Chapter 15, The Secret Country

Ellen is referencing a scene in Shakespeare’s Hamlet wherein a guard challenges a currently unidentified figure, ordering them to reveal themselves.

One guard to another, Act I Scene 1:

Power: Nay! Answer me: stand and unfold yourself!

being serious though my source specifically is some sort of weird mix of the mark taper fourm production and also just. hamlet as written in the time period. This is honestly just a pitch most any production of hamlet, but for mine specifically just imagine the mark taper forum production but like in ye olden denmark with the same messages as the original hamlet.

uhm. for those who like tragedies, its literally called the tragedy of hamlet, prince of denmark. It’s got death !! It’s got ghosts !! It’s got very real shit in hamlets eleven something speeches (to be or not to be was so real for that)

a pitch most splendid! there is no shortage of hamlet to go around, with adaptations a plenty!!

mod was frankly unsure what images to add for a play, but luckily there are some paintings in the public domain of hamlet! including that famous ophelia from animal crossing new horizons /j

pascal dagnan-bouveret painting of hamlet visiting the graveyard, holding the skull of poor yorick i presume.

ophelia by john everett millais. looks like this one's the real deal.

ferdinand von piloty, of ophelia.

a sketch of a costume for hamlet (alfons mucha). and a frankly badass poster for hamlet (alphonse de neuville)

some beautiful illustrations of flowers mentioned in hamlet from the flowers of shakspeare (viola)

the original play is able to be read via the shakespeare library here!

Chapter 10, The Hidden Land

Ellen is referencing Hamlet, Act II Scene 2, addressing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern:

Hamlet. Gentlemen, you are welcome to Elsinore. Your hands, come! Th' appurtenance of welcome is fashion and ceremony. Let me comply with you in this garb, lest my extent to the players (which I tell you must show fairly outwards) should more appear like entertainment than yours. You are welcome. But my uncle-father and aunt-mother are deceiv'd.

Guildenstern. In what, my dear lord?

Chapter 10, The Hidden Land

A play on the famous line from Hamlet, Act II Scene 2, where Hamlet explains his plan to have the new King and Queen watch a play about similar treachery and scrutinize their reactions for signs of guilt:

Chapter 8, The Hidden Land

Ted is quoting the ghost of Hamlet’s father, Act I Scene V. This seems to be a case of an internal echo of word choice alone; there are no real similarities in circumstance: