Essay Sample on Portrayal of Human Behavior in Hamlet: To Be or Not To Be

Introduction

Hamlet portrays various aspects of human behavior, which include betrayal, deception, revenge, and corruption (Shakespeare 162). The play is one of William Shakespeare's famous plays which have been translated multiple times into film by a variety of different directors, all of who have depicted the play in very different perspectives. Most importantly, the director's instructions to actors regarding the representation of the character Hamlet in the "to be or not to be" speech is an essential aspect of Hamlet. Kenneth Branagh shows deliberate logic in his Hamlet film in 1996, the famous "to be or not to be" speech (Downing 259). He conveyed Hamlet's actions as logical and non-suicidal. This aspect adds to the general meaning of the film since his swiftness and aggressiveness in his speech reveals Hamlet as a real danger or to portray him as such to Claudius and Polonius. The use of costumes, lighting, casting, and design in the 'to be or not to be' scene helps in making the most compelling portrayal of Hamlet.

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Claudius and Polonius bring out perspectives that shed light on how Hamlet gains entry into a room as they hide behind a double mirror overlooking the room in which Hamlet is entering (Shakespeare 164). The room has adequate light that there was no evidence of darkness to hinder him. He intentionally gazes into each mirror before stopping himself before the mirror that Claudius and Polonius are hidden behind. The choice of this mirror is a sign that Hamlet is aware that they are watching him from outside the room, and this knowledge is the reason he begins to logically and intentionally act out his speech.

Mirrors are a prominent leitmotif throughout this scene as they reappear throughout the room and act as the only reflection of Hamlet available to the audience. When Hamlet begins his stroll around the magnificent, French-styled room, the camera focuses on him directly. However, it is when he begins to deliver his speech that the camera sees him only through the reflection of the mirror. The reflection is the only thing available to be perceived by the audience and not Hamlet's accurate self, and his message loses its true meaning (Shakespeare 164). Hamlet's reflection demands the audience to interpret his speech with the knowledge his real motive is unknown. The loss of this personal emotion shows the logic of Hamlet's portrayed character in this scene.

The logical Hamlet that is perceived during this speech can be established because of his delivery of lines. He talks in a purposeful, rehearsed way for the duration of his speech. Consistently throughout Hamlet's act, his lines are delivered with a calm and even voice. When Hamlet realizes that, "to sleep-perchance to dream-ay, there's the rub," there is no pause that would typically occur to accompany a revelation such as his (Shakespeare 168). He talks in a fixed way that does not give the audience space to question his confidence or reliability. How his breath is slow and even, while his words flow without pause or thought, this aspect shows to the reader that he is acting deliberately and logically for Claudius and Polonius. He aims to push them into a state of fear of him and confusion in regards to his mental state. Their reaction is crucial to his plan as he must have control to convince them he is mad. To convince Claudius and Polonius of his plan, he focuses on his delivery and actions as that is his only form of available communication with them.

As Hamlet continues to speak, he walks slowly and thoughtfully toward the mirror. His sudden and swift action of pulling his knife out illustrates the way that Hamlet had previously thought through his actions, making him a logical Hamlet. He points the knife directly at his reflection in the mirror. However, the mirror does not only represent him but also who he wants to be seen Claudius and Polonius desire. As he points his knife at his mirrored image, he is also pointing the knife at Claudius and Polonius as though it is meant for them to fear his power and his knife. He removes the knife from its point at the mirror then taps it to his forehead to bring focus to his mind as he "puzzles the will" (Shakespeare 178). As he contemplates "[losing] the name of the action," he returns the knife to touch the mirror, portraying how easily he can touch the only barrier between himself and Claudius and Polonius (Shakespeare 180).

Seen in his deliberate actions, calm words, and exact camera angle, the film interprets Hamlet as being logical and acting deliberately for Claudius and Polonius. This characteristic of Hamlet significantly shifts the meaning of his "To Be or Not to Be" speech as it is not his raw emotions and feelings, but merely an act he is delivering for a purpose Hamlet wants Claudius and Polonius to see him as a threat and a reality of contemplating death. This logical Hamlet is not thinking in a suicidal way but is delivering a speech for a specific reason directed at Claudius and Polonius.

Franco Zeffirelli reveals a compelling version of the 'to be or not be' soliloquy through the act of setting it below the family mortuary. Despite the impressive design he uses, Zeffirelli uses lighting as a tool to achieve a compelling portrayal of the play. Hamlet, during his speech, stops and takes pauses frequently as a way to reflect on what he has just said. At first, Hamlet remains relatively calm, but as his speech progresses, and he walks around the mortuary visiting different tombs, including his father's, his anger level elevates (Downing 261). Zeffirelli uses an effective lighting technique that bathes this scene with darkness, but a golden glowing light is cast on the side of Hamlet's face, bringing out the contrast between light and dark, and life and death. The way Hamlet's face is lit from one side and darkened from the other reflects Hamlet's soliloquy of to be or not to be (Bugliani 22). The lighting in this scene changes from darkness to light when Hamlet moves into a ray of light coming from above. The dramatic change in the lighting is at that point of the speech when Hamlet decides against killing himself and that he would rather "be" than "not to be." The ray of light symbolizes that Hamlet has escaped from the evil that had captivated his thoughts on death and that he now sees the light at the end of the tunnel which ultimately has stopped him from the temptation of committing suicide. A new spark of hope is generated in Hamlet that helps him regain control of his mind, which is visually seen by the lighting effects. Hence, the lighting effects add to the dramatic impact of this scene.

