All about Hamlet
I want to get down more of my thoughts about the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Hamlet before I forget everything…it’s already been a week! Actually, it seems even longer, since I’ve come home and gone back to work since then.
First, if it wasn’t obvious from my other post, I loved it! I wish I could see it again so that I could really solidify my thoughts about it. As cynodd knows, I usually watch the things I love over and over so that I can pick up new details each time I see them. Often, I enjoy something more the second time because I feel tense the first time I see it, if I don’t know what’s going to happen - a second viewing is more relaxing and I can take in more. Obviously, that’s not such a problem for Hamlet. What native English speaker isn’t already at least a little familiar with what happens in the play? Also, before seeing the performance, I prepared by reading Hamlet in my college text, The Complete Pelican Shakespeare. But, really, it’s an entirely different experience to see it performed than it is to read it! I was hanging on every word; although, part of that was because the language, which is naturally difficult in structure and vocabulary, was being rattled off by the actors at a rapid pace…and they had accents. ;-) All of that contributed to me having to use a lot of concentration to get as much out of it as possible. Still, I loved every second of it!
The following is my own take on the performance along with some questions about the characters and their motives.
The Theatre and the Set
Hamlet was performed at The Courtyard Theatre, which I understand is a temporary theatre being used while the permanent theatre, The Swan Theatre, in Stratford-upon-Avon undergoes renovation. Being a temporary theatre, the Courtyard seemed unfinished on the inside with a lot of the “guts” of the building visible; however this helped to create a sense of intimacy, which was also enhanced by the closeness of the seats to the stage and the actors often walking (or running) up the aisles to get to the stage. The stage was rectangular and deep, rather than wide, with seats surrounding it on 3 sides. There were diagonal aisles leading to the stage through the seats at each of the 2 front corners. There were also aisles leading to the stage at the back 2 corners, but I think they went directly out from the stage along the back wall of the stage. The back wall was lined with very tall, pivoting mirrors, which could open to allow people and set pieces to come and go from the stage. The floor of the stage was a reflective black surface. It’s easy to see how reflective it is in this picture in which the reflections of Claudius & Gertrude, as well as a bit of reflection from Hamlet & Ophelia, can be seen. The floor being so reflective allowed for some very effective lighting of the first scene, the scene in which the guards describe the ghost of Old Hamlet to Horatio before the ghost appears. The guards were in modernish dress, wearing something like long peacoats or short greatcoats. They were carrying large flashlights (like this, only dark, not yellow) and the stage was somewhat misty. Although there was some ambient light, the actors used the flashlights to illuminate each other by allowing the beams to bounce off the floor and up at the faces of their fellows. As I said, it was very effective and set the mood for the appearance of the ghost perfectly. (It also reminded me of The X-Files, which often used flashlights as the main source of lighting, but that’s neither here nor there…)
The set itself was very minimalistic. Often, there was nothing on the stage except the actors. Some scenes did require furniture, such as the scene in Gertrude’s closet (bedchamber). The picture I linked above to show the reflective floor was from the scene containing the play Hamlet asks the players to perform as part of his plan to catch “the conscience of the king.” It shows just the dais and thrones for Claudius and Gertrude, while Hamlet and Ophelia sit (or recline) on the floor. The Persian rug was the players’ stage.
The Characters of Note
Hamlet (David Tennant): As I said in my other post about it, I question whether Hamlet’s madness was a little overplayed, especially with all the funny expressions, but it seems that’s what they were going for. I read this interview with the director, Gregory Doran, in which he said: “He's known as a gloomy Dane but Hamlet says, 'I have of late lost all my mirth', which suggests that actually, generally speaking he's a funny guy” and “Some of the wit in the play is very surprising and it gets a lot of laughs. And David is particularly good at that element of Hamlet's character.” It seems that Tennant is getting mixed reviews for his performance, but I’m not here to criticize. I found his Hamlet to be more sympathetic than my reading and I liked him (meaning Tennant). :)
I wasn’t sure whether Tennant was playing Hamlet as mad or only acting mad. I said in my other post that I could see it either way, but on having more time to think about it, I think it was implied that Hamlet was feigning madness. There seemed to be a specific point at which Hamlet’s madness began, when he didn’t seem mad a moment before, and there also seemed to be a specific point at which Hamlet threw off the madness, his demeanor changing at each of these points. The main thing that made me question whether he was truly meant to be mad was the performance of Hamlet’s soliloquy that begins “O that this too too sullied flesh would melt…” He seemed to be in such despair, more than what I would consider to be normal grief, that it made me think he had a clinical depression, which can progress to psychosis in some people. However, rather than pushing him over the edge of reason into madness, the ghost seemed to have given him a purpose - he only questions whether he has the mettle to follow through on the ghost’s directive. (Also, alisel_kat said that she was left with the impression that he was feigning madness even moreso than she got that impression from having read the play.)
Claudius (Patrick Stewart): To reiterate what I said in my other post, Stewart’s portrayal of Claudius was very subtle. He seemed very affable in the presence of others, but his calculating coldness was gradually revealed throughout the play. At the end of the scene in which he prays for forgiveness, he realizes that he can’t be forgiven because he’s still in possession of the “prizes” for which he murdered his brother. The way Stewart delivered Claudius’s last line, “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; / Words without thoughts never to heaven go,” it made it sound as if, not only was Claudius unwilling to truly repent, but that he would have committed his crime again in a heartbeat. By his last scene, he’s fully revealed himself to be a villain. When Hamlet gave him the cup to drink the poison, he raised it in salute, as if he was satisfied to die knowing that he would have his vengeance in Hamlet’s death as well; Hamlet was already mortally wounded.
Polonius (Oliver Ford Davies): I didn’t mention him in my other post, but he was excellent! I don’t think I’d ever previously understood why he was funny (clearly, he’s supposed to be), but Davies made him so; although, his “senior moments” and speech trailing off made me expect him to be a doting father and he wasn’t really. His priority was always serving the crown and it was a bit hard to watch him ignore Ophelia’s distress as she pitifully tried to collect the torn pieces of Hamlet’s letters to her after Hamlet ordered her “to a nunnery.”
Ophelia (Mariah Gale): She was portrayed as quite a tragic character - bright and happy when we first see her, helping Laertes to pack for his return to France. She became somewhat sullen when Polonius instructed her to avoid Hamlet and distraught when she described Hamlet’s apparent madness upon coming to her rooms. Her own descent into madness was very touching and well done. I know that Ophelia is thought to have gone mad because of her father’s death, but did some of it have to do with her relationship with Hamlet, as well?
Act I: One may smile, and smile, and be a Villain
Recap: The officers, Bernardo and Marcellus, and Horatio, Hamlet’s friend, see a ghost that looks like Old Hamlet, the former king of Denmark and Hamlet’s father. They attempt to speak to it, but the ghost remains silent. They decide to tell Hamlet about the ghost.
Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle and step-father, and Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother and aunt, hold court and seem to be celebrating their wedding. Claudius sends ambassadors to Norway to protect Denmark against an attack from Norway. Laertes, son of the Lord Chamberlain, Polonius, is granted permission to return to France. Hamlet is still grieving the loss of his father, which is criticized by Gertrude and Claudius. After they leave, Hamlet also reveals that he’s very disturbed by his mother’s quick remarriage to his uncle. Horatio and Marcellus find him alone and tell him about his father’s ghost.
Laertes and his sister, Ophelia, bid farewell to one another, since Laertes is returning to France. Laertes warns Ophelia against becoming too involved with Hamlet both because his station is above hers and because, as a prince, Hamlet is not necessarily free to choose whom he will marry. Polonius comes to say ‘goodbye,’ as well, and finds out that Hamlet has been making “tenders of his affection” to Ophelia. He orders her to not to “give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet” because he believes that Hamlet’s feelings toward her will be fleeting or that Hamlet is insincere in them.
Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus wait for the ghost, which appears and beckons to Hamlet. Hamlet wishes to follow it, but the others try to stop him, fearing for his safety. Hamlet is able to resist them and follow the ghost, however.
The ghost speaks to Hamlet and tells him that he was murdered by his brother: when he was taking a nap in the orchard, a poison was put into his ear and quickly spread through his body to kill him. He charges Hamlet to avenge him and to “let not the royal bed of Denmark be a couch for luxury and damnèd incest.” The ghost leaves saying, “Adieu, adieu, adieu. Remember me.” Hamlet swears to do what the ghost has instructed when Marcellus and Horatio find him. Hamlet asks them to take an oath that they will tell no one of what has transpired and the voice of the ghost orders them to swear.
Notes:
The ghost was played by Patrick Stewart, who had a great and commanding voice for it. Although, for the most part, the actors were in modern dress, the play calls for the ghost to be wearing some sort of armor. If I’m remembering correctly, the ghost was wearing something like a military dress uniform with a breast-plate over it and a helmet with the visor up. This was carried over into the dress of the palace guards, as well, who were definitely wearing military dress uniforms with breast-plates over them.
The scene with Claudius and Gertrude’s court really showed the modernity of this production. The mirrors along the back wall were opened to allow Claudius and Gertrude (Penny Downie), et al, to enter. Instead of entering to a flourish of trumpets, there was a flourish of flashbulbs from paparazzi taking photos of the royal couple. *lol* The women wore evening gowns and the men tuxedos. Hamlet stood isolated in one corner of the stage, observing and obviously unhappy. After everyone left, he dissolved into despair with:
O that this too too sullied flesh would melt,
Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,
Or that the Everlasting had not fixed
His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter. O God, God,
How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on’t, ah, fie, ‘tis an unweeded garden
That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come to this,
But two months dead, nay, not so much, not two,
So excellent a king, that was to this
Hyperion to a satyr, so loving to my mother
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth,
Must I remember? Why, she would hang on him
As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on, and yet within a month -
Let me not think on’t; frailty, thy name is woman -
A little month, or ere those shoes were old
With which she followed my poor father’s body
Like Niobe, all tears, why she, even she -
O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason
Would have mourned longer - married with my uncle,
My father’s brother, but not more like my father
Than I to Hercules. Within a month,
Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,
She married. O, most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not nor cannot come to good.
But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue.
Hamlet spent much of this speech curled up in a ball on the floor, possibly in tears - my memory fails me on this point, but I was left with the impression that he was crying. It was this that suggested to me that Hamlet might be in a significant depression, which was otherwise fairly well compensated. Obviously, Gertrude and Claudius were able to see Hamlet’s sorrow at losing his father, since they mentioned it earlier in the scene; however, he was compensated enough to interact fairly normally with them and didn’t show anyone the full intensity of his sorrow. He waited until he was alone to dissolve and composed himself quickly when he realized that someone was coming. (It turned out to be Horatio [Peter De Jersey] and the guards, come to tell him of his father’s ghost.) Although cynodd will disagree with me, I believe that this type of display is more than just normal grief.
