Review of Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, Reviewed by Beverley

 'My Words fly up. My thoughts remain below. Words without thought. Never to heaven will go.'

King Claudius, in Hamlet.

Speak from your heart. Lead from your heart.

There is a copious amount of knowledge from Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601.

The tragedy befell the characters in this play, reflections of our own lives, all because of envy, rage and revenge. Had King Claudius not been envious of King Hamlet in his position, he would never have plotted to kill his very own brother.

If King Claudius had not been filled with such untamable lust towards Queen Gertrude, his sister-in-law, neither he nor the Queen would have wiled their time in plotting to kill King Hamlet.

Envy and revenge are such forceful elements. They appear and disappear in our lives like the sun, wind, moon and stars. They're almost seasonal and are triggered when we are at our most vulnerable, weakest and desperate of places.

We have lived through it, we have experienced it and we have partaken of it.

This is a real scenario.

A dynamic, enterprising and innovating individual joins an organisation and the moment this person does so, a new light appears. The person proposes positive change and the entire establishment witnesses a shift after years of monotony and pointless meetings.

Within the organisation though, are those who have been part of it for long and they have enjoyed the status quo because it has given them an unlimited sense of bravado, only because the members were too afraid or too exhausted to propose anything new. 

It is therefore unsurprising that when this new individual steps in, the members' hearts are filled with gladness and lightness. A leader with a people mindset, has come to create history. They are delighted. Their energy is restored. They are enamoured by the courage and genuine empathy and leadership of this new individual.

The former leaders who have enjoyed the status quo, filled with envy and towering rage, are contemptuous at the thought that their false security and the intimidation that they had ruled with is coming to an end. They have been treating the organisation as if it is their own little family hub. They then plot together and start a series of acts of revenge, poisoning the minds of everyone against this new charismatic individual. 

In the tragedy Hamlet, it is the seed of envy that caused unspeakable deaths, either by poison or by the sword. The tragedies rippled one after the other, just like what happens when a a glass breaks. The pieces scatter and become a potential danger to those around.

The moment you start acting upon your envy, you become a danger to those around.

We have all been envious. Most of us are able to check it. Others are too contemptuous to even acknowledge it.

This charming individual continues in their pursuit of excellence, mostly unaware of the repugnant behaviour of others, or is too busy to consider it. This person's mission is to revolutionise. Their mission is to strategise. Their mission is to lead with positive influence. These people are unflappable, unstoppable. It is better for everyone to just either sit by and watch or join their crusade of diligence and virtue.

And of course, read Hamlet.

Bless!

Beverley N Nsengiyunva