Hamlet appropriation: The simpsons hamlet scene
About the Simpsons
The Simpsons is the title of the 22 year old, extremely successful animated sitcom created by the American Matt Groening, and produced by Gracie films for the Twentieth Century Fox. It features funny yellow skinned characters who represent social stereotypes. The main character are the members of a typical American family, living in the village of Springfield - site of a nuclear power plant. This family consists of Marge, her husband homer, their three children - Bart and Lisa, who are in school, and a little baby Maggie. Besides being very popular, The Simpsons is also culturally strong. Te cartoon has even been used to exemplify and uncover the insightful reflections on the many aspects of American society. The Simpsons have also been attracted to Shakespearean literature, in which the texts have been appropriated and represented in a satirical way to retell the Shakespearean text, and also make it entertaining for the average viewer, although the high level of satire and paradoxical nature of the appropriation does at times ridicule Shakespearean literature, and make the plays endings seem stupid. An example of the Shakespearean appropriation in the Simpsons would be the episode "Tales of public domain", in which the 3rd segment of the episode, covers the story of Hamlet.
Scientific context
This appropriation was created in the 21st century. The context of this time with regards to science has changed dramatically. Science now plays a major role in an individuals livers, as opposed to the time in Shakespeare. Most people have basic scientific knowledge, and belief in the supernatural has decreased. Many people prefer science over religion, especially in the context of the Simpsons, as this satirical sitcom attacks all aspects of society in the comedy, including religion. It has become a widely accepted belief that humans were created through the process of evolution, and the idea of creation has decreased, especially in western society. Therefore, the consequences of ones actions have changed. In the time of Shakespeare. Consequences including hell and being haunted by ghosts. whereas, in our context, things have change, and the Simpsons are able to use the supernatural, such as hamlets ghost, to make satirical statements and criticisms and jokes.
religious context
The dawning of the 21st century heralds a dramatically declining membership in mainline Christian churches across the western world. As congregations age, there are few younger people interested in filling the pews and participating in traditional forms of worship and church life. The religious context between both the original Hamlet and the Shakespearean hamlet have changed dramatically. modern western society is governed by a secular state. As opposed to the monarch, ruling under a religious authority at the time of Shakespeare. This results in a massive difference in the two texts. for example, on the Simpsons episode, Hamlet makes jokes at the dead ghost of his father that approaches, and actions such as Hamlet's mothers affair with his uncle are not seen as being as treacherous as they were during the Elizabethan era. In addition, Hamlet makes jokes relating to the supernatural, during the time of Shakespeare, people would have been afraid of the supernatural, and such jokes would strike fear in the heart of the audience, whereas, nowadays, such things are used in comedy and society has weak belief surrounding it and therefore is not as afraid.
Philosophical Context
In modern times, philosophy has advanced a large amount as compared to previous times. People have access to all the philosophical opinions of the past, and the field of philosophy has received a large amount of attention, with many modern day philosophers. The Simpsons also includes many philosophical references, as it criticizes and addresses the issues in society in a satirical manner. Many of the characters in the Simpsons come to represent different philosophers over time. Homer Simpson is compared with Aristotle, and Bart is compared with Friedrich Nietzsche. Homers appeal is seen as universal as he speaks about fundamental conflicts about what gives human pleasure. The Simpsons also has many philosophical statements, also relating to religion, for example, homer feels guilty for not going to church, while Ned Flanders experiences tragedies, despite following the bible closely. In addition, Lisa is used to criticize and represent views surrounding American anti-intellectualism. This is seen in the Hamlet episode, where she supports the reading of the book, claiming it is interesting, while Bart finds it old and boring. Maggie also seems to have a philosophical aspect, she represents the sound of silence, while Marge is the voice of Moral motivation.
Economic context
Shortly after the Simpsons was first airing, America entered an economic boom. The 1990s economic boom in the United States was an extended period of economic prosperity, during which GDP increased continuously for almost ten years, the longest recorded expansion in the history of the United States. It commenced after the end of the early 1990s recession in March 1991, and ended in March 2001 with the start of the early 2000s recession, it was remembered as a time of strong economic growth, steady job creation, low inflation, rising productivity, and a surging stock market that resulted from a combination of rapid technological changes and sound central monetary policy. However, eventually America entered into a recession, and the 9/11 attacks further ruined the economy. The Hamlet Simpsons episode was released shortly after the beginning of this recession.