Συνέντευξη ηθοποιού, Αλκήστιδος Πουλοπούλου

ΠΕΡΙΓΡΑΦΗ

“Ophelia was a revolutionary.”

Alkistis Poulopoulou talks about Ophelia, her relationship with the tragic heroine, and her aim to create a contemporary three-dimensional character.

By Dimitra Theodoropoulou, Sophia Dova and Marianna Ventouri

Do you see something from you in Ophelia?

Yes. I believe that in each role it is very important to find the part that relates to us. I am very moved by Ophelia’s love for Hamlet, and by the fact that she is not allowed to be with him by her father and the entire system, which are so powerful and oppressing. I am also moved by the way she surrenders herself to madness, because she cannot react and cannot say what she has to say in words. Only in going mad does she begin to sing, and is able to communicate her truth, even if this is done in a confusing way – with codes and symbols.

Does Ophelia regret her relationship with Hamlet in the end?

No, she does not. There is no other choice for Ophelia; her love for Hamlet is absolute. There is no going back. She can only move forward, and this ‘forward’ is what drives her to madness, precisely because she cannot have Hamlet.

When you first read the work, what was your first impression of Ophelia?

I thought that it was a very difficult role. I was concerned with how I would depict her scene of madness. I have seen all other interpretations of Ophelia in the cinema, and I wanted to do something that is relevant to contemporary young women. There was also the danger to reproduce clichés, to play a woman who does not talk, who is silent, passive and constantly good. I wanted to bring her to life, to make her seem like a real character – of course always under the guidance of the director. In preparing for this role, I would observe young women around me to see how they fall in love, how they talk. I also observed young couples. In the end, the image of Ophelia was composed from things that were at play unconsciously. I stole little moments from various scenes and shaped her. I always wanted to make her ‘three-dimensional’. I do not know if I succeeded, but that was my aim.

How would you describe Ophelia’s relationship to Hamlet? Do you find it romantic?

They are a highly romantic couple – both romantic and tragic. Hamlet desires Ophelia in an absolute manner, and so does she; it drives her to madness. It is a very powerful love.

What was the event that drove Ophelia to madness?

Ophelia has a lot of problems. Her relationship with Hamlet is in crisis, she loses her father, her mother is dead, her brother leaves, and she is left alone in a kingdom where there is great perversion and ‘decay’. An innocent creature, she cannot survive in this system. Ophelia is essentially a revolutionary. However, the laws, her father and all the others were so powerful – the times too – that made it impossible for her revolution to surface. It is clear in the madness scene, in particular, that she needs to talk. This is done awkwardly, since she has already lost her mind and composure. However, she does manage to say that something is wrong. Thus her revolution begins. Ophelia’s madness sets the work in decline; after that one death follows the other. This is no coincidence. Faced with her madness, the rest of the characters recognize parts of themselves in her. It is as if both their eyes and soul have been opened.

Do you view Ophelia’s death as an accident or a suicide?

I think she embraces death. She could not handle all these. She would have to live as a mad woman. But because she is a heroine, she was led to death. She does it willingly.

What do you think would have been her last words to Hamlet, if she had a chance to talk to him before dying?

‘I loved you.’ I think this would have sufficed.

Possible Motto

‘Ophelia was a revolutionary… Faced with her madness, the rest of the characters recognize parts of themselves in her. It is as if both their eyes and soul have been opened.’