Denmark High

In my version of Hamlet, Hamlet, son of ex-principal Hamlet I, is having trouble dealing with his father's recent death, and has been rather depressed lately.  To make matters worse, his horrible uncle is taking over as the new principal and his new father.  Not even his girlfriend Ophelia or best friends Horatio and Marcellus seem to understand.  Poor Hamlet has absolutely no one to talk to-- not even the guidance counselor, Polonius, would be able to offer any advice even remotely helpful to Hamlet's situation.

Act 1 Scene 2 would open on Principal Claudius droning on and on over the intercom about how tragic Principal Hamlet's sudden death is, but that the school must continue to move forward.  However, because of the sad state the school is in, he's calling off the big game against Denmark High's rival school, Norway High.

Afterward, he's allows the guidance counselor's son, Laertes, to participate in a foreign-exchange program in France.  Not that he'd ever let Hamlet do anything like that-- with Claudius as his stepfather, Hamlet has little to no freedom.

In the middle of class, Hamlet is called to Principal Claudius' office, in which he finds Principal Claudius and his mother, who lecture him on why he needs to get over his father's death for the good of his studies.

After school, Hamlet is approached by his best friends, Horatio and Marcellus, who deliver some interesting news about Hamlet's father. . .

H a m l e t - "To Be Or Not To Be"

"To be or not to be"-- the most famous line from the most famous soliloquy of Shakespeare's Hamlet.  The following videos are two different portrayals of the legendary speech-- one by David Tennant, and the other by William Belchambers.

     David Tennant:

In this scene, David Tennant does an excellent job conveying Hamlet's temptation to commit suicide.  He then seems deterred after realizing that to sleep is to dream, and that he's too afraid to sacrifice the suffering he endures now only to find that the dreams in death are far worse.  He then lets this fear drive his anger, as he realizes it's this fear of the unknown that makes us all cowards.

     William Belchambers:

One of the main differences between this scene and the prior is that in the first, David Tennant was talking to himself, and in this one, William Belchambers is recording himself.  In my opinion, this subtle difference completely changes the purpose behind the speech.  Most versions feature Hamlet coming to these revelations by himself and for himself.  However in William Belchamber's version, the fact that he's recording himself makes it feel more like a suicide note, and therefore makes the possibility of him killing himself seem much more likely than in the first.

I am very impressed by both versions.  In my opinion, David Tennant's version is more accurate, because he sticks to the proper time period and better tries to embody Shakespeare's intentions for the scene.  However, William Belchambers' version is my favorite because the bold choices the director makes the scene even more powerful.

O p h e l i a

Ophelia's character is one of much controversy-- no one is quite sure exactly how Shakespeare intended to portray her.  Some say she's innocent, compliant, and naive, while others argue she's clever and sometimes even defiant.

In the following portrayal of Act 1, Scene 3, Ophelia strikes me as cooperative and submissive.  She loves Hamlet, but she doesn't argue with what her brother tells her.  In fact, the news seems to distress her, as if she completely believes what she's being told.

However, in this next clip, Ophelia is depicted as being more capable of thinking for herself.  She still listens to what her brother tells her, but is also ready to turn the tables and prove that she's not oblivious to the fact that Laertes is being totally hypocritical.

So who is Ophelia?  Innocent, or obstinate?  Compliant, or defiant?  How do you think Shakespeare meant to portray her?

H a m l e t: 1st Impression

While reading Act 1 Scene 2 of Shakespeare's Hamlet for the first time, I couldn't help but feel bad for Hamlet for a few reasons...

1. His dad just passed away less than two months ago.
2. If that wasn't bad enough, his mother remarried IMMEDIATELY, and shows almost no signs of remorse or grievance.
3. His new dad is his uncle, King Claudius, and it's pretty clear the two of them don't exactly see eye to eye.

So yeah, I guess you could say that things aren't going too great for Hamlet at the moment.  It seems like he had a really strong bond with his father, and that he’s not getting the kind of closure he needs after his father’s passing.  No one seems to understand what he’s going through, or to even care that the King has died.  Poor Hamlet begins to wish that "the Everlasting had not fixed/ His canon 'gainst self-slaughter" (1.2.135), meaning that he's contemplating suicide.

What Hamlet really needs is time to grieve, someone to talk to, and a new role model.  Thank God he has the sympathetic and understanding King Claudius and Queen Gertrude by his side to give him just that!

...Oh, wait-- my bad.  That's not even close.

King Claudius tells Hamlet that "to perserver/ In obstinate condolement is a course/ Of impious stubbornness" (1.2.96).  Well I guess that eliminates time to grieve.  Later in the scene, Hamlet discusses his feelings towards his mother's remarriage, and says "But break, my heart, for I must hold my tongue" (1.2.164).  Looks like that eliminates someone to talk to...  But at least he has the noble King Claudius to look to for hope as a reverent successor to his father, right?  ...Whoops-- wrong again.  In Hamlet’s eyes, his father is to Claudius as Hyperion is to a satyr, which is a major burn on Claudius’ behalf.

So yeah, it looks like things aren’t really going too great for Hamlet at this point in the story.  But who knows?  Maybe things will shape up for our protagonist-- it’s not like this is a tragedy or anything.

Oh, wait...