I was just rewatching Nightmare on Elm Street, and Nancy’s English teacher gives a Hamlet lesson that’s way more frightening than Freddy, contorting the play to parallel the movie’s plot. I feel like Hollywood nods to Hamlet relatively often (though rarely well). What are the best and worst allusions to Hamlet that you’ve seen on the silver screen?

Hi all! New fan of Hamlet here and have been hyperfixating on it for awhile.

Something I’ve been thinking about is how Ophelia and Laertes have chambers in the castle, despite their father being the only one with a position as chancellor.

Was this something that happened back then? Maybe I’m coming at it from a modern perspective, I don’t see how your kids would get free room and board at your workplace.

Unless they’re also related to the Danish royal family in some way? Have I missed some detail?

I really remember reading somewhere that he said that any staging would be unable to capture the true Hamlet as written, and any performance would be inadequate or something along those lines. But I can't find any sources for this or anyone talking about it so I feel like I've made it up... or got him mixed up with someone else? If anyone knows anything pls reply 😊

It’s always depicted that none of the principal characters knows who is who and that they get each other’s names mixed up because Rosencrantz And Guildenstern are minor characters and just pawns in Claudius plan to spy on hamlet.

While that may be partially true, I believe the intended joke is they are supposed to be (and played by) twin brothers, and that’s why no one can tell them apart.

It’s stated that they are school friends of Hamlet, not that they are friends of each other, because they’re siblings.

Also, as the joke is traditionally depicted now, it makes Rosencrantz and Guildenstern the only characters to die that aren’t related to anyone else in the play, but being siblings keeps that theme.

Hi everyone, I was recently assigned a paper by my English professor in which she’s asked us to compare both the song and a specific scene from an act. This being said I am a bit confused on what to pick, I thought of Bohemian Rhapsody for scene 3 act 4 but I miss-read the context. If anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated!!!

I think the depiction of women in Hamlet is that of an interesting one in terms of Shakespeare's plays but Gertrude and Ophelia just seem to be weak characters. I understand they are opposite in characters as Ophelia was a purely good character and Gertrude seems to have more malicious intents. I'm interested to know your opinions on the depiction of women as i think its an aspect to the play I don't fully understand.

i’m genuinely curious what is everyone’s opinion about hamlet and the character himself? Do you like the plot? Why do you think hamlet is the way he is? Do you think claudius deserved to die? There’s so much more i could ask honestly. So feel free to reply with all your opinions im curious!

The ghost of Hamlet's father tells Hamlet to avenge his death, but does he specifically instruct him to kill Claudius? I'm just wondering if there might have been another way for Hamlet to get revenge rather than by taking a life. Is it a requirement within the definition of revenge to (for example) kill the person who killed your father? If so, then Fortinbras' subplot is not about revenge (which is actually what I think). What do you think?

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The title says it all, but I guess since this is Reddit, I will need to elaborate further. I (30 M) have recently lost a loved one, aka my father, aka the former king of Denmark, aka the REAL king of Denmark. The man, the myth, the legend, not that goat that got with my mother, I mean what was she thinking really? To abandon my father like that to get with his brother, my UNCLE. Imagining them embracing each other literally makes me want to hurl, I mean what a disdain to the country, what an embarrassment. Their entire incestual marriage symbolises the dire state the country is in. How is the country secure from its enemies when they are doing things God and I and the people don’t want to hear? The corruption spreads. I’ve been seeing my father lately, his presence is still here. He guides me onto the foreboding future and what it has to offer if I seek retribution. To summarise, he just basically told me I needed to kill my uncle because he poisoned my poor father’s ear. His wish is my command. And flame my mother too, just because. I think it’s a brilliant idea. I couldn’t care less if he was just a figment of my imagination, let alone a demon. If it makes sense to do it, hell I’ll do it. Claudius can literally just choke and die in a fire. Let me bow down to his grave a thousand times, but never when he still stands. As for my mother, she can just be damned like all women in the world. God will take care of her.

