Hamlet Reimagined in a Modern War

The setting of a fictional modern war can conform to many of the plot points in Hamlet. The state of war provides the tension that they are receiving from Norway, and the hierarchy in Hamlet can easily be replicated in a military rank style. I envision Claudius as a general in the Denmark Military. He killed another General, Hamlet's father, in order to replace him and marry his wife. Although the country he serves is behind him, his nephew knows his plans. As a Sergeant, Hamlet has to keep his reputation, but still wants to do something about his uncle.

In Act 2, Scene 2, the setting is Claudius' office full of papers and maps covering medals that he did not earn. Claudius sends out spies (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern) to learn more about Hamlet's plans. The spies always speak to their superiors respectfully and salute as they enter and leave. Gertrude thanks them politely and because Claudius is such a high ranking officer, he always has hand servants around. Polonius fits in very well as a military advisor, because he is constantly giving everyone advice. The military report that he receives from Voltemand will coincide well with the military theme. Hamlet is superior to Polonius in rank, so it is suitable for him to be casual when they have their one on one conversation. And the book that he is reading could be a military history of old generals.

Hamlet is so easily transferable from theme to theme and allows a lot of flexibility within its words.

Who Said it Better? That is The Question...

"To be, or not to be" performed by Ethan Hawke (2000)

"To be, or not to be" performed by Sir Laurence Olivier (1948)

Although these clips say the exact same words, they are very different. Because this soliloquy is so famous around the world, each actor tries to put their own spin on it to captivate the viewer. I picked these two movies because I wanted to observe the change in the way that the actors played the parts over time. The biggest and most obvious difference between these movies is the time, from 1948 to 2000.

In the modernized edition, the actor starts out walking slowly down an isle of movies at Blockbuster. Although it may seem minimal, the category of movies he is walking through, action, is very important. Also, the version performed by Ethan Hawke is a modernized version, so he cannot just sit on top of a rock like Sir Laurence Olivier does, he has to use the setting around him as a symbol for what is happening in the play. Walking down the action section toward a T.V. screen that plays a violent movie is foreshadowing how his actions will lead to violence.

In the scene performed by sir Laurence Olivier, Hamlet is deeply troubled and is considering suicide. His voice is too calm in the beginning, but is overly emotional by the end of the scene. This scene is much more consistent with the setting and the era that the play was written for, but the acting was not up to par. I thought that Ethan Hawke was much more convincing because he demonstrates the cycle of the welling up and suppression of his emotions much better than Olivier.

The similarities between these two scenes are, at a glance, obvious, but with a closer look, the differences became more interesting. The actors were really able to take this wherever they wanted because there is no right, original way to do Shakespeare. It is truly anybody's game.

My First Look at King Claudius

King Claudius is a man of ambition and personal power, but only in the presence of open opportunity. The king has swooped into Hamlet’s life and replaced his father in almost every way. He managed to take advantage of his own brother’s death, and use it to improve his own life. Frankly, it is sick how quickly King Claudius, along with Hamlet’s mother, moved on from the death of the king.

            So far, King Claudius strikes me as the kind of ruler who is very self-motivated. This self-motivation usually drives a character with passion and they take risks that have a great reward. Claudius will do anything if it means he will extend his rule. Already, Claudius has manipulated his only competitor, Hamlet, and made him an immediate family member

            Although Claudius is harsh to Hamlet, he has proven smart and calculating when it comes to the security of his rule. Claudius knows that Hamlet will want to rule the kingdom, so he does all he can to make sure Hamlet cannot claim the kingdom. Claudius takes the idiom, “keep your friends close, and your enemies closer”, very literally. Rather than banishing Hamlet, where he could start a rebellion of some sort, he keeps Hamlet right where he can control and monitor his movements. Also, by keeping Hamlet trapped inside of his kingdom and marrying Hamlet’s mother, he is breaking Hamlet’s will and asserting his dominance over Hamlet.

            King Claudius also tries to control Hamlet by urging him to let go of his father’s death. He is bothered that Hamlet will not, “Cast thy nighted color off” (1.2.70). His dark clothing stand as a symbol for Hamlet’s mourning for his father, and if he lets those go, Claudius is one step closer to demoralizing his greatest competition. Claudius creates another close connection to the family by marrying Hamlet’s mother. If one leaves the mother’s odd choice out of the situation to remarry so quickly, it is obvious that Claudius is trying to justify his rights to the kingdom, and to show Hamlet that he can really do anything he pleases, including marry his mother.