When Laertes warned Ophelia about the probable ephemeral nature of Hamlet’s love, given his position in life, Ophelia’s response was quite unexpectedly funny. She was helping her brother to pack, opened his suitcase to put in a forgotten shirt, and said:
I shall the effect of this good lesson keep
As watchman to my heart, but, good my brother,
Do not as some ungracious pastors do,
Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,
Whiles like a puffed and reckless libertine
Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads
And recks not his own rede.
As she finished these lines, she pulled several wrapped condoms out of the suitcase and held them up. Polonius entered the scene at that point and the condoms were quickly put away again. *lol*
Before the ghost’s appearance on stage and when Hamlet was waiting for it, he was off to one side of the stage, staring in the direction from which the ghost is to appear. As it happened, this was an aisle that I was sitting right beside, so I had the sensation of Hamlet staring directly at me during this part. It was a strange feeling…especially with the expression on his face being so fearful. (Not at this time because everything was dark, but at other times, I could clearly see the audience on the other side of the stage, which means that the actors would be able to see the audience, as well, being closer.) Following his encounter with the ghost, Hamlet took a knife (a switchblade, I think) and cut across his palm. I assumed that this gesture was meant to show that Hamlet was swearing with his blood that he would carry out the wishes of the ghost and avenge his father’s murder. It also seemed to mark the beginning of his “madness.” Even though he had already spoken with the ghost, his speech directly before he cut his palm did not really betray any madness:
O all you host of heaven! O earth! What else?
And shall I couple hell? O fie! Hold, hold, my heart,
An you, my sinews, grow not instant old,
But bear me stiffly up. Remember thee?
Yea, from the table of my memory
I’ll wipe away all trivial fond records,
All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past
That youth and observation copied there,
And thy commandment all alone shall live
Within the book and volume of my brain,
Unmixed with baser matter. Yes, by heaven!
O most pernicious woman!
O villain, villain, smiling, damnèd villain!
My tables - meet it is I set it down
That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain.
At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark.
So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word:
It is ‘Adieu, adieu, remember me.’
I have sworn’t.
However, when Horatio and Marcellus (Keith Osborn) entered, Hamlet has very suddenly begun to act mad and Horatio noted that Hamlet’s words were “wild and whirling.” Also, as Horatio and Marcellus entered, Hamlet held his bloody palm up (in a motion to stop them coming forward) and Marcellus stared at it, as if he was shocked or horrified by it. Horatio didn’t seem to notice, though. This suddenness of the madness suggested that Hamlet’s madness was feigned and that he purposefully decided to take that approach when he swore to avenge his father. (Actually, as I have written in the margin of my college text, Horatio may have given him the idea by saying, while trying to prevent Hamlet from following the ghost, “What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord, / Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff / That beetles o’er his base into the sea, / And there assume some other horrible form, / Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason / And draw you into madness? Think of it.”) What I question, though, is what does Hamlet really gain by acting mad? He doesn’t seem to have any strategy until he meets the players…
Act II: To die, to sleep - to sleep - perchance to Dream
Recap: Polonius sends his servant, Reynaldo, to France to find out what Laertes is doing there and, essentially, to spy on Laertes. He instructs Reynaldo to make up mild indiscretions in which he is to say Laertes has engaged in the hopes that it will lead Laertes’s acquaintances to reveal whatever his greater indiscretions are. After Reynaldo leaves, Ophelia comes to tell Polonius about how Hamlet has come to her room and frightened her with his appearance and his manner. She describes his appearance and actions to Polonius who comes to the conclusion that Hamlet has gone mad out of love for Ophelia because he was denied access to her.
Claudius and Gertrude greet Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, courtiers and friends of Hamlet, for whom they’ve sent to help find out what’s wrong with Hamlet. The ambassadors return from Norway and report that Norway will not attack Denmark, but would like passage through Denmark to make war against Poland. Polonius tells Claudius and Gertrude that Hamlet is mad because of his love for Ophelia and reads a letter from him to her as proof. Polonius goes on to explain that he’s forbidden Ophelia to see Hamlet. They decide to test whether Hamlet’s madness comes from love by having Ophelia find him pacing the “lobby” and speaking to him while they observe.
In my college text, which is based on the second quarto, this is where Hamlet meets Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; his “To be, or not to be” soliloquy and meeting with Ophelia come in Act III. However, this RSC production has placed the soliloquy and meeting with Ophelia here and the meeting with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern later. In the program, a note (actually, several notes) from the director, Gregory Doran, says:
To cut or not to cut. Hamlet is perhaps the most revered play in the canon, perhaps the most familiar. But there’s no such thing as a definitive production, perhaps because there’s no such thing as a definitive text….
…For a second week we are sitting around a table exploring the text word-by-word, line-by-line. The whole company read the play in turns, scene-by-scene, and then put each line into their own words. This may sound laborious, but it reveals how easy it is to assume you know what the words mean, and how hard it is to be really specific. Sometimes it shatters preconceptions, sometimes confirms them….Sometimes there are intense disagreements. We have every possible edition of the play at hand to consult various editorial opinions. Inevitably the editors tend to fall silent on just the point the actors want illuminating….
….Working through Act Three we reach the most famous soliloquy of all: ‘To be, or not to be’. Why is it here? Why, after Hamlet has found such inspiration in the Player’s tears at Hecuba, when he has decided to catch the conscience of the king with The Mousetrap, has he descended into this slough of despondency and fatalism? A solution presents itself. In the First Quarto, the speech appears in Act Two, and is the first time we see Hamlet following the encounter with his father’s spirit and since Ophelia’s description of the distracted prince’s appearance in her closet. We try adopting this structure.
So, Hamlet explores his feelings about death here, but his thoughts are interrupted by Ophelia. Ophelia says that she is there to return “remembrances” that Hamlet has given her, but Hamlet denies ever having given her anything and launches into a diatribe against women, which Ophelia takes as madness. Overhearing the exchange, Claudius doesn’t believe that Hamlet loves Ophelia, or that Hamlet is truly mad. Polonius is less willing to give up this theory, but suggests that Gertrude speak with him and that, if she gets nowhere, “to England send him, or confine him where / Your wisdom best shall think.”
Notes:
When Ophelia entered, very disturbed by Hamlet’s odd behavior, she said, “My lord, as I was sewing in my closet, / Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced, / No hat upon his head, his stockings fouled, / Ungarted, and down-gyvèd to his ankle, / Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other, / And with a look so piteous in purport / As if he had been loosed out of hell / To speak of horrors - he comes before me.” I know it’s really nitpicky, but I have to say that this didn’t really work for me in the context of the modern clothing. Up to that point, the only men wearing hats wore them as part of their military style uniforms - Hamlet never wore one up to that point in the play. Why would Hamlet have been wearing a doublet and stockings? I suppose it could be argued that he wore these things in madness, but that wasn’t really the intention, I don’t think. This description, of course, was why Polonius believed that Hamlet’s madness sprang from love for Ophelia; however, the audience knows that Hamlet’s behavior wasn’t due to Ophelia. So, I’m left wondering why Hamlet chose to act this way with Ophelia. Did he intend to make everyone believe he was distracted by love for Ophelia as a sort of subterfuge for his true purpose? If so, it really was somewhat cruel to Ophelia who seemed to have true affection for him. On the other hand, Hamlet must have wondered why Ophelia repelled his letters and denied his access to her. The fact that she mentioned repelling his letters suggested that he did write some to her after Polonius ordered her not to see him.
I believe they chose to have Ophelia present during the scene in which Polonius told Claudius of his theory that Hamlet was mad over his love for Ophelia. Polonius read the letter from Hamlet to her aloud:
Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.
‘O dear Ophelia, I am ill at these numbers. I have not art to reckon my groans, but that I love thee best, O most best, believe it. Adieu.
‘Thine evermore, most dear lady,
Whilst this machine is to him, Hamlet.
I wonder if Hamlet sent this to her because he wanted her to know he loved her, even though he might act strangely or as if he did not? I just don’t see how pretending to love Ophelia would really forward his goal of vengeance in any way…
When Claudius asked how Ophelia had received Hamlet’s love and learned that Polonius had instructed her to refuse him, I liked the look on his face, which was mostly hidden from Polonius. It was clear that he thought Polonius somewhat stupid for having intervened between Hamlet and Ophelia.
Claudius and Polonius hid while Ophelia was sent away until Hamlet came to pace in the lobby. This was where his famous soliloquy, which begins “To be, or not to be - that is the question,” occurred. As noted above, this soliloquy came earlier in the play than usual. I’ve read some criticism of that decision, but it worked for me. For Hamlet, then, I think, it came directly after his words to Polonius (when Polonius said he would take his leave): “You cannot, sir, take from me anything that I will more willingly part withal - except my life, except my life, except my life.” For some reason I had thought that the “To be, or not to be” soliloquy was longer and it seemed shortened to me during the performance; however, reading it now, I’m not sure whether anything was really left out. I definitely remember Hamlet saying, “Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,” which is toward the end of the soliloquy. I can even hear Tennant’s voice in my head with this line. Or, perhaps, I’m mad, as well. ;-) As Hamlet truly seemed to be contemplating suicide here, it’s another argument in favor of at least some of his madness being real. However, he was compensated enough again to cover any suicidal feelings when Ophelia approached, although I wouldn’t say he was entirely normal, either.
I’m really not sure what to think of this scene between Ophelia and Hamlet. Hamlet seemed rather cruel and angry toward Ophelia. He manhandled her and tore up the letters she tried to give back to him. Was he angry at her giving the “remembrances” back to him? Was he reminded of the capriciousness of his mother? I would tend to lean toward the former leading to the latter based on the performance. Or, should Ophelia have known, based on his letter to her, that it was all an act and that he still loved her despite his words and actions?
Act III: The conscience of the King
Recap: Moved from Act II, I believe that Act III begins with Hamlet meeting Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet believes that they were sent for and asks them to admit as much, which they do. Hamlet goes on to describe his depression, his lack of delight in man, to them and the conversation turns to the fact that the “tragedians of the city”, whom Rosencrantz and Guildenstern know that Hamlet had admired in the past, are coming to offer him service. When the players come in, Hamlet asks them to perform a speech he remembered and had enjoyed. Hamlet begins to recite the speech and it’s finished by one of the players. Hamlet then asks the players to perform “The Murder of Gonzago” and to allow him to add a speech that he will write. His plan is to use a situation similar to the murder of his father to test Claudius’s guilt in his father’s death. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report to Claudius that Hamlet has asked for a performance from the players, although they don’t know of Hamlet’s ulterior motive for the play.
