A synopsis of Hamlet by William Shakespeare
Any plot synopsis of Shakespeare’s Hamlet leaves out the heart of the play – a careful dissection of mortality and a stirring investigation into the very meaning of life by Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, a charming and disarming man of depth and brilliance. Hamlet’s journey through the play is full of humor, even as he examines the concepts of death and life from every imaginable angle.
That said, here is a plot synopsis:
Horatio, Hamlet’s friend, and the palace guards witness a visitation by the ghost of their recently deceased King. Horatio quickly reports the viewing to the King’s only son, Hamlet. Hamlet decides to attempt to speak with the ghost, and, against friendly advice, follows the beckoning ghost. The ghost of the King reveals to Hamlet the story of how he had been murdered by his brother, Claudius, and how the murderer went on to marry the ghost’s widow, Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude. Hamlet is infuriated, and while he promises revenge, he must first determine whether or not this ghost speaks truth. Hamlet decides to “put on an antic disposition,” that is: he decides to act certifiably crazy.
Polonius, father of Laertes and Ophelia (Hamlet’s loving girlfriend), is an advisor to the new king. As Hamlet begins to act strangely, and when Ophelia tells Polonius of Hamlet’s new personality, Polonius decides to investigate with consent of Claudius. Claudius and Gertrude summon two of Hamlet’s university friends, Rosencratz and Guildenstern, to spy on Hamlet to discover why he is acting so strangely. Traveling players arrive, and Hamlet arranges for them to perform a play identical to the murder plot, to be played before Claudius. “The plays the thing wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.”
When Claudius sees in the play the mirror of the murder he had committed, he storms. Hamlet now believes that the Ghost told him the truth. Queen Gertrude sends for Hamlet to try to find out why he has acted so rudely, while Polonius hides in her room to spy on the conversation. Hamlet, before going to his mother’s room, stops by Claudius’ quarters but decides not to kill him on the spot because Claudius is in prayer. He goes to Gertrude, discovers an eavesdropper, and, thinking it is Claudius, stabs and kills Polonius. He convinces Gertrude to distance herself from Claudius.
Claudius orders Rosencratz and Guildenstern to take Hamlet to England with a letter requesting that the English king would put Hamlet to death. Hamlet discovers the letter, writes one that will put Rosencratz and Guildenstern to death instead, and escapes. While Hamlet is gone, Laertes returns from Paris determined to revenge the death of his father Polonius even if it means overthrowing the Danish throne. At the same time, Laertes’ sister Ophelia actually goes mad with grief and drowns herself. When they learn that Hamlet has survived his exile to England, Claudius and Laertes plot to kill Hamlet in a sporting duel tainted with various poisons. When Hamlet returns to his homeland he stumbles upon the funeral of Ophelia.
Laertes and Hamlet have a short fight in Ophelia’s grave, and soon agree on a duel, to test their skills against one another. One of the attempts to kill Hamlet, a poisoned drink, accidentally kills Gertrude. In the duel, Laertes uses a sword with a poisoned tip. He manages to stab Hamlet. Before Hamlet dies, he stabs Laertes with that same sword. Hamlet then wounds the king with the sword and forces him to finish the poisoned drink. Hamlet dies.
“The rest is silence.”
March 12, 2010 at 6:19 pm
I think that the best part of the play Hamlet was the final scene. Gertrude was a really good actress. She was cast very well. Gertrude was very easy to understand, and she has a good voice. In the final scene she was very believable, and it didn’t look fake when she died. She didn’t overact either. It was the most interesting scene in the play.
Something I didn’t like about the play was the costumes. It looked more modern than the actual time it was supposed to be. The costume choices were very hard to understand.
March 12, 2010 at 6:24 pm
The play was really good. I enjoyed it very much. The actors were superb. It is cool that we have a theatre like BTE so close to us. We are truly lucky because we get to see great art so close. The modernization was good and helped younger America understand and take dream. The humor was good it helped break up the seriousness of the play. Congratulations on the great performance and heres to many more!
March 12, 2010 at 6:25 pm
My favorite part of the play was also the final scene with Gertrude. I thought this part was very well done. It was very realistic and easy to follow. Gertrude was a very easy character to understand. Some other parts were hard to understand.
