LogFAQs > #913755022

me rambling stupidly about what the play would be like in this order. don't read this.

20. 4.1 - Gertrude tells Claudius what happened; Claudius determines to send Hamlet away

Not a bad start. Like the real play, it's preceded by a murder, though this one will make it onstage later. It won't last, but you can imagine the roles shuffled here - we have a villain Hamlet running around, and the king who must deal with him, possibly take revenge for his advisor. Given they're foils, this exchange of roles is entirely appropriate. It's going to somewhat colour Hamlet's agonizing about his revenge when we already know that he's capable of murder from the beginning, but at the end of the day it's about the hows and whys and not just the act itself so it's probably not too bad.

19. 2.1 - Reynaldo; Ophelia affrighted

I like this. It's like we're building a reputation for Hamlet and his supposed madness before he shows up. Of course, there's also the small problem of Polonius being alive, and that problem isn't going to go away. I can thing of a few ways to go about this:

1. This is a flashback - Terrible cop-out. What would even be the point? Let's speak of it no further.
2. There are two people named Polonius - Incredibly stupid. This would mean when we get to 3.4, it would be the second Polonius he kills. If that's the case, there absolutely needs to be a scene inserted where it's reveal that Claudius's real name is also Polonius.
3. He's just back and it's not explained - Maybe everyone who interacts with Polonius expresses mild suprise in their face, but are otherwise too polite to comment. This is where we say "time is out of joint" and dismiss the problem. Look, the barrier between life and death is porous. Ghosts exist. Time is out of joint. Something is rotten in Denmark. Whatever.

I'll go with 3, but 2 is tempting.

18. 4.2 - R & G beg Hamlet to tell them where he put Polonius's body

It kind of takes the tension out of this scene if Polonius is alive. I suppose for now only Reynaldo and Ophelia knows.

17. 4.4 - Fortinbras on his way to Poland; "how all occasions do inform against me"

We skip the reveal of where the body is, and go straight to Hamlet already on his way to England. Luckily, Claudius has already expressed his intentions in 4.1. We're almost going in order, just starting in Act 4.

16. 1.4 - waiting for ghost; ghost beckons Hamlet to follow

What the hell, Hamlet, shouldn't you be in England? Two Hamlets is tempting, but let's say he snuck away from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern between scenes to get back to Denmark. It's too bad he already talked about his revenge in "all occasions", because I kind of like how much action we have without motivation. He's just troubled, and acting out. I suppose we don't have the full picture yet, so for now "all occasions" hints at something bigger, but leaves some mystery about what's going on with Hamlet.

15. 1.3 - sending Laertes off; advice for Ophelia

Still a pretty tight lid on Polonius's resurrection. Only his children, and a trusted servant knows so far. These are weird conversations to have about Hamlet after what already happened. If Polonius wants to warn Ophelia away from Hamlet, how about "he murdered me?" Maybe Polonius is over it, or he doesn't want Ophelia to know who killed him for some reason. Some unclear motivations, but nothing too impossible.
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