Oh, So THAT'S Why We Love Hamlet...

I had a tiny little epiphany, and it's a little nerdy and Shakespeary but bear with me.  Last post before spring break, and I will find some way to enjoy it!

In Booths "Morality of Narration", he cites Robert Penn Warren as saying "if the book has 'meaning,' if it deals 'seriously with a moral and philosophical issue which, for better or worse, does exist in the modern world... it is exonerated; its harmful effect on the weak is irrelevant" (386).  So, basically, if the narrative deals with big important issues that exist in the modern world and therefore are investing, engaging, and relevant to the intellectual interest of the readers, it will be exalted and extolled into bookish greatness. I suspect that Mr. Penn Warren was talking about things more along the lines of non fiction, intense philosophy, and daring social criticism, but here is where I made the connection the Shakepeare, and consequently, fiction.

I mean, think about it, why do we like fiction that centers around a messiah figure that represents good and is the only hope of freedom and happiness for a fictional world?  Examples include Harry Potter, Lyra from "The Golden Compass", the story of Moses told in the format of say the "The Ten Commandments" film.  Why does Shakepeare's "Hamlet", his "Macbeth" or his fictionalized dramatization of "Richard III" still carry so much weight, meaning and popularity?  Why do we love Disney films with princesses and princes?  Why do we care?

I think the answer lies in the Booth quote.  We like those kind of stories with those kind of destiny-bound, messiah-like characters because they themselves represent those serious and impacting "moral and philosophical" issues, and when that representation boils down to a single, relatively identifiable character the audience feels a part of that importance and therefore more engaged.  It goes right back to McCould and the "simplification through amplification" idea of making the subject or message more noticeable by making the messenger more basic and identifiable.  I myself made the connection because in my Shakepeare class we discussed how Hamlet is so popular and griping because Hamlet, as he prince of Denmark, is not only fighting to avenges his father but to avenge his entire country in a setting where the nobility aren't just considered representations of the country, they are the country.  If the kind is killed, Denmark is dead, if the queen is ravished, then the country is cuckolded.  But since it's all bunched up into one person, one sympathetic character, the entertainment levels skyrocket.

So what do you guys think?  Do you have something to add, or maybe you see the quote a different way and can think of better examples.  I just thought it was cool.  Yay spring break!  It's almost here!