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Importance of the Players and Their Play within
Hamlet
by Barry Wright
Essay: Importance of the Players and Their Play within Hamlet
Pages: 10
Rating: 3 stars
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In Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, the players and their play emphasizes the importance of theatre and its’ power.
The players arrive in Act2 Scene2. They are announced by a flourish of trumpets, which is the usual occurrence
upon the arrival of actors, yet, this is the second time in the scene we have heard such a grand entrance, the first
being that of the King and Queen at the start of the scene, therefore a similar feeling of importance is evoked for
the players Immediately.
Hamlet himself welcomes them with great warmth and ‘entertainment.’ He has great admiration for these people
and their lifestyle, which has the freedom from duties and of expression that Hamlet lacks. Through them we see
him explore role-play and word-play in a way which he himself cannot, in Shakespeare’s use of Hamlet as our
guide to the world of theatre, and as an overly contemplative avenger.
Already, in Act2 scene2, we see that Hamlet is conceiving plans and deception, as he warns of his contrived
madness:
“I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.” (2, 2, 374-5)
and so we see that he is already taking on some of the wiles of a player in order to conceal his true ideas, posing
as a madman.
Later in the scene we see Hamlet trying to gain further some affinity with the players, promoting a speech from
the first players, prompting a speech from the first player, which refers to the attack on troy. Shakespeare has used
Marlowe’s Dido as his source and manipulated it to create greater relevance to ‘Hamlet’ and Hamlet who is
mirrored by the character Phyruss, who is made more of a dark thinker than rash avenger, reflecting back to our
first images of Hamlet in his ‘inky cloak.’
Yet, Hamlet plays...
Yet, Hamlet plays...