Shakespeare’s plays contain remarkably few references to the flute, yet when he does mention it, the instrument is laden with meaning. From manipulation and deception in Hamlet, to disguise and transformation in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and finally to divine seduction and theatrical power in Antony and Cleopatra, the flute serves as a tool of control, illusion, and persuasion.
While Shakespeare’s contemporaries often used musical instruments simply for entertainment, he understood their symbolic potential. Whether the flute is being played upon literally or metaphorically, it is never just a musical instrument in Shakespeare’s world – it is a reflection of the human condition itself.
Hamlet: The Flute as a Symbol of Manipulation
In Hamlet, the flute becomes an extended metaphor for manipulation and deceit.
In Act 3, Scene 2, Hamlet confronts Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, his childhood friends turned spies for King Claudius. Hamlet hands a recorder (a type of flute) to Guildenstern and asks him to play it.
HAMLET: Will you play upon this pipe?
GUILDENSTERN: My lord, I cannot.
HAMLET: I pray you.
GUILDENSTERN: Believe me, I cannot.
HAMLET: I do beseech you.
GUILDENSTERN: I know no touch of it, my lord.
When Guildenstern refuses, claiming he lacks the skill, Hamlet retorts:
“Why, look you now, how unworthy a thing you make of me!
You would play upon me, you would seem to know my stops,
You would pluck out the heart of my mystery,
You would sound me from my lowest note to the top of my compass;
And there is much music, excellent voice, in this little organ,
Yet cannot you make it speak? ‘Sblood, do you think I am easier to be played on than a pipe?”
Here, the flute functions as a metaphor for manipulation and deceit. Hamlet suggests that just as one can control a musical instrument, so too have Rosencrantz and Guildenstern attempted to “play” him, trying to extract his secrets and manipulate him at the king’s behest. His cutting words highlight the theme of betrayal and the difficulty of uncovering the truth in a world filled with deception.
Shakespeare’s choice of the recorder (a member of the flute family) as the instrument in this scene is deliberate. Unlike more complex instruments such as the lute or the harpsichord, the flute is seemingly simple to play, with its sound controlled by the musician’s breath and finger placement. Hamlet’s sarcastic challenge to Guildenstern – implying that if he cannot play the flute, he certainly cannot hope to manipulate a human being – reveals Hamlet’s awareness of the political intrigue around him. The flute here is not just a musical device; it is a weapon of wit, exposing the insincerity of those who claim to be his friends.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: The Flute as a Symbol of Disguise and Theatrical Playfulness
The flute takes on a very different role in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a play filled with magical transformations, mistaken identities, and theatrical playfulness. One of the characters, Francis Flute, is a bellows-mender who is chosen to perform in the amateur acting troupe that will stage the ridiculous play Pyramus and Thisbe for the Duke’s wedding. The humor of his role lies in the fact that he is assigned to play Thisbe, the female lover. Flute protests:
“Nay, faith, let me not play a woman; I have a beard coming.”
This line reflects the Elizabethan theatrical tradition, where young boys played female roles on stage. In this case, however, the humor is heightened because Flute – a common workman with a growing beard – is cast as a romantic heroine. The flute, an instrument that changes its sound depending on the player, becomes a metaphor for transformation and role-playing. Just as a musician alters the voice of the instrument through breath and technique, so too does Flute undergo a comical transformation on stage.
His reluctant acceptance of the role mirrors the play’s larger themes of mistaken identities and theatrical illusion. Just as lovers in the forest are magically made to fall for the wrong people, Flute’s forced portrayal of Thisbe underscores the idea that appearances can be deceiving.
In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, music and theater intertwine, revealing that the line between reality and illusion is as thin as a breath of air through a flute.
Antony and Cleopatra: Flutes as Instruments of Divine Seduction
If Hamlet presents the flute as a symbol of deception, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream uses it for comedic transformation, Antony and Cleopatra elevates it to something far grander:
A tool of seduction, power, and divine theater.
Shakespeare’s most famous reference to flutes appears in Cleopatra’s legendary barge scene, one of the most visually and musically stunning passages in all of his works:
“The barge she sat in, like a burnish’d throne,
Burn’d on the water: the poop was beaten gold;
Purple the sails, and so perfumed that
The winds were love-sick with them;
…The silver oars kept stroke, and made
The water, which they beat, to follow faster,
As amorous of their strokes.” (Antony and Cleopatra, Act 2, Scene 2)
Shakespeare’s text can be challenging, but here’s what you need to know:
- “Poop” = The raised rear deck of a ship.
