Just Saw The Most Brilliant Version Of Hamlet I’ve Ever Seen, And While I’ve Already Gushed About

just saw the most brilliant version of hamlet i’ve ever seen, and while i’ve already gushed about it to everyone in earshot, i have to talk about Ophelia’s death more. the way this production did it permanently changed how i view the scene, and god it’s good.

in the text, Ophelia sings her songs, hands out her flowers, says good bye, and leaves. Gertrude follows and returns later with the news that Ophelia has drowned. She describes a beautiful image to Laertes of his sister, floating in a river, singing her songs, with flowers all around her (see: my pfp). Beautiful even in death.

but in this production I just saw? Gertrude lies. we get to see the truth of Ophelia’s death. it’s not a beautiful thing, but ugly, clawing, sobbing, drinking, and “drowning” her sorrows in alcohol and pills. And only Gertrude knows. and she spins a tale of comfort, telling Ophelia’s brother of her beauty, making her last moments seem peaceful and perfect.

as women, dragged through the story, expected to be beautiful and perfect, I think perhaps Ophelia and Gertrude found a bit of themselves in each other. I think Gertrude knows pretending to be beautiful and perfect all too well. that she too finds herself in the ugly, sobbing moments. that we see her in these moments. but she knows how to smooth things over and make them look beautiful. so she does.

I always found it interesting how Ophelia was beautiful in death. how her final scene finally let her break and be something other than perfect and graceful, but then her death was beautiful. but if it’s a lie? well, that changes everything. and i love it.

WAIT! WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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the scream i let out my favourite creepy sailor is back

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aquirkynerd

1 year ago

no because I'm gonna fantasy high analysis, spoilers for the most recent episode of junior year (EP 9)

so we all know the rat grinders are clear bad kid parallels. this is a thing that's well known and pretty obvious.

and buddy dawn is a parallel of Kristen. he's what she used to be, what she almost was if it wasn't for the bad kids and her experiences and her strength to leave helio. he's condescending and smiles too much and pretends to drink to be cool, but everyone knows it's just water. he's ready to talk about helio, to spread the good word, hes proper and polite and cordial but with the underlying condescension of a boy raised under horrible ideals.

but even more heartbreaking to me is that there's another kristen parallel. because lucy frostblade is also a kristen parallel. both of them have gods who others perceive as negative. winter and sorrow, mystery and doubt. the two go hand in hand. but each of them wants to worship in a way that's helpful, that's kind and caring and deeply human, despite only one of them being "human." warmth, not despite the cold, but because of it. safety, not despite the doubt, but found within it. at their core, they're both deeply kind, caring, struggling teenagers. they want to do the right thing, but they're trying to grapple with religious changes and paperwork and life in general.

and both lucy and kristen have a deep connection to nameless gods. dead gods, ones who maybe they could have saved if they just tried a little harder. they've both come face to face with death. kristen got a second chance, a third chance, as many as she needed. lucy didn't have that luxury.

if kristen hadn't changed from helio, hadn't had her journey of love and acceptance and discovery, maybe she would be a buddy dawn, standing in the corner of a party and judging everyone there for living their lives wrong, always on the outskirts.

but maybe she'd be a lucy frostblade, beaten down, bruised, brutalized, just for loving in a way that people couldn't accept. for caring too much. for being too kind.

because at kristens center has always been a girl who wants to make friends, to keep them safe, to heal and save and bring light.

after all, mortals are made to keep each other warm.

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aquirkynerd

3 months ago

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aquirkynerd

1 year ago

Reblog if you are okay with people giving you lots of boops!

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aquirkynerd

1 year ago

I’ve said it before and I will say it again: you can call Fantasy High a magic version of The Breakfast Club all you want, but Fantasy High is ACTUALLY a magic version of Lemonade Mouth