language, Stoppard employs an intriguing technique that sets his plays apart. In this particular production, he invents an entirely new dialect—Dogg. Initially, this language might appear as a whimsical jumble, yet through character interactions, Stoppard reveals the deliberate curation of his lexicon. At times, seemingly innocuous English words morph into sharp insults or crude slang in Dogg. A vivid illustration of this occurs inDogg's Hamlet, when Easy attempts the polite greeting, "Afternoon, squire," to his boss, Dogg. However, according to Stoppard's translations, in Dogg, this innocuous phrase translates to "Get stuffed, you b—." Enraged, Dogg seizes EASY’s lapels with a menacing grip. Easy, baffled by such hostility, grows increasingly perplexed when later, Dogg storms over upon seeing the wall Baker and Abel constructed with lettered blocks. Though "MATHS OLD EGG" seems benign, Dogg's repeated, furious reaction implies these words bear a hidden offense in Dogg:

EASY surveys the wall. EASY glances at Dogg. EASY smiles with innocence. DOGG delivers a playful slap on EASY’s cheek. EASY opens his mouth to protest. DOGG delivers a forceful cuff to the opposite cheek, shattering the wall as EASY tumbles through it.

Humor

As illustrated, Stoppard deftly crafts scenarios where linguistic misunderstandings birth comedic moments, a motif he skillfully threads through Dogg's Hamlet. The humor takes another form in the abridged rendition of Hamlet, a play nestled within the play. Though the actors recite Shakespeare's words verbatim, the tragedy’s essence morphs into comedy due to abridgment and the actors’ unfamiliarity with the language. When Baker and Abel, portraying guards, rehearse their lines, Stoppard’s stage directions emphasize their detached delivery, voicing the words without a hint of emotion. Furthermore, the accelerated pace of the Hamlet scene invites laughter. Abel declares, ‘'’Tis there. (Gesturing stage left),’’ while Baker counters, ‘'’Tis there. (Pointing stage right, their arms crossing comically).’’ This approach reaches its zenith during the encore, condensing Hamlet into mere minutes. Stripped of its context, the rapid-fire tragedy becomes a string of disjointed quotes: "GERTRUDE: I am poisoned! (Falls lifeless) / LAERTES: Hamlet, thou art slain! (Falls lifeless) / HAMLET: Then venom to thy work! ... Slays CLAUDIUS.’’

In Cahoot's Macbeth, humor thrives through divergent means, notably via the inspector's dialogue, whose unwitting comedic remarks stem from his misunderstandings. When the inspector queries Cahoot for a statement, Cahoot recites from Shakespeare's Macbeth: "Thou hast it now: King, Cawdor, Glamis, all / As the weird sisters promised.’’ The inspector, fixating on "weird sisters," quips, "Kindly leave my wife's family out of this.’’ In another instance, the inspector angrily demands the actors perform solely for him, only to swiftly pivot with a genial, "(Returning to his seat, addressing the audience) / So sorry to interrupt.’’

Juxtaposition

Stoppard's plays abound with juxtapositions that begin with their very architecture. The first play, instructional in nature, educates both Easy and the audience, paving the way to comprehend the subsequent political narrative. Moreover, Stoppard juxtaposes the contemporary prose dialogue typical of modern dramas against the lofty Shakespearean verse of Hamlet and Macbeth. Similarly, the playful Dogg language stands in stark contrast to English, and it is this clash and the ensuing miscommunication that fuel much of the comedic flair in the initial play.

Late 1960s to Late 1970s: The Iron Grip of Communism

Throughout the late 1960s and into the late 1970s, a somber cloak of communism, tightly woven by the Soviet Union, enveloped numerous Eastern European nations, including Czechoslovakia.

Today: The Lone Communist Giant

In the modern world, China stands as the singular significant bastion of communist ideology.

