Shakespeare and Possibility: The Tragedy of Hamlet and the Sistine Madonna

Thursday, March 14, 2024 12:00 pm EST

Shakespeare and Possibility continues with the 13th Annual Notre Dame London Shakespeare lecture, delivered by Margreta de Grazia, Emerita Rosenberg Professor of the Humanities at the University of Pennsylvania. Her books on Shakespeare have drawn attention to the belatedness (and inadequacy) of concepts that have been key to the study of Shakespeare (and literature more generally). These range from the apparatus of the modern editorial tradition (Shakespeare Verbatim [Oxford, 1991]), to the psychologizing of Hamlet (Hamlet without Hamlet [Cambridge, 2007]), to the chronologizing, periodizing and secularizing of the Shakespeare canon (Four Shakespearean Period Pieces Chicago, 2021]). Her most recent book, Shakespeare without a Life (Oxford, 2023), focuses on our current preoccupation with Shakespeare’s biography, an interest not shared — as her book argues – by the first two centuries of Shakespeare’s readers. She has also co-edited two Cambridge Companions to Shakespeare with Sir Stanley Wells, 2001 and 2010.

The Notre Dame London Shakespeare Lecture in Honor of Professor Sir Stanley Wells started at the London Global Gateway in 2012. Envisioned as a celebration of a scholar of world renown, it is also a venue for students on the London program and members of the public to meet leading academics and theatre practitioners and hear about their work.

Past guests include eminent academics – Ann Thompson, Lois Potter, Russell Jackson, Michael Dobson, Peter Holland, Carol Rutter. We have had the pleasure of hearing distinguished theatre practitioners, both actors and directors – Judi Dench, Simon Russell Beale, Nicholas Hytner, Dominic Dromgoole, Gregory Doran.

Part 3 of Shakespeare & Possibility, a lecture titled “The Tragedy of Hamlet and the Sistine Madonna,” provided listeners with a thought-provoking exploration of the intersections between faith, art, and literature. Vittorio Montemaggi, Academic Director at the Notre Dame London Global Gateway, and Boika Sokolova, author of “Shakespeare’s Others in 21st Century European Performance: The Merchant of Venice and Othello” graced listeners with a powerful introduction, setting the stage for Emerita Rosenberg Professor of the Humanities at the University of Pennsylvania Margreta de Grazia to delve into the rich thematic tapestries woven by the tragedy of Hamlet and Raphael’s Sistine Madonna.

The lecture captured the attention of a diverse audience, appealing to enthusiasts of Shakespeare, Renaissance art, and philosophical discourse. It commenced with de Grazia reflecting on the impact of German idealist post-Kantian thought on Coleridge, particularly during her time at the University of Göttingen. This segued into a broader discussion on the historical shift of focus from the soul to the mind in psychology, a shift mirrored in the enigmatic character of Prince Hamlet. de Grazia argued that Hamlet’s infamous delay and his ensuing psychological struggle encapsulate a universal dread of mortality and the enigmatic beyond. It was suggested that in the character of Hamlet, the audience witnesses a transformation from the tragedy of the soul to one of thought, marking a pivotal evolution in literary introspection.

Further delving into the notion of context and re-contextualization, de Grazia compared the journey of Raphael’s Sistine Madonna from its original sacred space within a church to the secular walls of a gallery. She posed a critical question: should such works be restored to their initial spaces of enchantment and sanctity? This question aligned with a central theme of the lecture: the implications of displacing art and literature from their original religious or spiritual frameworks.

Throughout the lecture, authenticity in the representation and performance of Hamlet surfaced as a recurring theme. When an audience member expressed reservations about the contemporary trend of gender-blind and age-blind casting in productions of Shakespeare, she suggested that while it is essential to distinguish between what should happen theoretically in criticism and theater, one must also acknowledge and tolerate what works in practice on the stage, demonstrating a nuanced approach to the art of theatrical interpretation.

Boika Sokolova, teaching Shakespeare at Notre Dame London, brought valuable insight into the lecture by discussing the vitality of Shakespearean education and the passion of the scholarly community at Notre Dame London for community engagement and social justice. Moreover, her highlight of the situation facing Ukrainian academics illustrated the lecture’s global awareness and connection to current events. Furthermore, the introduction of Margareta de Grazia as an influential voice in Renaissance studies and Shakespearean textual analysis enriched the conversation, pointing to the importance of editorial practices in shaping our understanding of Shakespeare’s plays.

In addressing the crossroads of religion, art, and disbelief, de Grazia explored the possibility of reconstructing belief systems without genuine devotion and the capability of language to illuminate different cultural contexts. These musings tied back to the overarching inquiry regarding the reception of Renaissance artworks in re-contextualized settings, and whether the secularization of such pieces could or should be reversed.

The philosophical and theological ponderings of major German thinkers like Hegel, Nietzsche, and Benjamin on Raphael’s Sistine Madonna further illustrated the lecture’s depth. The tour de force evidence of cultural transformation after the migration of the painting from church to gallery examined the complex relationship between sacred objects and their secular appreciation in modern contexts.

Simultaneously, de Grazia examined the transitions within “Hamlet,” suggesting a potential shift from tragedy to deep introspection within the play itself, challenging the audience to consider the extent to which reliance on certain modes of thinking might marginalize the sacred. The character of Hamlet’s soliloquy, “To Be or Not to Be,” came under the lens as a reckoning with the afterlife and a marker of existential crisis. de Grazia noted the emptying of meaning from the soliloquy over time and Schlegel’s influential translation, which emphasized internal thought at the expense of theological considerations.
The lecture wrapped with heartfelt gratitude for an enlightening discussion that not only interrogated the realm of Hamlet’s psychological battle and the sanctity of Renaissance art but did so in a way that animated the eternal questions of human existence and spirituality.

