Sunday, February 27, 2005

This Is How You Remind Me Of Hamlet So this year for the first time I'm teaching Hamlet.  Going well so far, perhaps even better than I hoped.  The only problem lies in that I've done so much studying of the play that it is warping my world view. Take for instance tonight.  iTunes was set to random and I'm just lying on the couch re-reading a couple of scenes from Act III.  Up pops Nickleback's "This Is How You Remind Me," because while I may have made fun of the band awhile back, I still kinda dig the song.  In fact, I've heard it many, many times -- yet tonight the song changed:  somehow I heard Hamlet singing the song. Now before you leave comments aluding to my partaking of too much beer this weekend, hear me out. If one takes a look at the lyrics to "This Is How You Remind Me," and thinks of them in the context of Hamlet, there are some clear parallels (lyrics in blue): Never made it as a wise man [Hamlet dropped out of college.] I couldn't cut it as a poor man stealing [Hamlet can't escape the fact he is a prince who fell in love with someone lower than his class (stole Ophelia's heart)] Tired of living like a blind man [Hamlet has been blind to all the corruption behind what has been rotten in the state of Denmark, and also blind to what his uncle has done.] I'm sick of sight without a sense of feeling [Hamlet knows what he must do, but lacks the motivation -feeling- to act and constantly beats himself up over it.] And this is how you remind me Of what I really am This is how you remind me Of what I really am [Hamlet is continually confronted by not only what he must do, but also by his own hypocrisies in regards to despising falsity (Hamlet pretends to be nuts, afterall)] It's not like you to say sorry [He is unapologetic in his treatment of others, especially Ophelia.] I was waiting on a different story [Waits until after the Mousetrap play to convince himself of his course.] This time I'm mistaken For handing you a heart worth breaking [Ties directly into Hamlet's animosity toward Ophelia and what he sees as her betrayal by allowing herself to be used as bait to draw him out.] And I've been wrong, I've been down, To the bottom of every bottle [Several times refers to the Danes' love of drinking, perhaps refering indirectly to himself, which would explain some of Hamlet's behavior.] These five words in my head Scream "are we having fun yet?" [Voices in his head -- need I say more??] It's not like you didn't know that I said I love you and I swear I still do And it must have been so bad Cause living with me must have damn near killed you [*cough cough* Ophelia *cough cough*] And then the song just repeats, further emphasizing the fact that Nickleback wasn't singing about some random love affair gone wrong, but instead alluding to the greatest work of drama the world has ever known. Wow.  Nickleback -- this generation's Bob Dylan. 9:52:47 PM     |

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© Copyright 2005 Alex L. Mauldin.