FIXING THE FATHER'S MESS IN HAMLET & ROGUE ONE
"O cursed spite / That ever I was born to set it right!" —What do Shakespeare’s Hamlet and “Star Wars: Rogue One” have in common that Hamlet and Disney’s “The Lion King” do not? (Hint: It's not about a "nunnery.") When “Lion King” opened (1994), one oft-quoted reviewer called it “Hamlet on the Serengeti.” It’s obvious: writers for the animated feature modeled their story after Shakespeare’s play. Shakespeare’s Hamlet begins with talk of the ghost’s appearance and soldiers wondering why Denmark is working so hard to prepare for war. The reason? Decades earlier, the king (Hamlet’s father) had slain Fortinbras, King of Norway, in single combat; now the fatherless son of Fortinbras is preparing an army to attack, take back the land, and avenge his father’s death. These soldiers may be among the first to die in such a war, so they have a right to ponder what their leaders are up to and who caused the mess. The play ends with Hamlet giving his “dying voice” i...