And because I am myself, I don’t stop, I need to put on a show: a physical demonstration of my so-called parents’ guilt, my very own written play, The Mousetrap. All that work just for my mother to feel indifferent about it, she is so insufferable. At least my uncle felt bad. But that woman just does it for me. Every woman is deceptive with their layered beauty and layered lies, I shall never let one get in my head. I forgot to mention, Ophelia dropped a bomb on me, giving me back my letters. Ok? We had an on and off thing, and it was never really official, and it was just a very low commitment thing - but I’m grieving my father’s death and she just had to do this? And she did this right after she stumbled across me reading a book, as if she knows how to read. Literally hop off my groin, and GET THEE TO A NUNNERY.

Life shouldn’t be this hard, but it is. And I need to kill my uncle, because that is what I should do. He confessed that he killed my father after he stormed off from my well-executed play. How dare he feel bad not going to heaven when he killed the man I honoured most? My vision was red, I needed to do what I had to do, but before then, I had to make my mother feel bad about what she did first. Oh I roasted her, guilt has never painted her face better, that’d teach her. The rustling of the curtains made my murderous instincts act and I stabbed the figure behind it. It was Polonius. I guess his experience acting as Caesar paid off. But for what it’s worth, his death will mean something. I just don’t know how yet. Maybe take it as a warning.

Amigos llevo años de no ver la película "Hamlet 2000 " la Vi de adolescente y fue gracias a esta vercion moderna de Shakespeare que me intereso leer los clásicos y de ahí a muchos libros por placer a la lectura lo cual antes no lo tenía, quería pedir su ayuda para encontrar la versión en español ya sea latino o gallego, quiero recordar con nostalgia esa película ya la encontré en inglés pero mi afán es encontrarlo doblada y me es imposible encontrar su versión con doblaje 😭🥺 gracias

At the beginning of the 1948 movie, he chooses to brood instead of saying " not so my lord I'm too much in the sun" which is the best line because it makes him sarcastic. He stare instead until Gertrude addresses him.

He just skips over the line!

So I just finished Hamlet for my English Class, and one of the hang ups I had early on was the question of “why did Claudius receive the throne and not Prince Hamlet?”

So I did some reading and here are my two theories

The first, Denmark was technically speaking, an elective monarchy up until the reign of Frederick III from 1648-1670, its just that the most common person to be elected was the eldest son. So perhaps as part of the succession, Claudius bribed his way so that he would be elected before Prince Hamlet.

The second is less historically precedented (more typically being found in Czechia rather than Denmark), with the concept of Agnatic Seniority, in which the monarchy is inherited by the younger brother of the king rather than the king‘s sons.

Both of these would explain as to why Hamlet is heir given we do not hear of Claudius having any children, nor and siblings himself.

I realize this is oddly specific, sorry 'bout that.

Video link at the bottom. The guy is recalling something about Michael Jackson just prior to his passing. "Michael would be holding the same chrome orb with his own image reflected in it. It reminded him of Hamlet when Hamlet was contemplating his friend."

Naturally I think of act 5 when Hamlet holds the skull.. Or maybe he's talking about another scene, any ideas?

Video stamp reference 7:09-7:30 https://youtu.be/gg5m6nz87iY?t=429

I need some insightful topics and evidence to write about in my A level essay.

If we consider that she did kill herself. Did the whole "to be or not to be" soliloquy affact Ophelia in any way?

She heard Hamlet considering suicide in that moment and maybe that influenced her in some way. Perhaps she came to her own conclusion that death would be best for her and decided to end things.

I read a translation a few years ago and maybe there's something that escaped me.

I'm rereading the play for school and I wanted to organize my thoughts and maybe get some help with quotes that support the fact that indeed, Hamlet is depressed. This is for my last paper of the semester!

The starter quote I have is: "How weary, stale flat, seem to me the uses of this world"

But I need some more. And I'm going to lso include that his mother's subsequent marriage to Claudius sure doesn't help, especially because it was so soon after his father's death.

And, how is all of this impacting his antic disposition?

