Hamlet+2.2+and+video+analysis

6. Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and Hamlet seem to have an honest relationship. The King and Queen told Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to check up on Hamlet and to report any signs of insanity or madness and ordered them not to inform Hamlet of their plan; when Hamlet asks the two why they have suddenly come to visit him, the two childhood friends respond with the truth. They tell him that yes, the King and Queen have sent them to check up on him. Despite the fact that Hamlet does not disclose the information that the ghost has told him, it seems that the three chilhood friends have an open and honest relationship.

2. This scene introduces more characters and also introduces part of Hamlet's plan to avenge his father's death. The new information disclosed in this scene add some suspense to the action of the play and prepares the reader for the approaching climax.

5. I think Hamlet's idea for determining Claudius's guilt is interesting. While it is a unique and interesting approach, it does have some potential to backfire. If Hamlet misreads the facial expressions of Claudius then the results could be potentially dangerous. Also, I find it interesting how Hamlet does not fully trust that the ghost's accusation is correct. I thought that he would most certainly believe the ghost of his dead father but he feels the need to prove this through his own methods.

Video Comparisons

Each of these video clips took entirely different approaches on this soliloquy. The first, the Richard Burton version, was performed more like a theater production with a small stage and minimal props, while both Kenneth Branagh and Ethan Hawke portrayed the scene through a movie. However, in Kenneth Branagh's portrayal of the scene an actor actually delivered the lines of dialogue while in Ethan Hawke's scene the lines of dialogue were delivered via voice over. While I think each clip did a good job portraying the scene in their own, unique methods, my personal favorite was the second one, Kenneth Branagh portrayal. While the voice over worked in its own way I much preferred the dialogue coming from an actor. Also, while I liked the theatrical portrayal of the scene, the actor was far too emotional and boisterous for my taste. Therfore, Kenneth Branagh's version offered the perfect balance: a more subdued actor and the dialogue delivered by an actor rather than a voice over.