- “Burnish’d throne” = A shining, polished throne (suggesting gold or bright decoration).
- “Love-sick winds” = The air is so perfumed that even nature seems to desire Cleopatra.
Among the elements that make this scene so intoxicating is the sound of flutes, which accompany the rowing of Cleopatra’s silver oarsmen:
“The oars were silver,
Which to the tune of flutes kept stroke, and made
The water, which they beat, to follow faster.”
Flutes and Cleopatra’s Self-Mythologizing
Cleopatra does not merely arrive – she orchestrates her own legend. Everything about her entrance is designed for maximum theatrical effect:
- The flutes guide the oarsmen, making even the river seem enchanted by her presence.
- The perfumed sails and gilded barge turn her into a goddess emerging from myth, rather than a mortal queen.
- The flutes are not just accompaniment; they are part of the illusion, reinforcing the idea that Cleopatra is larger than life, Venus incarnate.
- Cleopatra’s barge had silver oars, making even the tools of labor appear luxurious.
This carefully controlled use of music sets Cleopatra apart from every other character in the play. She is not simply performing for Antony – she is playing the entire world, using spectacle, sound, and seduction as her instruments.
Historical and Naval Context: Flutes in Ancient Ships
Shakespeare’s choice of flutes was no accident. In the navies of ancient Rome, every ship had a flute player (aulētēs) who would play to synchronize the rowing rhythm. Cleopatra’s use of flutes to guide her oarsmen was thus both historically accurate and deeply symbolic – she was literally orchestrating the movement of her fleet.
Flutes vs. Drunken Music: Cleopatra’s Power Over Pompey
Shakespeare contrasts Cleopatra’s controlled, hypnotic flutes with another flute scene in Antony and Cleopatra, during Pompey’s drunken banquet.
As Pompey feasts with his political rivals, his general Menas proposes a treacherous plan – to kill Antony, Octavius, and Lepidus and take control of Rome. Pompey refuses, and the night dissolves into chaotic revelry. At the height of the drunken feast, Menas shouts:
“These drums! these trumpets, flutes!
Let Neptune hear we bid a loud farewell
To these great fellows: Sound and be hang’d, sound out!”
Here, flutes are no longer instruments of power or beauty – they are part of a discordant, chaotic scene of excess and lost opportunity. Cleopatra’s flutes command the world. Pompey’s flutes are drowned in drunken foolishness.
Conclusion: The Flute as a Reflection of Power, Illusion, and Theatrical Genius
Though Shakespeare only references flutes a handful of times, their symbolic weight is immense:
- In Hamlet, the flute represents manipulation and deceit.
- In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, it reflects the magic of theatrical transformation.
- In Antony and Cleopatra, it is an instrument of orchestration, seduction, and divine spectacle.
The flute, like Shakespeare’s plays themselves, is a tool for shaping perception. Whether played upon by a king, a fool, or a goddess, it remains a testament to the power of illusion, sound, and storytelling.
Shakespeare’s references to the flute must also be understood in the context of Renaissance musical philosophy. Music was more than just entertainment; it was a reflection of cosmic harmony and human emotion. The idea that music could be used to influence people’s moods and behaviors was well known. Instruments, particularly woodwinds, were often associated with pastoral scenes, courtly romance, or melancholy introspection.
In Shakespeare’s world, to control music is to control not just those who listen, but the entire course of history itself.
Yulia Berry
www.yuliavberry.com
Yulia Berry is the founder of Flute Almanac, The Babel Flute, and the New England Flute Institute. A highly experienced flutist and mentor, she holds a Doctor of Music Arts degree from the Saint Petersburg State Conservatory (Russia).
Renowned for her virtuosity and expressive playing, she has performed as a soloist and chamber musician worldwide. An expert in flute pedagogy, she is known for her innovative teaching methods that emphasize technique, musicality, and artistry.
She has written extensively on the flute’s connection to art, culture, and history across different eras.
Благодарю, Юлия, за интересную статью! Как тонко всё подмечено!