Hawke as Hamlet

A day free from work gave me an opportunity to spend the better part of the afternoon with Hamlet.  This time, it was a chance to revisit Michael Almereyda's 2000 film starring Ethan Hawke in the title role.  I had seen it once many years ago, well before I began this blog.  Time to dig the DVD copy out of the collection to give it a repeat viewing.

What struck me throughout the film was how well Shakespeare's words fit into the updated context.  This is a modern presentation of a very old play, and yet the words did not feel out of place.  And while the script is much reduced, most of the words that one would expect did appear.  I was surprised at how much of the original play remained in the film.  There were numerous novel re-workings of the play and the dialogue.  The final lines of the film ("Our thoughts are ours, their ends none of our own."), for instance, had been moved from the Player King's speech in Act III, scene ii of the original.  It was as if Almereyda had been advised by Hamlet himself:  "Suit the action to the word, the word to the action...."

While the film displayed the timelessness of Shakespeare's work, it also provided a window into a then-modern time period that is now recent past.  Sights of cumbrous movie cameras, rental VHS tapes at Blockbuster Video (RIP), Polaroid snapshots, pay phones, fax machines and floppy disks are a sign of the relentless progression of time and technology.  Even a familiar voice welcoming a caller to Moviefone (777-FILM) is now just a memory.  Oddly, these sights and sounds felt, to me, more ancient than the dialogue being spoken by the actors on the screen.

I could not help but to notice one popular culture reference that was present.  As Hamlet spoke the "Rogue and peasant slave" soliloquy, his own call to action was voiced while pictures of James Dean appeared on the screen.  Filmdom's original "Rebel Without a Cause" was a fitting counterpoint to Shakespeare's "Rebel With a Cause."

Considering the modern re-working of Hamlet, it would be senseless to recount all of the differences between the play and the film.  One notable adaptation, though, involves Gertrude.  During the duel scene, oddly played as a fencing match on a rooftop, it becomes obvious that she is aware of Claudius' scheme involving the poisoned chalice.  The camera betrays that realization on her face.  When she takes the cup to drink, it is an act of sacrifice, preventing her son from getting it.  The Gertrude of this version of Hamlet commits suicide in order to attempt to save her son from death.  The act only delays the inevitable, though, as Laertes and a handgun finish the action.

According to Orson Welles, director of a screen version of Macbeth, "[Assuming] that the film is an art form, I took the line that you can adapt a classic freely and vigorously for the cinema."  (See Hindle (11/9/14 post), pg. 33.)  This version of Hamlet is adapted freely and vigorously, the result being a very entertaining and satisfying film.

The Missing Scene

As I watched the Hartford Stage production of Hamlet (see 11/16/14 post), something was rotten in Denmark (or, at least in Connecticut).  I've seen the work many a time, but I couldn't recall a scene starring Horatio and Gertrude.  Yet, here it was playing out before me.  Horatio was telling Gertrude about a letter he had received from Hamlet.  He told her of the treasonous plot against Hamlet's life, a plot perpetrated by Claudius.  He told of Hamlet's success at foiling the plot.  Gertrude learned that Hamlet was on his way home and that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern had been killed.  She was left anticipating her son's return and realizing that her husband was almost a murderer for the second time.

Where on Earth did all of that come from?  Where were the usual references to "High and Mighty" and pirates?  I checked a print copy of Hamlet at the first opportunity and could find no reference to this scene.  Oddly, though, it seemed vaguely familiar.  When I sat down to write a post about the version of Hamlet that I had seen years before at the World Financial Center in NYC (see 8/3/13 post), I had a note about a scene between Horatio and Gertrude.  I blamed it on a trick of the memory; after all, I couldn't find any trace of such a scene, and I had never seen it again.  Maybe this addition to the Hartford version was what I had stored away subconsciously, or maybe that was an example of misremembering after all.

As it turns out, there is indeed evidence for this conversation.  The First (or "Bad") Quarto of Hamlet includes this scene.  I have included the text below, with the spelling edited into a more modern presentment.  A modern-day DVD release might call it an Outtake or Deleted Scene, as the Second Quarto and Folio dropped it entirely.  So a typical reading or viewing of the play would not include it at all.  One could go many years--or forever--without ever knowing that the scene existed.  Maybe that was the playwright's intent (if it was even his creation in the first place).

The conversation adds a new dimension to the characters involved.  We see that there is a more than casual relationship between Horatio and Gertrude.  We know Horatio as a friend to Hamlet.  Apparently the prince thinks highly enough of Horatio to ask him to deliver a message to Gertrude, and Horatio holds Gertrude in enough regard to deliver the message personally.  He even offers to carry the wishes of the mother back to her son, whom he will meet upon his return.

I believe that this scene also has an effect on the conclusion of the play.  By the time we have reached the duel, Gertrude knows the capabilities of Claudius.  She has been told by Hamlet that Claudius murdered her first husband, which she may have doubted.  In this new scene, she has learned that Claudius has attempted to have her son murdered, which may have confirmed her initial suspicions.  When Claudius urges her not to drink from the poisoned chalice, does she suspect that another plot is afoot?  Does she drink knowing that she may be sacrificing her own life?

