"Who’s there?" Whispered in the dark, this question begins a tale of conspiracy, deception and moral ambiguity. And in a play where everyone has something to hide, its answer is far from simple.
„Ko je tu?” Prošaputano u tami, pitanje kojim započinje priča o zaveri, obmani i moralnoj neodređenosti. A u drami u kojoj svako ima neku tajnu, odgovor nije nimalo lak.
Written by William Shakespeare between 1599 and 1601, "Hamlet" depicts its titular character haunted by the past, but immobilized by the future. Mere months after the sudden death of his father, Hamlet returns from school a stranger to his own home, and deeply unsure of what might be lurking in the shadows. But his brooding takes a turn when he’s visited by a ghost that bears his father’s face. The phantom claims to be the victim of a “murder most foul,” and convinces Hamlet that his uncle Claudius usurped the throne and stole queen Gertrude’s heart. The prince’s mourning turns to rage, and he begins to plots his revenge on the new king and his court of conspirators.
Delo Vilijama Šekspira nastalo između 1599. i 1601. godine, „Hamlet” prikazuje naslovnog lika koga proganja prošlost, a parališe budućnost. Svega nekoliko meseci pred očevu naglu smrt, Hamlet se vraća iz škole kao stranac u sopstvenom domu i duboko nesiguran u to šta bi moglo da vreba iz senki. No, njegova potištenost se preobraća kada ga poseti duh sa likom njegovog oca. Prikaza tvrdi da je žrtva „najsramnijeg ubistva”, i ubeđuje Hamleta da je njegov ujak Klaudije prigrabio presto i ukrao srce kraljice Gertrude. Prinčeva žalost se preobraća u bes i on počinje da kuje osvetu protiv novog kralja i njegovih dvorana zaverenika.
The play is an odd sort of tragedy, lacking either the abrupt brutality or all-consuming romance that characterize Shakespeare’s other work in the genre. Instead it plumbs the depths of its protagonist’s indecisiveness, and the tragic consequences thereof. The ghost’s revelation draws Hamlet into multiple dilemmas– what should he do, who can he trust, and what role might he play in the course of justice? These questions are complicated by a tangled web of characters, forcing Hamlet to negotiate friends, family, court counselors, and love interests– many of whom possess ulterior motives.
Ova drama je neobičan tip tragedije kojoj nedostaju iznenadna svirepost ili sveobuhvatna romansa koje karakterišu Šekspirova druga dela istog žanra. Umesto toga zaranja u dubine neodlučnosti glavnog lika i tragične posledice takvog postupanja. Duhovo otkrovenje uvlači Hamleta u višestruke dileme - šta da radi, kome može da veruje i kakvu ulogu bi mogao da igra u isterivanju pravde? Ova pitanja su usložena zamršenom mrežom likova koji teraju Hamleta da pregovara sa prijateljima, porodicom, dvorskim savetnicima i simpatijama - od kojih mnogi imaju prikrivene motive.
The prince constantly delays and dithers over how to relate to others, and how he should carry out revenge. This can make Hamlet more than a little exasperating, but it also makes him one of the most human characters Shakespeare ever created. Rather than rushing into things, Hamlet becomes consumed with the awful machinations of thinking itself. And over the course of the play, his endless questions come to echo throughout our own racing minds.
Princ stalno odlaže i okleva kako da se drži pred drugima i kako da izvede osvetu. Zbog ovoga Hamlet može da deluje prilično iritantno, ali upravo zato je jedan od najčovečnijih likova koje je Šekspir stvorio. Umesto da ishitreno deluje, Hamlet postaje opterećen zamršenim užasima samog razmišljanja. I tokom drame, njegova beskrajna pitanja počinju da odjekuju našim lutajućim umovima.