Late 1960s to Late 1970s: The Prague Spring and Its Aftermath

The Prague Spring marked a fleeting yet vibrant resurgence of creativity and social change in Czechoslovakia, offering a momentary escape from the shackles of prolonged communist oppression. However, this blossoming was swiftly crushed under the weight of a Soviet military intervention, leading to a harsh censorship of Czech literature and art.

Today: A New Era of Expression

Today, the once-unified Czechoslovakia has transformed into the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, where both nations savor a newfound liberty in artistic expression.

Late 1960s to Late 1970s: The Vietnam Conflict

The United States, during this era, waged a protracted war in Vietnam, driven by an urgent desire to thwart the spread of communism across Asia.

Today: The Fight Against Terrorism

In contemporary times, the United States finds itself entrenched in conflict in Afghanistan, a battleground in its effort to combat the global menace of terrorism.

Sources

Berkowitz, Gerald M., Review of Dogg's Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbeth, in Theatre Journal, Vol. 32, No. 1, March 1980, pp. 117-18.

Doll, Mary A., ‘‘Stoppard's Theatre of Unknowing,’’ in British and Irish Drama since 1960, edited by James Acheson, Macmillan Press, 1993, pp. 117-29.

Gill, Brendan, ‘‘Stoppard's Shakespeherian Rag,’’ in New Yorker, Vol. LV, No. 35, October 15, 1979, pp. 147–48.

Londré, Felicia Hardison, ‘‘Stoppard, Tom,’’ in Contemporary Dramatists, 5th ed., edited by K. A. Berney, St. James Press, 1993, pp. 636-40.

Nightingale, Benedict, ‘‘Git Away,’’ in New Statesman, Vol. 98, No. 2522, July 20, 1979, pp. 104-05.

Otfinowski, Steven, The Czech Republic, Facts on File, Inc., 1997, p. 37.

Rusinko, Susan, ‘‘Chapter 10: Minor Stage Plays,’’ in Tom Stoppard, Twayne's English Authors Series, Twayne, 1986.

----, ‘‘Chapter 11: Political Plays,’’ in Tom Stoppard, Twayne's English Authors Series, Twayne, 1986.

Stoppard, Tom, Dogg's Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbeth, in The Real Inspector Hound and Other Plays, Grove Press, 1998.

Further Reading

Fleming, John, Stoppard's Theatre: Finding Order amid Chaos, University of Texas Press, 2001.
Fleming offers the first book-length analysis of Stoppard' s plays in almost a decade, taking an extensive look at Stoppard's three newest plays—Arcadia, Indian Ink, and The Invention of Love. In addition, the book gives a thorough overview of Stoppard's career and studies some of Stoppard's previously unpublished works.

Havel, Václev, and Karel Hvizdala, Disturbing the Peace: A Conversation with Karel Hvizdala, Vintage Books, 1991.
Havel, a former playwright, helped lead the struggle against Communism in Czechoslovakia and became president of the Czech republic. This book collects a series of interviews that Hvizdala conducted with Havel and offers an in-depth perspective of his experiences.

Kipfer, Barbara Ann, The Order of Things: How Everything in the World Is Organized into Hierarchies, Structures & Pecking Orders, Random House Reference, 1998.
Although technically a reference book, this eclectic and comprehensive information guide offers an engaging look into how everything in the world follows a specific order or structure. Kipfer is a language guru known for her thesauruses.

McCrum, Robert, William Cran, and Robert MacNeil, The Story of English, Penguin USA, 1993.
This highly accessible book, the companion to the PBS series of the same name, offers an in-depth, illustrated view of how English evolved into the language it is today. It is a great overview for those interested in the rich linguistic history of English.

Wittgenstein, Ludwig, Philosophical Investigations: The English Text of the Third Edition, translated by G. E. M. Anscombe, Prentice Hall, 1999.
Wittgenstein's philosophical writings influenced a number of writers and academics, including Stoppard, who based Dogg's Hamlet on one of Wittgenstein's investigations. In addition to language, Wittgenstein investigates the concepts behind objects, categories, symbols, sensations, and other aspects of the human experience.