I'm of the belief that Hamlet is mad, he's mad with revenge and he stabbed through the curtain thinking that Polonius was Claudius. Now yes, I realize that Polonius is a fool character and he makes wrong choice after wrong choice which again, is the point of his character but, Hamlet's actions speak for themselves.

Would love some feedback, help and more quotes.

Thank you!

Does anyone know where I might be able to stream the 2017 (marked 2018) performance of Hamlet at London's Harold Pinter Theatre w/ Andrew Scott? Been meaning to watch it forever, but when I get around to it the usual sites I use don't have the version. It's also listed on Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/hamlet-2018/

Here are the sites it didn't show up on: myflixr, soap2day, flixtor, moviesjoy, lookmovie, & tubitv.

If anone's seen this version online and remembers how/ where they watched it, that'd be super helpful. Thanks!

While I feel Kenneth Branagh is a better actor and the 1996 movie has a great cast, I prefer the 1990 version: it's set during the Shakespearian time, only 2 and a half hours long, no modernization/events happening in the Victorian era (not that it was a bad thing in the 1996 movie), and intonation in quotes when appropriate.

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Just an interesting dynamic I only recently twigged to. Ophelia is well and truly mad by the end of the play, and is hinted to have killed herself. " Her death was doubtful, And, but that great command o’ersways the order, She should in ground unsanctified been lodged Till the last trumpet. " Here the priest argues she shouldn't be buried in hallowed ground, as suicide is a sin. However, Hamlet later disavows his supposed madness and murder of Polonius to Laertes, " Was ’t Hamlet wronged Laertes? Never Hamlet.If Hamlet from himself be ta’en away, And when he’s not himself does wrong Laertes, Then Hamlet does it not; Hamlet denies it. " Hamlet in essence saying since he was mad, he can't be blamed for Polonius' death.

It just struck me as an interesting juxtaposition, that what Opheilia did in her madness, she should be punished for, but what Hamlet does in HIS madness, he should be excused from, especially as whether or not Hamlet actually is mad throughout the play, or just feigning, is a major talking point.

I’m on a Hamlet viewing spree, and I’m trying to find where I can watch the Mel Gibson and Glen Close version, Amazon keeps saying it’s not available, does anyone know any options?

Hamlet’s fatal flaw has often been described as “indecisiveness” and I always found that a bit peculiar, but I do not agree Hamlet was weak-willed. I actually think he might be the most noble character in his own titular play. Personally I feel one character in particular helped me reevaluate the dignity Hamlet’s character.

Hamlet is a ghost story, the ghost of Hamlet’s father has been pushing his son to avenge him. I don’t think he is the only ghost, or father we meet. Act 5 Scene 1 where Hamlet comes face to face with Yorick’s skull has been interpreted as Hamlet accepting the futility of his cause, but I think it runs deeper than that. These lines are how Hamlet remembers his jester…

“of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: “borne me on his back a thousand times;” “Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know”

I don’t recall Hamlet having such positive memories about his father. In fact I don’t think there really is much to say about his father. Hamlet likely spent more time in the company of Yorick than his father, more focused on war with Norway, so Yorick is the surrogate father, the second ghost, and he is a ghost that doesn’t demand Hamlet abide his wishes, he simply remains silent, and “smiles” back while Hamlet can finally pour out his emotions. The scene rightfully is about Hamlet contemplating the futility of his journey, the inevitability of death, but it also is him being reminded that he does not have to put himself through the burden and torturous path his father has driven him down. Yorick is at peace, and Hamlet for a moment can think clearly again. Below is a link to a BBC podcast which was where I first developed this idea from.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09jqtfs

Remember Hamlet had left his father and the Danish court as a university student, which in the context of Shakespeare’s time, suggests that Hamlet raised to be an intellectual, a renaissance man. His questioning, hesitation and overal indecisiveness in killing Claudius is him challenging a world bounded by archaic ideas, impulsiveness and violence. Hamlet’s tragic flaw was not a personality trait, it was his existence as someone too good for the people around him.

