Samantha Souza

Shakespeare
Nicholas Birns
End of Semster Paper
Hamlet Performance Analysis
Hamlet is arguably Shakespeares greatest play. Since Shakespeare wrote it in
1600, countless people have tackled one of the most desired roles in all literature, the
young prince of Denmark, Hamlet. Hamlet is one of the most interesting plays in history
because not only is its title character completely uncertain of what is happening around
him, but the audience is as well. The audience remains undecided about many aspects of
the play: Is the ghost of the King real? Did Ophelia commit suicide, or did she drown?
Does Queen Gertrude feel any guilt for remarrying so quickly? Does Hamlet actually
love Ophelia, or did he really never love her at all? These are just a few of the questions
that never truly get answered throughout the play. These thought-provoking motifs
challenge the audience, and rouse conversation and debate. Nothing is more interesting
than a play where the viewer gets to create the answers.
Because of the various ways one can interpret Hamlet, there have been many
notable versions in this and the last century. Most prominent are those starring Laurence
Olivier (1948), Mel Gibson (1990), Kevin Kline (1990), Kenneth Branagh (1996), Ethan
Hawke (2000), and most recently, on Broadway, Jude Law (2009). I will be discussing
the different approaches of three of these fine Hamlets take in their respective versions
of this eternally classic play.

Mel Gibsons Hamlet is extremely morose. Personally, I feel he does a decent job
with the complex emotions of the character, but has no flair for Shakespearean text,
especially during his soliloquies. You can easily hear the rhymes in the verse, which is
usually a sign of the Shakespeare novice. There is also a strange Oedipal relationship
between Gibsons Hamlet and Glenn Closes Queen Gertrude. In the scene in Act One
where she begs him not to be so sad, there is a strange air of attraction detected in their
proximity, as well as the way Gertrude rests her head on Hamlets shoulder, the way she
first kisses hid forehead, then his eye, and then his lips, looks at him to gauge his
reaction, and then kisses his mouth twice more. If I were watching this movie on mute
with no prior knowledge of Hamlet, I would assume Gertrude and Hamlet were secret
lovers, especially since she runs off afterwards like a schoolgirl with her girlfriends! It is
even worse, when Hamlet chastises his mother for moving on so quickly just before the
ghost reappears; he yells angrily, and at first, I was beginning to be impressed with
Gibson, until he starts humping his mother, and then she kisses him for a good five
seconds. This must be Zeffirellis choice, but how it did take me out of the beautiful
moment! Whenever Mel gives a soliloquy, I immediately check out. It is as if everything
is delivered in monotone. I can only assume this is an acting choice; Mels Hamlet is in
such solemn devastation that he cannot possibly speak loud enough for the audience to
make out what he is saying, nor can he vary his speech pattern because of his extreme
sadness and anger. This take on Hamlet lacks humor and wit, two things essential to a
truly great Hamlet. Shakespeare was a great comedian, and even in his most tragic
dramas, he imparted bits of humor. He does much better with this in the last two acts of
the play, but I am still surprised it takes him that long to get there, especially since I read

he did Shakespearean plays in his native Australia. He only seems joyful when the text
blatantly says so, like when Ophelia points out You are merry, my Lord. And why is
Hamlet always looking down on people from above? Obviously this is not Gibsons fault
but that of the director. However, the pairing of the constant looking down upon people
with Gibsons sullen, monotone performance make me feel like Im watching Batman
looking over Gotham and not Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Gibsons manic looking about,
heavy brething, and crazy eyes does not merit not acting, to me, and is sometimes
laughable, immediately sucking me out of the play. I will admit however, that Gibson
does get better throughout the film, but is far from the best Hamlet to ever grace the
screen. He shines best when Claudius asks where Polonius is after he has been killed.
Mel finally plays with casual speech, and is very flippant and sacastic, and even kicks
things off the table which he jumps on! He actually made me laugh! However, the movie,
overall, is not the best representation of the play as it picks and chooses which parts of
the story to share, and omits others, some of which are my favorite (including the speech
on how to act, given by Hamlet, as well as omitting the Get thee to a nunnery portion
of the Hamlet/Ophelia scene, and splicing it in later where it makes less sense). I dont
appreciate when people edit Shakespeare. Who do they think they are? However, I do
understand why they chose to in this version, as I imagine half of the people who saw this
movie were going because they like Mel Gibson, and arent used to a 3+ hour play, let
alone Shakespearean text.
Where this version gains some respectability is in Helena Bonham Carter as
Ophelia. The first time we see her, she is completely angelic and innocent looking,
listening to Laertess warnings about Hamlet. (I will bypass my thoughts on when Laertes