Hamlet gives the players some last minute instructions on his addition to “The Murder of Gonzago” and tells Horatio of his plan. Hamlet refuses an invitation to sit with Gertrude & Claudius and sits with Ophelia to observe Claudius’s reaction to the players. The play is performed: first a “dumb show” of the circumstances of Hamlet’s father’s death, then a scene in which a queen professes her love for her husband and that she will never love or marry another, and a reenactment of the circumstances of Hamlet’s father’s death again. Hamlet often offers his own commentary to emphasize his point in having the play performed. Claudius becomes upset, stops the play, and leaves. Hamlet and Horatio take this as proof of his guilt. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern approach Hamlet and tell him that Gertrude has asked for him to come to her. Hamlet accuses them of lying and trying to play him like a recorder. Polonius also comes to tell Hamlet that his mother wishes to see him and Hamlet agrees to go to her.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern meet Claudius who tells them that he finds Hamlet dangerous in his madness. They agree to do Claudius’s bidding. Polonius comes to tell Claudius that Hamlet will meet with Gertrude and then Claudius is left alone. Claudius begins to pray for forgiveness for his murder, but by the end realizes that he cannot be forgiven because he’s unwilling to give up the crown or Gertrude, the things for which he committed the crime. Hamlet comes upon him praying and considers killing him then and there, but decides against it because he doesn’t want to send Claudius to Heaven with a clean soul, just having prayed.
Polonius is with Gertrude and hides himself in her room when Hamlet approaches. Hamlet begins to reproach his mother, but hears a noise from Polonius, who he mistakes for Claudius, and kills Polonius. Hamlet goes on to accuse Gertrude and Claudius of his father’s murder and contrasts Claudius with his father, a “moor” versus a “fair mountain.” Gertrude is begging Hamlet to stop when the ghost, whom she cannot see, enters the room. The ghost intervenes to protect Gertrude from Hamlet’s tirade, but Gertrude takes Hamlet’s vision as madness. She does, however, imply that she will do as Hamlet says and refuse advances from Claudius. After Hamlet leaves, Claudius enters to comfort her. (This is clearly the same scene in the RSC performance; however in my college text, this is the first scene of Act IV.)
Notes:
When the players arrived and Hamlet began to recite a speech he had heard them perform in the past, Tennant did a good job of portraying some difficulty at remembering the words. I suppose that wasn’t particularly hard for him to do, but it made sense that the words didn’t roll off his tongue as easily as the rest of his dialogue. I also quite liked his performance of the following soliloquy after the players, et al, had gone and he was alone again:
Ay, so, God bye to you. -Now I am alone.
O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!
Is it not monstrous that this player here,
But in a fiction, in a dream of passion,
Could force his soul so to his own conceit
That from her working all his visage waned,
Tears in his eyes, distraction in his aspect,
A broken voice, and his whole function suiting
With forms to his conceit? And all for nothing,
For Hecuba!
What’s Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,
That he should weep for her? What would he do
Had he the motive and the cue for passion
That I have? He would drown the stage with tears
And cleave the general ear with horrid speech,
Make mad the guilty and appal the free,
Confound the ignorant, and amaze indeed
The very faculties of eyes and ears.
Yet I,
A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak
Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,
And can say nothing. No, not for a king,
Upon whose property and most dear life
A damned defeat was made. Am I a coward?
Who calls me villain? Breaks my pate across?
Plucks off my beard and blows it in my face?
Tweaks me by the nose? Gives me the lie i’ th’ throat
As deep as to the lungs? Who does me this?
Ha, ‘swounds, I should take it, for it cannot be
But I am pigeon-livered and lack gall
To make oppression bitter, or ere this
I should ha’ fatted all the region kites
With this slave’s offal. Bloody, bawdy villain!
Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindles villain!
O, vengeance!
Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave,
That I, the son of a dear father murdered,
Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,
Must like a whore unpack my heart with words
An fall a-cursing like a very drab,
A stallion! Fie upon’t, foh! About my brains.
Hum -
I have heard that guilty creatures sitting at a play
Have by the very cunning of the scene
Been struck so to the soul that presently
They have proclaimed their malefactions.
For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak
With most miraculous organ. I’ll have these players
Play something like the murder of my father
Before mine uncle. I’ll observe his looks.
I’ll tent him to the quick. If ‘a do blench,
I know my course. The spirit that I have seen
May be a devil, and the devil hath power
T’ assume a pleasing shape, yea, and perhaps
Out of my weakness and my melancholy,
As he is very potent with such spirits,
Abuses me to damn me. I’ll have grounds
More relative than this. The play’s the thing
Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.
I particularly liked the part where he was speaking of Hecuba because it seemed ironic to me - he spoke with such incredulity at the emotion of the player, who couldn’t possibly really care about Hecuba, and yet in doing that, as an actor, Tennant is doing the same thing as the player - the very thing about which he seems to be incredulous. (And, doing it very well, I might add.)
At the players’ performance, Gertrude and Claudius were upon thrones, facing the audience, and a Persian rug was laid out in front of them as a stage for the players. Hamlet, who had been barefoot, wearing jeans and a T-shirt (red with markings on it to indicate muscles), remained barefoot, but was wearing a tuxedo with the tie undone. He seemed very excited in this scene. I question the soundness of Hamlet’s plan here. Any intelligent person would be able to see what the play was implying about Gertrude and Claudius, so is there any chance it wouldn’t make Claudius angry or upset, even if the implied accusation wasn’t true? Add to that Hamlet’s belligerent interruptions of the play to drive home the point and I think not. However, Claudius seemed very calm, despite annoyance, and after stopping the play just walked up to Hamlet to glare at him before striding away. Claudius seemed very calculating and in control.
But, I can’t go on without mentioning Hamlet’s interaction with Ophelia before the play began. There is sexual innuendo within Shakespeare’s words to be certain, but in the interpretation (with both voice and gesture) by Tennant, it was so much more salacious…a bit shocking, actually.
The dumb show, also, was very lewd, which I suppose was a true representation of what those shows were like? At least, that’s the impression I get from period films…Anyway, in the dumb show, both the king and queen were played by men. The man playing the queen was wearing a dress with a low-cut bodice, off the shoulders, which often slipped down to reveal his breasts. Due to his build, it was very suggestive. The king was poisoned in this dumb show by another who was lowered down on a wire and hook to place poison in the king’s ear. After that, the king was attached to the hook and raised out of the set and into the rafters. This is the sort of thing that always intrigues me. How long would the actor be stuck in the rafters? Until the next scene? Was there a way for him to climb into the rafters, then down backstage? So, I was distracted by watching that, when everyone else burst into laughter. The poisoner had been wearing breeches with a heart-shaped codpiece, which had opened to reveal a smaller heart-shaped codpiece with a slinky-like thing protruding from it, imitating male genitalia, of course. ;-)
After Claudius left the play and everyone else followed, Hamlet was with Horatio and one of the costume crowns was left behind on the rug-stage. Hamlet picked it up and placed it on his head at an odd angle, as in this photo (although it’s somewhat less skewed in this photo than what I remember), and continued to wear it through the next several scenes. I think it was very interesting to have done this because of the question over why Claudius became king instead of Hamlet. By wearing the crown in this manner, Hamlet became a mockery of the king. It was in the following scene with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that Hamlet even said, “I lack advancement,” a reference to the fact that he should have been king.
When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern appeared with the message that Gertrude would like to see Hamlet, I liked the danger suggested in Hamlet’s character. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tried to be placating, but came off as sycophants and Hamlet treated them as such, rather than as friends, by using his demeanor to show his superiority of rank. Of course, he was still wearing the crown, as well. After having taken a recorder from one of the passing players and having accused his friends of trying to play him like a recorder, Hamlet actually used it to play “Three Blind Mice”. It was by no means a perfect rendition, but close enough to recognize the tune. This was a very interesting choice both because of the implication of blindness and also because of the history that associates the song with shedding the blood of enemies.
The first half of the play, before intermission, ended with Claudius praying. Just before the intermission, Hamlet came upon him and said, “Now might I do it pat, now ‘a is a-praying, / And now I’ll do’t,” raising a knife (a switchblade again, I think) above his head with both hands (like this). The stage went black at that moment and it was the intermission. Following the intermission, the play resumed at the same point with Hamlet holding the knife above his head, as Claudius’s head was bent in prayer.
As portrayed in this production, there was something almost Oedipal about the scene between Hamlet and Gertrude in her “closet” - Hamlet wearing his skewed crown, confronting the queen. Perhaps it’s always done that way. I haven’t seen any production of Hamlet since seeing Kenneth Branagh’s film in the theater with cynodd in…*checks online*…1996. Anyway, Hamlet was quite physical with Gertrude, pushing her onto the bed and climbing onto it beside her, at one point straddling her. He also crawled over her to reach a gun on the bedside table with which he shot Polonius who was hiding behind the mirror at the back of the stage. As he did this, he knocked a lamp off the bedside table, greatly reducing the amount of light. At first, I thought this was entirely accidental, but it became clear by the end of the scene that it was choreographed to be that way. Somehow the mirror at the back of the stage, behind which Polonius had been, cracked, but didn’t shatter. It remained splintered for the rest of the show. I’d like to know how they did that - the cracks seemed to glow at times, so perhaps with some trick of light. As he was speaking of the various attributes of his father versus Claudius to Gertrude, he picked up newspapers that had pictures of each on their front pages, respectively, in demonstration. I couldn’t actually see the pictures on the newspapers, it’s just that it was obvious that’s what he was doing (see here). As the scene went on, Gertrude seemed to reach out for Hamlet more and more, especially after Hamlet has seen the ghost which is invisible to her, ending with his head upon her lap (see here). In the end, Hamlet left, dragging Polonius’s body along and Gertrude showed that she still needed Claudius to comfort her.
Act IV: O, from this time forth, my thoughts be Bloody
Recap: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have been sent to find Hamlet with Polonius’s body and, while they find Hamlet, he won’t reveal the location of the body. Hamlet again accuses them of being tools of Claudius.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern bring Hamlet to Claudius and Hamlet does tell Claudius where to find Polonius’s body. Claudius tells Hamlet that he must be sent to England that night.
Fortinbras, the Prince of Norway, has entered Denmark and sends his captain with a message to Claudius to ensure their safe passage through Denmark to Poland. Hamlet speaks to the captain and is inspired by the soldiers. As it is in my college text, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are also in this scene, but in the performance, Hamlet was alone, implying that he was already returning to Denmark, not leaving.
Gertrude is informed of Ophelia’s madness and witnesses it for herself, as does Claudius. They hear that Laertes has returned from France and that the people are crying for Laertes to become king. Laertes finds Claudius and demands to know what has happened to Polonius. Claudius denies any involvement in Polonius’s death, but he and Laertes are interrupted by Ophelia who Laertes learns is mad. Ophelia gives them the wildflowers she has been out picking and leaves. Laertes demands an explanation for Polonius’s “obscure funeral,” which Claudius assures him that he will have.
Horatio receives a letter from Hamlet describing how he has escaped Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. This scene was not in the RSC production.