The costumes were very confusing for me as well. One scene in the play the prince was in jeans and a leather jacket and other characters looked like they were dressed in clothing from the 1940s. Overall, I really liked the play and that we had the opportunity to go to watch.
March 15, 2010 at 2:53 pm
BTE’s production of Hamlet was a truly delightful experience. The actors and actresses performed with magnificent vigor, enhanced by appropriate lights and sound, and were supported by the ambiance of a brilliantly modern set. I found the entire play to be wonderfully entertaining, and would go as far as to say, that Shakespeare himself would be proud. I overall have a positive response to the production, but, for the purposes of this activity, chose to explore the character of Ophelia, and her portrayal in the play.
When reading excerpts from Hamlet in class, I interpreted Ophelia to be a less substantial individual then as depicted by Cassandra Pisieczko, in the play. Ophelia and her brother Laertes share a kind moment when he warns her of the perils of love, and she encounters a love-lecture déjà vu when her father does the same shortly after. In both of these situations, Ophelia obliges to what they say, and promises to obey. Although she shows Laertes some resistance, it’s not of notable cause, but, simply a whine to have him follow his own advice. She is used by Polonius and Claudius to gauge into Hamlet’s thoughts, and is forced to speak to him, as they spy nearby. Later in the play, Shakespeare allows Ophelia to lose herself, essentially labeling her as a crazy, and she suspiciously drowns. I always thought that Ophelia was someone who did not have a strong will, or sensible knowledge of the events surrounding her. I envisioned Ophelia to be much more oblivious to her ill fate, and misuse, and actually ok with it as she had not ideas of her own. The only time in the entire play, where she actually shows substantial resistance is when Laertes offers her advice.
Cassandra’s interpretation of Ophelia allows her to be a strong woman. In BTE’s production, Ophelia does not wish to forget Hamlet’s love, and loves him dearly. She is resolute in her love for Hamlet, through thin and thick. Through facial expressions and body language, one may note that in the play, Ophelia realizes that the spying upon Hamlet is morally wrong, she also shows notable resistance to Laertes and Polonius when they confront her about her whimsical relationship with Hamlet.
I feel as though throughout the play, Ophelia should be depicted as an individual who is wrongfully guided, and used for selfish ends. Throughout the play, Ophelia offers nothing to the plot, but, rather is a means for the ends of men. In my opinion, a strong willed Ophelia was a misinterpretation of what Shakespeare intended for the character. I however very much appreciated Cassandra’s interpretation of Ophelia as Ophelia goes crazy at the end of the play. Cassandra beautifully depicts the emotional unrest and desolate state of mind Ophelia is in, shortly after losing Hamlet’s love, and her father.
Overall, I feel as though the Cassandra’s acting, though magnificent, left much to be desired if the audience envisioned Ophelia to be of a flimsy stature. Like a delicate rose with no thorns, in the play, Ophelia was intended for pleasant adornment, and no more, with minimal resistance. I did enjoy Cassandra’s acting though, and look forward to my next BTE field trip.
March 15, 2010 at 3:02 pm
I thought certain parts of the play were very well done. The part where Laertes came back to avenge his father’s murderer was very creative. It sort of woke me up and got me excited to know what happens next. I thought some of the parts were a bit out there and I wasn’t a fan of the Shakespearean language. I think that if you modernize the clothing, you should modernize the language. I thought that Ophelia was a very good character. When she becomes insane she plays the part quite well. Her dramatic change in clothing accents her insanity very well. Overall, I enjoyed the experience of the BTE, but didn’t enjoy the play itself very much. Thank you though
March 15, 2010 at 3:03 pm
I enjoyed the comedian value of when Hamlet went insane. I never really thought of Hamlet as having any comedy in it which i liked because not only did it spice it up a little bit but it also kept the play moving. The clothing was sort of off an on for me. I think if you were going for the modern look you could of committed more to it i felt some of the actors looked modern while others looked more old time.
