Inspecting Shakespeare: Gertrude | Act 4 Scene 7 | "Hamlet"

Kicking off our second Inspecting Shakespeare series, Abigail Jackson dives into the world of Hamlet Prince of Denmark and examines the beautiful, tragic, and mysterious monologue Gertrude delivers in Act 4 Scene 7 concerning the death of Ophelia. Was it an accident? Why is Gertrude the one sharing this news? Questions abound. The monologue is performed by Elizabeth Jolly.
Special thanks to Steve Jackson for editing Abi’s video, and for inspiring us in the editing for all our videos to come!
You can read along with the monologue here: www.playbyplay...
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Abigail Jackson used to find Shakespeare unbearable at school. Growing up in England, it really felt like the Bard was force fed to her! But having grown up and experienced her own journey with Shakespeare (including playing Bottom in a touring production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”), she is now wholeheartedly devoted to teaching others about Shakespeare and his continually relevant and diverse works. Abigail studied Drama and Theatre Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London, where she explored how modern European directors challenged Shakespeare’s works. She has worked behind the scenes and performed in productions of “Macbeth”, “Hamlet”, “Othello”, “Julius Caesar” and “Romeo and Juliet”, to name a few, and now works as a teacher of English Literature and Language with 11-16 year olds. She firmly believes that Shakespeare should be accessible for all, and hopes you feel the same after this exciting and enlightening series. (She would also like to thank her husband Steve for all his support- and patience- with filming and editing!)
Elizabeth Jolly graduated from St. Norbert College in 2012 with a BA in Theatre Studies and Classical Studies before going on to complete a conservatory program in acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Art in New York, New York. There she studied many styles including, of course, Shakespeare! Behind the scenes, she has stage managed and co-costume designed “Romeo & Juliet” (2021), “The Taming of the Shrew” (2020), and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (2019) for Play-By-Play. In non-plague times, you can also see her perform in “Drunk Shakespeare” at the Green Room in De Pere, WI.
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