Uncovering Hamlet

In 2012, PBS aired a series entitled Shakespeare Uncovered.  The films each featured Shakespearean actors who described a particular play or plays.  The hour-long segment on Hamlet was hosted by David Tennant, who played Hamlet both on stage and in a film adaptation (see 2/23/14 post).  It was a brief and very enjoyable look at Hamlet, inside and out.

At the outset, Tennant attempts to discover what makes Hamlet appealing 400 years later.  Why is is that audiences and readers continue to flock to it and to rank it as Shakespeare's "best" play?  To answer these questions, Tennant uses a synopsis of the play to pace the film.  He visits with directors, actors and other authorities to converse with them about their experiences with the play.  Interspersed with these interviews and chats are clips from productions of Hamlet:  Olivier, Gibson, Jacobi and even Tennant, himself.

In addition to discussions about productions of the play, we are treated to glimpses of Hamlet-related artifacts.  A visit to the British Library yields a look at three original versions of Shakespeare's Hamlet:  the "Bad Quarto" (of which there are only two copies in existence), the "Second (Good) Quarto" and the "First Folio."  As Tennant reveals, those three volumes represent a worth of approximately 10 million pounds.  We also see an eerie prop held by the Royal Shakespeare Company--an actual skull bequeathed to the company for use as Yorick's skull.  It is an idea that was parroted in Slings & Arrows (see 1/1/14 post); I had no idea that it was based on fact.

Ultimately, the questions of Hamlet's popularity remain.  Jude Law, himself a Hamlet alumnus (see 9/16/13 post), broaches an answer.  He believes that people still love Hamlet because it deals with fundamental themes that we all must face:  "Why are we here?" and "What's the point?"  Those questions are timeless.