March 15, 2010 at 3:06 pm
I really enjoyed going to see HAMLET with the school and I thought the interpretations of the characters were done very well. My only problem with the play was the costuming. I did not understand the modernization of the clothing, particularly because not all the clothing seemed to be from the same time period. One part in the play where the clothing specifically bothered me was at the beginning when the king is making a speech and gives Laertes permission to go to France. I could not distinguish the reasoning in why everyone except Hamlet was dressed up. The king and Laertes were in suits while the queen and the rest of the women were in fancy dresses, but Hamlet was in jeans and a beat up leather jacket. To me it just seemed out of place and odd. Thank you for putting on this production for us, it is very much appreciated.
March 15, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Overall, I thought that the play was very enjoyable. It followed the plot, was acted out very well, and was entertaining. But, one thing that really bothered me throughout the play was the costuming.
Before attending, we were told that the play was to be acted out in modern clothing. While Hamlet may have been more modernly dressed, all the girls looked like they were from the 40s. I don’t know many girls who wear dresses all the time so I was really disappointed to see that none of the girls wore pants. I think if it’s going to be made modern, all the characters should dress that way, not just Hamlet.
March 15, 2010 at 3:08 pm
I enjoyed the play a lot and felt the madness of Hamlet though the character. He was all over the place with a frantic voice and always pulling his hair and doing crazy things. This really showed Hamlet and how he was truly going insane. The only thing that was confusing to me was the costumes. I didn’t like the modern costumes at all, it ruined the whole William Shakespeare idea of Hamlet, but it did go along with the set. The costumes didn’t match with the speaking because it was all in Elizabethan language an the clothes were modern. It wasn’t a great match and it was very confusing. If you were going to go with modern, everything should have been modern including the language.
March 15, 2010 at 3:08 pm
I really enjoyed the Hamlet play. The actors were awesome. I think that they played their parts very well. Although, I did not really like the modern clothing. I did not like how there were some outfits that were more modern than others. I think that because the language was not modernized the clothing shouldn’t have been either. On the other hand I liked how Hamlet was kind of humorous at parts. One thing that i vividly remember was when he was acting as if he was a chicken. The humor helps to hold the audiences attention. Overall the play was very well done.
March 15, 2010 at 3:09 pm
I was very impressed with the play. I think it was very well done. There were many aspects of the play that were enjoyable but one thing i really thought was superb was the setting. I thought the setting was a key part of the play and made it much more interesting. The use of the sliding doors was creative. The use of the door in the back of the stage was impressive too. The scene i enjoyed the most was the grave scene. I thought that was very well done with the collapsible floor. Overall i enjoyed the experience and am looking forward to the next BTE production.
March 15, 2010 at 3:09 pm
I believe the production of HAMLET was very interesting. It was an awesome performance by the BTE cast. The only thing I struggled with was imagining the characters with the modernized wardrobe. I had a hard time picturing Hamlet as someone today and I was a bit confused to see Hamlet in a biker’s jacket in the opening scene. I would have imagined him as more of a preppy dressed young man due to him being a prince. That’s just my opinion though and that’s another reason the play was entertaining because I got to see how BTE pictured Hamlet in modernized form. Besides the wardrobes which caused me confusion, the play was phenomenal and I enjoyed it as a spectator!
March 15, 2010 at 3:10 pm
The whole play to me in general was very well planned out and performed. When Hamlets father’s ghost appears it bothered me that I could see the ghosts face under the hood. I believe it would be better to cover the ghosts face to give off more of a transparent and less human look. It is hard to go along with the character being a ghost when I can see the characters mouth moving and his skin is the same color as a living human. I also don’t think the leather jacket works for Hamlets personality. After Hamlet is told about his fathers assassination he is a very vulnerable emotional character. To me the leather jacket is more of a hard core biker look. He would match his characters emotion better in like a long sleeved polo or something. I also very much liked how when Hamlet was having his extremely emotional periods his wardrobe became less and less neat. I liked how he had one sleeve up and one sleeve down. The comical relief also helped to keep the play from getting to dark and depressing.
