Hamlet Film Intro

“’Seems’, madam? Nay, it is. I know not ‘seems.’” (1.2.76). In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, during Act 1 Scene 2, Hamlet’s mother questions why Hamlet is so distressed and depressed from his father’s “common” death. The prince’s response has been interpreted differently. In Kenneth Branagh’s, Mel Gibson’s, and David Tennant’s films, the directors portray Hamlet’s response through tone, imagery and scenery, and cinematography. In Branagh’s Hamlet, Hamlet is powerless against his inconsiderate new father, oblivious mother, and consuming, royal hall. Gibson, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, displays Hamlet as a weak, helpless child, who has no support and lives in a rock. Hamlet is dressed in ragged clothes and looks like he has not slept in days, most likely do to his depression. Tennant’s Hamlet, in a Royal Shakespeare Company production, is a rebellious youth in a dark world: he is independent and does not get along with either his mother or his new father. Hamlet’s response to his mother’s cold-hearted question is interpreted differently in these three films; although his response is eight words long, the directors’ choices display Hamlet’s relationship with his mother and the king.