and Ophelia kiss as he leaves, even though my sentiments about being confused if I were
watching this movie on mute remain true here, as well). When Polonius questions
Hamlets love and affections, Ophelia seems to gain confidence, and challenges her
father, defending Hamlet (who creepily watches the entire exchange from above). Carter
makes Ophelia a real person with varying feelings and thoughts. When she goes mad, she
seems almost trapped in her madness. She appears to be struggling before our very eyes
with the events that have transpired. She is trying to make sense of them, and because she
cannot, she goes mad: I hope all will be well, she says, with a worried face, knowing it
will not. She is both vulgar and innocent, a very difficult combination to play, and her
death is truly tragic. It is as if she has been quietly suffering the entire time, and because
she can no longer handle it, she will no longer be quiet. She is vulgar, persistant, at times
jovial, sarcastic, and manic. Her mind is constantly racing. Her madness is almost
menacing, while remaining completely innocent. How does she do it?!
What is also completely enchanting and redeeming about this movie is Paul
Scofield as the ghost of the King. The scene where he appears to Hamlet is full of
emotion and played as if it were a real conversation. I have seen many a bad production
of Hamlet where the ghost is played as if it were a zombie, completely void of emotion
and subtext, or worse, done with a sound effect machine to give an echo. This version
gives the audience a King to fight for, and helps us get behind Hamlet. We want the king
avenged! Bravo to Paul Scofield. Overall, I can appreciate this interpretation because it
embraces the characters of the women, Gertrude and Ophelia, more than the average
version, putting them in the forefront, even if it means eliminating other parts, or

downsizing Claudius and Laertes. Their respective relationships with Hamlet help the
audience get inside Hamlets psyche, instead of making them one sided plot devices.
The Kenneth Branagh version is well respected because it depicts the play in its
entirety. I became a huge fan of Branagh when I first saw him play Benedic in his version
of Much Ado About Nothing. Upon first seeing him as Hamlet, I was unsure of how I felt
about his performance. I felt his soliloquies were, at time, self indulgent and loud. He has
almost the opposite problem of Mel Gibson, who was too monotone and lacked variety of
speech. I didnt agree with some of Branaghs acting choices, but at least he made big,
deliberate choices, and I can certainly get behind that. His is not bitter, nor melancholy,
nor angry. He is just overwhelmed by grief, and he gets the tone of Hamlet entirely.
Branagh, to me, is a Shakespeare genius who makes the language completely accessible.
However, at times during his third soliloquy, he seems too manic and I cannot get all the
words. I would think Branagh would be more playful when coming up with The
Mousetrap scheme, but he is all too serious, and breaks up the phrases of verse oddly.
Conversely, his to be of not to be speech is done in a whisper, not the usual choice. I
find it incredibly intriguing that he stars at himself in the mirror, pointing the dagger at
himself, as it were. I find the choice completely compelling.
While Branagh is what makes this film for me, Kate Winslets Ophelia is also a
revelation. I enjoyed her take even more than Carters in the Zeffirelli film, even though
they are quite different. I largely prefer the direction of the get thee to a nunnery scene
with Winslet and Branagh. She seems genuinely pained to give him his tokens of
affection back, especially after he hugs her and gives her an earnest kiss. When she lies
right to his face about where her father is, he is so sick with sadness that his heartfelt

