Hyperion to a Satyr: Act 4, Scene 7 – Ophelia’s Death

Hyperion to a Satyr – The Fire and Water Podcast Network’s Hamlet Podcast – continues 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 even a rock opera. In Act 4, Scene 7, Part 2, Gertrude describes Ophelia’s death.

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 a clip from that film, starring Ray Fearon; the 2009 Hamlet, starring David Tennant; and the 1980 Hamlet, starring Derek Jacobi.

Bonus clips: Hamlet 1996 by Kenneth Branagh, starring Julie Christie; Hamlet 1948 by Laurence Olivier, starring Eileen Herlie; Hamlet 1980 by Rodney Bennett, starring Claire Bloom and David Robb; Hamlet 1990 by Franco Zeffirelli, starring Glenn Close; Hamlet 2000 by Michael Almereyda, starring Diane Venora and Liev Schreiber; Hamlet 2007 by Alexander Fodor; Hamlet 2009 by Gregory Doran, starring Penny Downie; and “La Mort d’Ophélie” by Johnny Hallyday.

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One response to “Hyperion to a Satyr: Act 4, Scene 7 – Ophelia’s Death”

  1. Great episode as always! I meant to post about this earlier, but I always wondered if the bawdy turn her songs take when she is losing her mind are triggered by Claudius entering the scene. When it’s just Ophelia and Gertrude, she sings of sadness to someone else who has lost a loved one, but as soon as Claudius enters the scene, the songs turn sexual. Given who Claudius is and Polonius’ ambitions, I always wondered if Claudius didn’t take advantage of her at an earlier point.

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