It’s implied that Laertes knows that Hamlet killed Polonius and Claudius explains why Hamlet was not formally punished. Laertes vows revenge and Claudius implies that Laertes needs to hear more: he has not yet told Laertes of his plan for Hamlet in England. However, Claudius’s plan in sending Hamlet to England was never part of the RSC production at all, except possibly implied in keeping Claudius’s line from his first meeting with Laertes, “And where th’ offense is, let the great axe fall.” A messenger arrives with letters from Hamlet, announcing Hamlet’s return to Denmark. Claudius and Laertes formulate a plan to kill Hamlet. Claudius will set up a fencing match between Laertes and Hamlet, betting on Hamlet to win. However, Laertes will use a sharp blade, instead of a blunted blade. In addition, Laertes will make sure that the sharp blade has a fast-acting poison on it and Claudius will induce Hamlet to drink from a poisoned cup. As they are discussing the plan, Gertrude enters and announces that Ophelia has drowned. Laertes leaves in sorrow and Claudius is concerned that Ophelia’s death will make Laertes more difficult to control.
Notes:
The scene in which Claudius questioned Hamlet about the location of Polonius’s body was quite shocking because it was so totally unexpected. Rosencrantz was telling Claudius that Hamlet would not say where he’d hidden Polonius’s body when there was a rumbling noise and someone (Guildenstern?) pushed Hamlet, bound to an office chair with duct tape and tape over his mouth, up the aisle to the stage. Claudius pulled the tape off his mouth and demanded to know where Polonius was. Hamlet remained bound to the chair until he was taken away for England. As he was being pushed in the chair off the stage, he just shouted, “Whee!” as if it was all a lark.
As I said above, I got the impression that Hamlet had already escaped from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in the scene with Fortinbras and his captain. This scene began with the loud noise of a helicopter and Fortinbras was lowered to the stage in a modern flight suit, as if he was being lowered from a helicopter. The other soldiers are also in modern military fatigues and some at the back of the stage had those light sticks to direct airplanes. (I’m blanking on what they’re called.) Hamlet appeared as one might have been dressed on a ship, with a parka over a pullover sweater and a knit cap, as seen here. I’m not sure why this scene was important enough to be left in the play, especially since Fortinbras didn’t even have any lines at the end, but seeing these soldiers seemed to inspire Hamlet to carry his vengeance to its conclusion:
Witness this army of such mass and charge,
Led by a delicate and tender prince,
Whose spirit, with divine ambition puffed,
Makes mouths at the invisible event,
Exposing what is mortal and unsure
To all that fortune, death, and danger dare,
Even for an eggshell. Rightly to be great
Is not to stir without great argument,
But greatly to find quarrel in a straw
When honor’s at the stake. How stand I then,
That have a father killed, a mother stained,
Excitements of my reason and my blood,
And let all sleep, while to my shame I see
The imminent death of twenty thousand men
That for a fantasy and trick of fame
Go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot
Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause,
Which is not tomb enough and continent
To hid the slain? O, from this time forth,
My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!
I found Ophelia to be quite touching in her scene of madness; it was so pitiful. She entered with the flowers she had been picking, looking very unkempt and covered in welts and bruises. These were meant to have been gotten from stinging nettles while she’d been gathering the flowers, according to a note in the program from Doran (see here). Toward the end of the scene, she threw off her clothing as she was running around in her madness. That was also very sad. Laertes seemed heartbroken to see Ophelia’s madness, having earlier in the play been shown to be a protective older brother to his baby sister.
Act V: Good night, sweet Prince
Recap: Two gravediggers are goofing around as they dig Ophelia’s grave. One leaves and Hamlet approaches with Horatio. Hamlet speaks about the bones that the gravedigger is unearthing and speculates who they might have once been. He seems a bit nonplussed by the gravedigger’s lightness and lack of respect for the dead, but he also makes his own jokes about it. He asks for whom the gravedigger is making a grave and can’t get a straight answer about it. Hamlet goes back to considering how death is the great equalizer when the funeral procession approaches and they hide to watch. Hamlet recognizes Laertes who is upset that no further funeral rites will be performed for Ophelia. Laertes leaps into the grave and has no qualms about showing the degree of his grief. Hamlet, surprised that Ophelia is dead, comes forward and seems to mock Laertes for his grief, saying that it could not be as great as his because he loved Ophelia. During this time, Laertes and Hamlet are supposed to be physically grappling with one another. When they are separated, Claudius asks Horatio to look after Hamlet and reminds Laertes of their plan for Hamlet.
Hamlet describes to Horatio how Claudius had sent a letter to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, ordering his immediate execution, and how he replaced the letter with one ordering Rosencrantz’s and Guildenstern’s executions instead. This was entirely left out of the RSC production. Osric, a courtier, finds Horatio and Hamlet and tells Hamlet of the wager that has been placed on the outcome of a fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes. Hamlet makes fun of Osric’s mannerisms, but agrees to participate in the match and goes to meet Laertes. Laertes chooses the sharp blade with the applied poison. Claudius announces that he’ll put a pearl in a cup of wine to reward Hamlet, if he hits Laertes in the first or second go-around. Hamlet does get the first hit and Claudius offers the drink to Hamlet; however, Hamlet refuses. After the second hit from Hamlet, Gertrude takes the cup and drinks, despite Claudius telling her not to drink. Laertes says, “Have at you now!” and the stage direction in my college text indicates that he and Hamlet begin to scuffle, both wounded with the poisoned blade. Gertrude falls and dies while Laertes admits that he is “justly killed with mine own treachery.” Laertes explains to Hamlet what is happening and dies. Hamlet gives the poisoned cup to Claudius and Claudius dies. Hamlet is dying and Horatio wishes to follow, but Hamlet asks him to explain what’s happened to save his name. Hamlet dies as Fortinbras enters the hall and Horatio explains what happened. In the RSC production, Horatio and Fortinbras don’t speak and the play essentially ends with Hamlet’s death.
Notes:
The scene with Hamlet and the gravedigger (Mark Hadfield) was actually quite a funny scene, I thought. Tennant and Hadfield played well against one another. Of course, it helped that the lines were inherently funny, too (still, that wouldn’t be enough without a good delivery). Probably, the exchange that got the biggest laugh during this scene was:
HAMLET: Ay, marry, why was he sent into England?
CLOWN: Why, because ‘a was mad. ‘A shall recover his wits there; or, if ‘a do not, ‘tis no great matter there.
HAMLET: Why?
CLOWN: ‘Twill not be seen in him there. There the men are as mad as he.
As Ophelia’s funeral procession approaches the grave, Hamlet hides to watch and, as luck would have it, his hiding place is in the aisle right near my seat! :) At the sight of Laertes’s display of grief, Hamlet comes forward and says, “What is he whose grief / Bears such an emphasis? Whose phrase of sorrow / Conjures the wand’ring stars, and makes them stand / Like wonder-wounded hearers? This is I, / Hamlet the Dane.” I’m not sure of Hamlet’s intention here and I no longer recall Tennant’s tone of voice for these lines; however, Laertes immediately assaulted Hamlet because he blamed him for the death of his father, and probably for Ophelia’s death, as well. During this scene, Hamlet didn’t know the reason for Ophelia’s death and Polonius’s death seemed to have slipped his mind. When reading it before seeing the play, I got the impression that Hamlet’s only purpose was to mock Laertes and that he wasn’t being truthful when he said he loved Ophelia. However, in seeing it performed, I did believe that Hamlet meant it when he said he loved her and that he was sorry she was dead.
If the moment that Hamlet cut his hand with the knife at the beginning of the play marked the beginning of his madness, then these lines seemed to mark its end:
Does it not, think thee, stand me now upon -
He that hath killed my king, and whored my mother,
Popped in between th’ election and my hopes,
Thrown out his angle for my proper life,
And with such coz’nage - is’t not perfect conscience
To quit him with this arm? And is’t not to be damned
To let this canker of our nature come
In further evil?
…But I am very sorry, good Horatio,
That to Laertes I forgot myself,
For by the image of my cause I see
The portraiture of his. I’ll court his favors.
But sure the bravery of his grief did put me
Into a tow’ring passion.
From here to the end, Hamlet’s demeanor seemed changed and he seemed highly competent. In particular, he seemed to exude a confidence that he didn’t have earlier in the play - the lines also show that he has come to terms with the fact that it must be him to take vengeance on Claudius, something with which he’d never seemed quite comfortable earlier. He was equally confident of his skill in the fencing match against Laertes, even though he pretended to be modest in Laertes’s presence.
When Claudius announced that he intended to put a pearl into the cup for Hamlet, should Hamlet give the first or second hit, and started to talk about the value of the pearl, Hamlet made a face away from Claudius (toward the audience) that very clearly said, “Oh, whatever - who cares?” I thought that expression was very funny and perfect for the scene. I also should say at this point that Tennant looked very good in a fencing jacket (better than this photo, which isn't bad, would suggest). ;-)
Hamlet and Laertes began to fight and Hamlet made the first hit, at which time Claudius took a sip from the cup and then dropped in the pearl. He did it in such a way that was suggestive of him putting in the poison, in addition to the pearl, which is what happened, of course. Hamlet was turned away from Laertes and toward Horatio for a short break in the match when Laertes came up behind Hamlet and purposely wounded him along the upper back. This made Hamlet (understandably) angry and there began a more serious fight in which Laertes lost his rapier to Hamlet and Hamlet very deliberately wounded Laertes in the same manner in which he had been wounded. This was when Gertrude, apparently, drank from the poisoned cup. I missed that in paying attention to Hamlet and Laertes, though, and I don’t even know whether Claudius warned her not to drink. Or maybe Gertrude drank before Laertes wounded Hamlet, as in the text? I’m not certain because everything seemed to have happened so quickly.
When I told cynodd about Laertes sneaking up behind Hamlet to wound him, she objected that it would not have been in Laertes’s character to do that. I’m less convinced of that, though. Was Laertes, who planned a fight involving a sharp and poisoned blade to his opponent’s standard blunt blade, really that upstanding? It seems to me that he was already cheating during the fight…
I really wish I could remember exactly how the performance ended - it was with Hamlet dying in Horatio’s arms - I remember that. But, I don’t recall Hamlet endorsing Fortinbras as he was dying. The performance ended with Hamlet’s death and Horatio’s words: “Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, / And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!” [The lights went down and wild applause erupted.]
ETA: After finishing my summary, I went back to find another review I'd seen by a non-professional critic here. (I hadn't read it when I wrote this post.) Overall, he seems more familiar with the play than I was while seeing it, so he was able to notice more. He places Hamlet's interaction with Polonius, ending with "except my life," after the "To be, or not to be" soliloquy, which is probably correct. It seems that he saw it the day after I did, so there may have been some differences - I doubt there would be anything as drastic as changing the order of speeches, though.
ETA (10-3-08): Here is a link to the review from FlickFilosopher.
