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Humanize Criminals In Hamlet

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Criminals are often viewed as dangerous and unfit for society. As a result, a social barrier has been created between criminals and the rest of society. Act V humanizes criminals by comparing them to the characters of Hamlet. These criminals compare the actions of the characters in the play to their own crimes. They are interviewed throughout the podcast and are heard explaining the unlawful actions of the characters in the play and their interpretation behind it. With this comparison, listeners can understand the mindset of criminals and the reasoning behind their wrongdoings in both modern society and in Hamlet. Throughout the podcast, Jack Hitt interviews several prisoners to hear them speak about their experiences of acting out Hamlet and their opinions on the characters of the play. A significant way Hitt persuades listeners is by allowing the criminals to talk about their …show more content…

Similarly, the documentary 13th humanizes criminals by evoking emotions that allow viewers to experience the emotions of African American prisoners. In Act V, characters such as Claudius and Laertes are humanized by comparing their actions to the crimes of criminals. Likewise, in 13th, African American prisoners are observed as ordinary people who are wrongfully punished due to their race. The podcast achieves the goal of humanization by allowing prisoners to speak about their time in jail and how they have changed. In the podcast, Edgar Evans, who acts as Claudius speaks about his relation to the character of Claudius. Evans states that he was in the position of Claudius and he understands the feelings of Claudius and the reasons for his actions. However, it can be heard that he believes his time in jail has allowed him to become a better person, capable of returning to society. Both mediums compel listeners to humanize these prisoners and allow them to understand that prisoners are humans too, capable of

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