Analysis of the Cinematic Version of Hamlet
Analysis of the Cinematic Version of Hamlet
In the two different film versions shown in class of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” Prince Hamlet’s “To be or not to be…” soliloquy is presented very differently and therefore is interpreted differently as well. In the Gibson version, the soliloquy can be construed as a lamentation over the fight that took place between the Prince and Ophelia. During their interaction, Ophelia was portrayed as in control and Hamlet suffered the most. In the Branaugh version, the soliloquy can be interpreted as Hamlet’s selfish contemplation of suicide. When Hamlet interacts with Ophelia in this version, he is in control and Ophelia suffers the most. The placement of the soliloquy in the plot, and the body language and vocal tones all help create these two very different interpretations.
In the Gibson version, Hamlet’s fight with Ophelia comes before his soliloquy, while in the Branaugh version it comes after. This fight provides Hamlet a reason to say his soliloquy in the Gibson version, since Ophelia is in control most of the time and Hamlet is the most damaged. This placement gives meaning to the soliloquy’s tone of suffering and grief, while in the Branaugh version, Hamlet’s only reasons for this grief are the death of his father and the remarrying of his mother to Claudius. While these a valid reasons for grief, Hamlet has already expressed his anger and grief in an earlier soliloquy. Furthermore, these problems are not legitimate reasons to kill one’s self. Since this is how the soliloquy was presented in the original play, it seems only to illustrate how self-absorbed, foppish, and melodramatic Hamlet is. In the Gibson version, Hamlet contemplates suicide after Ophelia forsakes his love, returning his love poems and letters with force and a cold demeanor. Besides his mother, Ophelia was the only other person alive to love Hamlet. To add to his torment, his mother’s love was rather underwhelming, since he felt a strong sense of betrayal and anger towards her for remarrying so soon. These combined factors justified Hamlet’s contemplation of death, giving real meaning to the soliloquy.
The body language in the two versions helps to once again create different interpretations of the fight and the soliloquy. In the Branaugh version, Hamlet’s voice and gestures are loud, angry, and violent. He...