First, if it wasn’t obvious from my other post, I loved it! I wish I could see it again so that I could really solidify my thoughts about it. As cynodd knows, I usually watch the things I love over and over so that I can pick up new details each time I see them. Often, I enjoy something more the second time because I feel tense the first time I see it, if I don’t know what’s going to happen - a second viewing is more relaxing and I can take in more. Obviously, that’s not such a problem for Hamlet. What native English speaker isn’t already at least a little familiar with what happens in the play? Also, before seeing the performance, I prepared by reading Hamlet in my college text, The Complete Pelican Shakespeare. But, really, it’s an entirely different experience to see it performed than it is to read it! I was hanging on every word; although, part of that was because the language, which is naturally difficult in structure and vocabulary, was being rattled off by the actors at a rapid pace…and they had accents. ;-) All of that contributed to me having to use a lot of concentration to get as much out of it as possible. Still, I loved every second of it!
The following is my own take on the performance along with some questions about the characters and their motives.
The Theatre and the Set
Hamlet was performed at The Courtyard Theatre, which I understand is a temporary theatre being used while the permanent theatre, The Swan Theatre, in Stratford-upon-Avon undergoes renovation. Being a temporary theatre, the Courtyard seemed unfinished on the inside with a lot of the “guts” of the building visible; however this helped to create a sense of intimacy, which was also enhanced by the closeness of the seats to the stage and the actors often walking (or running) up the aisles to get to the stage. The stage was rectangular and deep, rather than wide, with seats surrounding it on 3 sides. There were diagonal aisles leading to the stage through the seats at each of the 2 front corners. There were also aisles leading to the stage at the back 2 corners, but I think they went directly out from the stage along the back wall of the stage. The back wall was lined with very tall, pivoting mirrors, which could open to allow people and set pieces to come and go from the stage. The floor of the stage was a reflective black surface. It’s easy to see how reflective it is in this picture in which the reflections of Claudius & Gertrude, as well as a bit of reflection from Hamlet & Ophelia, can be seen. The floor being so reflective allowed for some very effective lighting of the first scene, the scene in which the guards describe the ghost of Old Hamlet to Horatio before the ghost appears. The guards were in modernish dress, wearing something like long peacoats or short greatcoats. They were carrying large flashlights (like this, only dark, not yellow) and the stage was somewhat misty. Although there was some ambient light, the actors used the flashlights to illuminate each other by allowing the beams to bounce off the floor and up at the faces of their fellows. As I said, it was very effective and set the mood for the appearance of the ghost perfectly. (It also reminded me of The X-Files, which often used flashlights as the main source of lighting, but that’s neither here nor there…)
The set itself was very minimalistic. Often, there was nothing on the stage except the actors. Some scenes did require furniture, such as the scene in Gertrude’s closet (bedchamber). The picture I linked above to show the reflective floor was from the scene containing the play Hamlet asks the players to perform as part of his plan to catch “the conscience of the king.” It shows just the dais and thrones for Claudius and Gertrude, while Hamlet and Ophelia sit (or recline) on the floor. The Persian rug was the players’ stage.
The Characters of Note
Hamlet (David Tennant): As I said in my other post about it, I question whether Hamlet’s madness was a little overplayed, especially with all the funny expressions, but it seems that’s what they were going for. I read this interview with the director, Gregory Doran, in which he said: “He's known as a gloomy Dane but Hamlet says, 'I have of late lost all my mirth', which suggests that actually, generally speaking he's a funny guy” and “Some of the wit in the play is very surprising and it gets a lot of laughs. And David is particularly good at that element of Hamlet's character.” It seems that Tennant is getting mixed reviews for his performance, but I’m not here to criticize. I found his Hamlet to be more sympathetic than my reading and I liked him (meaning Tennant). :)
I wasn’t sure whether Tennant was playing Hamlet as mad or only acting mad. I said in my other post that I could see it either way, but on having more time to think about it, I think it was implied that Hamlet was feigning madness. There seemed to be a specific point at which Hamlet’s madness began, when he didn’t seem mad a moment before, and there also seemed to be a specific point at which Hamlet threw off the madness, his demeanor changing at each of these points. The main thing that made me question whether he was truly meant to be mad was the performance of Hamlet’s soliloquy that begins “O that this too too sullied flesh would melt…” He seemed to be in such despair, more than what I would consider to be normal grief, that it made me think he had a clinical depression, which can progress to psychosis in some people. However, rather than pushing him over the edge of reason into madness, the ghost seemed to have given him a purpose - he only questions whether he has the mettle to follow through on the ghost’s directive. (Also, alisel_kat said that she was left with the impression that he was feigning madness even moreso than she got that impression from having read the play.)
Claudius (Patrick Stewart): To reiterate what I said in my other post, Stewart’s portrayal of Claudius was very subtle. He seemed very affable in the presence of others, but his calculating coldness was gradually revealed throughout the play. At the end of the scene in which he prays for forgiveness, he realizes that he can’t be forgiven because he’s still in possession of the “prizes” for which he murdered his brother. The way Stewart delivered Claudius’s last line, “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below; / Words without thoughts never to heaven go,” it made it sound as if, not only was Claudius unwilling to truly repent, but that he would have committed his crime again in a heartbeat. By his last scene, he’s fully revealed himself to be a villain. When Hamlet gave him the cup to drink the poison, he raised it in salute, as if he was satisfied to die knowing that he would have his vengeance in Hamlet’s death as well; Hamlet was already mortally wounded.
Polonius (Oliver Ford Davies): I didn’t mention him in my other post, but he was excellent! I don’t think I’d ever previously understood why he was funny (clearly, he’s supposed to be), but Davies made him so; although, his “senior moments” and speech trailing off made me expect him to be a doting father and he wasn’t really. His priority was always serving the crown and it was a bit hard to watch him ignore Ophelia’s distress as she pitifully tried to collect the torn pieces of Hamlet’s letters to her after Hamlet ordered her “to a nunnery.”
Ophelia (Mariah Gale): She was portrayed as quite a tragic character - bright and happy when we first see her, helping Laertes to pack for his return to France. She became somewhat sullen when Polonius instructed her to avoid Hamlet and distraught when she described Hamlet’s apparent madness upon coming to her rooms. Her own descent into madness was very touching and well done. I know that Ophelia is thought to have gone mad because of her father’s death, but did some of it have to do with her relationship with Hamlet, as well?
Act I: One may smile, and smile, and be a Villain
Recap: The officers, Bernardo and Marcellus, and Horatio, Hamlet’s friend, see a ghost that looks like Old Hamlet, the former king of Denmark and Hamlet’s father. They attempt to speak to it, but the ghost remains silent. They decide to tell Hamlet about the ghost.
Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle and step-father, and Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother and aunt, hold court and seem to be celebrating their wedding. Claudius sends ambassadors to Norway to protect Denmark against an attack from Norway. Laertes, son of the Lord Chamberlain, Polonius, is granted permission to return to France. Hamlet is still grieving the loss of his father, which is criticized by Gertrude and Claudius. After they leave, Hamlet also reveals that he’s very disturbed by his mother’s quick remarriage to his uncle. Horatio and Marcellus find him alone and tell him about his father’s ghost.
Laertes and his sister, Ophelia, bid farewell to one another, since Laertes is returning to France. Laertes warns Ophelia against becoming too involved with Hamlet both because his station is above hers and because, as a prince, Hamlet is not necessarily free to choose whom he will marry. Polonius comes to say ‘goodbye,’ as well, and finds out that Hamlet has been making “tenders of his affection” to Ophelia. He orders her to not to “give words or talk with the Lord Hamlet” because he believes that Hamlet’s feelings toward her will be fleeting or that Hamlet is insincere in them.
Hamlet, Horatio, and Marcellus wait for the ghost, which appears and beckons to Hamlet. Hamlet wishes to follow it, but the others try to stop him, fearing for his safety. Hamlet is able to resist them and follow the ghost, however.
The ghost speaks to Hamlet and tells him that he was murdered by his brother: when he was taking a nap in the orchard, a poison was put into his ear and quickly spread through his body to kill him. He charges Hamlet to avenge him and to “let not the royal bed of Denmark be a couch for luxury and damnèd incest.” The ghost leaves saying, “Adieu, adieu, adieu. Remember me.” Hamlet swears to do what the ghost has instructed when Marcellus and Horatio find him. Hamlet asks them to take an oath that they will tell no one of what has transpired and the voice of the ghost orders them to swear.
Notes:
The ghost was played by Patrick Stewart, who had a great and commanding voice for it. Although, for the most part, the actors were in modern dress, the play calls for the ghost to be wearing some sort of armor. If I’m remembering correctly, the ghost was wearing something like a military dress uniform with a breast-plate over it and a helmet with the visor up. This was carried over into the dress of the palace guards, as well, who were definitely wearing military dress uniforms with breast-plates over them.
The scene with Claudius and Gertrude’s court really showed the modernity of this production. The mirrors along the back wall were opened to allow Claudius and Gertrude (Penny Downie), et al, to enter. Instead of entering to a flourish of trumpets, there was a flourish of flashbulbs from paparazzi taking photos of the royal couple. *lol* The women wore evening gowns and the men tuxedos. Hamlet stood isolated in one corner of the stage, observing and obviously unhappy. After everyone left, he dissolved into despair with:
O that this too too sullied flesh would melt,
Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew,
Or that the Everlasting had not fixed
His canon ‘gainst self-slaughter. O God, God,
How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on’t, ah, fie, ‘tis an unweeded garden
That grows to seed. Things rank and gross in nature
Possess it merely. That it should come to this,
But two months dead, nay, not so much, not two,
So excellent a king, that was to this
Hyperion to a satyr, so loving to my mother
That he might not beteem the winds of heaven
Visit her face too roughly. Heaven and earth,
Must I remember? Why, she would hang on him
As if increase of appetite had grown
By what it fed on, and yet within a month -
Let me not think on’t; frailty, thy name is woman -
A little month, or ere those shoes were old
With which she followed my poor father’s body
Like Niobe, all tears, why she, even she -
O God, a beast that wants discourse of reason
Would have mourned longer - married with my uncle,
My father’s brother, but not more like my father
Than I to Hercules. Within a month,
Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears
Had left the flushing in her galled eyes,
She married. O, most wicked speed, to post
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not nor cannot come to good.
But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue.
Hamlet spent much of this speech curled up in a ball on the floor, possibly in tears - my memory fails me on this point, but I was left with the impression that he was crying. It was this that suggested to me that Hamlet might be in a significant depression, which was otherwise fairly well compensated. Obviously, Gertrude and Claudius were able to see Hamlet’s sorrow at losing his father, since they mentioned it earlier in the scene; however, he was compensated enough to interact fairly normally with them and didn’t show anyone the full intensity of his sorrow. He waited until he was alone to dissolve and composed himself quickly when he realized that someone was coming. (It turned out to be Horatio [Peter De Jersey] and the guards, come to tell him of his father’s ghost.) Although cynodd will disagree with me, I believe that this type of display is more than just normal grief.
When Laertes warned Ophelia about the probable ephemeral nature of Hamlet’s love, given his position in life, Ophelia’s response was quite unexpectedly funny. She was helping her brother to pack, opened his suitcase to put in a forgotten shirt, and said:
I shall the effect of this good lesson keep
As watchman to my heart, but, good my brother,
Do not as some ungracious pastors do,
Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven,
Whiles like a puffed and reckless libertine
Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads
And recks not his own rede.