March 15, 2010 at 3:11 pm
After attending the Hamlet production, I was surprised to see modern dress attire. However, I liked it and think that it worked well. On the other hand, I think that Hamlet himself was a little over the top. I understand that his emotions are rather unstable due to all that has happened in his life, but seeing him laugh hysterically and play pranks did not seem fitting. Other than that, I was happy with how all the other characters were portrayed. Although I appreciate Shakespeare, I usually don’t enjoy his works. However, this production of Hamlet was very good.
March 15, 2010 at 3:11 pm
Overall I thought the production of HAMLET was very good, and the actors were well cast. However, I thought the costume choices were a little confusing, and this took away from the overall feel of the time period of Hamlet. The costumes didn’t all seem to be connected, and this made it hard to understand parts of the play. At some points part of the cast was in formal clothing and another part of the cast was dressed more casual. I think it would’ve helped in the understanding of the play if the costumes were all coordinated together. I also think that since the clothing was modernized, the language also should have been modernized. This would connect the language and the clothing helping the audience to further understand the plot. I enjoyed how the set was constructed. I thought the wooden panels helped in separating the stage into different sections. This helped me to understand certain parts and scenes of the play.
March 15, 2010 at 3:13 pm
I found the production to be interesting it appeared as if the all the characters were very well built and dynamic, although mine own ideas of some of the characters differs from how they were portrayed I was still able to appreciate the interpretation. One thing about the production however that did bother me was the costuming it appeared to me very jumbled and almost unorganized. In my opinion it was incoherent and didn’t fall into one specific period in time.
March 15, 2010 at 3:14 pm
I thought that the play overall was an overall success. Everyone in the play, in my opinion, was cast very well and was able to capture in inner emotion of their character even if not portrayed in the traditional way. I thought specifically that the portrayal of Hamlet was a little different than I expected, but I still thought it was an amazing way to present the character. Hamlet was able to convince everyone that he was insane, even in a slightly comical way, yet in some scenes be able to retain a bit of seriousness in correspondence with the task at hand, showing his cunning. But one also wonders when the lines of pretend and actual insanity cross. The overall portrayal of Hamlets emotional and mental state, I thought was incredibly insightful into the character Hamlet himself. The rest of the cast also did a great job with their insight on their characters. I liked the portrayal of Ophelia having a bit of her own will and is rebellious towards those around her as well as free thinking. I liked the way Claudius was portrayed as the villain he is, yet still shows some remorse for what he’s done and is not completely heartless. Gertrude was able to depict her confusion in the circumstances and her torn nature between her son and her new husband, showing genuine care for both. Leartes was truly the hot tempered yet honorable man that he is supposed to be and depicted in all scenes as overall a person who cares about his family. Polonius was accurately shrewd and slightly cunning. Horatio was supportive and friendly towards Hamlet throughout. Also as an additional comment, the gravedigger was hilarious and witty. All of the cast did an amazing job and I thought it was a great interpretation of the play.
March 15, 2010 at 3:17 pm
The rendition of Shakespeare’s HAMLET by BTE was, overall, well done. I left the theater impressed with both the actors’ emotion and line delivery. The only complaint I would like to express is the choice to don modern clothing. At times, the costume selection detracted from the fêted story a great deal. So much so, that at times, I found myself wondering why a specific choice was made instead of reveling in the profound words of Shakespeare. I honestly believe traditional garb would more fully immerse the audience in the production, adding to the realism desired in a theater setting.
March 15, 2010 at 6:02 pm
I agree that the overall production of the play was very well done. I also agree that at times I felt myself confused and distracted by the choice of clothing they chose. There were different clothes from all different periods in time as it seemed. The most distracting outfit I found to be was Hamlet’s. I was confused by the choice of the leather jacket and jeans, when everyone else had sort of an older choice of clothing. But the more I thought about it, there more the choice of outfit seemed perfect. The leather jacket and jeans showed Hamlet’s rebellion and the time period between medieval and changing into the 40′s era. I feel the overall production was very well preformed and very entertaining, BTE did a great job!
March 15, 2010 at 4:59 pm
The play of Hamlet didn’t really keep my interest that much. I thought there was too much talking and not enough action. I didn’t like that there was so much talking and how at times it was so hard to follow. But the end was pretty good. I really liked it a lot because the sword fighting was cool. I also liked when actors got hit with the swords. Somehow there was blood on their clothes, which I thought was really cool.
