Hamlet interpretations
Stage-
Matthew Warctius 1997-
The director used the opening party scene to bring together the main protagonist as the celebrated
the marriage of Claudius and Gertrude.
A sober suited hamlet wandered around the wedding taking a photo of the happy couple using a
polaroid camera which created a photographic print within a few minutes - emphasises the distance
hamlet has between everyone, he is seeing everything through his own Lens, and he is the only one
He gave a letter to Ophelia and share a drink with Laertes- suggests that he has had/ has a
relationship with the family, they know each other, letter links to the rest of the play.
The ghost of old hamlet is no longer in battlements of the castle but drifted into the party wearing a
smoking jacket and led his son to a sit
A follow spot/ spotlight to track the movement of specific actors on stage amidst the party goers
Stage and Screen-
Dorian’s production – David Tennent's
Use of mirror in Gertrude’s closet to reflect reality, after the death of Polonius it is cracked as a
result of his murderous action, he looks in the mirror again at the start of act 5 scene 2.
This production cuts out Fortinbras and is more focused on how hamlet destroys himself
CCTV Cameras-a visual powerful reminder that hamlet is always under a state of paranoia and
surveillance, in which everyone is spying on each other.
The same character plays Claudius as old hamlet, the visual similarities between the brothers add to
the complicated nature of hamlets need to get revenge.
Screen-
In Olivier's 1948 version, much of the brad’s original text was removed to save time, including the
characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. This enabled the film to focus more on hamlet himself
Kenneth Branagh 1996 platinum blonde hair makes him look like Claudius drawing the parallels
between the tragic hero and the Villain, giving the impression that there is less of a distinction as the
play progresses.
Indirectly references the wars beginning in eastern Europe, following the collapse of communist
dictatorships
The ending feature soldiers dismantling old hamlets statue, signifying that one tyranny based on
individual power will be replaced by another and nothing really changes.
, In 1990 Franco Zeffirelli presented a colourful strongly cast version of the play. Set within the huge
stones of a Scandinavian castle, with a charismatic hamlet played by Mel Gibson, His version cut
Fortinbras as well and delivered a highly charged picture of dysfunctional families.
Mark Rylance 1989 Hamlet became known as the pyjama hamlet, wearing pyjamas which drew
parallels with psychiatric patients in a asylum. Feigned maddens or made by a rotten world.
Stage-
Matthew Warctius 1997-
The director used the opening party scene to bring together the main protagonist as the celebrated
the marriage of Claudius and Gertrude.
A sober suited hamlet wandered around the wedding taking a photo of the happy couple using a
polaroid camera which created a photographic print within a few minutes - emphasises the distance
hamlet has between everyone, he is seeing everything through his own Lens, and he is the only one
He gave a letter to Ophelia and share a drink with Laertes- suggests that he has had/ has a
relationship with the family, they know each other, letter links to the rest of the play.
The ghost of old hamlet is no longer in battlements of the castle but drifted into the party wearing a
smoking jacket and led his son to a sit
A follow spot/ spotlight to track the movement of specific actors on stage amidst the party goers
Stage and Screen-
Dorian’s production – David Tennent's
Use of mirror in Gertrude’s closet to reflect reality, after the death of Polonius it is cracked as a
result of his murderous action, he looks in the mirror again at the start of act 5 scene 2.
This production cuts out Fortinbras and is more focused on how hamlet destroys himself
CCTV Cameras-a visual powerful reminder that hamlet is always under a state of paranoia and
surveillance, in which everyone is spying on each other.
The same character plays Claudius as old hamlet, the visual similarities between the brothers add to
the complicated nature of hamlets need to get revenge.
Screen-
In Olivier's 1948 version, much of the brad’s original text was removed to save time, including the
characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. This enabled the film to focus more on hamlet himself
Kenneth Branagh 1996 platinum blonde hair makes him look like Claudius drawing the parallels
between the tragic hero and the Villain, giving the impression that there is less of a distinction as the
play progresses.
Indirectly references the wars beginning in eastern Europe, following the collapse of communist
dictatorships
The ending feature soldiers dismantling old hamlets statue, signifying that one tyranny based on
individual power will be replaced by another and nothing really changes.
, In 1990 Franco Zeffirelli presented a colourful strongly cast version of the play. Set within the huge
stones of a Scandinavian castle, with a charismatic hamlet played by Mel Gibson, His version cut
Fortinbras as well and delivered a highly charged picture of dysfunctional families.
Mark Rylance 1989 Hamlet became known as the pyjama hamlet, wearing pyjamas which drew
parallels with psychiatric patients in a asylum. Feigned maddens or made by a rotten world.
