Link to some interesting analysis of the Tennant film version of Act 3, Scene 1
https://prezi.com/flbrdgx1morz/hamlet-why-they-did-and-why-the-didnt/
It's always good to refer to productions of Shakespeare that you have seen - see this link for some ideas of how you could do this for Act 3, Scene 1.
Probably the most obvious contrast between Hamlet and the other characters is the different way he is dressed. Although all the characters are in modern day clothing, Hamlet is significantly more casually dressed than the others. Especially when Hamlet and Ophelia are alone together is this contrast most apparent; Hamlet is wearing a t-shirt and jeans where as Ophelia is in a very elegant and formal dress and the rest of the characters are also wearing more formal attire. This costume choice creates a stronger sense that Hamlet is becoming more and more isolated from the people around him and Hamlet’s position as a pariah amongst his family and friends becomes amplified visually. The distinction of Hamlet’s more casual clothing compared to the rest of the cast also creates the implication that Hamlet himself is actively choosing a sort of rebellion and rejection of the societal rules that foreshadows his disregard for consequences and his revenge on Claudius.
While Hamlet is a wordy play, the director’s choice to omit certain lines displays which meanings and type of light Doran wants the audience to view Hamlet, Ophelia, and their relationship in. This version of the play omits the lines in Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” soliloquy about man’s fear of the uncertainty of what comes after death. The director in this case wanted to remove some of the emphasis on the fear of death as what stops people from committing suicide. This decision adds more emphasis to the apathy Hamlet develops about death and also presents Hamlet as more determined than hesitant to carry out his revenge than would be the case if those lines were included. Another important set of lines that the play omits is when Hamlets lies to Ophelia about once loving her. By excluding this line, the director seems to be trying to portray Hamlet as a man of integrity and honesty which makes Hamlet appear as a more likable and respectable character and allows the audience to develop more sympathy for Hamlet’s quest for vengeance.
The staging and movements of any version of Hamlet are entirely up to the discretion of the director because of the small amount of stage directions present in Shakespeare’s original work. The theatricality of a scene is an important tool for shaping the atmosphere and meaning of a scene, and so, the movements and props employed by the actors is a very important reflection of the intentions of the director. When Ophelia shows Hamlet the love tokens he gave her, in this play photographs and letters, she is also holding a bible. As Hamlet rejects Ophelia, it appears almost as if Ophelia is trying to exorcise an evil spirit from him because of the placement of the bible in her hand and it appears as though Hamlet’s rejection of the religious fear of death disappears, and Hamlet now seems ready to kill Claudius at all costs. Hamlet rarely seems to look at the others when talking to them. Instead, he looks at the camera, and in a way, this seems to direct his words towards the audience. Though Hamlet lies with his words, his demeanor creates a sort of honesty in that he chooses not to hide or to use as excuses for his impending actions.
The choices of costumes, lines spoken, and the theatricality of the actors made by the director in this scene present Hamlet as a person who is doing his best and is not in the wrong. In the scene’s entirety, the BBC production creates a very sympathetic view of Hamlet as a just man seeking a just revenge.
It's always good to refer to productions of Shakespeare that you have seen - see this link for some ideas of how you could do this for Act 3, Scene 1.
Probably the most obvious contrast between Hamlet and the other characters is the different way he is dressed. Although all the characters are in modern day clothing, Hamlet is significantly more casually dressed than the others. Especially when Hamlet and Ophelia are alone together is this contrast most apparent; Hamlet is wearing a t-shirt and jeans where as Ophelia is in a very elegant and formal dress and the rest of the characters are also wearing more formal attire. This costume choice creates a stronger sense that Hamlet is becoming more and more isolated from the people around him and Hamlet’s position as a pariah amongst his family and friends becomes amplified visually. The distinction of Hamlet’s more casual clothing compared to the rest of the cast also creates the implication that Hamlet himself is actively choosing a sort of rebellion and rejection of the societal rules that foreshadows his disregard for consequences and his revenge on Claudius.
While Hamlet is a wordy play, the director’s choice to omit certain lines displays which meanings and type of light Doran wants the audience to view Hamlet, Ophelia, and their relationship in. This version of the play omits the lines in Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” soliloquy about man’s fear of the uncertainty of what comes after death. The director in this case wanted to remove some of the emphasis on the fear of death as what stops people from committing suicide. This decision adds more emphasis to the apathy Hamlet develops about death and also presents Hamlet as more determined than hesitant to carry out his revenge than would be the case if those lines were included. Another important set of lines that the play omits is when Hamlets lies to Ophelia about once loving her. By excluding this line, the director seems to be trying to portray Hamlet as a man of integrity and honesty which makes Hamlet appear as a more likable and respectable character and allows the audience to develop more sympathy for Hamlet’s quest for vengeance.
The staging and movements of any version of Hamlet are entirely up to the discretion of the director because of the small amount of stage directions present in Shakespeare’s original work. The theatricality of a scene is an important tool for shaping the atmosphere and meaning of a scene, and so, the movements and props employed by the actors is a very important reflection of the intentions of the director. When Ophelia shows Hamlet the love tokens he gave her, in this play photographs and letters, she is also holding a bible. As Hamlet rejects Ophelia, it appears almost as if Ophelia is trying to exorcise an evil spirit from him because of the placement of the bible in her hand and it appears as though Hamlet’s rejection of the religious fear of death disappears, and Hamlet now seems ready to kill Claudius at all costs. Hamlet rarely seems to look at the others when talking to them. Instead, he looks at the camera, and in a way, this seems to direct his words towards the audience. Though Hamlet lies with his words, his demeanor creates a sort of honesty in that he chooses not to hide or to use as excuses for his impending actions.
The choices of costumes, lines spoken, and the theatricality of the actors made by the director in this scene present Hamlet as a person who is doing his best and is not in the wrong. In the scene’s entirety, the BBC production creates a very sympathetic view of Hamlet as a just man seeking a just revenge.
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