To accomplish this, Shakespeare employs his most introspective language. From the usurping king’s blazing contemplation of heaven and hell, to the prince’s own cackling meditation on mortality, Shakespeare uses melancholic monologues to breathtaking effect. This is perhaps best exemplified in Hamlet’s most famous declaration of angst:
Kako bi ovo postigao, Šekspir koristi svoj najintrospektivniji jezik. Od kontemplacija o raju i paklu uzurpatorskog kralja, do prinčeve sopstvene gugutave meditacije o smrtnosti, Šekspir koristi melanholične monologe da bi nas ostavio bez daha. Možda je najbolji primer ovoga Hamletov čuveni proglas o nespokoju:
"To be or not to be—that is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles And, by opposing, end them."
„Biti il' ne biti - to sad se pita: da li je većma dostojno u duši praćke i strele sudbe nasilničke trpeti, ili dići oružje protivu mora muka, pa se njima suprotstaviti i okončati ih.”
This monologue personifies Hamlet’s existential dilemma: being torn between thought and action, unable to choose between life and death. But his endless questioning raises yet another anxiety: is Hamlet’s madness part of a performance to confuse his enemies, or are we watching a character on the brink of insanity?
Ovaj monolog oslikava Hamletovu egzsitencijalnu dilemu: rastrzanost između razmišljanja i delanja, nesposobnost da odluči između života i smrti. Međutim, njegova beskrajna propitivanja povlače dodatni nespokoj: da li je Hamletovo ludilo samo predstava da se zbune neprijatelji ili posmatramo lika na ivici ludila?
These questions weigh heavily on Hamlet’s interactions with every character. And since he spends much of the play facing inward, he often fails to see the destruction left in his wake. He’s particularly cruel to Ophelia, his doomed love interest who is brought to madness by the prince’s erratic behavior. Her fate is one example of how tragedy could have been easily avoided, and shows the ripple effect of Hamlet’s toxic mind games.
Ova pitanja uveliko opterećuju Hamletove interakcije sa svim likovima. A kako provodi veći deo drame zagledan u sebe, često ne uspeva da vidi sopstvenu destruktivnost. Naročito je okrutan prema Ofeliji, njegovoj ukletoj simpatiji koja ludi zbog prinčevog nestalnog ponašanja. Njena sudbina je primer kako je tragedija mogla lako da se izbegne i pokazuje efekat domina zbog Hamletovih zaraznih mentalnih igara.
Similar warning signs of tragedy are constantly overlooked throughout the play. Sometimes, these oversights occur because of willful blindness– such as when Ophelia’s father dismisses Hamlet’s alarming actions as mere lovesickness. At other points, tragedy stems from deliberate duplicity– as when a case of mistaken identity leads to yet more bloodshed. These moments leave us with the uncomfortable knowledge that tragedy evolves from human error– even if our mistake is to leave things undecided.
Slični nagoveštaji tragedije se stalno zanemaruju tokom drame. Ponekad se ovi previdi dešavaju zbog svesnog negiranja - kao kada Ofelijin otac odbaci Hamletove zabrinjavajuće postupke kao puki ljubavni bol. Na drugim mestima, tragedija izrasta iz namernog udvajanja - kao u sličaju zamene identiteta koja vodi do dodatnog krvoprolića. Zbog ovih trenutaka nam ostaje neprijatno saznanje da se tragedija razvija iz ljudske greške - čak i kada je greška u tome što smo stvari ostavili neraščišćenim.
For all these reasons, perhaps the one thing we never doubt is Hamlet’s humanity. But we must constantly grapple with who the “real” Hamlet might be. Is he a noble son avenging his father? Or a mad prince creating courtly chaos? Should he act or observe, doubt or trust? Who is he? Why is he here? And who’s out there– waiting in the dark?
Zbog svega ovoga, možda je jedino u šta nikad ne sumnjamo Hamletova ljudskost. Međutim, stalno nas razdire pitanje ko je zaista Hamlet. Da li je on plemeniti sin koji sveti oca? Ili ludi princ koji stvara haos na dvoru? Da li bi trebalo da dela ili razmišlja, sumnja ili veruje? Ko je on? Zašto je tu? I ko je tu - ko to čeka u mraku?