Enter Horatio and the Queen.

Hor. Madame, your son is safe arriv'd in Denmark,
This letter I even now receiv'd of him,
Whereas he writes how he escap'd the danger,
And subtle treason that the king had plotted,
Being crossed by the contention of the winds,
He found the Packet sent to the king of England,
Wherein he saw himself betray'd to death,
As at his next conversion with your grace,
He will relate the circumstance at full.

Queen Then I perceive there's treason in his looks
That seem'd to sugar o'er his villany:
But I will soothe and please him for a time,
For murderous minds are always jealous,
But know not you Horatio where he is?

Hor. Yes Madame, and he hath appointed me
To meet him on the east side of the City
Tomorrow morning.

Queen O fail not, good Horatio, and withall, commend me
A mother's care to him, bid him a while
Be wary of his presence, lest that he
Fail in that he goes about.

Hor. Madam, never make doubt of that:
I think by this the news be come to court:
He is arriv'd, observe the king, and you shall
Quickly find, Hamlet being here,
Things fell not to his mind.

Queen But what became of Guildernstern and Rosencrantz?

Hor. He being set ashore, they went for England,
And in the Packet there writ down that doom
To be perform'd on them pointed for him:
And by great chance he had his father's Seal,
So all was done without discovery.

Queen Thanks be to heaven for blessing of the prince,
Horatio once again I take my leave,
With thousand mother's blessings to my son.

Horat. Madam adieu.

Hamlet in Hartford

As mentioned in a previous post (8/31/14), Hamlet provided a reason for a trip to Hartford.  I was able to view the Hartford Stage's production of the play, directed by Darko Tresnjak.  It was a chance to experience a new theatre and one more directorial take on Shakespeare's work.  On both counts, it was a worthwhile venture.

The Hartford Stage theatre is an excellent place to see a show.  The room, newly remodeled, is cozy and comfortable.  The sight lines are great, with seats staggered enough in height that the head in front should not be an obstruction.  My seat, second row center section on an aisle, had two arm rests and plenty of room. The seat itself was actually turned away from the stage area due to the round house orientation of the room; it was odd but not too much of an issue.  Being close to the action and having space made up for the slight turn.  (As an aside, why are patrons allowed to bring drinks into the room?  The staff should consider revising that policy.)

The set was a novel design.  The stage was in the shape of a cross, with black and white faux-marble floor tile.  The tile was lit from underneath, so that the white could be brightened or turned into other colors.  In the "Swear it!" scene, different portions were highlighted, impelling the cast members to run from place to place.  In a later scene, the white tile was alternating red and blue.  The cross was edged with benches on the portions of the stage projecting into the crowd.  There were several openings in the floor which were used throughout the play--a grave, a lower level of the castle, the arras concealing Polonius (?).  The center of the cross also opened, to great dramatic effect.  As sharp as the floor looked, the use of large cardboard cut-out curtains instead of real red velvet was notably tacky.

The costumes were very lavish period design.  There were neck ruffles on the men.  Hamlet was usually attired in black, except for a striking red military outfit donned after his return from England.  The priest, who yelled angrily throughout Ophelia's burial, had a nicely-designed black Roman chasuble.  Several persons in that scene, wearing full black robes, were not identified.  Perhaps they were acolytes, but they looked like full-sized Jawa from Star Wars.  There was an exhibit in the theatre highlighting costumes from the company's past productions; this production's versions fit nicely in that collection.

I found the acting to be inconsistent.  Hamlet was well played; sensitive, sometimes sarcastically humorous and generally believable.  Claudius was harsh and overbearing, which worked.  Ophelia was cloying and annoying; too sing-songy at first, not believable in the nunnery scene and just plain irritating after the death of Polonius, who was by turns humorous and bland.  The players were all male, but the one playing a female role (quite buxom in costume) was a bit over the top comedically.

I must include a special note about the Ghost.  The first "appearance" was merely light and smoke exiting from one of the holes in the floor.  When he appeared in person, though, it was a grand entrance indeed.  He was raised through the hole in the floor at center stage, in full armor and on (fake) horseback.  It was quite a sight!  His speaking was a bit emotive, but the stage presence was certainly commanding.

The script was edited into a two hour and forty minute time frame.  The action moved quickly; in fact, the first act, which ended after the "Witching time" soliloquy, seemed to fly by.  Polonius' instructions to Reynaldo did not include any direction to spy on Laertes.  Hamlet did not reprimand Polonius about using the players "better than their deserts."  Hamlet's directions to the players were edited, and the dumb show was removed.  Ironically, though, Lucianus was actually given lines during "The Mousetrap."  "By and by" was not easily said.  The search for Polonius was much streamlined.  There were no pirates, no mention of "High and Mighty" or bungholes, and Osric's role was reduced.  Additionally, the delivery of some of the soliloquies was directly to the audience, which I find confusing.  Are we observers or participants?  The fourth wall was shattered further when an insane Ophelia delivered a flower to a surprised audience member.