Influence of German Idealism on Understanding Hamlet:

Coleridge’s engagement with German idealist post-Kantian thought shaped his interpretations of “Hamlet,” particularly the emphasis on individual consciousness and self-reflection which is evident in Hamlet’s soliloquies and his internal moral deliberations.

Shift from Soul to Mind:
The transition in psychological focus from soul to mind is mirrored in Hamlet’s deep self-awareness and introspection, which becomes the driving force of the play, illustrating the emergence of modern concepts of individual psyche.

Universal Fear in Hamlet:

Hamlet’s delay can be seen as an embodiment of the human apprehension about mortality and the afterlife, a theme that creates a universal connection with audiences across time due to its fundamental existential concerns.

Parallel Transformations:
The relocation of the Sistine Madonna to a gallery echoes the thematic shift of “Hamlet” towards a secular interpretation, showing how relocation and recontextualization can alter the intended spiritual experience of both works.

Re-sacralization Debate:
The discussion surrounding the return of “Hamlet” and the Sistine Madonna to their original, sacred contexts raises questions about the preservation of historical and religious significance versus the accessibility and evolution of art and literature in the modern era.

Productions of Hamlet and Authenticity:
With various interpretations brought forward in different productions, the lecture suggests that authenticity may be subjective, and each production brings its own insights and resonances to the play, reflecting its enduring complexity and versatility.

Secularization of Art:
The secularization of the Sistine Madonna reflects a broader trend of renaissance art being removed from religious settings, which in turn affects contemporary interpretation and connection with the piece.

Experience of Art in Modern Contexts:
The modern reception of historical works can never fully replicate the experience of their original audiences due to the myriad changes in societal, cultural, and aesthetic perceptions over time.

Impact of Critical and Translation Approaches:
Schlegel’s translation and interpretation of “Hamlet” demonstrates how the filter of a particular critic or translator can significantly influence the thematic focus and philosophical implications of a literary work.

Understanding Hamlet’s Soliloquy in Context:
Exploring the original religious and philosophical undertones of Hamlet’s “To Be or Not to Be” soliloquy can lead to a richer, more nuanced understanding of the character’s existential crisis, compared to interpretations that prioritize a more humanistic or existential reading.

Shakespeare’s Impact on Community Engagement and Social Justice: “Shakespeare plays an increasingly important part in how Notre Dame seeks to contribute to significant debates in the academy and beyond, not least around questions of community engagement and social justice.”
— Vittorio Montemaggi [00:00:27 → 00:00:40]

Supporting Ukrainian Academics in Conflict: “Their days often start at the crack of dawn, through their hands pass tons of medicines, clothes, food, all necessary for the soldiers on the front line. These same hands then write lecture notes, grade student papers, publish academic work, all this while their homes are being bombarded and their hearts battered by loss.”
— Boika Sokolova [00:03:49→00:04:15]

The Majesty of Religious Art: “The communicants, the Mass, for the painting overlooked the high altar, the most sacred place in the church, where Christianity’s principal rite was performed, the Eucharistic sacrifice, the propitiatory offering of Christ’s flesh and blood in the form of consecrated bread and wine.”
— Margreta de Grazia [00:13:02 → 00:13:21]

Artwork Relocation and Historical Changes: “In the middle of the 18th century, after almost 250 years over the San Sisto high altar, the painting is moved north to Germany, from image loving Catholic Piacenza to the Royal Palace in Protestant Dresden. In 1754, August the 3rd, the Elector of Saxony and King of Poland purchased the painting from the Benedictine friars and had it transported north over the Alps from the small church to the Royal Picture Gallery.”
— Margreta de Grazia [00:20:38 → 00:21:05]

Renaissance Masterpiece Perception Shift: “In the transfer from the church to the gallery, the painting changed not only provenance but also status, no longer an object of devotion. It was now a work of art inspiring not faith in God but admiration in the artist Raphael.”
— Margreta de Grazia [00:22:51 → 00:23:01]

Translation and Interpretation of Shakespeare: “In Schlegel’s translation of ‘Tis a consummation devoutly to be wished’, there is no hint of the Vulgate’s consummatum est when he translates consummation with Tio, as you see there, a word connoting a goal.”
— Margreta de Grazia [00:39:14 → 00:39:30]

The Human Desire for More Time: “Think of every man summoned to appear for his final reckoning without delay or any tarrying, but still pleading for more time, a long respite he asks for.”
— Margreta de Grazia [00:46:21 → 00:46:32]

Transformation of Art and Context: “In the process, both works transform, the one from an object of veneration to a work of art, the other from a tragedy of the soul to a tragedy of thought. In both cases, they lose their otherworldly coordinates.”
— Margreta de Grazia [00:48:11 → 00:48:25]

The Tragedy of Thought vs. The Sacred: “to what extent could, if we take that shift as inherent in the play itself, perhaps, take the play, even today, as an invitation to analyze something about ourselves that can perhaps help recover, if not the full range of the sacred, at least call into question the extent to which we do over rely on a certain kind of thinking at the expense of the sacred.”
— Margreta de Grazia [01:01:10 → 01:01:27]