As she finished these lines, she pulled several wrapped condoms out of the suitcase and held them up. Polonius entered the scene at that point and the condoms were quickly put away again. *lol*
Before the ghost’s appearance on stage and when Hamlet was waiting for it, he was off to one side of the stage, staring in the direction from which the ghost is to appear. As it happened, this was an aisle that I was sitting right beside, so I had the sensation of Hamlet staring directly at me during this part. It was a strange feeling…especially with the expression on his face being so fearful. (Not at this time because everything was dark, but at other times, I could clearly see the audience on the other side of the stage, which means that the actors would be able to see the audience, as well, being closer.) Following his encounter with the ghost, Hamlet took a knife (a switchblade, I think) and cut across his palm. I assumed that this gesture was meant to show that Hamlet was swearing with his blood that he would carry out the wishes of the ghost and avenge his father’s murder. It also seemed to mark the beginning of his “madness.” Even though he had already spoken with the ghost, his speech directly before he cut his palm did not really betray any madness:
O all you host of heaven! O earth! What else?
And shall I couple hell? O fie! Hold, hold, my heart,
An you, my sinews, grow not instant old,
But bear me stiffly up. Remember thee?
Yea, from the table of my memory
I’ll wipe away all trivial fond records,
All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past
That youth and observation copied there,
And thy commandment all alone shall live
Within the book and volume of my brain,
Unmixed with baser matter. Yes, by heaven!
O most pernicious woman!
O villain, villain, smiling, damnèd villain!
My tables - meet it is I set it down
That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain.
At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark.
So, uncle, there you are. Now to my word:
It is ‘Adieu, adieu, remember me.’
I have sworn’t.
However, when Horatio and Marcellus (Keith Osborn) entered, Hamlet has very suddenly begun to act mad and Horatio noted that Hamlet’s words were “wild and whirling.” Also, as Horatio and Marcellus entered, Hamlet held his bloody palm up (in a motion to stop them coming forward) and Marcellus stared at it, as if he was shocked or horrified by it. Horatio didn’t seem to notice, though. This suddenness of the madness suggested that Hamlet’s madness was feigned and that he purposefully decided to take that approach when he swore to avenge his father. (Actually, as I have written in the margin of my college text, Horatio may have given him the idea by saying, while trying to prevent Hamlet from following the ghost, “What if it tempt you toward the flood, my lord, / Or to the dreadful summit of the cliff / That beetles o’er his base into the sea, / And there assume some other horrible form, / Which might deprive your sovereignty of reason / And draw you into madness? Think of it.”) What I question, though, is what does Hamlet really gain by acting mad? He doesn’t seem to have any strategy until he meets the players…
Act II: To die, to sleep - to sleep - perchance to Dream
Recap: Polonius sends his servant, Reynaldo, to France to find out what Laertes is doing there and, essentially, to spy on Laertes. He instructs Reynaldo to make up mild indiscretions in which he is to say Laertes has engaged in the hopes that it will lead Laertes’s acquaintances to reveal whatever his greater indiscretions are. After Reynaldo leaves, Ophelia comes to tell Polonius about how Hamlet has come to her room and frightened her with his appearance and his manner. She describes his appearance and actions to Polonius who comes to the conclusion that Hamlet has gone mad out of love for Ophelia because he was denied access to her.
Claudius and Gertrude greet Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, courtiers and friends of Hamlet, for whom they’ve sent to help find out what’s wrong with Hamlet. The ambassadors return from Norway and report that Norway will not attack Denmark, but would like passage through Denmark to make war against Poland. Polonius tells Claudius and Gertrude that Hamlet is mad because of his love for Ophelia and reads a letter from him to her as proof. Polonius goes on to explain that he’s forbidden Ophelia to see Hamlet. They decide to test whether Hamlet’s madness comes from love by having Ophelia find him pacing the “lobby” and speaking to him while they observe.
In my college text, which is based on the second quarto, this is where Hamlet meets Rosencrantz and Guildenstern; his “To be, or not to be” soliloquy and meeting with Ophelia come in Act III. However, this RSC production has placed the soliloquy and meeting with Ophelia here and the meeting with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern later. In the program, a note (actually, several notes) from the director, Gregory Doran, says:
To cut or not to cut. Hamlet is perhaps the most revered play in the canon, perhaps the most familiar. But there’s no such thing as a definitive production, perhaps because there’s no such thing as a definitive text….
…For a second week we are sitting around a table exploring the text word-by-word, line-by-line. The whole company read the play in turns, scene-by-scene, and then put each line into their own words. This may sound laborious, but it reveals how easy it is to assume you know what the words mean, and how hard it is to be really specific. Sometimes it shatters preconceptions, sometimes confirms them….Sometimes there are intense disagreements. We have every possible edition of the play at hand to consult various editorial opinions. Inevitably the editors tend to fall silent on just the point the actors want illuminating….
….Working through Act Three we reach the most famous soliloquy of all: ‘To be, or not to be’. Why is it here? Why, after Hamlet has found such inspiration in the Player’s tears at Hecuba, when he has decided to catch the conscience of the king with The Mousetrap, has he descended into this slough of despondency and fatalism? A solution presents itself. In the First Quarto, the speech appears in Act Two, and is the first time we see Hamlet following the encounter with his father’s spirit and since Ophelia’s description of the distracted prince’s appearance in her closet. We try adopting this structure.
So, Hamlet explores his feelings about death here, but his thoughts are interrupted by Ophelia. Ophelia says that she is there to return “remembrances” that Hamlet has given her, but Hamlet denies ever having given her anything and launches into a diatribe against women, which Ophelia takes as madness. Overhearing the exchange, Claudius doesn’t believe that Hamlet loves Ophelia, or that Hamlet is truly mad. Polonius is less willing to give up this theory, but suggests that Gertrude speak with him and that, if she gets nowhere, “to England send him, or confine him where / Your wisdom best shall think.”
Notes:
When Ophelia entered, very disturbed by Hamlet’s odd behavior, she said, “My lord, as I was sewing in my closet, / Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced, / No hat upon his head, his stockings fouled, / Ungarted, and down-gyvèd to his ankle, / Pale as his shirt, his knees knocking each other, / And with a look so piteous in purport / As if he had been loosed out of hell / To speak of horrors - he comes before me.” I know it’s really nitpicky, but I have to say that this didn’t really work for me in the context of the modern clothing. Up to that point, the only men wearing hats wore them as part of their military style uniforms - Hamlet never wore one up to that point in the play. Why would Hamlet have been wearing a doublet and stockings? I suppose it could be argued that he wore these things in madness, but that wasn’t really the intention, I don’t think. This description, of course, was why Polonius believed that Hamlet’s madness sprang from love for Ophelia; however, the audience knows that Hamlet’s behavior wasn’t due to Ophelia. So, I’m left wondering why Hamlet chose to act this way with Ophelia. Did he intend to make everyone believe he was distracted by love for Ophelia as a sort of subterfuge for his true purpose? If so, it really was somewhat cruel to Ophelia who seemed to have true affection for him. On the other hand, Hamlet must have wondered why Ophelia repelled his letters and denied his access to her. The fact that she mentioned repelling his letters suggested that he did write some to her after Polonius ordered her not to see him.
I believe they chose to have Ophelia present during the scene in which Polonius told Claudius of his theory that Hamlet was mad over his love for Ophelia. Polonius read the letter from Hamlet to her aloud:
Doubt thou the stars are fire;
Doubt that the sun doth move;
Doubt truth to be a liar;
But never doubt I love.
‘O dear Ophelia, I am ill at these numbers. I have not art to reckon my groans, but that I love thee best, O most best, believe it. Adieu.
‘Thine evermore, most dear lady,
Whilst this machine is to him, Hamlet.
I wonder if Hamlet sent this to her because he wanted her to know he loved her, even though he might act strangely or as if he did not? I just don’t see how pretending to love Ophelia would really forward his goal of vengeance in any way…
When Claudius asked how Ophelia had received Hamlet’s love and learned that Polonius had instructed her to refuse him, I liked the look on his face, which was mostly hidden from Polonius. It was clear that he thought Polonius somewhat stupid for having intervened between Hamlet and Ophelia.
Claudius and Polonius hid while Ophelia was sent away until Hamlet came to pace in the lobby. This was where his famous soliloquy, which begins “To be, or not to be - that is the question,” occurred. As noted above, this soliloquy came earlier in the play than usual. I’ve read some criticism of that decision, but it worked for me. For Hamlet, then, I think, it came directly after his words to Polonius (when Polonius said he would take his leave): “You cannot, sir, take from me anything that I will more willingly part withal - except my life, except my life, except my life.” For some reason I had thought that the “To be, or not to be” soliloquy was longer and it seemed shortened to me during the performance; however, reading it now, I’m not sure whether anything was really left out. I definitely remember Hamlet saying, “Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,” which is toward the end of the soliloquy. I can even hear Tennant’s voice in my head with this line. Or, perhaps, I’m mad, as well. ;-) As Hamlet truly seemed to be contemplating suicide here, it’s another argument in favor of at least some of his madness being real. However, he was compensated enough again to cover any suicidal feelings when Ophelia approached, although I wouldn’t say he was entirely normal, either.
I’m really not sure what to think of this scene between Ophelia and Hamlet. Hamlet seemed rather cruel and angry toward Ophelia. He manhandled her and tore up the letters she tried to give back to him. Was he angry at her giving the “remembrances” back to him? Was he reminded of the capriciousness of his mother? I would tend to lean toward the former leading to the latter based on the performance. Or, should Ophelia have known, based on his letter to her, that it was all an act and that he still loved her despite his words and actions?
Act III: The conscience of the King
Recap: Moved from Act II, I believe that Act III begins with Hamlet meeting Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet believes that they were sent for and asks them to admit as much, which they do. Hamlet goes on to describe his depression, his lack of delight in man, to them and the conversation turns to the fact that the “tragedians of the city”, whom Rosencrantz and Guildenstern know that Hamlet had admired in the past, are coming to offer him service. When the players come in, Hamlet asks them to perform a speech he remembered and had enjoyed. Hamlet begins to recite the speech and it’s finished by one of the players. Hamlet then asks the players to perform “The Murder of Gonzago” and to allow him to add a speech that he will write. His plan is to use a situation similar to the murder of his father to test Claudius’s guilt in his father’s death. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report to Claudius that Hamlet has asked for a performance from the players, although they don’t know of Hamlet’s ulterior motive for the play.
