Hamlet in China’s “Lying Flat”: Resistance Through Refusal

From the closed-door late-Qing era to the authoritative Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the Chinese government has antagonized Western literature. However, due to the Marxist foundation of the CCP, Chinese society also offers a unique proletariat literary tradition. Hamlet stands out as a Western text that allies the people: the hesitation, obscuration of time, and interchangeability of identity in Hamlet resonate with the Chinese people struggling under the extreme pressure from the authoritarian government with its grand narratives for hard work and collective success. The persisting charisma of Hamlet is particularly pertinent in China’s “lying flat” movement, as the hard work narrative crumbles in the face of the degrading economy. The hesitation in Hamlet parallels the movement where people refuse to participate in the system. Hamlet’s cyclical revenge signals a rejection of seeking meaning under a bigger authority who forges hope, only to manipulate the people’s agency repetitively. This postmodern refusal of meaning and hard work in fact provides a space for protest as the movement is already threatening the CCP’s regime. Thus, this article analyzes how Hamlet informs both lying flat as resistance in China and how lying flat informs Hamlet, opening further research into the power of quitting in and beyond literature. KEYWORDS: Hamlet; Shakespeare; Lying Flat Movement; Overwork; China; Resistance; Social Movement; Postmodernism; Literary Analysis