Method or Madness? Jury Decides Hamlet's Fate

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All Things Considered, March 16, 2007 · Was Hamlet criminally responsible for mistakenly killing his ex-girlfriend's father, Polonius? That is the question argued in a mock trial Thursday, as part of a Shakespeare festival in Washington, D.C., where lawyers Abbe Lowell and Miles Ehrlich presented oral arguments before a jury.

The defense, represented by Lowell, argued "no." Hamlet, they maintained, suffered from something called psychotic affective disorder, and he was a bit bipolar.

The prosecution, represented by Ehrlich, maintains that Hamlet was perfectly sane, knew that killing was wrong, and was in control of his actions.

The Shakespeare in Washington festival continues through June of 2007.

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