One notable addition to the text was a scene in which Horatio and Gertrude converse about Hamlet's pending return from England.  The inclusion of and effect of this scene will be the subject of a more in-depth discussion in a future post.

The role of Fortinbras was oddly used.  There was mention of him early on, more than is typical.  There was a very brief and awkward insertion of his request to march across Denmark, but the "How all occasions" soliloquy was excised completely.  When Fortinbras appeared at the end of the play, it did not seem that enough had been done to explain why, and he did not order Hamlet to be carried out.  The reason for that, though, made for an excellent ending to the play.

The duel scene was staged vertically, not horizontally.  In a round house setting, someone has to be at the actor's backs.  In this case, the center section of the audience was at the back of one of the actors, which prevented any facial expression from being seen.  There was not much action in the fight, and the climactic exchange of the poisoned foil was rather lame.  Horatio yelled his closing lines, which did not help the somber mood of the scene.  Fortinbras arrived on cue to see the dead bodies strewn about the stage.  The final scene, though, was incredible.  The dead Hamlet fell on his back across the hole in the center of the stage.  The floor opened beneath him as his body straddled the opening, and the ghost on horseback rose from below.  Hamlet was not borne "like a soldier to the stage," but rather as a dead child cradled in his father's arms, rising to the heavens.  As the lights faded to black, that final sight of Hamlet and his father was a powerful one indeed, a master stroke of direction.

All in all, this was an interesting version of Hamlet.  While not the best one that I have seen, it certainly was well worth the trip.  And that final scene will stay with me for quite a long time.

Hamlet on Film

A trip to a local second-hand store landed another addition to my Hamlet collection.  This time it was a book by Maurice Hindle entitled, Studying Shakespeare on Film (NY:  Palgrave Macmillan, 2007).  While not strictly about Hamlet, it was an interesting read and provided material for future searches and posts.

A quotation in the book's introduction certainly rings true with my many Hamlet discoveries.

"Translation is an inexact art, carrying responsibilities to respect the author's ends, even as you wilfully [sic] tamper with the means" (xv).

On stage, in print, and especially in film, Shakespeare's work becomes a metaphorical piece of clay.  It is molded by the director or the author and, while it remains a piece of clay, it can be much changed in shape from its original appearance.  This was readily apparent in two of the films that I have seen and have described in previous posts:  Zeffirelli's Hamlet (see 9/14/14) and Gade's Hamlet, The Drama of Vengeance (see 10/19/14).

Hindle's book, useful as a text for a college course on Shakespeare, describes several productions of Hamlet in varying degrees of depth.  (They are identified below by director.)

• Svend Gade
• Laurence Olivier
• Grigori Kozintsev
• Tony Richardson
• Franco Zeffirelli
• Kenneth Branagh
• Michael Almereyda
• Rodney Bennett (BBC-TV)
• Peter Brook (BBC4, 2001)

He includes separate "Critical Essays" for Olivier, Branagh and Almereyda.  Additionally, he references two versions that he must omit for space considerations:  Celestino Coronado's Hamlet and Ernst Lubitsch's To Be or Not to Be.

Hindle's book provides a suitable companion for Hamlet viewing.  Now to find some of the versions he mentions...and the time to watch them!

Polonius At Sea

While reading a journal article of the connections between Samuel Clemens and Shakespeare, I came across another Hamlet reference in Mark Twain's work.  This one is found in his Letters From Hawaii.  (The journal article that led me to the passage is referenced below.)

The section in question is entitled "I Endeavor To Entertain The Seasick Man."  In order to help a nauseous fellow passenger, Twain reads a poem that he has prepared.  It is a paraphrase of a Shakespearean passage rewritten in rhyme to make it easier to remember.  The passage should be familiar to fans of Hamlet.  It is presented below in its entirety.

Polonius' Advice to His Son--

Paraphrased from Hamlet 

Beware of the spoken word! Be wise;
Bury thy thoughts in thy breast;
Nor let thoughts that are unnatural
Be ever in acts expressed.

Be thou courteous and kindly toward all —
Be familiar and vulgar with none;
But the friends thou hast proved in thy need
Hold thou fast till life’s mission is done!

 Shake not thy faith by confiding
In every new-begot friend,
Beware thou of quarrels — but in them
Fight them out to the bitter end.

Give thine ear unto all that would seek it
But to few thy voice impart;
Receive and consider all censure
But thy judgment seal in thy heart.

 Let thy habit be ever as costly
As thy purse is able to span;
Never gaudy but rich — for the raiment
Full often proclaimeth the man.

Neither borrow nor lend — oft a loan
Both loseth itself and a friend,
And to borrow relaxeth the thrift
Whereby husbandry gaineth its end.

But lo! above all set this law:
UNTO THYSELF BE THOU TRUE!
Then never toward any canst thou
The deed of a false heart do.

The reaction of Twain's audience upon hearing the passage was to vomit.  He did not care for the passage, but noted that "if he got seasick again, he would like some more poetry."  A Shakespearean critic, perhaps?


Hirsh, James. 1992. “Samuel Clemens and the Ghost of Shakespeare.” Studies in the Novel 24 (Fall): 251-272.