D'Angelo is Hamlet Avon - Claudius The murdered security guard - Hamlet snr The ghost ( I know) - Bunk + McNulty (spirit level – see Jamesons) Ophelia - Shardene Gertrude - his Mum (obviously) Polonius - Stringer Fortinbras - Prop Joe Norway - East Side
And the Barksdale gang is like Richard III
Inspired in no small part by Marlo's obsession with wearing the Crown, it occurred to me that there were certain strong parallels with a much-discussed period in English history: the War of the Roses. Avon Barksdale is, like Edward IV, a Great Warrior who won the Throne after a lengthy war. Also like Edward, his original claim was based on his bloodright, his Father's reputation. Stringer Bell, like Richard Duke of Gloucester (Later Richard III), was a loyal supporter of Edward who then betrayed his family and seized power for himself. Although Richard was Edward's actual brother, as opposed to Stringer and Avon's fraternal friendship. D'Angelo Barksdale, similar to the Princes in the Tower, was the late King's heir, killed whilst imprisoned. Although we know for a fact that Stringer ordered D'Angelo's death, and Richard's involvement in the death/disappearance of the Princes is not certain and vehemently debated. Because he didn't do it. Marlo Stanfield could be seen as a Henry Tudor figure. Tudor took the Throne from Richard in Battle, then ruled with an iron fist because all of his subjects knew he had no real (blood) claim at Kingship. Although Marlo never married Avon's daughter to legitimise himself. And although he, like Henry relied on others to do his fighting for him, Marlo actually could fight if he had to. Henry VII couldn't beat up a cat. Brother Mouzone serves the same purpose as the Earl of Stanley, a warrior long on the Yorkist side, but more loyal to Edward, who eventually turned on Richard III and killed him, more due to his personal dislike of and frustration with Richard than any great faith in Henry Tudor. You could compare Proposition Joe to Richard Neville (The Earl of Warwick) who was known as the Kingmaker and played both sides against each other effectively during the first War of the Roses. But Joe lived much longer, and was arguably more of a King of a separate Kingdom than a mere Earl. I was going to draw a comparison between Brianna Barksdale and Elizabeth Wydville but she was Edward's wife, not his sister. And Brianna never became a Stanfield supporter.
https://amp.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2009/mar/23/wire-episode-five-series-one-shakespeare
So kindly STFU
Roscencrantz and Guildenstern - Poot and Bodie Terrible things the ghost encounters whilst away from Hamlet - Rawls, Burrell et al. In fine Hamlet style, it is all so good that the structure may be doubled: McNulty - Hamlet Bunk - Horatio Claudius/Polonius - Burrell /Rawls Fortinbras - The Mayor Ghost - Jamesons Pirates - Crew of BPD patrol boat Laertes - Daniels