Presenter: Aubrey Dickens, College of Humanities, English
Authors: Aubrey Dickens
Faculty Advisor: Michael Lavers, College of Humanities, English
Institution: Brigham Young University
Hamlet is a play that has often been discussed in regards to gender and sexuality, whether that be from the variety of genders and sexualities from actors who portray Hamlet, or in looking at the relationship between Hamlet and Horatio. Looking at discussions on social media, an analysis of Hamlet from a queer lens, and prior discourse on sexuality in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, it is argued that queer youth audiences studying Hamlet in college are seeing themselves in the titular character. This reader response provides evidence of the timelessness of Hamlet as a character, and the newfound relevance of Shakespeare’s ultimate play.