You May Not Know This But...

I absolutely love The Simpsons!  I love them because they have done such a great job every time they have tackled classic literature.  I'm sure it sounds like such a "teacher" reason, but hey, if you hadn't noticed, I am a teacher!  How many of you have seen the episodes where the Simpson family and their friends recreate Edgar Allen Poe's short stories like The Raven and The Tell-Tale Heart?  How about The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas?  Guess what?  They even reenacted Hamlet!  I've included the link below.  This blogging website won't let me embed the video, so you'll need to click on the link to watch it.  It's pretty short, but hits a lot of the main points of the plot.  So go right ahead and watch the video.  I'll wait for you to come back...

Simpsons do Hamlet (from Season 13, Episode 14)

At the beginning of the clip, when Homer and Lisa are introducing the story to Bart (and the audience), there's another allusion!  Did anyone catch it?  I'm pretty sure most of you read Oedipus Rex last year or the year before.  You know, the guy who killed his father and married his mother?  If you've never read it, I do suggest you do.  The "ick" factor is definitely there, but it is an interesting Greek tragedy by Sophocles. 

In the comments below, please let me know what other literature you've seen the Simpsons cover.  Do you think they did a good job?  Also, please let me know whether this video clip helped you to better understand the plot of Hamlet.  One of your final projects may include comparing and contrasting Shakespeare's Hamlet and the Simpson's Hamlet.