In article <FsqdnfzdJrk4I5PVnZ2dnUVZ_uydnZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
"Steven L." <sdlitvin@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Joseph Nebus wrote:
> > The Conscience of the King
> > The Plot:
> > Kirk suspects the leader of a Shakespearean troupe is Kodos the
> > Executioner, presumed dead for 20 years. (Tivo)
>
> I think one thing that you missed, was that the plot of the episode
> itself was cleverly structured to be parallel to Shakespeare's "Hamlet".
> And with the Karidian players performing Hamlet aboard the U.S.S.
> Enterprise, we had a play within a play:
>
> Kirk ==> Hamlet
> Dr. Leighton ==> The Ghost
> Lenore Karidian ==> Ophelia
> Kodos ==> Claudius
> Anton Karidian ==> Polonius
>
> Like Hamlet, Kirk is wrestling with whether to act against Kodos ("to
> be, or not to be"). Like Hamlet, Kirk arranges for a play to be staged
> to expose the murderer. But the play that Kirk arranges is Hamlet, so
> we end up with a play within a play within a play!
>
> So the plot of the episode roughly parallels the plot of Hamlet.
And of course, there's the additional reference that the title of the
episode is from a well known line from the play: "The play's the thing,
wherein we'll catch the conscience of the King." Which describes what
Kirk/Hamlet do in their respective stories.
--
Barry Margolin, barmar@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
MA
*** PLEASE don't copy me on replies, I'll read them in the group ***
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