Radiolab Blog. No. 14: The Four Groans

Alternative title

Four Groans

Synopsis

A Radiolab podcast which offers a meditation on what happens after the moment of death, as Shakespeare envisions it.

In the 1623 Folio, published after Shakespeare’s death, Hamlet’s final line "the rest is silence" is followed by a half line made up of a single repeated syllable - O,O,O,O. which is omitted from many modern editions. Author Ron Rosenbaum speaks of how the ‘four groans’ show us what is ‘on the other side of consciousness’. Actor Mark Rylance, interviewed in New York, believes that actors made the addition to the Folio. He speaks of how and why he incorporated the four groans into his portrayal of Hamlet and gives illustrations of his different motivations in delivering the line and varying the tone and tempo.

Language

English

Country

United States

Medium

Radio

Subjects

Drama

Keywords

death; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); textual analysis; Folio editions

Credits

Contributor

Mark Rylance; Ron Rosenbaum

Production Company

Name

WNYC

Web

https://www.wnycstudios.org/ External site opens in new window