Along with Zeffirelli's excellent sense of lighting, he also uses effective casting to enhance the overall depiction of Hamlet. Helena Bonham Carter plays the young Ophelia in the play and does an exceptional job with it. In her madness scene, Ophelia is seen sneaking around the outside of the castle, behaving like a little girl who doesn't want to get caught (Bruster 54). Later, she is shown going up to a guard and while singing, fondling him before being taken inside the castle by another guard. Zeffirelli's choice of casting Helena Bonham Carter helps to show Ophelia's innocence because of Carter's features which give her a kiddish and innocent look. Her small, perfect nose, intense brown eyes, high cheekbones, and her long, brown luscious hair, which perfectly frames her small face, all make her appear younger.

Furthermore, Charter perfectly fits the role of Ophelia not just by her words, but also by her little repetitive actions, and by her looks (Bugliani 19). Her small actions, such as staring with wide eyes and fiddling with her tiny hands, seemed natural because of her young appearance that made her look fragile and innocent. That repetitive action that she does is often associated with little children; thus, her physical appearance corresponded to her actions, making her fit the role perfectly. The blend of innocence and insanity that is seen in the movie makes Carter's portrayal of Ophelia even more believable. She looks like a scared, vulnerable, lost child, and her youngness makes the audience want to sympathize with her even more. Her descent into madness can be seen by words and facial expressions that illustrate all the horrible things that she went through to come to the state that she is in, making her insanity appear to be realistic. Her dramatic shifts from singing and being happy, to a sudden uproar of emotional crying and screaming, show that she is overwhelmed with a flood of emotions that confirm that she is no longer mentally and emotionally stable. Thus, by choosing Helena Bonham Carter to play Ophelia, the emotional impact on the audience is increased, making the movie more compelling.

Besides casting wisely, Zeffirelli did an excellent job in costume selection. In Ophelia's madness scene, Ophelia is brought inside the castle where the King and the Queen along with some citizens of Denmark and guards are seen. The guards are dressed in armor, and the King and the Queen are dressed in embellished, elegant, and polished outfits that scream out royalty (Curran 24). Ophelia, in contrast, is dressed in a dirty, tattered rag, which makes her closely resemble a very lower class citizen. The different types of costumes that each character wore are appropriate for that time period, which enhanced the audience's understanding of the play. The costumes reflected how each character presented themselves along with the choices that each one of them made. The King, for example, was the only character who was seen wearing animal fur on his robe. This outfit befitted his character because it magnified and brought out his barbaric and savage like behavior. Besides, the costumes allowed the audience to see stark differences in each social class. It allowed for a visual comparison between the different lifestyles that Hamlet and Ophelia had, reinforcing the reason why Laertes cautioned Ophelia about her relationship with Hamlet and why Polonius was so obsequious to the King (Curran, 36). The outfits thus explain why each character behaves the way they do, creating a more effective portrayal of the play Hamlet.

Zeffirelli portrayed Hamlet most exceptionally, capturing the essence of the play by his selection of set design, lighting, casting, and costumes in the 'to be or not to be' scene and Ophelia's madness scene. His specific choice of having the setting of the 'to be or not be' scene in the family mortuary made the atmosphere dark and mysterious, hence, adding intensity to Hamlet's soliloquy. The lighting used in that scene also allowed the audience to see the blunt contrast between good and evil, making the scene more dramatic. Additionally, casting Helena Bonham Carter as Ophelia made Ophelia's insanity more believable because of her innocent features, which brought her madness. Moreover, the costumes worn by the characters in the movie were more historically accurate for that time and allowed the audience to see why each character behaved the way they did. All these different components of the film added to create an instrumental interpretation of the famous play, Hamlet.

Works Cited

Bugliani, F. "Mind to Suffer: Hamlet's Soliloquy "To Be or Not to Be." Hamlet Studies. Vol. 17, 1995, pp. 10-42.

Bruster, Douglas. To Be or Not to Be. London: Continuum, 2007. Print.

Curran, John E. Hamlet, Protestantism, and the Mourning of Contingency: Not to Be. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2016. Print.

Downing, O.G. "To Be, or Not to Be in Bad Faith: the Tragedy of Hamlet's Superficial Reading of Sartre's Waiter." Philosophy and Literature, Vol. 38, No. 1, 2014, pp. 254-265.

Shakespeare, William. "Hamlet: A Tragedy in Five Acts." New York Drama, Vol. 2, No. 18, 1876, pp. 161-184.