Shakespeare’s
Hamlet
A Study of the
Play’s Major
Soliloquies
and
Various Film
Adaptations
Fun Facts About Hamlet
• Script first
published in 1604
• More film
adaptations made of
this than any other
Shakespeare play
• “The story of a man
who could not make
up his mind” (LO)
More Fun Facts
• WS’s longest, most
popular, most
influential play
• Different versions of
the play exist, with
various differences
in lines and scenes –
they are known as
the First Quarto
(Q1), the Second
Quarto (Q2), and
the First Folio
Recognize this story?
Shakespearean Renaissance
in the 20th/21st Century
• Previous and present century
trend of adapting Hamlet
• The Bard is no longer
confined to the theatre but is
broadcast over airwaves, on
television, and on the silver
screen
Never before has
Shakespeare been so
widely available and
debated from so
many viewpoints
Major Themes
Fratricide
Regicide
Incest
Adultery
Espionage
Insanity
Assault
Treason
Major Themes
Revenge
Appearance
versus Reality
Sanity versus
Insanity
Decay and
Corruption
Plot of Hamlet
• A tragedy set in
Denmark
• Hamlet’s father, King of
Denmark, is murdered
by Hamlet’s own uncle,
Claudius
• Claudius quickly marries
Hamlet’s mother
Gertrude and becomes
king
• Hamlet’s father’s ghost
desires his son Hamlet to
get revenge
Plot of Hamlet
continued…
• Hamlet feigns madness
• Stages a play to catch
the conscience of the
king
• Kills Polonius, then
Rosencrantz and
Guildenstern, Ophelia
(indirectly), and just
about everyone except
for Claudius until it is
almost too late
Plot of Hamlet Concluded
• Hamlet in fits of
mania, frustration, rage
and introspection
before he finally dies
• The play’s
intellectualism is what
keeps filmmakers and
others continually
adapting it in new and
exciting ways
The Soliloquies
• There are 6 major
soliloquies
throughout the play
• What
developments
and/or states of
mind do the
soliloquies reveal?
In this unit, we will compare
different film
techniques used in
4 versions of Hamlet
Film Techniques for Comparison
• Direction of Camera Angle
and Position of Camera
• Stage/Set Design
• Music and Sound Effects
• Physical Actions of Actors
Some important points about film…
• it helps students understand the story
and the language of the play better
• very few if any films are ever the exact
play, despite crediting Shakespeare as a
writer and using the play’s title
• It is a film-industry-wide practice to
cut more than 2/3 of the original text of
the play
The original text is cut because…
• Doing this allows
the director more
freedom in
presenting his or her
interpretation of the
text of the play
• Most modern
audiences prefer
films lasting only
between 120 to 150
minutes
Why can’t we just watch the movie?
• Films alone are
insufficient to teach
the plays
• At best, a Shakespeare
film is a director’s
interpretation of the
original story for
modern audiences
• Each version of
Hamlet is a different
interpretation
What is a screenwriter?
• Someone who writes an
original script (or uses a
play) and rewrites or
adapts it into a more
condensed version for
the screen
• The screenwriter writes
(and rewrites) a
screenplay until the
director is satisfied
• Sometimes the director
works as a screenwriter
What is a film director?
• A film is made by a director,
who functions as a kind of
storyteller
• The director is responsible
for the creative
aspects of the film
• He or she directs how scenes
will work in terms of
camera angles, set
design, lighting, and
the physical movements of
the actors
Film Technique #1:
Camera Angle and
Shot Sequence
• The position chosen by the director in
which to situate the camera; this
determines the perspective from which
the viewer sees the action, and the
emotional effect on the viewer
• Multiple camera angles are often used
during a single scene, and the director
determines what is included in the shot
Camera Elements include…
• How long the director stays with a shot
• How often there are transitions from
one angle to another
• When a camera takes the view of a
character
• When there are close ups and/or long
shots for a desired psychological effect
on the viewer
High-angle shot: focus is downward, creating sense of
power or superiority within the viewer
High-angle means looking downward
Low-angle shot: focus is upward, creating a
sense of weakness or inferiority
Low-angle means looking upwards
Film Technique #2: Set
Design
• The physical
appearance of the stage
or landscape as it looks
during each scene
throughout the film
• The set design consists
of colours, props, and
the placement of actors
• The details of the set
design have symbolic
significance
Setting Elements include…
• Where is the scene taking place
physically?
• What do props and costumes tell us
about the time period and each of the
characters?
Consider the time periods and
atmospheres of the following stages…
Traditional
Modern
Film Technique #3:
Music and Sound Effects
• The film’s soundtrack
is the collection of
songs used, and is not
to be confused with…
• The film’s score, which
is the background
music
• The film’s score is
composed specifically
and exclusively for the
director alone
• The majority of scores
tend to be orchestral,
without specific
individual voices
Sound Elements include…
• Sound effects and background noise
in the scene (i.e. doors creaking,
animal noises, wind, etc.)
• Music, voiceovers, and other sounds
added to the scene
Listen to the following examples of
famous film scores…
Music and Sound Elements
• Film adaptations of
Shakespearean plays
(like all films) often
have specific music for
different characters, as
well as events,
concepts, and even
symbols
• Classic examples: Jaws,
Psycho, Star Wars, Lord
of the Rings (see clips)
Film Technique #4:
Body Language and Physical Movement
• The facial expressions
and physical gestures of
actors are specifically
coordinated with
dialogue from the script
• Different actors making
different gestures and
movements can greatly
impact how the viewer
‘sees’ the play
Body Language/Physical Movement…
When watching each scene, consider:
• What words and/or lines are
emphasized with specific tones of
voice and facial expressions?
• What physical gestures are used to
convey emotions?
Film #1: Olivier’s Hamlet (1948)
• Succeeded in bringing
Shakespeare to an
international audience,
popularizing the play
• ‘Ye olde’ standard
against which all other
Hamlet films are
measured
• Offers a dark
exploration of human
pysche with Freudian
themes and undertones
Laurence Olivier (1948)
Film #2: Zeffirelli’s Hamlet (1990)
• Known for making megamainstream films, his are the
most watched and
publicized of all Shakespeare
interpretations
• Shakespeare Lite? 60% of
the dialogue cut here and
marketed with major
Hollywood actors makes for
greater appeal
• Makes sacrifices and
compromises to bring
Shakespearean culture to a
mass audience
Mel Gibson (1990)
Film #3: Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet (1996)
• Set in 19th century
Denmark with multicultural cast
• Self-promoting artist
vs. powerful
interpretive force?
• Only adaptation of
the play to follow the
entire script,
resulting in a 4 hour
film
Kenneth Branagh (1996)
Film #4: Gregory Doran’s Hamlet (2009)
• David Tennant
recently played Hamlet
with the RSC (Royal
Shakespeare
Company) to critical
acclaim
• Plays a likeable,
sometimes comic
Hamlet – vengeful, yet
different from his
predecessors
David Tennant (2009)
Film Techniques once again…
1. Direction of Camera Angle
and Position of Camera
2. Stage/Set Design
3. Music and Sound Effects
4. Physical Actions of Actors
What’s a soliloquy again?
• a dramatic speech
uttered by one
character speaking
aloud while alone
on the stage
• the soliloquist thus
reveals his or her
inner thoughts to
the audience; he or
she soliloquizes
Soliloquies in Hamlet
Hamlet is an
introspective
character; his
soliloquies are
tragic, and are
him thinking
outwards rather
than confiding in
the audience