Politics and Theatre

Abstract

The plot and action of Hamlet include dramatization of dilemmas of sovereignty, patriarchy, supernatural forces, political strategy, political violence, regicide, kinship, popular sovereignty—all forms of power and modes of conduct which are juxtaposed and intertwined. This chapter focuses on the play’s treatment of the theatrical nature of politics, and the way that the play can be interpreted as an exemplification of political theatre, treating as it does contemporary allusions to matters of succession and legitimate rule, in particular the rights and wrongs of women and power. The plot of a theatrical performance as a device to reveal wrongdoing raises the more general question of uses of theatre for political purposes.