I almost want Claudius to have touched Hamlet
On the arm
Just as he left
So that he sort of pollutes Hamlet’s body with his
Own befouled body.
This would make the choice to use “sullied” here
So – Right.
When often, “solid flesh” seems to make more sense in context.
Sullied solid
Solid sullied
Too too
Too too
Solid
Too too
Too too sullied
Flesh flesh flesh.
I got excited when I looked at the paper I carry with me
For the purposes of this exercise.
I pulled it out to write
This. . . what do we call it?
Spot of text?
A poem?
A – note?
Whatever –
I got excited. I said “ooh!”
Because this is the first line of Hamlet’s first soliloquy.
Now we’re cooking
Now he’s talking to us
We’re getting to the really good stuff now.
Flesh melting and thawing – becoming dew?
A word like “self-slaughter”?
Why don’t we use “self-slaughter” anymore?
“Suicide” sort of obscures itself in the word.
But we see suddenly why everyone feels so sure
Hamlet wants to die –
Because he bemoans that he can’t do it
The very first time he’s alone with us.
Right away.
He’s got to have a lot cooking under the words
Up to now in order to release into a desire for “self-slaughter”
And suddenly my desire to play this role
Lifts its head (it had been napping) and stretches its limbs.
(What is bubbling beneath in all the lines before? What is he Not saying?)
It wants to play it now.
It wants to explore it all.
The Hamlet Project 