Get Over It!

The scene begins with the king saying - 
Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death 
The memory be green, and that it us befitted
To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom
To be contracted in one brow of woe,
Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature
That we with wisest sorrow think on him
Together with remembrance of ourselves.
Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen,
Th’ imperial jointress to this warlike state,

Now If Act 1, Scene 1 is Denmark at night — cold, nervous, haunted — then Act 1, Scene 2 is Denmark in daylight — warm, ceremonial, confident, and polished.

And here’s the spine of this scene and the simple phrase that keeps coming back:
The court is telling Hamlet, with polite smiles and royal authority, “Get over it.”
And Hamlet is thinking, “I can’t. And I won’t. Because something is wrong.”

GEORGE:
Master Shakespeare, we begin with a ghost on the battlements — and then we jump into court ceremony and speeches. 

Master Shakespeare - how does the ghost begin speaking.

Ah, Mr. Bartley - My hour is almost come
When I to sulf’rous and tormenting flames
Must render up myself.
Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing
To what I shall unfold.

Well Master Shakespeare, why place these scenes back-to-back?

SHAKESPEARE:
Because the world is split, Mr. Bartley.
Night shows what day denies.

GEORGE:
Let me say that again in modern terms:
Scene 1 shows you the secret weather of Denmark.
Scene 2 shows you the official forecast of Denmark.

SHAKESPEARE:
Aye.

Transcript

Conversations with Shakespeare
Episode: Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 2 — “Get Over It” (How a Court Erases Grief)

GEORGE (opening narration):
Welcome back to Celebrate Creativity. This is another entry in my “Conversations with Shakespeare” series — an imaginative interview format used to explore what the play is doing.
 Because the world is a split Mr. Bartley  
Today we’re in Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 2.

The scene begins with the king saying - 
Though yet of Hamlet our dear brother’s death 
The memory be green, and that it us befitted
To bear our hearts in grief, and our whole kingdom
To be contracted in one brow of woe,
Yet so far hath discretion fought with nature
That we with wisest sorrow think on him
Together with remembrance of ourselves.
Therefore our sometime sister, now our queen,
Th’ imperial jointress to this warlike state,

Now If Act 1, Scene 1 is Denmark at night — cold, nervous, haunted — then Act 1, Scene 2 is Denmark in daylight — warm, ceremonial, confident, and polished.

And here’s the spine of this scene and the simple phrase that keeps coming back:
The court is telling Hamlet, with polite smiles and royal authority, “Get over it.”
And Hamlet is thinking, “I can’t. And I won’t. Because something is wrong.”

GEORGE:
Master Shakespeare, we begin with a ghost on the battlements — and then we jump into court ceremony and speeches. 

Master Shakespeare - how does the ghost begin speaking.

Ah, Mr. Bartley - My hour is almost come
When I to sulf’rous and tormenting flames
Must render up myself.
Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing
To what I shall unfold.

Well Master Shakespeare, why place these scenes back-to-back?

SHAKESPEARE:
Because the world is split, Mr. Bartley.
Night shows what day denies.

GEORGE:
Let me say that again in modern terms:
Scene 1 shows you the secret weather of Denmark.
Scene 2 shows you the official forecast of Denmark.

SHAKESPEARE:
Aye.

GEORGE:
And the official forecast is cheerful: “We’re stable, we’re fine, we’re moving on.”
But the audience has already seen Scene 1. So we don’t quite believe the forecast.

SHAKESPEARE:
And you should not.

George
Upon seeing the ghost Hamlet replies with
Angels and ministers of grace, defend us!
Be thou a spirit of health or goblin damned,
Bring with thee airs from heaven or blasts from
hell,
Be thy intents wicked or charitable,
Thou com’st in such a questionable shape
That I will speak to thee. 

Shakespeare
Act 1, Scene 2 begins with Claudius addressing the court. He speaks as the new king, and he speaks about three things right away:
the death of the old king,
his marriage to Gertrude,
and the political situation.
What’s he really doing?

