave the whole country to Fortinbras which could not be analyzed as the modern country sovereignty issue, but his individual mind, like ‘he want to be a prince like Fortinbras but he could not and did not have the ability to be.’

So the ‘TO BE OR NOT TO BE’ question can be about the choice of ‘let me revenge’ or ‘let me just sleep and ignore it’, related to Hamlet’s individual ideology.

Shakespeare once wrote that ‘there are a thousand hamlets in a thousand people's eyes.’ Many people do not like the results of Hamlets or the character of Hamlet itself. I really believe that each audience can be a co-author of literary works.

So nowadays it would probably be more appropriate to say "there are a thousand hamlets on a thousand stages" as audiences are able to enjoy numerous different adaptations of Shakespeare's plays around the world.

That’s also why I believe that [HAMLET FOREVER].