Hamlet gives the players some last minute instructions on his addition to “The Murder of Gonzago” and tells Horatio of his plan. Hamlet refuses an invitation to sit with Gertrude & Claudius and sits with Ophelia to observe Claudius’s reaction to the players. The play is performed: first a “dumb show” of the circumstances of Hamlet’s father’s death, then a scene in which a queen professes her love for her husband and that she will never love or marry another, and a reenactment of the circumstances of Hamlet’s father’s death again. Hamlet often offers his own commentary to emphasize his point in having the play performed. Claudius becomes upset, stops the play, and leaves. Hamlet and Horatio take this as proof of his guilt. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern approach Hamlet and tell him that Gertrude has asked for him to come to her. Hamlet accuses them of lying and trying to play him like a recorder. Polonius also comes to tell Hamlet that his mother wishes to see him and Hamlet agrees to go to her.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern meet Claudius who tells them that he finds Hamlet dangerous in his madness. They agree to do Claudius’s bidding. Polonius comes to tell Claudius that Hamlet will meet with Gertrude and then Claudius is left alone. Claudius begins to pray for forgiveness for his murder, but by the end realizes that he cannot be forgiven because he’s unwilling to give up the crown or Gertrude, the things for which he committed the crime. Hamlet comes upon him praying and considers killing him then and there, but decides against it because he doesn’t want to send Claudius to Heaven with a clean soul, just having prayed.
Polonius is with Gertrude and hides himself in her room when Hamlet approaches. Hamlet begins to reproach his mother, but hears a noise from Polonius, who he mistakes for Claudius, and kills Polonius. Hamlet goes on to accuse Gertrude and Claudius of his father’s murder and contrasts Claudius with his father, a “moor” versus a “fair mountain.” Gertrude is begging Hamlet to stop when the ghost, whom she cannot see, enters the room. The ghost intervenes to protect Gertrude from Hamlet’s tirade, but Gertrude takes Hamlet’s vision as madness. She does, however, imply that she will do as Hamlet says and refuse advances from Claudius. After Hamlet leaves, Claudius enters to comfort her. (This is clearly the same scene in the RSC performance; however in my college text, this is the first scene of Act IV.)
Notes:
When the players arrived and Hamlet began to recite a speech he had heard them perform in the past, Tennant did a good job of portraying some difficulty at remembering the words. I suppose that wasn’t particularly hard for him to do, but it made sense that the words didn’t roll off his tongue as easily as the rest of his dialogue. I also quite liked his performance of the following soliloquy after the players, et al, had gone and he was alone again:
Ay, so, God bye to you. -Now I am alone.
O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I!
Is it not monstrous that this player here,
But in a fiction, in a dream of passion,
Could force his soul so to his own conceit
That from her working all his visage waned,
Tears in his eyes, distraction in his aspect,
A broken voice, and his whole function suiting
With forms to his conceit? And all for nothing,
For Hecuba!
What’s Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,
That he should weep for her? What would he do
Had he the motive and the cue for passion
That I have? He would drown the stage with tears
And cleave the general ear with horrid speech,
Make mad the guilty and appal the free,
Confound the ignorant, and amaze indeed
The very faculties of eyes and ears.
Yet I,
A dull and muddy-mettled rascal, peak
Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,
And can say nothing. No, not for a king,
Upon whose property and most dear life
A damned defeat was made. Am I a coward?
Who calls me villain? Breaks my pate across?
Plucks off my beard and blows it in my face?
Tweaks me by the nose? Gives me the lie i’ th’ throat
As deep as to the lungs? Who does me this?
Ha, ‘swounds, I should take it, for it cannot be
But I am pigeon-livered and lack gall
To make oppression bitter, or ere this
I should ha’ fatted all the region kites
With this slave’s offal. Bloody, bawdy villain!
Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindles villain!
O, vengeance!
Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave,
That I, the son of a dear father murdered,
Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,
Must like a whore unpack my heart with words
An fall a-cursing like a very drab,
A stallion! Fie upon’t, foh! About my brains.
Hum -
I have heard that guilty creatures sitting at a play
Have by the very cunning of the scene
Been struck so to the soul that presently
They have proclaimed their malefactions.
For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak
With most miraculous organ. I’ll have these players
Play something like the murder of my father
Before mine uncle. I’ll observe his looks.
I’ll tent him to the quick. If ‘a do blench,
I know my course. The spirit that I have seen
May be a devil, and the devil hath power
T’ assume a pleasing shape, yea, and perhaps
Out of my weakness and my melancholy,
As he is very potent with such spirits,
Abuses me to damn me. I’ll have grounds
More relative than this. The play’s the thing
Wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.
I particularly liked the part where he was speaking of Hecuba because it seemed ironic to me - he spoke with such incredulity at the emotion of the player, who couldn’t possibly really care about Hecuba, and yet in doing that, as an actor, Tennant is doing the same thing as the player - the very thing about which he seems to be incredulous. (And, doing it very well, I might add.)
At the players’ performance, Gertrude and Claudius were upon thrones, facing the audience, and a Persian rug was laid out in front of them as a stage for the players. Hamlet, who had been barefoot, wearing jeans and a T-shirt (red with markings on it to indicate muscles), remained barefoot, but was wearing a tuxedo with the tie undone. He seemed very excited in this scene. I question the soundness of Hamlet’s plan here. Any intelligent person would be able to see what the play was implying about Gertrude and Claudius, so is there any chance it wouldn’t make Claudius angry or upset, even if the implied accusation wasn’t true? Add to that Hamlet’s belligerent interruptions of the play to drive home the point and I think not. However, Claudius seemed very calm, despite annoyance, and after stopping the play just walked up to Hamlet to glare at him before striding away. Claudius seemed very calculating and in control.
But, I can’t go on without mentioning Hamlet’s interaction with Ophelia before the play began. There is sexual innuendo within Shakespeare’s words to be certain, but in the interpretation (with both voice and gesture) by Tennant, it was so much more salacious…a bit shocking, actually.
The dumb show, also, was very lewd, which I suppose was a true representation of what those shows were like? At least, that’s the impression I get from period films…Anyway, in the dumb show, both the king and queen were played by men. The man playing the queen was wearing a dress with a low-cut bodice, off the shoulders, which often slipped down to reveal his breasts. Due to his build, it was very suggestive. The king was poisoned in this dumb show by another who was lowered down on a wire and hook to place poison in the king’s ear. After that, the king was attached to the hook and raised out of the set and into the rafters. This is the sort of thing that always intrigues me. How long would the actor be stuck in the rafters? Until the next scene? Was there a way for him to climb into the rafters, then down backstage? So, I was distracted by watching that, when everyone else burst into laughter. The poisoner had been wearing breeches with a heart-shaped codpiece, which had opened to reveal a smaller heart-shaped codpiece with a slinky-like thing protruding from it, imitating male genitalia, of course. ;-)
After Claudius left the play and everyone else followed, Hamlet was with Horatio and one of the costume crowns was left behind on the rug-stage. Hamlet picked it up and placed it on his head at an odd angle, as in this photo (although it’s somewhat less skewed in this photo than what I remember), and continued to wear it through the next several scenes. I think it was very interesting to have done this because of the question over why Claudius became king instead of Hamlet. By wearing the crown in this manner, Hamlet became a mockery of the king. It was in the following scene with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that Hamlet even said, “I lack advancement,” a reference to the fact that he should have been king.
When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern appeared with the message that Gertrude would like to see Hamlet, I liked the danger suggested in Hamlet’s character. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tried to be placating, but came off as sycophants and Hamlet treated them as such, rather than as friends, by using his demeanor to show his superiority of rank. Of course, he was still wearing the crown, as well. After having taken a recorder from one of the passing players and having accused his friends of trying to play him like a recorder, Hamlet actually used it to play “Three Blind Mice”. It was by no means a perfect rendition, but close enough to recognize the tune. This was a very interesting choice both because of the implication of blindness and also because of the history that associates the song with shedding the blood of enemies.
The first half of the play, before intermission, ended with Claudius praying. Just before the intermission, Hamlet came upon him and said, “Now might I do it pat, now ‘a is a-praying, / And now I’ll do’t,” raising a knife (a switchblade again, I think) above his head with both hands (like this). The stage went black at that moment and it was the intermission. Following the intermission, the play resumed at the same point with Hamlet holding the knife above his head, as Claudius’s head was bent in prayer.
As portrayed in this production, there was something almost Oedipal about the scene between Hamlet and Gertrude in her “closet” - Hamlet wearing his skewed crown, confronting the queen. Perhaps it’s always done that way. I haven’t seen any production of Hamlet since seeing Kenneth Branagh’s film in the theater with cynodd in…*checks online*…1996. Anyway, Hamlet was quite physical with Gertrude, pushing her onto the bed and climbing onto it beside her, at one point straddling her. He also crawled over her to reach a gun on the bedside table with which he shot Polonius who was hiding behind the mirror at the back of the stage. As he did this, he knocked a lamp off the bedside table, greatly reducing the amount of light. At first, I thought this was entirely accidental, but it became clear by the end of the scene that it was choreographed to be that way. Somehow the mirror at the back of the stage, behind which Polonius had been, cracked, but didn’t shatter. It remained splintered for the rest of the show. I’d like to know how they did that - the cracks seemed to glow at times, so perhaps with some trick of light. As he was speaking of the various attributes of his father versus Claudius to Gertrude, he picked up newspapers that had pictures of each on their front pages, respectively, in demonstration. I couldn’t actually see the pictures on the newspapers, it’s just that it was obvious that’s what he was doing (see here). As the scene went on, Gertrude seemed to reach out for Hamlet more and more, especially after Hamlet has seen the ghost which is invisible to her, ending with his head upon her lap (see here). In the end, Hamlet left, dragging Polonius’s body along and Gertrude showed that she still needed Claudius to comfort her.
Act IV: O, from this time forth, my thoughts be Bloody
Recap: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have been sent to find Hamlet with Polonius’s body and, while they find Hamlet, he won’t reveal the location of the body. Hamlet again accuses them of being tools of Claudius.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern bring Hamlet to Claudius and Hamlet does tell Claudius where to find Polonius’s body. Claudius tells Hamlet that he must be sent to England that night.
Fortinbras, the Prince of Norway, has entered Denmark and sends his captain with a message to Claudius to ensure their safe passage through Denmark to Poland. Hamlet speaks to the captain and is inspired by the soldiers. As it is in my college text, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are also in this scene, but in the performance, Hamlet was alone, implying that he was already returning to Denmark, not leaving.
Gertrude is informed of Ophelia’s madness and witnesses it for herself, as does Claudius. They hear that Laertes has returned from France and that the people are crying for Laertes to become king. Laertes finds Claudius and demands to know what has happened to Polonius. Claudius denies any involvement in Polonius’s death, but he and Laertes are interrupted by Ophelia who Laertes learns is mad. Ophelia gives them the wildflowers she has been out picking and leaves. Laertes demands an explanation for Polonius’s “obscure funeral,” which Claudius assures him that he will have.
Horatio receives a letter from Hamlet describing how he has escaped Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. This scene was not in the RSC production.
