Hamlet Study Guide
Adapted for screen and directed by Kenneth Branagh, 1996
“Shakespeare is more understandable when it is performed. His plays were not written as plays which had an
immediate life as a published document. They were written very quickly and put on stage very quickly.”
Kenneth Branagh
Allow the careful observation of this production to lead you toward a multifaceted and thorough understanding of
the play. As it follows the actual text very closely, see this film as an important opportunity to fully engage with
the complexities of this work. As you approach Branagh’s production of Hamlet, keep an open mind to the
possible interpretations of characters, critical scenes, and motives. Give special attention to Branagh’s treatment
of thematic concepts.
Before viewing the film:
1. Make a list of your persisting questions about the characters, motives, events and ideas in the play.
2. For each of the above questions, explain the degree to which the film answers and/or explores these
questions.
Many stage productions of Hamlet tend to present the play as an examination of the title character’s continual
brooding over events, a sort of psychological examination and dissection of Hamlet himself. The factor separating
the more impressive productions lies in the degree to which they focus on the play’s themes.
Make a list of thematic topics in the play. Observe Branagh’s treatment of those themes and write an explanation
showing how he illuminates some of the play’s overarching ideas.
Thematic Topic
Treatment of the subject in Branagh’s production
Example:
Power
The first image we see in the film is the statue of old Hamlet, Hamlet’s father. This is also the
final image of the film, but at the end we see the statue being toppled from its plinth. The
dynasty has fallen. Fortinbras and the Norwegians have taken control. Fortinbras stakes his
rightful claim to the throne, as all other claimants are now dead. This makes me wonder how
this political idea of power affects or resounds our understanding of the “micro” relationships
involving power…?
Respond to the following topics as you watch the film. Your comments should reflect thoughtfulness and depth,
even if they are somewhat scattered. Your obervations might take on the form of questions—that’s fine.
1. Madness. Consider the role of madness in the play. How does Hamlet’s feigned (is it feigned?) madness
compare with the madness experienced by Ophelia? What is the “method” in Hamlet’s madness? Do we
see any pattern in Ophelia’s?
2. Supernatural. Old Hamlet’s ghost is a different kind of spirit from the ones we’ve met before and he is the
only supernatural element in the play. What role does he play and how does this affect Hamlet? Why
doesn’t the Queen see the ghost?
3. Ophelia. The big question: What is her relation with Hamlet? Were/Are they in love? Lovers? How many
ways can we interpret the “Nunnery” exchange? What drives her mad?
4. Friends and Family. How are familial relationships represented in the play? What is Hamlet’s relationship
with his mother? Is something Freudian going on here? What is Hamlet’s obligation to his father? How
does Hamlet relate to his friends, particularly Horatio? What about Rosencrantz and Guildenstern? What
kind of son is Hamlet compared with Laertes (who also loses a father to murder as well as a sister to
madness)? How is Ophelia treated by her father? Do we see themes of betrayal?
5. Common People. What different kinds of views are we allowed to see through the eyes of more common
characters like the grave-diggers? What is their view on Ophelia’s death? Hamlet’s madness?