Three distinct interpretations of the Shakespearean tragedy "Hamlet" are coming to Korea's stages in the coming months, showing that a timeless classic can still be made new.
Prince Hamlet is Princess Hamlet in the production by the National Theater Company of Korea, whereas Seensee's production directed by Sohn Jin-chaek and currently running at the Hongik Art Center turns to contemporary mise-en-scene for new inspiration. October will see yet another "Hamlet," directed by Shin Yoo-chung, performed at the Seoul Arts Center.
At the National Theater Company of Korea, director Pu Sae-rom proposed transforming Hamlet into a woman, and playwright Jung Jin-se adapted the script accordingly. As a gender-bending adaptation, the productions recast Hamlet as a woman but also adjusted the genders of the surrounding characters -- Ophelia is male and Horatio is female.
Challenging misogyny
The adaptation reimagines Hamlet as a princess -- a naval officer skilled in fencing and the rightful heir to the Danish throne.
“Shakespeare’s 'Hamlet' contains elements of misogyny and female belittlement that feel out of place today,” said Pu. “We changed Hamlet’s gender to eliminate these uncomfortable parts.”
For instance, Hamlet’s famous line condemning his mother’s hasty remarriage, “Frailty, thy name is woman,” has been replaced with, “The weak always lose out to the evil. Who are you, the evil one? What’s your name, the weak one? This palace is abysmal!”
“We weren't trying to jump on the bandwagon of gender experiments such as the genderless casting of actors. We naturally adapted it into a female Hamlet thinking about what contemporary audiences would like to see,” Jung added.
Originally slated to premiere in 2020 as part of the National Theater Company’s 70th anniversary celebrations, the production was postponed due to COVID-19 and instead streamed online. Nevertheless, actress Lee Bong-ryeun, who takes on the titular role, won the Best Actress Award in Theater at the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards the following year.
“We cast (Lee) because of her exceptional acting skills. She’s small in stature, but there’s a resilience and a fighting spirit in her performance,” said Pu.
Lee said, “It was like fate meeting ‘Hamlet’ because it’s not common for a female actor to imagine herself in this role. Performing it was a continuous challenge to my own prejudices about how Hamlet should be and what the character should be like.”
"Not all actors take on the role simply because it’s Hamlet," she said. "I chose this piece because the creative team assured me that the script would work regardless of Hamlet’s gender.”
Political drama highlighted
The adaptation places greater emphasis on the political nature of the story, reminiscent of a “Game of Thrones”-style bloody political drama.
Rather than Hamlet’s cousin Claudius murdering his brother for the throne, this version leaves the identity of the king’s killer very ambiguous. Osric, a courtier in the original, is reimagined as a lawyer leading the investigation into the king's murder, while the royal investigation committee’s press release conceals the truth and reflects only the interests of those in power. Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, is also revealed to have married Claudius out of strategic necessity to protect her and Hamlet’s position in the court.
“I wanted to highlight that no one is completely evil or good. We wanted to blur the lines between good and evil (even more)," Pu said.
Princess Hamlet exhibits a heightened ambition for royal power. Fueled by this drive, she pursues revenge for her father’s death with unwavering resolve, as encapsulated in her line: “A virtuous princess can do nothing, but a wicked princess can do anything.”
In contrast to the traditionally indecisive Hamlet, who is often portrayed as a visionary plagued by internal conflict, Princess Hamlet is propelled by a relentless quest for justice and personal ambition. In this context, the iconic “To be or not to be” soliloquy is transformed from a portrayal of inner turmoil to a declaration of her determination to seize the throne.
While the political drama is compelling, Hamlet's ambition overshadows the romance with Ophelia, making their relationship less heartbreaking.
The National Theater Company’s "Hamlet" runs at the Myeongdong Theater in Seoul until Monday. English subtitles are available on Sunday. The production then moves to Sejong Art Center in Sejong City and Suseong Artpia in Daegu, in August.
