Introduction
Culture is a notable phenomenon shaping individuals’ lives, perspectives, and worldviews. It results from a community’s historical development and the prolonged impact of factors peculiar to a specific area. That is why people residing in different regions have unique customs, traditions, and beliefs. Divergences in these aspects may lead to specific problems in communication and interaction.
Representatives of various cultures might fail to explain the values or behavioral models accepted in their societies. It occurs because individuals view and understand the world through their cultural lens. The interpretation of classic literature can be one example of how culture shapes people’s ability to sympathize with the main characters, feel their emotions, and understand their motivations. Lara Bohannan’s essay “Shakespeare in the Bush” demonstrates how radical differences in mentality can affect the understanding of ideas and concepts that might seem obvious to a Western reader.
Bohannan’s Success in Getting the Tiv to Understand the Story of Hamlet
The story narrated by Bohannan shows that culture is central to understanding literature and the meanings behind some events. While living on the homestead in the African bush, the author fails to convey Hamlet’s main ideas to the local people. However, language is not the central problem that prevents parties from interacting successfully. Trying to narrate Hamlet and describe the main characters, Bohannan uses the concepts and explanations she considers universal and understandable for everyone. Nevertheless, the narrator faces difficulties at the very beginning of the story.
The major problem is that the audience listens to and understands the story using their worldview and mentality. For this reason, Bohannan fails to understand simple but essential aspects of the story, such as the ghost’s appearance. The elders describe it as the “omen sent by a witch” because of the peculiarities of their culture (Bohannan, n.d., p. 1). It leads to new misunderstandings, as when Bohannan tries to explain the ghost’s message, the old man listening to her says, “Omens can’t talk!” (Bohannan, n.d., p. 2). In this way, the listeners from the homestead understand Hamlet in their own way, indicating that Bohannan fails to provide a traditional interpretation of the story.
Cultural Factors Impacting the Understanding of Hamlet
The misunderstandings mentioned above arise from the differences in culture and worldview. The listeners live in an African community, meaning they have their own representations of how people within a closed community should interact and behave. The factor of kinship and family relations hinders comprehension of the central conflict in Hamlet.
For instance, reacting to Claudius’ marriage to his elder brother’s widow, the elders say, “He did well” (Bohannan, n.d., p. 2). Their traditions consider it appropriate as a man will become a father to all his brother’s children and protect them. This difference in perspectives on relations within the family complicates the interpretation of the plot.
Moreover, the elder’s belief in witchcraft, its power, and its importance for social relations is another factor preventing Bohannan from explaining the story to the elders. The listeners often link the strange Hamlet’s behavior to a curse. Responding to his strange actions, they are sure that it is necessary to “bewitch” him as “only witchcraft can make anyone mad, unless, of course, one sees the beings that lurk in the forest.” (Bohannan, n.d., p. 3). This belief prevents them from understanding Hamlet’s behavior and motifs. Moreover, as skilled hunters, the elders disrespect Polonius, who is a “fool” because he lets Hamlet kill himself (Bohannan, n.d., p. 4). In such a way, different perspectives on family, the nature of supernatural forces, and people’s behavior hinder the Tiv’s efforts to understand the classic story.
Shakespeare in the Bush and Nature of Culture
In such a way, the essay “Shakespeare in the Bush” is essential for realizing how culture impacts people’s understanding of various phenomena. Analyzing the world, individuals use the lens of their worldview, which emerges under the impact of traditions, customs, beliefs, and behavioral patterns accepted in society. As a classic literary masterpiece, Buchannan is sure that Hamlet offers a universal dilemma and tragedy that everyone can understand. However, she disregards the substantial impact of culture and its importance in finding meaning in various factors.
The elders from the homestead have their own vision of the world. It rests on unique relations within a big family where a husband has many wives, people believe in witchcraft, and have specific behavioral patterns. As a result, they understand Hamlet in their own way, and the classic story is analyzed from another perspective. It shows that culture is a unique phenomenon that impacts individuals’ judgment, worldview, and ability to analyze and understand literature.
Conclusion
Altogether, Lara Bohannan’s essay shows that culture plays a critical role in people’s lives. It determines their attitude toward things surrounding them and shapes their mentalities. The cultural differences are why Bohannan fails to explain Hamlet to the elders. Peculiarities of their lifestyles, customs, and traditions impact their perception of Hamlet and his motifs. That is why it is possible to conclude that understanding various concepts depends on the culture and norms within a particular community.
Reference
Bohannan, L. (n.d.). Shakespeare in the bush. Natural History.