March 15, 2010 at 5:05 pm
I thought that Hamlet was good, but it was too long for me. I really liked how all the actors had a lot of energy, especially Hamlet. He had the most energy out of all of the actors. The actors made the play look realistic especially the sword fighting and when Gertrude got poisoned. It made me feel like I wasn’t watching a play. But I didn’t like the costumes because I didn’t know what time period they were in, and it confused me. Also, I didn’t like the way they talked; it was too hard too follow and understand. Overall I liked the play.
March 15, 2010 at 5:13 pm
I thought the play was all right. Sometimes it seemed like it dragged on forever and was really hard to understand. Plus the costumes were HORRIBLE. Tell me what prince wears a rugged leather jacket and worn jeans. Although the acting was pretty good and the actors did memorize all those lines. Don’t get me wrong I like going to the BTE plays, but Hamlet was not as good as The Miracle Worker.
March 15, 2010 at 5:18 pm
I think that the play Hamlet was a pretty good play but some parts were a disappointment to me. Most of the actors were really good actors I must admit, but the play itself was bad. It was really difficult to follow along with what was going on because it seems as if they used old English throughout the entire play. Most of the play was hard to understand but the main parts of the play I could understand to what was going on only because of the way they were acting like when Hamlet’s father died. The costumes were pretty bad at the beginning because I didn’t like how Hamlet dressed with his leather jacket, but other than that the costumes in the play were actually pretty good. I loved how Hamlet acted as if he was crazy because he had ridiculous mood swings, and it was almost as if he was bipolar.
March 15, 2010 at 5:23 pm
I think out of the whole play of Hamlet the ending was the best where there was fighting and stabbing. I think where the stabbing took place it looked almost real. Right when the one guy got cut on his arm, he started bleeding, and it looked like it was real. One thing I didn’t like was I couldn’t really understand what they were saying. I also didn’t like how Ophelia got abused.
March 15, 2010 at 5:27 pm
I thought Hamlet was very well directed. Some of the parts in the play drug on and were a little confusing. The language they spoke was a little hard to understand but other than that it was a very good play. I liked how the gravedigger popped out of the middle of the stage – that was pretty creative and cool.
March 15, 2010 at 5:29 pm
I think that the play was good, but the costumes did not make sense to me. They confused me with how they were talking. The clothing should have looked much older then it was. The play should be shorter. The cast was good with their lines. There was no mess up that I could see.
March 15, 2010 at 5:35 pm
I just thought the play was dragged out too long. Also it was hard to follow the language. I thought that the dress and the time were off. The clothes were new and the language was older. But other than that it was good.
March 15, 2010 at 6:03 pm
I thought the Hamlet production was kinda long. I liked how everything was modernized but I didn’t really like the elizabethan language. It was kinda like that Romeo and Juliet movie where every one talks old times but the setting was in modern day. It was alright but hard to understand. I thought the actors did a great job I just didn’t like the interpretation. If you’re going to modernize something you should make sure that everything changes.
March 15, 2010 at 6:03 pm
When I left the play i was thoroughly impressed by the actor’s skills. Throughout the entire play i did not notice a single mishap or accident or even the forgetting of lines. I do have some critical comments however. I liked the modern clothing, but I think that swords and leather jackets don’t really mix. Perhaps instead of the final sword fight, Hamlet and Laertes could have a shootout or some other more contemporary brawl. Also it would have been more dramatic if we were unable to see the face of Hamlet’s father’s ghost. Other than these few things I think the play went extremely well and it was very entertaining.
March 15, 2010 at 6:07 pm
I think that the production of Hamlet shouldn’t have been in modern times. I think that it should have been in a regular setting. I didn’t like some of the dress that the actors were wearing. I think that Hamlet’s leather jacket and jeans was a little too modern compared to everybody else. Hamlet was supposed to be speaking out, but I think that he went a little too far. I also think that he was over acting. In the production of Hamlet, he was crazy, but he seemed like an excited crazy. I thought that Hamlet should have been more angry, and more confused, instead of crawling on the floor and telling Polonius that he had white hair. Claudius, and Polonius did a wonderful job of portraying their character. Claudius was very sneaky, but up front he seemed to have everyone fooled. He was very believable. On the other hand, I think that Ophelia should have had more passion in her acting. She seemed to just be saying the words. I didn’t feel like she was really getting her character out to the audience. I didn’t believe the actor.
