Wednesday 8 July 2020

Benny Andersen: 'Ham Hamlet'

that man hamlet


Hate that man Hamlet
have always hated him
forget about Polonius
and other court puppets
but his dirty trick with Ophelia
an angst-ridden lifted forefinger
get thee to a nunnery Ophelia
that’s no way to treat a woman

He met honesty with simulation
met tenderness with suspicion
met love with politics
combatted rottenness with duplicity
evil with baseness
preferred to believe a ghost
rather than his own mother
was only fully himself when holding a skull

He drove you insane Ophelia
I’ll never forget you Ophelia
There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance
will always love you
will always hate that man Hamlet
have hated him since my earliest boyhood
know what I’m talking about
know him from myself
to be
or not to be
a scumbag

he chose scumbag
he chose fear
he feared happiness
he killed off Ophelia
I’ll never forgive him
will always hate that man Hamlet


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