PICK FROM THE PAST Natural History, August-September 1966 Shakespeare in the bush Africa and was taught the true meaning ofHamlet,X An American anthropologist set out to study the Tiu of we By Laura bohannan Just before i left Oxford for the Tiv in West Africa. conversation turned to the season at Stratford. "You americans, said a friend "often have difficulty with Shakespeare. He was, after all, a very English poet, and one can easily misinterpret the universal by misunderstanding the particular I protested that human nature is pretty much the same the whole world over; at least the general plot and motivation of the greater tragedies would always be clear-everywhere--although some details of custom might have to be explained and difficulties of translation might produce other slight changes To end an argument we It was my second field trip copy of hamlet to study in the Africa e could not conclude, my friend gave me to that African tribe, and i bush: it would, he hoped, lift my mind thought myself ready to live in above its primitive surroundings, and one of its remote sections- possibly I might, by prolonged an area difficult to cross even meditation, achieve the grace of correct on foot. I eventually settled interpretation. on the hillock of a very knowledgeable old man the It was my second field trip to that african head of a homestead of some tribe, and i thought myself ready to live hundred and forty people. in one of its remote sections-an area difficult to cross even on foot. I eventually settled on the hillock of a very knowledgeable old man, the head of a homestead of some hundred and forty people, all of whom were either his close relatives or their wives and children. Like the other elders of the vicinity, the old man spent most of his time performing ceremonies seldom seen these days in the more accessible parts of the tribe. I was delighted. Soon there would be three months of enforced isolation and leisure, between the harvest that takes place justPICK FROM THE PAST Natural History, August-September 1966 Shakespeare in the Bush An American anthropologist set out to study the Tiv of West Africa and was taught the true meaning of Hamlet. By Laura Bohannan Just before I left Oxford for the Tiv in West Africa, conversation turned to the season at Stratford. “You Americans,” said a friend, “often have difficulty with Shakespeare. He was, after all, a very English poet, and one can easily misinterpret the universal by misunderstanding the particular.” I protested that human nature is pretty much the same the whole world over; at least the general plot and motivation of the greater tragedies would always be clear—everywhere—although some details of custom might have to be explained and difficulties of translation might produce other slight changes. To end an argument we could not conclude, my friend gave me a copy of Hamlet to study in the African bush: it would, he hoped, lift my mind above its primitive surroundings, and possibly I might, by prolonged meditation, achieve the grace of correct interpretation. It was my second field trip to that African tribe, and I thought myself ready to live in one of its remote sections—an area difficult to cross even on foot. I eventually settled on the hillock of a very knowledgeable old man, the head of a homestead of some hundred and forty people, all of whom were either his close relatives or their wives and children. Like the other elders of the vicinity, the old man spent most of his time performing ceremonies seldom seen these days in the more accessible parts of the tribe. I was delighted. Soon there would be three months of enforced isolation and leisure, between the harvest that takes place just It was my second field trip to that African tribe, and I thought myself ready to live in one of its remote sections— an area difficult to cross even on foot. I eventually settled on the hillock of a very knowledgeable old man, the head of a homestead of some hundred and forty people