Hamlet in George Orwell's "1984"

Lise sonda İngilizce dersi için bi yaratıcı yazma çalışması istenmişti bizden. Ben de Shakespeare'in Hamlet'i, George Orwell'ın 1984'ünde yaşasa dudaklarından neler dökülürdü acaba diye düşündüm ve bunları yazdım Hamlet'in ağzından. Shakespeare'i taklit etmeye çalıştım bir miktar; bir de Hamlet'in karakterini yansıtmaya çalıştım sözlerinde. Artık ne kadar olduysa... 1984te geçen bazı uydurma sözcükleri (örn. Miniluv) aynen kullanmak zorunda olduğum için Hamlet'in ağzına pek yakışmadı gerçi, ama artık bağışlayın...

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Oh, this unweeded garden would be shaken
By the grating blast of the Everlasting’s breath
Or else the mere fog would beg for sunshine
As it settles down on this dark piece of human garbage
When it hears that they call it a “land”.

Oceania, fie on’t, ah fie!
What would Jesus say if he were to suffer
The endless disgust of this suffocating dust
Growing each day with the Two Minutes Hate?
Minitrue, they call it, would be shattered into pieces
Had Mnemosyne* seen them alter the past.
Ophelia, my precious,
If thou were here, mine solid soul would fail resisting
And would commit the worst of all sins.
Love, that blossoms in my wounded heart,
Would bring my end
Behind the railings of Miniluv.

O God, God, thou let my uncle take my father away
And beteem the rust of hell settle down onto this land.
The dim-faced beast, thy name is Big Brother
Now feeds the dust and blows it into
Their eyes, ears, hearts and souls
Burying them into more indifference
Drowning their conscience in the eternal clay of fear.

Nay it is not helpful, nor can my frail body
Resist it alone. But who in this mortal world
Whereon people are apathetic conformists
Can share his disgust with me, Hamlet,
And break the chains of adulation around their necks
Which were grasped years ago by that dim-faced beast?
No way, I cannot draw my sword alone.
Time will give me the plan
Of how to crack the walls of the ministries.
So I should wait till they miss one secret infirmity
That will give me the clue of when to kindle
The flame of this inevitable revenge.


Ere yet the essence of my stormy grudge
Had not started its fight against it,
They came. Oh most spy-like speed, to denounce
With such dexterity to the Thought Police.
It is not, nor it cannot come to good.
But stab, my heart – if not done yet – for I must face it.

Fear it “watcher” – or whatever thy call thyself.
From this time forth,
Thou art mine enemy.
My thoughts be bloody or nothing worth.
Hear it Big Brother!
Thy slaves chasing my thoughts can kill me,
And feed the worms with my head.
Still, even after seeing my dead head in the basket,
My cold hands be on your back.
Fear it Big Brother!
T’will be my turn to act the “watcher”
Until thine mortal spirit leaves thee
With thy pulseless creepy pelt.


* In Greek mythology, Mnemosyne was known as the godess of memory.


Ayşegül Girgin
Nisan 2004