Hamlet's Soliloquy: A Review

I believe it's fair to say that I've had enough of Hamlet to last me a lifetime, or at least for the next year. So while I'd like to call this review short and say "They each have a different actor. Done" I hardly think it would do the versions justice. So let's take a look at exactly how these versions are different and why it matters.

Bronough's version (the first video) consists of him reciting the famous lines into a mirror. Throughout this version, we never see his profile straight on, but instead see it through the reflection of the mirror as though we were standing behind him. This focus on the mirror and his reflection emphasizes the conscience, or more precisely the subconscious turmoil going on in Hamlet's mind. The director of this version saw the inner conflict of "to be or not to be" and created a visual of that by utilizing the mirror image as the inner self.

Derek Jacobi (video 2) shows a closed off Hamlet. He enters the screen with his arms crossed over his chest and worriedly look behind him, as though someone could read his thoughts just by being in the room. When Jacobi finally begins Halmet's lines, he talks straight into the camera, addressing the audience as his inner self. On occasion, Jacobi turns away from the audience, as though he is turning away from his thoughts, unable to bear them. He does this when he says "Aye, there's the rub" and then goes to sit down, talking to the camera/audience as though discussing the problem with a friend that isn't there. In my opinion, this version shows Hamlet in the most unstable form, perhaps because he seems slightly crazy when he is talking to himself in this way (but that's just my view).

Kevin Kline's version (video 3) shows a more serious Hamlet, a somber and controlled version of a man who knows his fate but dreads it nonetheless. While he ponders his fate, he does so in a way that demonstrates a man who knows what he will decide, but can't bear the thought of the outcome. He speaks slowly and takes time to let each thought linger on the screen.

So what?

We can easily say that every time someone performs Hamlet, they do it differently. In fact, no two performances are ever exactly alike, even when performed by the same person on the same night. The visual performances are affected by the stage, props, actors, audiences, interruptions during a live performance, etc. So why does any of this matter? Well, in short, I can't say whether it does or doesn't. I believe that is left up to the people that care to create an answer for themselves. For me, I believe that it says a great deal about the effects on audience interpretation and the idea of an original text (and this is where things get tricky). The idea of "originality" which comes up again and again in this course is such a loose idea that it's nearly impossible to pin down. In class, we discussed the concepts that make something original, such as authorship, but whether or not something is original comes down to the questions "When does something go from being a thought to an idea? When does that idea take form? When does that first form receive attention?"

While I began this post as an analysis I believe it will end in a state of discomfort as I find myself struggling more and more to answer these questions in full.

What do you think?