Modern Day Hamlet

If I were to imagine what "Hamlet" would be like in a different time and place, I would imagine what it would be like right now in Southern California. I would expect it to be a rich family in Orange County. In the family, there would be Old Hamlet and Gertrude in their 40s and Hamlet as a 16 year old boy. They own a lot of money that just gets passed down from generation to generation, laying on Gertrude's side. Old Hamlet's brother, Claudius wants the wealth so he tells Gertrude lies about Old Hamlet to get her to divorce him. After she divorces him, Old Hamlet, outraged at Gertrude and Claudius, moves away to New York to make money in the stock market. He gets no custody time with Hamlet. Claudius puts the moves on Gertrude to get her to marry him so he can secretly get all the wealth from the family. Claudius, Gertrude, and Hamlet live in a huge house with a tennis court in the backyard, while Old Hamlet lives in an apartment because he invested all his money in the stock market. When Hamlet finds out about what Claudius did, he becomes very angry and plots ways how to take revenge on Claudius and split up Gertrude and Claudius. Because he is only a teenager, he whines and complains a lot and doesn't get very much "relationship advice" respect from Gertrude. He becomes very dramatic and drama takes over the play instead of revenge.

Act 1 Scene 1 is where the guards along with Horatio and Barnardo await the ghost at midnight and finally see him. Now imagine in modern day southern california how this would translate out. Old Hamlet's old neighbors (friends of Hamlet's) live in New York and saw him walking by in Times Square. They couldn't believe it so they called Horatio and Barnardo, Hamlet's best friends from middle school, to come to New York to see if they could find him because he looked very troubled and different. So they flied out and they are waiting at Times Square late at night, when the neighbors saw him two nights previous. There are lights everywhere and because it is a weekend, the streets are filled, loud, and busy even though it is late at night. They finally see him, and they stop him. He tries to just ignore them and keep going but Horatio speaks up to stop him and asks questions like why are you here just like how in the play he says "what art thou that usurp'st this time of night" (1.1.54). Old Hamlet just stares at him finally recognizing him and only says "send Hamlet here." He then walks away and disappears into the crowd of people.

Later on, Hamlet will see his father and will be told to take revenge and sabotage Claudius and Gertrude's relationship. Does Hamlet succeed or doesn't he? Imagine for yourself the rest.