The Power of Inquiry

The mentality of a man in captivity evolves in ways that may seem incomprehensible to a free man.  An interview that questioned the thought process of violent criminals in a high-security prison wanted to explore Hamlet through the eyes of incarcerated men.  However, the interview evolved into an existential realization for the prisoners.  One question that the interviewer raised in his sessions with the inmates particularly interested me: are we forever the prisoners of our actions? 

This American Life emphasizes that in modern times, we are always the prisoners of our actions as a result of the justice system.  What the prisoners and Agnes emphasize is that they are so psychologically affected by their actions, that they will forever live as prisoners of what they did.  The “palpable” feeling of remorse and discontent that Agnes describes is mirrored from Hamlet to the actors.  The only difference between the actors and the characters is that the actors— who aren’t Danish princes in a play— already made the decision to commit murder and can therefore relive the horror of what Hamlet is about to go through.  While questioning whether we are prisoners of our own actions can make for an exhaustive discussion about the nature of guilt, perseverance, and causality, the question transcends to a deeper philosophical spectrum when the people that are supposed to answer it are literally prisoners because of their actions— some of them for the rest of their lives.  The fact that some inmates know both the cause and the effect of murder makes it is easy for them to understand Hamlet’s indecision when pondering whether or not to kill his uncle.  

The podcast is interesting because it provides the listener with a new take on Act V of Hamlet.  The prisoners’ insight is interesting because they take the listener out of the context of the play and into a broader state of mind.  While I can almost certainly say that no one in my AP Literature class has committed murder, I can also ascertain that all students have done something that they regret.  Even if we didn’t have to go to jail for doing that abominable thing, we do have to deal with the guilt.  So, it is safe to say that Hamlet is a prisoner of his actions, so is “hutch,” so are you, and so am I.  The enormous chasm between Hamlet, a murderer and a high school student was erased by the power of a simple question.