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Kenneth Branagh's Version Of Hamlet

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Hamlet’s to be or not to be speech has become an integral part of the great works of History, and thus has undergone various renditions over time. While the overall message is the same, each actor has given Hamlet a slightly different portrayal, giving Hamlet different traits and alter the emotion it conveys. Kenneth Branagh’s version of hamlet seems to be set in the Victorian era and is set in a white castle with gold trimmings and mirrors. His version of Hamlet delivers the soliloquy while dressed in black, contrasting with the bright castle, as if the darkness and weight of his question is sucking the light from Hamlet. He makes this speech alone, in the room, however is seen by Polonius and Claudius. The speech is directed at himself through a mirror. This scene, combined with …show more content…

When one looks at Kenneth Branagh himself, it is quite difficult to see him saying anything. Instead, the focus is only on the mirror, showing Hamlet’s inner monologue brought outward. This monologue is unique in that despite it being about suicide contemplation, it is remarkably composed. This contributes to the speech’s feel, that it is not so much an emotional outburst as it is an attempt to determine the course of action he will take. During the line “’For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, Th’ oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law’s delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th’ unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin” (3.1.78-84)?’ it is described not with despair or outrage, but with the tone of persuasion, ending with an accentuation

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