We are now studying our second Shakespearean play in my Literature Class. We were doing Macbeth, and are now exploring Hamlet. I am familiar with both plays, and I admit they do have a certain entertainment quality, and can make one think on many levels, if one digs deep enough. I am not slighting the philosophical differences these works have made in the world, as they are very real.
But, COME ON people! Shakespeare is simply taken far too seriously. Has it NEVER occurred to people that most of these scenes are supposed to be FUNNY? Yes, they are tragedies, and yes, there are many sad parts, but these plays were written by an (at the time) little known playwright catering to a lower-class audience. I'm pretty sure he was less concerned about societal and spiritual ramifications of justice vs. revenge, then he was selling seats in the theater, and let’s be honest, the meaning of life rarely gets awesome sales, in any age.
Let’s take Hamlet for instance. He thinks, a lot. He talks to his fathers' ghost, and then he thinks. He reads for a bit, and thinks He consults his friends, and thinks. Then he... is captured by pirates? WHAT?
Of course, there is the dramatic poison scene at the end, in which there is a poisoned sword, AND a poisoned cup (apparently one or the other wasn't enough) and pretty much all the major characters die from this poison, even the one who knew it was there. I mean, how STUPID do you have to be? O, and lets not forget that the same poison that takes one guy out instantly, leaves Hamlet himself enough time for what seems like an eternity of dialogue. In what world outside of Shakespeare do we buy that?
Even some of the lines in Hamlet are funny. For instance, in the second scene, the wounded soldier comes in, and after talking for THREE PAGES, he mentions that he is bleeding all over the place and about to die, at which point they send for a doctor. I'm thinking "seriously? this guy stumbles in, dripping all over your shoes, and you detain his LIFE-SAVING SURGERY just so you can praise your main character?" Am I the only one who finds this comical?
In DragonRiders' World, the scene would read something like this...
King: O look, a dying soldier, lets go see how the battle went.
Soldier: Macbeth won valiantly, and his buddy was there fighting to, as was I. Apparently, I was almost killed.
King: How proud I am of Macbeth, who won without a scratch... (bla bla bla for a long time)
Soldier: Yep, he was great, but my organs are falling out, and I think I'll pass out now. (Faint)
King: O, we had better send someone into town, 4 hours away and get him some help, fast!
ROTFL.
Again, there is nothing wrong with Shakespeare, he wrote some great comedies, and some great tragedies, but can we lighten up a little, and see beyond the ego we have imposed upon the name Shakespeare. If this was something our best friend had wrote, would we really call it "the best literature of all time" or would we have an opinion more like "whoa, you tackle some deep issues, but your staging is lame."
Just a thought from the DragonRider. Until next time, study hard, love life, and never forget to laugh a little. 