Yorick reminds to not just Hamlet but also the audience that Hamlet has been abused and manipulated to the point of no return. Yet in death he earns the respect of his foil Fortinbras, who honours Hamlet for having the thinking that the impulsive Fortinbras lacked. I do believe in this regard Hamlet challenges the traditional conventions of a tragedy, and I credit Act V Scene I for changing my view.

But that is how I personally interpret it. What do you think about this line of thinking?

I have a question but I don’t know if it breaks the rules. It’s about the nature of hamlets to be or not to be speech. I don’t know if that’s enough to make you understand what I’m talking about but I’ll try and describe it without naming it.

Hamlets speech is all about whether or not he should shuffle off this mortal coil. In it he says in my words that the uncertainty of death is the only reason why anyone continues to be. And that if we knew for certain that we would be trading our suffering while we continue to be for less suffering if we elected not to be, everybody would elect not to be. But hamlet is wrong. There are whole loads of people who would tell you that they are certain of what happens in the afterlife. But they continue to be. Why? Why is hamlet wrong?

I'm curious about this last line before the final fight with Laertes, as Hamlet responds to Horatio pressuring him not to participate in the bet:

"Not a whit. We defy augury. There's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, 'tis not to come. If it be not to come, it will be now. If it be not now, yet it will come -- the readiness is all. Since no man of aught he leaves knows, what is't to leave betimes? Let be."

It's a beautiful statement of faith and acceptance, but the "since no man of aught he leaves knows" seems to be in conflict with one of the centerpieces of the play; the ghost. I know there's some catholic v Protestant stuff going on in Hamlet, but this contradiction is so extreme it seems to surpass that. He saw and heard the ghost, who had full knowledge of what he left behind -- the catalyst for all of Hamlet's action/inaction. I feel at times like Hamlet is aware he's being written and directed -- Harold Bloom talks about this. It's a paradox, so I can't put it perfectly into words -- but what do you think?

https://www.sportskeeda.com/esports/elsinore-reimagination-hamlet

Transmedial approaches to Shakespeare open up the canonical texts to newer interpretations.and possibilities. Elsinore explores Hamlet's potential within the text.

Give it a read, if Shakespeare in newer mediums and newer perspectives interest you.

I have noticed, but can't quite make sense of, a very strong recurring motif in Hamlet. On multiple levels nearly everyone, rather than do the thing they want done, employ (use, send on an errand?) other characters to do something for them.

• The ghost of course employs Hamlet to kill the King,
• Polonius and the King use Ophelia to see if Hamlet's mad,
• Polonius uses some unnamed character to go spy on Laertes to see if he's staying in line,
• Polonius and the King again use the Queen to discover things about Hamlet,
• Polonius and the King use, or try to use, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to try and figure Hamlet's madness out, then they use them AND the King of England to try and kill Hamlet,
• Hamlet uses the King of England to get R and G killed,
• Hamlet uses the players to find out if the King's guilty
• Hamlet uses Horatio to tell his story.

And there are more. But, we see people again and again trying to discern some inner truths/realities through others rather than directly. It seems the ghost is the only one who's unconcerned with that and just wants his revenge, or at least isn't interested in finding that out via his instrument, Hamlet.

I tried looking up some scholarship on "instrumentality," or "passive aggression," and Hamlet have not been yielding anything very illuminating, but I think this is a very interesting motif (and why a great Hamlet spoof would involve family therapy), and so prevalent throughout, it seems like there is something significant going on here.

Any thoughts or ideas on the importance of this to the play or Shakespeare's message/purpose in this play? Would love to discuss.

With the academic year getting underway, we're likely to start seeing more traffic as people encounter Hamlet in their classrooms. Please keep in mind that anyone seeking homework help should first do his or her due diligence. Come to the sub with more than just questions. Present your own answers too, and let the community chime in to help you enrich your understanding of the play. We welcome questions, but the community is not here to do your work for you. Thanks for thinking of our niche sub, and we can't wait to read your ideas.