It’s implied that Laertes knows that Hamlet killed Polonius and Claudius explains why Hamlet was not formally punished. Laertes vows revenge and Claudius implies that Laertes needs to hear more: he has not yet told Laertes of his plan for Hamlet in England. However, Claudius’s plan in sending Hamlet to England was never part of the RSC production at all, except possibly implied in keeping Claudius’s line from his first meeting with Laertes, “And where th’ offense is, let the great axe fall.” A messenger arrives with letters from Hamlet, announcing Hamlet’s return to Denmark. Claudius and Laertes formulate a plan to kill Hamlet. Claudius will set up a fencing match between Laertes and Hamlet, betting on Hamlet to win. However, Laertes will use a sharp blade, instead of a blunted blade. In addition, Laertes will make sure that the sharp blade has a fast-acting poison on it and Claudius will induce Hamlet to drink from a poisoned cup. As they are discussing the plan, Gertrude enters and announces that Ophelia has drowned. Laertes leaves in sorrow and Claudius is concerned that Ophelia’s death will make Laertes more difficult to control.
Notes:
The scene in which Claudius questioned Hamlet about the location of Polonius’s body was quite shocking because it was so totally unexpected. Rosencrantz was telling Claudius that Hamlet would not say where he’d hidden Polonius’s body when there was a rumbling noise and someone (Guildenstern?) pushed Hamlet, bound to an office chair with duct tape and tape over his mouth, up the aisle to the stage. Claudius pulled the tape off his mouth and demanded to know where Polonius was. Hamlet remained bound to the chair until he was taken away for England. As he was being pushed in the chair off the stage, he just shouted, “Whee!” as if it was all a lark.
As I said above, I got the impression that Hamlet had already escaped from Rosencrantz and Guildenstern in the scene with Fortinbras and his captain. This scene began with the loud noise of a helicopter and Fortinbras was lowered to the stage in a modern flight suit, as if he was being lowered from a helicopter. The other soldiers are also in modern military fatigues and some at the back of the stage had those light sticks to direct airplanes. (I’m blanking on what they’re called.) Hamlet appeared as one might have been dressed on a ship, with a parka over a pullover sweater and a knit cap, as seen here. I’m not sure why this scene was important enough to be left in the play, especially since Fortinbras didn’t even have any lines at the end, but seeing these soldiers seemed to inspire Hamlet to carry his vengeance to its conclusion:
Witness this army of such mass and charge,
Led by a delicate and tender prince,
Whose spirit, with divine ambition puffed,
Makes mouths at the invisible event,
Exposing what is mortal and unsure
To all that fortune, death, and danger dare,
Even for an eggshell. Rightly to be great
Is not to stir without great argument,
But greatly to find quarrel in a straw
When honor’s at the stake. How stand I then,
That have a father killed, a mother stained,
Excitements of my reason and my blood,
And let all sleep, while to my shame I see
The imminent death of twenty thousand men
That for a fantasy and trick of fame
Go to their graves like beds, fight for a plot
Whereon the numbers cannot try the cause,
Which is not tomb enough and continent
To hid the slain? O, from this time forth,
My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth!
I found Ophelia to be quite touching in her scene of madness; it was so pitiful. She entered with the flowers she had been picking, looking very unkempt and covered in welts and bruises. These were meant to have been gotten from stinging nettles while she’d been gathering the flowers, according to a note in the program from Doran (see here). Toward the end of the scene, she threw off her clothing as she was running around in her madness. That was also very sad. Laertes seemed heartbroken to see Ophelia’s madness, having earlier in the play been shown to be a protective older brother to his baby sister.
Act V: Good night, sweet Prince
Recap: Two gravediggers are goofing around as they dig Ophelia’s grave. One leaves and Hamlet approaches with Horatio. Hamlet speaks about the bones that the gravedigger is unearthing and speculates who they might have once been. He seems a bit nonplussed by the gravedigger’s lightness and lack of respect for the dead, but he also makes his own jokes about it. He asks for whom the gravedigger is making a grave and can’t get a straight answer about it. Hamlet goes back to considering how death is the great equalizer when the funeral procession approaches and they hide to watch. Hamlet recognizes Laertes who is upset that no further funeral rites will be performed for Ophelia. Laertes leaps into the grave and has no qualms about showing the degree of his grief. Hamlet, surprised that Ophelia is dead, comes forward and seems to mock Laertes for his grief, saying that it could not be as great as his because he loved Ophelia. During this time, Laertes and Hamlet are supposed to be physically grappling with one another. When they are separated, Claudius asks Horatio to look after Hamlet and reminds Laertes of their plan for Hamlet.
Hamlet describes to Horatio how Claudius had sent a letter to England with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, ordering his immediate execution, and how he replaced the letter with one ordering Rosencrantz’s and Guildenstern’s executions instead. This was entirely left out of the RSC production. Osric, a courtier, finds Horatio and Hamlet and tells Hamlet of the wager that has been placed on the outcome of a fencing match between Hamlet and Laertes. Hamlet makes fun of Osric’s mannerisms, but agrees to participate in the match and goes to meet Laertes. Laertes chooses the sharp blade with the applied poison. Claudius announces that he’ll put a pearl in a cup of wine to reward Hamlet, if he hits Laertes in the first or second go-around. Hamlet does get the first hit and Claudius offers the drink to Hamlet; however, Hamlet refuses. After the second hit from Hamlet, Gertrude takes the cup and drinks, despite Claudius telling her not to drink. Laertes says, “Have at you now!” and the stage direction in my college text indicates that he and Hamlet begin to scuffle, both wounded with the poisoned blade. Gertrude falls and dies while Laertes admits that he is “justly killed with mine own treachery.” Laertes explains to Hamlet what is happening and dies. Hamlet gives the poisoned cup to Claudius and Claudius dies. Hamlet is dying and Horatio wishes to follow, but Hamlet asks him to explain what’s happened to save his name. Hamlet dies as Fortinbras enters the hall and Horatio explains what happened. In the RSC production, Horatio and Fortinbras don’t speak and the play essentially ends with Hamlet’s death.
Notes:
The scene with Hamlet and the gravedigger (Mark Hadfield) was actually quite a funny scene, I thought. Tennant and Hadfield played well against one another. Of course, it helped that the lines were inherently funny, too (still, that wouldn’t be enough without a good delivery). Probably, the exchange that got the biggest laugh during this scene was:
HAMLET: Ay, marry, why was he sent into England?
CLOWN: Why, because ‘a was mad. ‘A shall recover his wits there; or, if ‘a do not, ‘tis no great matter there.
HAMLET: Why?
CLOWN: ‘Twill not be seen in him there. There the men are as mad as he.
As Ophelia’s funeral procession approaches the grave, Hamlet hides to watch and, as luck would have it, his hiding place is in the aisle right near my seat! :) At the sight of Laertes’s display of grief, Hamlet comes forward and says, “What is he whose grief / Bears such an emphasis? Whose phrase of sorrow / Conjures the wand’ring stars, and makes them stand / Like wonder-wounded hearers? This is I, / Hamlet the Dane.” I’m not sure of Hamlet’s intention here and I no longer recall Tennant’s tone of voice for these lines; however, Laertes immediately assaulted Hamlet because he blamed him for the death of his father, and probably for Ophelia’s death, as well. During this scene, Hamlet didn’t know the reason for Ophelia’s death and Polonius’s death seemed to have slipped his mind. When reading it before seeing the play, I got the impression that Hamlet’s only purpose was to mock Laertes and that he wasn’t being truthful when he said he loved Ophelia. However, in seeing it performed, I did believe that Hamlet meant it when he said he loved her and that he was sorry she was dead.
If the moment that Hamlet cut his hand with the knife at the beginning of the play marked the beginning of his madness, then these lines seemed to mark its end:
Does it not, think thee, stand me now upon -
He that hath killed my king, and whored my mother,
Popped in between th’ election and my hopes,
Thrown out his angle for my proper life,
And with such coz’nage - is’t not perfect conscience
To quit him with this arm? And is’t not to be damned
To let this canker of our nature come
In further evil?
…But I am very sorry, good Horatio,
That to Laertes I forgot myself,
For by the image of my cause I see
The portraiture of his. I’ll court his favors.
But sure the bravery of his grief did put me
Into a tow’ring passion.
From here to the end, Hamlet’s demeanor seemed changed and he seemed highly competent. In particular, he seemed to exude a confidence that he didn’t have earlier in the play - the lines also show that he has come to terms with the fact that it must be him to take vengeance on Claudius, something with which he’d never seemed quite comfortable earlier. He was equally confident of his skill in the fencing match against Laertes, even though he pretended to be modest in Laertes’s presence.
When Claudius announced that he intended to put a pearl into the cup for Hamlet, should Hamlet give the first or second hit, and started to talk about the value of the pearl, Hamlet made a face away from Claudius (toward the audience) that very clearly said, “Oh, whatever - who cares?” I thought that expression was very funny and perfect for the scene. I also should say at this point that Tennant looked very good in a fencing jacket (better than this photo, which isn't bad, would suggest). ;-)
Hamlet and Laertes began to fight and Hamlet made the first hit, at which time Claudius took a sip from the cup and then dropped in the pearl. He did it in such a way that was suggestive of him putting in the poison, in addition to the pearl, which is what happened, of course. Hamlet was turned away from Laertes and toward Horatio for a short break in the match when Laertes came up behind Hamlet and purposely wounded him along the upper back. This made Hamlet (understandably) angry and there began a more serious fight in which Laertes lost his rapier to Hamlet and Hamlet very deliberately wounded Laertes in the same manner in which he had been wounded. This was when Gertrude, apparently, drank from the poisoned cup. I missed that in paying attention to Hamlet and Laertes, though, and I don’t even know whether Claudius warned her not to drink. Or maybe Gertrude drank before Laertes wounded Hamlet, as in the text? I’m not certain because everything seemed to have happened so quickly.
When I told cynodd about Laertes sneaking up behind Hamlet to wound him, she objected that it would not have been in Laertes’s character to do that. I’m less convinced of that, though. Was Laertes, who planned a fight involving a sharp and poisoned blade to his opponent’s standard blunt blade, really that upstanding? It seems to me that he was already cheating during the fight…
I really wish I could remember exactly how the performance ended - it was with Hamlet dying in Horatio’s arms - I remember that. But, I don’t recall Hamlet endorsing Fortinbras as he was dying. The performance ended with Hamlet’s death and Horatio’s words: “Now cracks a noble heart. Good night, sweet prince, / And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!” [The lights went down and wild applause erupted.]
ETA: After finishing my summary, I went back to find another review I'd seen by a non-professional critic here. (I hadn't read it when I wrote this post.) Overall, he seems more familiar with the play than I was while seeing it, so he was able to notice more. He places Hamlet's interaction with Polonius, ending with "except my life," after the "To be, or not to be" soliloquy, which is probably correct. It seems that he saw it the day after I did, so there may have been some differences - I doubt there would be anything as drastic as changing the order of speeches, though.
ETA (10-3-08): Here is a link to the review from FlickFilosopher.