tears turn into violent rage. When Hamlet leaves her, she speaks her short soliloquy with
undertones of guilt, as if the madness Hamlet has slipped into is her fault, making
Ophelia all the more tragic. When Winslet sings after Ophelia goes mad, she is so stoic
and serene in her madness, quite unlike Carter who dances about in her childlike
madness. Winslets portrayal is almost as if she knows she has gone mad, and there is
nothing to be done about it. She accepts it. It is truly heartbreaking, and I didnt realize it
until I had to gasp for air that I had stopped breathing all while she was singing. The arc
of Winslets Ophelia is the greatest of any version Ive seen. She starts in the arms of
Hamlet, as he dotes on her as they make love, blissfully happy, elegant, and well onto her
way to bright future, only to be scene at the end banging herself against the walls, having
gone down to the deepest depths of madness. This is not only a result of Winslets
incredible performance, but of Branaghs direction. Winslets Ophelia is a strong,
sprightly independent woman, who has fallen madly in love with Hamlet, not only
because she was his source of comfort after his fathers death, but because it was her first
physical relationship with a man. That man then abandons her (after he believes she has
abandoned him), and kills her father. Her decent into madness seems very genuine and
tragic, especially when it stemmed from a romance that seemed to burst with great
potential. This is what makes Branaghs Hamlet superior to Zepherellis version: the
complexity. Branagh takes the time to craft multiple backstories out of nothing. These
backstories make the entire play more effective. For instance, when Hamlet cries out at
Ophelias burial that he loved her fourty-thousand more times that a brother ever could,
you believe him, even though he treated her so coldly and harshly when he rejected her
during the nunnery scene. You believe him, because youve seen it, even though all of his

confusion and paranoia, he truly loved her, and she him. Although, setting the movie in
the 19th century adds another huge element of drama when it comes to the treatment of
Ophelia. Back in those days particularly, if you were mad or ill, you were treated
brutally and savagely. It is horrible to see someone so prized and adored as Winslets
Ophelia wrapped in a straight jacket, put in an institute, etc. In this version, Ophelia is not
a victim in terms of her personality and the way she handles things, but rather a victim,
literally, of the world in which she lives. It gives a much stronger punch to the moving
finale of Ophelias story.
I recently saw a production of Hamlet on Broadway, starring Jude Law in the title
role. While I appreciate Law as an actor, I was unsure of how he would fair with
Shakespeare. As is usually the case, he is too old to be playing Hamlet, but I believe that
he is the young prince far more than I do with Branagh or Gibson. The play is done in a
contemporary setting, but without being completely modern in style. The castle is still
made of stone, but Polonius wears a suit, Ophelia is in a skirt and shirt combo that looks
straight out of an Ann Taylor catalogue, Gertrude is in a pant suit, and Hamlet is in a
tight fitting shirt, and some cargo pants. Everything is muted in color, and I appreciated
the overall aesthetic. The set and costumes were so minimalist that I was completely
enraptured in the text and performances. I would find myself sometimes distracted by the
opulence of Zeffirellis design, and such was not the case here at all. Jude Laws Hamlet,
to me, will remain the definitive performance, even above Olivier and Branagh. No one
was as shocked as me to hear this. He captures the heartbreak, torment, grief, humor, and
wit of Hamlet so perfectly. Ive never heard an audience laugh so much at Hamlet in my
life, and yet not a single laugh was cheaply gained. Jude Law rung the text of every last

ounce of feeling and truth. Ron Cook, as Polonius, is hilariously nosey and believes his
advice is second only to God himself, and yet, he will occasionally say something truly
profound, and it becomes clear why he is the kings advisor. I have never seen a more
interesting Polonius, a character I usually find annoying and dull, whom I dont give a
damn about when he dies. Cook is masterful. So masterful, in fact, that he reappears as
the gravedigger later, and you cant believe its the same actor. Brilliant work.
Unfortunately, Law and Cook have to work with a sub par Ophelia and a boring
Gertrude. Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Ophelia is one dimensional, and he madness stems from
nowhere. I honestly forgot about her when she was offstage, and when she reappears
mad, it made no sense. When Hamlet cries out that he loved Ophelia, I almost had to ask
myself why. She is dutiful to her brother, obeys her father, seems to have, at most, a
schoolgirl crush on Hamlet, and then, upon hearing of her fathers death, goes mad. I
didnt care. This may have been the fault of the direction, which seemed to focus more of
the relationship between Hamlet, the Ghost, and Claudius. I would not say this is a
terrific production of Hamlet, but it remains a must see (even if only on video at Lincoln
Center Library, as it is now closed), solely for Laws masterful portrayal of Hamlet. A
true, awe-inspiring performance, filled with layers of emotion, depth, and wit.
If I had to craft a production of Hamlet based on these three versions, I would
take Law as Hamlet, Close as Gertrude, Winslet as Ophelia, Cook as Polonius, and most
likely Kevin R. McNally (Broadway) as Claudius, who was both menacing and yet I
could see why Gertrude would fall for him, and why all of Ellsinore obeyed and
respected him. Hamlet is perhaps the most open to interpretation of all of Shakespeares

works. No version of such a masterpiece can be horrid. It is just a matter of interpretation

and personal preference.