Jolly Rogers

I finally got around to watching a YouTube link sent to me by old friend Michelle Primeaux -- who was in a couple of shows for me, but has apparently permanently given up acting for rock and roll (theatre's loss is rock's gain). A fellow Bowie fanatic, she is as bemused as I, I would suspect, by this six-minute-long, in-depth overview of the history of the Thin White Duke's teeth:

And, much shorter, a classic clip of special guest star George Harrison appearing on Eric Idle's 1975 comedy show Rutland Weekend Television:

Enjoy.

Hamlet - A Timeline

When do the events of Hamlet occur in relation to each other? The play itself is often either self-contradictory or open to interpretation.

With cutting and deciding, you can come up with a timeline that works for your production. Maybe it's not necessary, but laying it all out makes you think about things that can seriously effect character and performance -- how long is Hamlet acting mad around Elsinore between the Ghost's visit and when he spooks Ophelia in her room? Has he seen Ophelia at all during that time? And so forth. What time of year is it? It seems to be really cold after midnight, but that's a good deal of the year in Scandinavia. Sunrise also appears to be happening about 10 minutes after midnight, so it must be Summer in Denmark (yes, I'm being facetious).

Because certain periods are open to interpretation -- Hamlet says his mother married Claudius less than two months after his father's death, but how long has it been since that marriage? -- you can choose what works for you and your production.

I decided, not entirely arbitrarily, to start the major events of the year the play takes place in (which, being a "20th-Century American" Hamlet, we have been calling "19XX") on the last day of Winter and end the play on the first day of Autumn. The play mostly takes place on four days during that period. Four very bad days, one in May, one in July, two in September. The first of which, I just realized, corresponds with today (I used 2007 as a model, datewise).


Berit and I hashed out this as the timeline for our production:


30 YEARS PRIOR TO THE YEAR OF THE PLAY (Y.O.P)

Prince Hamlet born to King Hamlet and Queen Gertrude

King Hamlet wins lands for Denmark in war with Old Fortinbras of Norway

New gravedigger and sexton appointed


23 YEARS PRIOR TO Y.O.P.

Yorick, the King's jester, dies


Tuesday, March 20, Y.O.P. (19XX)

King Hamlet dies suddenly in his garden, approximately 3.00 pm


Monday, March 26

Hamlet arrives in Elsinore from Wittenberg


Thursday, March 30

Horatio and Laertes (separately) arrive at Elsinore for Old Hamlet's funeral. Horatio is unable to see or speak with Hamlet for over 7 weeks as the Prince is secluded, mourning (or busy with "royal" business) - Horatio stays and keeps an ear to the ground, learning a bit of what is going on between Denmark/Norway (possibly he also does some visiting in his home country, sees his folks, whatever)


Friday, March 31

Funeral of Old Hamlet, followed by a week of mourning


Sunday, May 6

Queen Gertrude marries Claudius, who is also crowned King


Saturday, May 19

midnight - Ghost of Old Hamlet appears on battlements of Elsinore to Bernardo and Marcella for the first time


Monday, May 21 - THE PLAY BEGINS

midnight - Ghost of Old Hamlet appears on battlements to Bernardo, Marcella, and Horatio

11.00 am - public meeting, Claudius speaks to assembled, sends Voltimand to Norway, names Prince Hamlet his successor, "requests" that the Prince remain at Elsinore; Hamlet meets with Horatio, Bernardo, and Marcella, learns of Ghost, agrees to meet them that night

2.00 pm - Laertes leaves for France, Polonius tells Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet


Tuesday, May 22

midnight - King wakes and takes his rouse; Hamlet sees the Ghost of his father, is told his father was murdered by his uncle, has Horatio and Marcella swear not to tell anyone about the Ghost or say they know he's pretending to be mad


May 22 - July 15, 19XX (OFFSTAGE)

Hamlet acts increasingly odd around Elsinore, avoids seeing Ophelia, begins to worry everyone. At some point he tells Horatio what the Ghost said to him. The King and Queen send for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet's friends, to see if they can help.


Monday, July 16

10.00 am - Hamlet spooks Ophelia in her room

10.30 am - Polonius sends Reynaldo to spy on Laertes in France; Ophelia tells Polonius about Hamlet's visit

10.45 am - Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are welcomed by the King and Queen; Voltimand brings news from Norway; Polonius explains Hamlet's madness to Gertrude and Claudius, speaks to Hamlet alone; R&G meet with Hamlet, players arrive, Hamlet concocts plan re: play.


Tuesday, July 17

1.00 pm - Polonius and Claudius listen as Hamlet meets with Ophelia, abuses her - Claudius decides to send Hamlet to England, Polonius somewhat agrees, but wants to test Hamlet further.

7.45 pm - Hamlet lectures players about theatre, gets ready for the play, instructs Horatio to watch Claudius; King, Queen, et al. enter for play, Hamlet is unpleasant to Ophelia; play occurs, Hamlet as chorus, King insulted, leaves; R&G bring word that Gertrude wants to see Hamlet privately, then Polonius does the same, Hamlet leaves; Claudius dispatches R&G to take Hamlet to England as soon as possible, sends them away, is disturbed and prays, Hamlet watches, decides not to kill him, leaves.

8.30 pm - Hamlet visits Gertrude, abuses her, kills the hidden Polonius, sees his father's Ghost, drags off Polonius; Gertrude tells Claudius what has happened, he sends R&G to find Hamlet and the body.

9.00 pm - R&G catch up with Hamlet, bring him to Claudius, Claudius sends Hamlet to England.


Wednesday, July 18

just after dawn - Hamlet sees Fortinbras' troops crossing Denmark to Poland, speaks with Fortinbras' captain, leaves Denmark for England with R&G


sometime in late July to mid-September, 19XX (OFFSTAGE)

Laertes receives word of his father's death, goes on several day bender, begins to gather friends and other family allies for return to Elsinore

Hamlet's ship attacked by pirates, he is taken aboard their ship, makes his way, through them and other means, back to Denmark

Ophelia descends into madness

Denmark descends into chaos - Claudius and Voltimand unable to fully handle things with Polonius gone

Fortinbras conquers part of Poland and begins heading back towards Denmark


Tuesday, September 18

2.00 pm - Ophelia comes to the Queen, mad; Laertes arrives, is calmed down by Claudius; Horatio, Claudius and Gertrude receive letters from Hamlet saying he is nearby, Horatio leaves to join Hamlet; Claudius and Laertes concoct ridiculously and fatally (for them) complicated plan to kill Hamlet; Ophelia drowns herself.


Sunday, September 23

3.00 pm - Hamlet and Horatio come to Elsinore (via the graveyard), Hamlet disrupts Ophelia's funeral.

dusk - Horatio learns of Hamlet's sending R&G to their deaths; Osric tells them of the challenge from Laertes and the King's wager; the match occurs, death everywhere -- Gertrude, Laertes, Claudius, Hamlet all die (as well as others)

nightfall - Fortinbras enters Elsinore. The play ends.


I may go back and futz with this a bit, but I think this is how we'll be assuming it works. UPDATED 5/31/07 - There was an extra day in there we missed . . .