Hyperion to a Satyr: Hamlet Act I, Scene 1

Hyperion to a Satyr - The Fire and Water Podcast Network's Hamlet Podcast - starts Siskoid's scene-by-scene deep dive into Shakespeare's masterwork, discussing the text, but also performance and staging through the lens of several films, television, comics and music adaptations. In Act I, Scene 1, the Ghost of Hamlet's father appears to some soldiers and Hamlet's school friend Horatio. Just what is happening in (and TO) the State of Denmark?!

Listen to the episode below or subscribe to Hyperion to a Satyr on Apple Podcasts or Spotify!

This podcast is a proud member of the FIRE AND WATER PODCAST NETWORK:

Credits:

Theme: "Fanfare" from 1996 Hamlet, by Patrick Doyle, with clips from that film, starring Ray Fearon; the 1980 Hamlet, starring Derek Jacobi; and the 2009 Hamlet, starring David Tennant.

Bonus clips: Hamlet 1996 by Kenneth Branagh, starring Ray Fearon, Ian McElhinney, Jack Lemon and Nicholas Farrell; Hamlet 1948 by Laurence Olivier, starring Olivier, Esmond Knight; Hamlet 1980 by Rodney Bennett, starring Paul Humpoletz and Robert Swann; Hamlet 2000 by Michael Almereyda, score by Carter Burwell; Hamlet 2009 by Gregory Doran, starring Ewen Cummins; and "Overture" and "Prologue" by Johnny Hallyday.

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10 responses to “Hyperion to a Satyr: Hamlet Act I, Scene 1

  1. Exact time is definitely not the point with the play. Hamlet should actually probably take place somewhere in the mid viking age however it takes place in the kingdom of Denmark so the earliest it could be is late viking age. However most things events places point to it being in the late 14th century early 15th century. But the problem with all of this is that the school that Horatio goes to doesn’t exist until 1502. With what was happening between Sweden and Denmark in the 1500s the war footing could make sence but then other aspects don’t work. After all that the fact that the sun is rising in the middle of the night instead of more like 9:00 in the morning at that time has to be Shakespeare just don’t care. People are like shakespeare you ok there? And the bard is like :”When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw”

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  2. Brilliant first episode! Siskoid is truly to the manner born and was meant to host this show. Ii love the use of multiple decades of representation of Hamlet, which underscore its timelessness.

    I began my teaching career in 2000 and used the Ethan Hawke Hamlet in my sophomore curriculum for years. My students loved the movie and were especially fond of Bill Murray’s Polonius. It eventually became a bit dated and I switched to select scenes from Branaugh’s version to augment our reading, but hearing the base heavy music from it in your show brought back great memories. My students hated Hamlet at the start and by the end of the unit all had images of him and Ophelia on their MySpace pages (they would show these to me and it always made me smile).

    Love this show! Keep it coming, good sir!

  3. I suppose “How real the ghost is” is the real question. I have always in the back of my mind thought “Well if your father comes back from the dead and tells you to do something you DO it” Of course i’m coming from standpoint of a guy who was very close with my father and who’s father’s ghost is more likely to tell me to go to law school than kill my uncle.

  4. A great first episode, and I’ve seen a lot of the adaptations you cover. I’m particularly happy you included Slings & Arrows, as it’s one of my favourite TV series.

    A friend of mine says of the casting of Jack Lemmon, etc that the big actors were cast for “maximum exposure with minimum damage”.

    I often use Olivier’s “this is a tragedy of a man who could not make up his mind” line when referring to a reductive, asinine take on something.

    I guess that you didn’t have access to National Theatre’s filmed version of Hamlet with Benedict Cumberbatch, but honestly I’m not sure the people who made it had access to Shakespeare’s text. Or rather they did, but the text with serious printing errors.

    Will you be covering the different versions of the text ie: sullied vs solid flesh as time goes on?

    1. I saw it in a movie theater, but don’t have perpetual access to it. I’ll let you know my one-paragraph opinion when I do a feedback section at whatever point.

      I don’t mention every possible permutation between folios/versions, but some, yes, especially when they cause a change in interpretation.

  5. Incredible first episode. I call shows like this a full meal. You really have outdone yourself with the breakdown of all of this, very very impressive.

    I am a big fan of Hamlet (although I like Macbeth more). Love the play. Love the Branagh movie. Like the Olivier one. Don’t like the Zeferelli one (everyone seems to be trying too hard … ‘I’m ACTING!’). Haven’t seen the others … frankly have avoided the Hawke one although this first episode has me more intrigued then ever. It is clear you have a deep love and understanding of the play and it shows in how infectious the show is. I really liked it.

    For me, the ghost is real in places, and a convenient excuse for characters to see and do what they want in others. But each reading and watching I flipflop myself of when it is truly there.

    Really can’t wait for more!

    1. No, I think you’re correct. The ghost is real in certain instances, but Hamlet might imagine him in later instances. But it’s the beauty of a problem play that the inconsistencies can breed richer interpretations.

  6. Siskoid, this is a great show. I’m learning a lot already. It’s been many years since I read or saw Hamlet. Unsurprisingly, I was more into Julius Caesar back then.

    One question came to mind as you were discussing how the host of the network’s Jane Eyre podcast inspired this: Have you considered teaming up with her to cover A Streetcar Named Desire? I think the “Stella” jokes alone would be worth it for me, Tim Price, and Dr. Anj.

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