Inmate Hamlet

The version of "Hamlet" performed by the Missouri East Correctional Institution is meant to make inmates get in touch with themselves. It is a type of getting-to-know-yourself-to-heal-the-soul activity, and the truth is that the actors easily identify themselves with Hamlet's inner conflict. My opinion is that while these people assimilate to the themes on a semi-literal level, I recognize that the sub-cutaneous conflict exists everywhere. I do not know anybody who makes decisions without first considering them, even if for an instant. The choice does not always define the life of another, but it always leads to a different course in one's destiny. Hamlet's conflict is based on the acceptance, or lack, thereof, of revenge. Other choices can sprout from different emotional experiences, like envy or greed. Everyone experiences these inner battles, and the war's victor will define everything.