In the theatrical tragedies, ‘Hamlet,’ and ‘Death of a Salesman,’ the writers engage with both external surveillances, as a method of scrutiny and control, as well as a characters’ own internal surveillance of their sense of self. Hamlet is imprisoned in the Danish court, and the quotation above comes from Claudius’ observation of Hamlet’s melancholy could have dangerous implications, and he aims to spy on him. This essay will utilise Bentham’s panopticon theory to evaluate how Hamlet’s feigned madness may serve as an escape from Claudius’ surveillance and allows him to carry out his revenge. Similarly, the pressures of the American Dream crush Willy Loman’s self-worth, engendering his extreme criticism of himself as well as his son, Biff. I believe that both the Danish court and the emerging capitalist society of the late 1940’s serve as Bentham’s ‘visible and unverifiable’ guard tower and the social control that has a psychologically asphyxiating effect on the protagonists, who are desperate for freedom.
As illustrated in the quotation above, Hamlet’s mental state is represented as a subject of scrutiny to the Danish court. Thus, it can be argued that Claudius and his supporters represent the guards in the watch tower; constantly spying on Hamlet, who occupies the role and space of the prisoner. In Act Two, Scene Two, Hamlet refers to the world as a ‘prison’ with many ‘confines, wards and dungeons, Denmark being one o’ the worst.’ From this quote, one can observe that even early in the play, Hamlet is consciously aware of how he is constantly under the surveillance of the court and how even the closest of friends are spying on him. This renders Hamlet mentally and psychologically isolated with nobody to trust; a vulnerable position for the prince, who is already suffering from grief and melancholy from his father’s death and mother’s betrayal prior the play’s exposition. Later, Hamlet’s fear unravels as Claudius states that the court’s collective espionage will enable him to watch Hamlet behaving without a façade and help understand his true intentions: ‘seeing unseen’ to ‘frankly judge,’ and argues that ‘madness’ ‘must not unwatched go.’ Here, Claudius is the embodiment of the guard in the panopticon, utilising surveillance as a means of social power to condemn the individual who threatens the structure of the court. Nevertheless, as the play continues, I argue that Hamlet begins to feign madness and an ‘antic disposition’ in order to fool Claudius’ panopticon, rendering his surveillance useless. This adheres to Treilhou-Balaudé’s argument that Shakespeare’s plays frequently explore ‘the failures or dysfunctions of surveillance.’ As Hamlet starts working on his plan of revenge, he sought to wear an ‘antic disposition’ as a shield to conceal him from scrutiny. Interestingly, Hamlet’s strategic madness is reflected in his use of riddles, puns, and imagery, as Wolfgang H. Clemen argues that he would ‘betray’ this protective façade if he used ‘open, direct language.’ When he defends his irrational behaviour to Laertes. ‘Hamlet denies it…His madness is poor Hamlet’s enemy.’ Here, Hamlet suddenly deflects his previous victimisation of the court’s scrutiny, and instead blames his own ‘madness’ as being his one, true ‘enemy.’ Therefore, I argue that subsequently, Claudius’ court let their guard down on finding Hamlet’s ‘melancholy’s dangerous intentions and turns their surveillance to his ‘madness’, which functions as an alibi.
Interestingly, Shakespeare utilises illeism to illustrate how Hamlet seeks to emotionally distance himself from this new, separate, dupe of himself whom he consciously created to fool everybody at court who had previously been spying on him. This strategic use of syntax echoes Hamlet’s strategic ‘antic disposition’, meaning that his true thoughts and plans of revenge will remain undetected to everyone but himself. Therefore, I believe that Denmark goes from being Hamlet’s prison, to his stage, as his acting enables him to ultimately find the truth and gain freedom from the ‘confines’ of the panopticon. Alternatively, in ‘Death of a Salesman,’ the American Dream has a similarly isolating and emasculating effect on Willy Loman, and he proceeds to internalise its pressures and expectations until it corrupts his coherent sense of self. In the 20th century, Michel Foucault extended the panopticon model, and in his book ‘Discipline and Punish,’ states how the prisoner becomes the ‘principle of his own subjection’ and the guard’s surveillance becomes internalised. This can be illustrated with the character of Willy Loman, as he embodies the watchguard of his own financial success, and when he doesn’t meet this inculcated objective of the American Dream, he punishes himself for it. In the 1940’s America, it was believed that a man’s own financial failure was his own fault for not working hard enough. Throughout the play, Willy recites his long-held ‘well-liked’ speech and beliefs as if it was a mantra or religious prayer, and he repeats this in the play to supress his subterraneous shame and guilt. This is somewhat like Hamlet’s ‘antic disposition,’ as Willy may believe that if he puts on a façade and deceive himself well enough for long enough, he can evade his own surveillance of his failed success.
Nevertheless, throughout his life, Biff Loman has been under his father’s constant surveillance of meeting unrealistic expectations, and thus develops a weak sense of identity and self-esteem. Willy repeats the shallow quote ‘be liked and you will never want’, to Biff as if it was a religious doctrine and it becomes ingrained in his son’s mind. When Biff experiences poor financial success and doesn’t become a football player, he internalises his father’s disappointment. Willy bequeaths false ideals and fragile self esteem unto his children as if it was a hereditary disease and unescapable. Unlike his father, Biff has a moment of self-realisation. ‘I even believed myself that I’d been a salesman for him’ and acknowledged he had been living a ‘ridiculous lie’. Biff is a victim to Willy’s surveillance, and this caused his dependency on how others think about him rather on his own self-worth. In conclusion, both plays engage the theme of surveillance in different ways, but ultimately reveal that it has a detrimental effect on the character’s individual agency to think, speak and act. Where Hamlet is able to fool the panopticon by directing the court’s scrutiny from his true intensions to his deceptive madness, the internalised surveillance in ‘Death of the Salesman’ is more destructive to the intrinsic self. Simultaneously, the effect of the American Dream instigates Willy’s unrealistic expectations of Biff, which sabotage any chance of either of their financial successes. Surveillance grants power to the observer and victimises the observed, and often it is impossible to escape, such as the Loman’s, who are controlled by surveillance capitalism.
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