Hamlet References - Girl in the Glass

In Girl in the Glass, there are multiple references to William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.

When James suspects someone in the Clypeate might not be trustworthy, he tells Declan:

“Hamlet may have dealt with something rotten in Denmark, in our case it’s right here on the Valencia. Someone’s rotten in the Clypeate.”

James is referencing the quote, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark," from Shakespeare's Hamlet. The line is spoken by Marcellus, a Danish guard, after encountering the ghost of King Hamlet. In the play, this line highlights the moral and political corruption within the kingdom. For James and Declan, it underscores the need for constant vigilance. For both Denmark and the Clypeate, it foreshadows the tragic events to come.

Later on, when their chances for success appear slim, further Hamlet references are spouted off. Declan starts:

“She’s (the Girl in the Glass) invested too much time and energy to let us die this way, casually killed off. We’re not Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.”

Declan’s reference contrasts Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s importance to Hamlet with their value to the Girl in the Glass. While the lives and deaths of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are irrelevant and meaningless to Hamlet, the fate of James and Declan greatly matters to Mary Elizabeth.

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Hamlet’s childhood friends summoned to spy on him. They are pawns used to betray Hamlet's trust, so he cleverly alters events in ways that ultimately lead to their deaths. Their deaths occur offstage and are mentioned in passing, a nod to their insignificance.

When the conversation veers off course, Bruce interjects:

 “While I hate to break up your Shakespearean discourse, I suggest we get started before Garrett returns, or we’ll all end up like poor Yorick.”

When Bruce alludes to Yorick, he’s suggesting they stay on task or risk ending up dead, like Yorick. While alive, Yorick was a court jester and a friend to Hamlet. Now he’s reduced to a skull in the graveyard, prompting Hamlet to reflect on mortality and the passage of time.

William Shakespeare

The Tragedy of Hamlet

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern

Alas, poor Yorick