tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4733360219698179744.post9142436119129591257..comments2023-05-07T11:42:23.109-04:00Comments on Bad Shakespeare: SOA Fridays: The Supernatural Element Bad Shakespearehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11041488050989009297noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4733360219698179744.post-61963686660682535592022-05-29T12:10:41.718-04:002022-05-29T12:10:41.718-04:00This would be an inherited role. John Teller, Jax&...This would be an inherited role. John Teller, Jax's biological father, was the original visionary. His testament, ("The Life and Death of Sam Crow: How the Sons of Anarchy Lost Their Way"), is passed down to Jax. Who then inherits the consequences of that vision.Severin!!https://www.blogger.com/profile/16788063470326697611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4733360219698179744.post-81575826449703915852022-05-29T11:56:26.397-04:002022-05-29T11:56:26.397-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Severin!!https://www.blogger.com/profile/16788063470326697611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4733360219698179744.post-24919685345133380172022-05-29T11:47:28.381-04:002022-05-29T11:47:28.381-04:00Fans of the series that are exploring the possible...Fans of the series that are exploring the possible metaphysical and mythic symbolism in it, may also be interested in the following, (which occur in the same cemetery scene dealt with in this post.)<br />When we see Jax waking up in the cemetery, he is seated before a tomb that has the name "Patmos" inscribed on it. Patmos was the island that John was exiled to, when he wrote the Book of Revelations. <br />In this same scene, a song is playing in the background, where "John the Revelator" is part of the lyrics. During all of this, we see Jax sitting before the grave of his father, and wrestling with his role as as a possible redeemer of the SOA. So, we have some messianic connotations here, as well as the suggestion of Jax as a kind of apocalyptic visionary. (That is to say, an apocalypse of a personal nature. The end of the world of the SOA.)Severin!!https://www.blogger.com/profile/16788063470326697611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4733360219698179744.post-19248524618143630172022-05-29T11:28:18.413-04:002022-05-29T11:28:18.413-04:00The ambiguity that the play has is not in the real...The ambiguity that the play has is not in the realm of whether or not the ghost actually appeared, but in what the nature of the apparition was. <br />While it is confirmed by Claudius' actions and words that he did murder his brother, whether or not the ghost is actually that of Hamlet's father is what remains in doubt. And, how long its manifestation actually continues, after the initial (and very real) appearance it puts forth in the first act of the play. (Again, the scene with the nightwatchmen and Horatio firmly establishes that the apparition was real. This is reiterated when Hamlet goes to meet with the ghost, and the same men accompany him. Here to, the reactions of the watchmen and Horatio, verifies the appearance of the apparition.)<br />There is that scene, later in the play, where it appears, and only Hamlet sees it. It's possible that the author of the play did intend this to suggest that by this point, whatever the ghost is, it has now become a kind of obsessing figure in Hamlet's consciousness. <br />The issue of who or what the ghost is, and what it represents within the context of the play, is very much subject to debate. This is highlighted by both Horatio and Hamlet expressing the concern that the spirit might not be the genuine ghost of Hamlet's father. That it might be some sort of malevolent entity, that possesses secret knowledge of human actions and motives. And, whose purpose is to use that knowledge to undermine Hamlet's sanity.Severin!!https://www.blogger.com/profile/16788063470326697611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4733360219698179744.post-74210550588287954522022-05-29T11:06:31.082-04:002022-05-29T11:06:31.082-04:00Interesting analysis. But I disagree with the auth...Interesting analysis. But I disagree with the author on one crucial point about the Shakespearean Hamlet. The supernatural element is not always ambiguous. The author's comment about how only three persons see the ghost in the beginning, and how their reliability is questionable... that is completely off base. There is nothing in the dialogue to suggest that the nightwatchmen were unreliable. Furthermore, the other witness to that event is Horatio, a dear friend of Hamlet. Horatio is portrayed consistently as level headed, and very grounded in reality. Yet he himself attests to Hamlet, the reality of what he witnessed. <br />The idea that the supernatural element in the play is speculative, has come about from the prejudices of the modern era. We regard the supernatural as an antique of outdated belief. Therefore, it's not all surprising that so many productions of, and so many commentaries on Hamlet, attempt to minimize or efface the supernatural elements of the play.Severin!!https://www.blogger.com/profile/16788063470326697611noreply@blogger.com