Watching Shakespeare Under the Stars

Catherine Wang
Jul 10, 2017 · 1 min read

In Act V Scene ii Hamlet tells Horatio about being on the ship,
“My sea-gown scarfed about me”
I thought Hamlet was describing the ocean mist,
So soft it was like one of those velvet Costco throws,
Wrapping the wearer in comfort and self-assurance.
His father might be dead, but he, draped regally in fog and spray,
Was alive. This was how it felt to stand precariously on the swaying deck,
To see your life in the balance but to know what you had to do.
While his uncle’s crown was forged in treacherous blood,
The condensed dew-drops that crowned Hamlet’s brows
Were laden with truth: here comes the storm, but know
That the elements are on your side.

I pulled out my phone to Google this line, but I shouldn’t have.
Apparently a “sea-gown” is just a sea gown: a robe
That 17th-century Danish dudes wore on boats
Because duh, it’s cold.

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