March 15, 2010 at 6:09 pm
I thought the play overall was pretty good. The actors/actresses portrayed the personalities of their characters well. The man who played Hamlet had a lot of emotion and enthusiasm while acting as Hamlet. I as surprised to see that there was some comic relief throughout the play. I though that the play would have a more serious tone cause Hamlet is a very dramatic play. I also was impressed by the changing scenes and the sliding doors, that made a good background. Though i was kind of confused with the selection of costumes. To me they seemed more like modern day outfits.
March 15, 2010 at 6:12 pm
I thought that the play was done very well. I liked how the play was set in more of a modern setting. I also liked the costume choices for many of the characters especially Ophelia and the Grave Digger. One aspect of the play that I thought could have been a little better was the ending. I thought that the ending was down played and was not as big of deal as it should have been. My favorite part of the play was when the back door was opened revealing the street and the car driving by. This was my favorite part because it was so unexpected. Overall I thought that the play was done well and stayed true to the original play Hamlet.
March 15, 2010 at 6:13 pm
I think that the BTE production of Hamlet was very well done, and was successful overall. I liked the how the the back doors open up and we could see outside into the street. I enjoyed the enthusiasm the cast brought to the stage and how the cast really got into their character. However, there was one cast member that i think fell short, Ophelia. In my opinion, Ophelia wasn’t passionate and was not getting into her character as much as the other cast members were, and I just didn’t enjoy her acting. There were some things that confused me in the play. I didn’t like how the customs were modern day and the language wasn’t. One suggestion I have is possibly to make the next production shorter. It was too long and was hard to keep my attention on the play.
March 15, 2010 at 6:14 pm
I believe that BTE’s rendition of Shakespeare’s Hamlet was interesting. The modern clothes paired with the Elizabethan language was a different take on the play. Though this is obviously not how I would have originally envisioned Hamlet, it was interesting to see another interpretation of Shakespeare’s work. I thought the characters interpretation of characters was fascinating as well. I did not picture some of the characters the way they were portrayed. Hamlet was a perfect example; the interpretation I got of Hamlet in the play was different from what I got as i was reading. The reason I enjoyed Hamlet as much as I did was because it offered different views on the play which made it even more interesting.
March 15, 2010 at 6:15 pm
I enjoyed seeing Hamlet, but I differ from most people posting as I thought the modern clothing improved the play for me. I was wary when I first heard that modern clothing was chosen, but it made the play seem more relevant to me today. I was also surprised that I could understand what the actors were saying as well as I could, but I feel the actors’ hand motions and general body movements made it more clear as to what they were saying. I liked that Ophelia seemed crazy before she drowned, but when she sang, I couldn’t really understand anything that she said. I also liked that all the backgrounds were just those four/five wooden planks. They did the job that they had to do (separate scenes in the viewer’s mind), but were simplistic . I expected a more elaborate set- more like a castle, but then again, I also expected costumes from the Middle Ages. Finally, I think a fair amount of the audience’s laughs weren’t from the dialogue, but were from the acting. For that reason, I liked Hamlet’s hand-motions and such because they connected the audience to the play, but for me, I didn’t like how far he went. I realize he was supposed to be crazy and all, but a little less crazy would’ve been preferable for me. Overall, I enjoyed the play and I like the fact that I can say I’ve seen one of Shakespeare’s most famous works in live theater. I enjoy the annual BTE experience and I can’t wait for next year’s show.
March 15, 2010 at 6:15 pm
BTE’s production of Hamlet had wonderful talented actors, who portrayed believable characters. The acting was great, although the modern costumes and set degraded the performance, and made it hard to understand. The modern set was confusing and annoying. The costumes were also distracting and did not contribute to the play. Many high school students with a knowledgeable background of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, were intrigued to experience the set of the late middle ages. Students were also excited to see the actors in clothing similar to attire worn around the 13th century. After the first scene, students realized that BTE’s production was adapted to include sets, costumes, and attitudes from modern day. Some students were disappointed and did not attempt to interpret the adapted play, and listen to the actors’ lines.
