Lisa Klein on "Ophelia"

Folger Shakespeare Library: Shakespeare Unlimited

Folger Shakespeare Library

Arts

4.7 • 837 Ratings

🗓️ 25 June 2019

⏱️ 35 minutes

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Summary

Have you ever wanted to know more about Ophelia? What does she think about the events at Elsinore? What is her relationship to Hamlet? Whose account of her death should we believe? Shakespeare’s Hamlet leaves lots of questions about Ophelia unanswered. That’s where Lisa Klein’s Ophelia comes in. Klein’s 2006 YA novel approaches the events of Hamlet from Ophelia’s point of view, suggesting what might happen to her between the lines and scenes of Shakespeare’s play. Now, Ophelia is a major motion picture starring Star Wars’ Daisy Ridley as Ophelia and Naomi Watts as Gertrude. On the eve of the film’s theatrical release, we talk to Lisa Klein about her book and its heroine. Klein is interviewed by Barbara Bogaev. From the Shakespeare Unlimited podcast. Published June 25, 2019. © Folger Shakespeare Library. All rights reserved. This podcast episode, ““You Speak Like A Green Girl,” was produced by Richard Paul. Garland Scott is the associate producer. It was edited by Gail Kern Paster. Ben Lauer is the web producer. We had technical help from Andrew Feliciano and Paul Luke at Voice Trax West in Studio City, California, and Eric French at WOSU public radio in Columbus, Ohio.

Transcript

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0:00.0	If all there was to know about her was she was betrayed, she went crazy, then she drowned.
0:07.9	Would you want to know more? I would.
0:16.6	From the Folger's Shakespeare Library, this is Shakespeare Unlimited.
0:22.8	I'm Michael Whitmore, the Folgers director.
0:27.1	When it comes to Hamlet's Ophelia, those really are the headlines.
0:30.0	She's female. She knows Hamlet.
0:32.0	They might be close.
0:33.8	He kills her father.
0:35.6	She goes mad.
0:37.1	She hands out flowers. She dies. That was enough for Shakespeare,
0:40.9	but left Lisa Klein with questions. The author of the young adult novel, Ophelia, was inspired
0:47.3	to flesh out the character of Hamlet's maybe girlfriend and give readers something more. Actually,
0:53.9	a lot more, a childhood for Ophelia, nuanced
0:57.4	relationships with her father, her brother, the Prince of Denmark, and his best friend Horatio.
1:03.0	There's much more than that, but you'll have to read the book. Lisa Klein came into the studio
1:09.4	recently to tell us about writing the novel, which as of June
1:12.9	2019 is also a Hollywood film, with Daisy Ridley in the title role and Naomi Watts as both
1:21.3	Gertrude and an herbalist who, well, we won't give it away. We call this podcast, You Speak Like a Green Girl.
1:30.1	Lisa Klein is interviewed by Barbara Bogave.
1:33.0	I am always so frustrated watching Hamlet because I'm afraid they're going to present
1:38.0	Ophelia as this virginal pawn who's a bit dim to boot.
1:43.7	You know, I've seen enough of that. And I feel like it's as if
	...

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