Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had stern comments for Great Britain regarding their policy in dealing with certain figures who oppose Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a lengthy speech, Lavrov invoked Shakespeare’s Hamlet in discussing, among other things, the poisoning death of Alexander Litvinenko. Litvinenko made worldwide news when he was poisoned by Polonium.

The author of the article noted the irony of its name in comparison to the character of Polonius in Hamlet; in truth, it is a derivation of Poland, the homeland of its discoverers, the Curies. Still, the article alludes to an intriguing question: what Shakespearean play would be a good model for foreign diplomacy? This is especially challenging because in the plays featuring monarchs, much of the drama centers around political discord or uneasy foreign relations. Hamlet is a perfect example of this issue–which may explain why some are troubled by Lavrov’s use of it. Throughout the play, its title character is far more concerned with mommy and daddy issues than the governing of his country. As a result, Fortinbras sweeps in at the end of the play and takes over with almost no opposition. Perhaps A Midsummer Night’s Dream would be a better model. While the King and Queen’s tempers often get the better of them, at least the play ends with the relatively peaceful coexistence of fairies and humans.

Posted Thu, 06 Sep 2007 16:33:57 and filed under Hamlet, Politics. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.