Prison Hamlet

Prison Hamlet

Prison grounds would be the last place anyone would expect people to appreciate the genius works of Shakespeare. Yet, it turns out to be the one place where the actors can fully take on the characters roles emotionally. They all knew what it was like to ponder and feel guilt after a crime. They could take on their roles in first person.

The majority of these prisoners come from very rough backgrounds where being the meanest and toughest guy was what helped them to survive in their environment. These are people who most likely lack a good education. It is fascinating how one woman, Agnes, could get them to interpret and understand Shakespeare’s genius work of Hamlet. It is difficult to get a class of educated wealthy teens to appreciate Shakespeare, and much more a group of emotionally and psychologically broken down prisoners. When one of the prisoners talks about taking upon the role of the ghost and feeling the words as if the man he killed, William Pride, was talking to him it was very emotionally striking. The prisoners could also reflect on themselves and how they had changed while rehearsing the play. It was almost therapeutic, and better than any psychological practices they had been exposed to. The prisoners realized that they were no longer the criminals they used to be, and that they deserved their punishment even though they knew they were changed men. They matured.

Jack Hitt, the narrator also went through an interesting moment with the prisoners as he began to read their files and discover their crimes. He had developed bonds with the prisoners so it was shocking to discover how bad the crimes were that they had committed. He knew they were changed men because he had been working and creating friendships with them, yet there was something still very unsettling about discovering the darkness in their treacherous past.

Upon listening to the pod cast it becomes obvious what the audience is supposed to grasp from the story. To really understand and become the character you are interpreting, you have to place yourself in that characters scenario. You have to tap into your feelings from your past and use it to portray the characters emotions and expressions. The prisoners were able to come in touch with a part of them that they probably didn’t know was still there. These are men who have been dehumanized. They were losing their ability to come in touch with their sentiments. They were losing their passion for life. Interpreting the play made them feel human for the short time they were rehearsing. The feeling James Word describes having when he was praised for his performance almost restores faith for these men to get better. It the prisoners feel like they were something more in society than just the man the world could look down on.