SHAKESPEARE:
He is framing reality.

GEORGE:
Right. He’s shaping the story. He’s not just giving information. He’s instructing the court how to feel.

Let me paraphrase Claudius’s emotional message in a few different ways:

Paraphrase one:
“Yes, we lost someone… but we’re already past it.”

Paraphrase two:
“Yes, there’s grief… but keep it tidy. Keep it quiet. Keep it brief.”

Paraphrase three, blunt:
“Don’t linger. Don’t question. Don’t look at the timeline too closely.”

SHAKESPEARE:
And may I add - our bluntness is accurate.

GEORGE:
And right here I want to pause for something I’m going to call Court Translation — because courts love polished language, and polished language can be a velvet curtain. It looks nice while it hides the furniture.

So when Claudius speaks in this scene, here’s the meaning-for-meaning translation:

When Claudius says, “We’ve had grief, but we’re moving forward,” the translation is:
“Don’t look too closely at the timing. Don’t linger. Don’t ask questions.”

When he makes the marriage sound sensible, almost like a national necessity, the translation is:
“This wasn’t messy — this was required.”

When he sounds calm and fatherly, the translation is:
“I want you to feel safe under me — because safety makes people obedient.”

When he moves quickly to state business, the translation is:
“See? I’m competent. I’m legitimate. I’m the grown-up in the room.”

And then the biggest translation of all — the heartbeat of this scene:

When the court leans on Hamlet to stop mourning, the translation is:
“Your grief is inconvenient. Your grief is embarrassing. Your grief threatens the new normal.”

Hamlet isn’t being comforted.
He’s being managed.
They’re not saying, “We’re sorry.”
They’re saying: “Get over it.”

SHAKESPEARE:
A kingdom that hurries grief often has reason to fear it.


GEORGE:
Then Claudius turns to Norway and Fortinbras. He sends ambassadors, Voltemand and Cornelius, with letters. He’s doing diplomacy and procedure.

Why show us all this political machinery so early?

SHAKESPEARE:
Because evil may wear a crown and still run a kingdom well.

GEORGE:
Exactly. Let me underline that in a couple ways:

First: If Claudius were obviously ridiculous, we’d relax.
Second: You make him competent — and that makes him frightening.
Third, very plain: The danger is not chaos. The danger is organized calm.
So Denmark can look functional while still being rotten.
Laertes gets permission—court life runs on control

GEORGE:
Then Laertes asks permission to go back to France. Polonius supports it. Claudius grants it.
This looks like a small moment, but it’s a demonstration, isn’t it?

SHAKESPEARE:
A lesson in hierarchy.

GEORGE:
Let me translate that into everyday terms:

Version one: In this world, even leaving requires permission.
Version two: The private life of nobles is still controlled by the state.
Version three: Laertes moves smoothly because the system says “yes.” Hamlet is stuck because the system says “stay.”
In other words, Hamlet is pressured publicly—“Get over it,” dressed as etiquette

GEORGE:
And now the center of the scene. Claudius turns to Hamlet.
He asks why Hamlet is still visibly mourning. He challenges the grief. He shames it.
And Gertrude joins in — urging Hamlet to stop grieving and stay in Denmark.
Master Shakespeare, is it fair to say the court is telling Hamlet, in polite language: “Get over it”?

SHAKESPEARE:
That is the modern shape of the ancient pressure.

GEORGE:
So I’m going to restate this three times, because it’s essential:

Polite version:
“Hamlet, you’re taking grief too far.”

Blunt version:
“Hamlet, stop it. You’re making us uncomfortable.”

Brutal version:
“Hamlet, your mourning threatens the new normal. So your mourning must be shamed into silence.”

SHAKESPEARE:
Precisely.

GEORGE:
And here’s the thing: Hamlet isn’t just sad. Hamlet is being told that his sadness is socially inappropriate. That’s different.
Not comforted. Pressured.
Not held. Managed.

GEORGE:
Now I want to slow down and make something very clear for anyone listening who sometimes gets lost in this play.
Hamlet in this scene has two versions of himself.