March 15, 2010 at 6:18 pm
After seeing Hamlet, I was very impressed with how well it went. Before actually seeing the play, I had very little knowledge of what the story was about. Actually seeing the play being acted out was helpful to my understanding. Some parts of the play confused me, such as when Hamlet would start acting insane. I found it hard to follow at times, most likely because of the Elizabethan English, which made it hard for me to understand why Hamlet was doing some of the things he did. Also, I didn’t think the costumes went well with the play. I thought that the attire was to be modern, but the dresses looked to be from the 1940s. Hamlet’s outfits seemed to be from a different time period than the rest of the cast, also making the play a little more puzzling. Other than those two issues, I thought that the play was very well done, and was enjoyable.
March 15, 2010 at 6:19 pm
I enjoyed the play very much. What I liked in particular was the modern costumes and setting. Queen Gertrude’s outfits were pretty and fitting for the character. I especially liked the blue velvet dress at the end. Ophelia was well casted and was the most moving character in the performance. It definitely caught my attention when she started sing to express her pain at the end of the play. Also, on a happier note, I thought that the gravedigger was funny and lightened the mood.
March 15, 2010 at 6:21 pm
Overall, i really enjoyed the play! One thing i really didn’t like was the costume, because some actors were more modern than others which was really confusing at times. But on the other hand, i really liked Gertrude’s variety of clothing because it was very neat and it kept me interesting. One thing i really liked was Ophelia’s character. When i read Hamlet in class, she was kinda portrayed as being very sensitive and very obeying to her father, but when i watched the play, you can tell by her face expressions and actions she didn’t want to agree with her father or brother about continuing her relationship with Hamlet. So in general it was very interesting and entertaining!!
March 16, 2010 at 3:26 am
I thoroughly enjoyed the portrayals of the characters in the production and thought that the set and costumes did their part to enhance the scene and give it more relevance in today’s world. I felt the modern dress and minimal but effective scenery were perfect for the play because although Hamlet is of course in Elizabethan English, the emotions and dilemmas of the play have not expired with time. We can relate to the anger of Hamlet and the desperation of Ophelia still today and so a modern setting does not seem at all unnatural to me.
I thought that Hamlet was very well played, always standing with one foot in the realm of reason and the other in insanity. The tension of Hamlet’s inner conflict was evident throughout the play and showed through nicely, I thought, in the dramatic scene of Polonius’ murder. I thought that the actor who played Polonius handled the role very well, channeling Polonius’ conniving and underhanded nature. I was very impressed by Ophelia although I failed to see the chemistry between Hamlet and Ophelia. I thought that Ophelia was haunting during the scenes following Polonius’ death. Her overwhelming emotional response to her father’s death made me feel sympathy for Polonius that I hadn’t felt at all before. The scene of Laertes’ return was, in my opinion, very well done. Laertes’ hot temper and affection for his sister contrasted nicely with Hamlet’s intellectualism and more dynamic character.
The verbal and emotional abuse of Ophelia throughout the play really painted the picture of Ophelia as a defenseless and objectified female but the physical throwing of Ophelia on the ground wasn’t in keeping with my own perception of Ophelia’s situation. Hamlet certainly abuses Ophelia by toying with her emotions and Polonius abuses her when he tells her that Hamlet has no feelings for her and that she is a foolish girl and a danger to his own reputation. These two male characters physically throw Ophelia on the ground in their disgust with her but this, in my opinion, felt incongruous with Ophelia’s other side as the gentle woman valued for her beauty. Claudius and Gertrude admit that Ophelia would be a good wife for Hamlet but it seems that they make this statement based solely on the criterion of beauty, which Ophelia does possess. They treat Ophelia as an object and do in fact use her as a sort of bait for Hamlet but they treat her as an object of beauty to be prized, not thrown about on the ground. Similarly Laertes is very protective of his sister but, like Claudius and Gertrude, takes it as a responsibility to protect her, the weak woman that she is, and when Ophelia goes mad after Polonius’ death he tells the other people that she is mad and speaks about her instead of trying to reason with and console her. He does not treat her as he would any other human but rather handles her with great care and protection. For me personally, this stress on the physical helplessness of Ophelia makes it seem that verbal abuse, without physical abuse, would be more in keeping with the characterization. Overall, I thought that the play was extremely well done and look forward to seeing another Project Discovery play next year!
