Act 3 Scene 1

All three versions of Hamlet’s soliloquy made points and had visual aspects that gave the viewer better ideas on which the image Shakespeare intends put in the minds eye of the reader. Kenneth Branagh’s version of the soliloquy best expresses Shakespeare’s vision. The delivery of the lines and character’s costume do a perfect job of creating an image to go along with the original play version of Hamlet. The idea of Hamlet looking into the mirror is also very creative intending to prove that the poem is intended for Hamlet himself. The camera view is also intriguing because it is practically an abyss behind Hamlet as the mirrors reflect one another leaving a never ending image. The original version of Hamlet is quite open ended allowing the video director’s to play with the words and make them change the overall tone of the scene.Shakespeare’s words describe Hamlet questioning whether, existing itself is in fact worth the while. “To be or not to be- that is the question” is the first line of the soliloquy, allowing the reader to be faced with a very deep question as soon as the poem begins. Hamlet starts the scene speaking in a whisper but slowly gets louder and sterner as if to question his own words. Throughout the segment Hamlet uses many philosophic comparisons and it is hard to decipher whether or not he would rather “not be” than actually “be”. “Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep- to sleep, perchance to dream” is stated in a voice of question by the actor in the video which creates confliction in the mind of the person viewing the video, the confliction is established due to the fact that Hamlet is finding the positive and negatives in both life and death, the two being as opposite as possible. Yet Hamlet’s words make life and death seem quite similar, the director of the video makes the actor’s tone vary throughout the scene, as if to confuse the reader and still create mystery as to where Hamlet stands on his opinion between life and death. The setting of the scene is also very telling of the director’s stance and opinion on how he sees the scene.The idea of Hamlet looking at himself dead on in the mirror allows himself to essentially see himself as a living person, yet it also allows him to view himself and see if existing is in fact what it is all really about. There is also the idea of two mirrors facing on another creating a never ending abyss which could be said for life and death alike. For life is always going to continue no matter who dies, but once dead a person is forever dead. “Thus conscience does make cowards of all of us all” is a line that says a lot for Hamlet’s stance, everyone has a conscience and every dies. In everyone’s mind at one point, the idea of dying and death pass through and leave a lasting mark as if to say everyone fears dying and Hamlet is admitting this to himself while facing the mirror. The scene is in a large room that has an echo creating an image of a very important scene that must come of as dramatic and leave the viewer in thought of Hamlet’s words and how important what he says not only to the viewer but Hamlet himself and his behavior right up until the end of the play. Although the setting was breathtaking, the scene comes full circle when music is added.The scene begins in silence but as it becomes more and more dramatic the music slowly works its way in to the background. “There’s the respect that makes calamity of so long life.” Is exactly where the music starts and Hamlet begins to speak louder, he then lifts his dagger and runs it along his own face leaving the viewer in limbo watching a man who is seemingly insane questioning life and death with a weapon in his hand. This adds to the tension of the scene. Shortly after he ends the soliloquy Ophelia enters the room and Hamlet’s serious demeanor goes away and he seems to soften up. This was a strategy by the director to allow Hamlet to see the woman he loves directly after he questions his existence. If she was to enter half way through the soliloquy the entire tone would be thrown off and the dramatic effect would not have been as captivating and would not have allowed the viewer to question Hamlet’s thoughts in their entirety.The dramatic soliloquy ends and leaves the viewer questioning Hamlet’s state of mind. Multiple completed thoughts are put together but conflict in such a manner that it is hard to establish the tone of the scene, leaving an open ended theory, the director of the video seemingly ends the questions by allowing the viewer to literally watch Hamlet interact with his own reflection. Overall the video establishes a very impressive view of what Hamlet is attempting to tell himself, the director seems to answer the question by allowing Hamlet to show himself that being alive is a better situation than death.