Hamlet’s “Inexplicable Dumb-Shows” and the Pleasures of Enigma

Abstract

When Hamlet assesses dumb shows as “inexplicable,” he means his judgment to be a negative one. This article will not dispute his assessment that this odd early modern theatrical device would have confused playgoers. But it will dispute his verdict’s negative tenor by arguing that the dumb show’s inexplicability suggests that early modern theater could at times be enjoyed even when, or even because, it was not understood. The dumb show’s resistance to easy interpretation suggests the presence and power of a distinctive enigmatic theatricality, one capable of eliciting some of the more peculiar pleasures available to early modern playgoers.