Well, it has come to my attention that I completely forgot to post on Friday. Whoops. The reason is simply that I had a paper due on Friday that I focused my attention on and thus pushed the need to write a post out of my mind. I will have to do better in the future. But this is a blog about Shakespeare. So what can I learn about Shakespeare from this experience?
The concept of distraction and losing things because of it is an idea that I think is prominent in Shakespeare, particularly in Hamlet. In that play, the prince of Denmark is so consumed by his need to revenge his father's murder—and his fear of doing just that—that he loses some of the people that he holds dear. His lack of consideration of consequences leads to the insanity and death of Ophelia, the woman that Hamlet professes to love. He loses his mother. He has his childhood friends murdered in England. So much is lost. But did it have to be so?
Of course not. But that is the nature of tragedy. Nonetheless, I can't help but think that if Hamlet had been more thoughtful and less distracted as he worked through his duty to bring the murderer of his father to justice, so much that was destroyed could have been spared. It is obvious from the scene in which the actors perform the play within a play that Claudius isn't very skilled at hiding his emotions when he reacts so visibly to the dramatization of his own sins. Realizing this, could not have Hamlet at that point decided to go public with his accusation and cause some sort of trial-like situation in which Claudius is questioned and made to confess his crimes? Would not this have spared so much?
Even the loss of Laertes and even Hamlet himself could have been spared if Hamlet had been open enough to explain to Laertes what had been going on. If Laertes was willing to forgive Hamlet for bring about the destruction of his entire family upon learning what had brought it about, why wouldn't he have been willing to do so earlier?
All in all, I believe that Hamlet's extreme distraction lead to much unnecessary tragedy. Yes, the drama of this fact works well in Shakespeare's play; however, I believe that it also makes an important commentary on the danger of such distraction.
You, good sir, did a fine job of finding and expounding upon a parallel in your life with an idea in Shakespeare's works. I too find myself consumed oftentimes by one aspect of life. I feel that once we're all grown up, one of the main important things we do is try to find balance in life. Not only in Hamlet, but other plays as well, like Love's Labour's Lost.
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