Public Hamlet:
short answers, controlled, watched by power.

Private Hamlet:
alone, words pour out like a dam breaking.

SHAKESPEARE:
So it is.

GEORGE:
And I’m going to paraphrase Hamlet’s private mind three times — each time a little differently — because this is the emotional engine.

Paraphrase #1 (simple):
“I feel sick. I can’t believe this. Everyone is pretending everything is normal.”

Paraphrase #2 (moral shock):
“This isn’t only grief. It’s disgust. It’s the sense that values evaporated overnight.”

Paraphrase #3 (image):
“It’s like Hamlet walked into a house where someone died… and people are already redecorating. Smiling. Hosting. Acting as if the funeral was just an inconvenience on the calendar.”

SHAKESPEARE:
Harsh — and apt.

GEORGE:
Because Hamlet isn’t merely mourning his father.
He’s mourning the loss of decency.
And that’s why the “get over it” pressure is explosive:
You can’t tell someone to “get over it” when they feel reality itself has been violated.

GEORGE:
Master Shakespeare, Claudius: charming or chilling?

SHAKESPEARE:
He may be played either way, and still do his work.

GEORGE:
If Claudius is played as warm and reasonable, the scene becomes scarier — because the danger isn’t obvious. It’s polite.

If Claudius is played as cold and controlling, the pressure on Hamlet feels like a vice.

Either way, the function is the same:
Claudius is trying to make Hamlet’s grief look abnormal — so Hamlet becomes “the problem.”

Shakespeare
I tried to give that quality to many of the characters in my works.

George
Now Gertrude: comforter or accomplice?

Gertrude can be played as genuinely loving — she wants her son close, she wants him safe.
Or defensive — she needs Hamlet to stop grieving because his grief makes her feel guilty or exposed.
Or confused — not cruel, not evil, just desperately choosing comfort over truth.
And that’s why audiences argue about Gertrude:
the text leaves room.

Now Hamlet: quietly broken or barely contained?

Hamlet can be played as numb — grief heavy and quiet.
Or barely contained — every polite sentence is a lid on boiling water.

But no matter the performance choices, the constant remains:
people are telling Hamlet, “Get over it.”
and Hamlet’s soul is answering, “I can’t. Because something is wrong.”

GEORGE:
Let’s look further into the characters because Scene 2 is almost a courtroom. Everyone is testifying.

Claudius

Claudius is the official story.
He’s not just king. He’s a narrator. He’s saying:
“This is what happened. This is what it means. This is how we will feel. This is how long we will feel it. Now turn the page.”

SHAKESPEARE:
He would write history before it is understood.

Gertrude

Gertrude is the voice of “Please, can we not do this?”
And sometimes that’s tenderness, and sometimes it’s self-protection.

Polonius

Polonius is the court’s “reasonable language.”
He sounds wise. Proper. Useful.
But much of his wisdom serves the system, not the soul.

Laertes

Laertes is what functional court life looks like: ask, receive permission, move on.

Horatio

Horatio is the lifeline. A friend, a witness, a steady voice.
He doesn’t arrive with propaganda. He arrives with a report.

GEORGE:
Now: hy this scene matters. 
1) Public story vs private truth

The court presents a polished narrative; Hamlet experiences a lie.
Denmark has public relations for emotions.
Image: It’s like the kingdom has a press secretary for grief.

2) Claudius is dangerous because he’s competent

He looks calm, effective, legitimate.
Restatement: Evil isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s organized.
Image: A well-run office with poison in the coffee.

3) Hamlet’s grief is also moral revulsion

Hamlet’s inner speech is disgust and shock.
Restatement: He’s not only sad; he’s nauseated.
Image: Clean clothes thrown over a body that was never washed.

4) The ghost becomes political

Point: A walking dead king threatens the new king’s legitimacy.
Restatement: The ghost is evidence, not atmosphere.
Image: A witness returning to the courtroom.