March 16, 2010 at 4:54 pm
I personally found the play to be very enjoyable. In my opinion, BTE’s portrayal of Shakespeare’s Hamlet was both fascinating and excellent. There is a lot that can be praised about the elements in the show. For example, one thing I liked was the show’s unique spin on the story by setting the play in a different time period. I’m not quite sure which time period it was meant to reflect though. My friends and I came the conclusion that it was somewhere between the 1950’s and 1970’s. Whenever it was supposed to take place, the play did a great job in establishing a setting of a more modern culture. The costumes, sets, and other props seemed to represent a specific time fairly well. Even though the play was set in a more recent time, the actors still spoke in Shakespearean language. This feature makes the setting and the dialogue inconsistent with each. Often, out of place dialogue is something I find disagreeable, but the actors in this show spoke the lines so well that such irregularity was not all a concern to me. However, there were few moments where the acting and the culture did not sync so nicely, or at least there were moments that just seemed a bit off in the production. Those few moments I took issue with may just be the result though of my misunderstanding of the culture of Denmark, since foreign culture will of course to seem irregular to someone unfamiliar with that specific culture.
Personally, I haven’t decided on whether or not to view the unique setting as something part of the story or just a visual piece to give the play a distinctive look. Admittedly, the production of Hamlet not being set in its intended time period causes it to lose some of its original charm. However, the charm lost is only a little, and the special enchantment brought to the stage by the BTE cast makes up for any lost charm and then some.
One thing I wasn’t too sure about was the character Hamlet. The acting for the part was well done, but the take on the character gives me a specific concern. I felt that Hamlet’s descend into insanity was done perhaps too quickly and too extremely. I understand that Shakespeare wrote Hamlet as someone who becomes unusual and unreasonable, but the transformation from the typical Hamlet seen in the beginning into the senseless Hamlet later on just didn’t seem natural to me. I felt the change in Hamlet’s character should have transpired more gradually. I would have preferred if some of the earlier lines had a more reasonable attitude in the way they were spoken. Even though Hamlet is a character that bounces back and forth from the manners of sanity and insanity, I think the Hamlet in the play might have been a bit too wild. The portrayal of Hamlet was entertaining, but I would have liked to see slower progression in his character development.
Overall though, great play.
March 18, 2010 at 2:41 pm
Overall I was very pleased with the production of hamlet. I felt that the set was one of the best I have seen for this specific play and enhanced the follow, making it obvious when people were spying and allowing for both a formal setting in some scenes, but still an informal setting in others. The knives on te hips tended to be distracting and overkill, I would have believed better something like switch blades in the pocket, or full out swords. The costuming in modern attire was not prefect in my opinion but I must applaud who ever the costumer is for his or her use of subtle changes in clothing, whether it be Ophelia’s progression from heels, to flats to bare foot, or Gertrude and Claudius matching in the beginning but then beginning to dress differentially as the play continued. Overall the effect of the play was good however I would have preferred to see a more mental hamlet and a less psychical hamlet.
March 19, 2010 at 3:43 pm
After seeing the performance of Hamlet, I thought it was a bit lengthy for a type of audience that included adolescents. I thought it was way to long to sit through and keep interest in. Also I did not like having the Elizabethan Language mixed with the modern clothing
March 19, 2010 at 4:44 pm
Overall I thought BTE put on a pretty good Hamlet. It was a bit lengthy though. It was hard to keep interest in the whole time. I think they should either have had clothing that fit the time period of Hamlet, or modern clothing with modern language. I didn’t like how they mixed modern clothing with the Hamlet time period. I thought that the actors did a good job though. I also liked how they used humor in parts of the play. Overall I think it was a decent play.