5) The scene launches action

Point: Horatio tells Hamlet about the ghost; Hamlet decides to meet it.
Restatement: Emotion becomes a plan.
Image: Hamlet finally has a direction to walk — toward the night.

GEORGE:
And then comes the hinge. Horatio enters, with the guards from Scene 1. And he tells Hamlet they saw the ghost.

This matters because Hamlet’s dread stops being purely internal.

It’s not only “Hamlet is emotional.”
It’s not only “Hamlet is dramatic.”
Something external has happened.

SHAKESPEARE:
Precisely.

GEORGE:
And Hamlet reacts immediately. He doesn’t treat it like gossip. He locks onto it.

Let me paraphrase Hamlet’s shift:

Before Horatio:
“I’m trapped in this fake court.”

After Horatio:
“There might be truth outside this room.”

So the scene ends with a promise: tonight Hamlet goes to the battlements.

Which means the court’s “get over it” speech is not the end of grief.
It’s the beginning of investigation.

GEORGE (narration):
Before we close, a quick recap in three forms, so nobody is left behind.

Recap #1 (short):
Claudius: “We’re stable.”
Gertrude: “Be normal.”
Hamlet: “I can’t.”
Horatio: “Your father’s ghost is walking.”
Hamlet: “I’m going tonight.”

Court: “Get over it.”
Hamlet: “This is rotten.”
Friend: “You’re not crazy. Something is out there.”

Daytime Denmark is a banquet with smiling faces.
Nighttime Denmark is a battlement with a dead man in armor.

GEORGE So that’s Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 2.

A smooth king.
A queen who wants calm.
A court that wants stability.
And a young man who refuses to pretend stability is the same thing as truth.

And if Scene 2 had a slogan, it would be: “Get over it.”
But Hamlet’s inner reply is:
“I can’t get over it because it isn’t over.
Because the truth is still out there — walking, waiting, insisting.”

Now here’s what’s coming next, and why it matters:

Act 1, Scene 3 shifts us into family advice and private manipulation — Polonius with Laertes, Polonius with Ophelia.
It’s the daytime world again, but in a different room — a world where love gets fenced in by warnings, rules, and control.

And then, in Act 1, Scenes 4 and 5, we return to the night.
Hamlet meets the ghost.
And whatever the court tried to bury with etiquette… comes back with a voice.

Shakespeare
But back to scene two - hamlet ends the scene alone on stage by saying
All is not well.
I doubt some foul play. Would the night were come!
Till then, sit still, my soul. Foul deeds will rise,
Though all the earth o’erwhelm them, to men’s
eyes.

GEORGE:
Master Shakespeare — thank you.

SHAKESPEARE:
Good night, sir George. And trust not the smiles of those who would hurry grief.

Now before I conclude, I would like to give you a brief outline of what each episode regarding Hamlet will hopefully cover - basically acting as a roadmap to where we are going in following episodes.

Where we are + what changed since last scene
Plot walk-through (slow, clear, no cursory skipping)
Character functions (what each person is “doing” dramatically)
Translation Corner (polite court language → blunt meaning)
Performance Corner (how staging/acting choices change the feel)
Repeat-and-clarify recap (short / blunt / image)
Closing teaser (what the next scene will do to the pressure)

There's certainly no need to try and memorize or remember the elements of the road map, but I just wanted to show you that I hopefully am giving a bit of a structure to what can be a very complicated play - but a drama which is often considered one of the greatest works ever written

Sources Include:  The Norton Complete Works of William Shakespeare, The Essential Shakespeare Handbook, Asimov’s Guide to Shakespeare: A Guide to Understanding and Enjoying the Works of Shakespeare by Isaac Asimov, Shakespeare: The Invention of the Human by Harold Bloom, Shakesfear and How to Cure It, by Dr. Ralph Cohen, Shakespeare’s Characters for Students, edited by Catherine C Dominic, Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare by Stephen Greenblatt, and ChatGPT four.

Thank you for listening to celebrate creativity and conversations with Shakespeare.