To Be or Not To be

    In the first version, director Oliver took a very dramatic and intense approach to Hamlet's infamous "To be or Not To Be" speech. The scene started off with Hamlet looking down from a cliff at crashing waves. This contributes to the already gloomy setting because the sky was gray and cloudy. Personally, I enjoyed the choice of setting because it was as if the director wanted to represent what was going on in Hamlet's mind. The violent waves expressed the mixed emotions going on in his mind. When Hamlet began to give the speech, he looked very calm while leaning against a giant rock. He broke his tranquil composure when the speech transitioned into his own thoughts rather than him talking out loud. This showed how his inner thoughts were arguing with the decision of him taking his own life. After this, the scene becomes very chaotic, where the speech stopped for a quick moment and the music got faster and louder. While this was happening, the camera got closer to his face and rose the level of intensity by having the viewer focus on what was about to happen. Hamlet then takes out a dagger, the only prop used in the scene, and points it towards him. This was a wise decision from the director because it represents how Hamlet was really stuck between taking his life or continuing it. This version really focuses on the self conflict that Hamlet is going through by having minimal props and also having no other characters involved.

    The second version was more emotional than the first one. The setting was a lot more dramatic because it took place in a tomb, which really made Hamlet's choices a reality. In this version, being surrounded by the dead definitely helped Hamlet come to a final decision. The quiet and respected setting made Hamlets voice more intense because it was the only thing that a viewer could focus on throughout the darkness. The director wanted this scene to be dramatic and very emotional, he represented this well through the mood and tone. The mood was creepy because it was constantly dark and mysterious. Hamlet spoke with a whisper to add to this mood and to create a stirring tone. While Hamlet was speaking, he knelt against a statue of a dead man which represented what would happen to him if he chose to die. I really liked this version because the director chose an unusual setting that relayed what would happen if Hamlet actually killed himself. 

    In the third version, the scene takes place in a beautifully decorated room. In my opinion, this took away from the intensity of Hamlet's speech. The colors in the background took away from the darkness of what Hamlet was talking about. Hamlet talks to himself through a two way mirror, and did not know that his two friends were on the other side watching and listening to him. I also think that this took away from the speech itself because when I read the original text, I imagined this being a very private and personal conflict that Hamlet was supposed to go through by himself. Like version one, he uses a dagger and points it to his reflection which made one choice a reality. While this was going on, there was calm music in the background playing which took even more away from the intensity of the scene. Overall, the director chose a vibrant setting that did not really match what was really happening in the scene.

    In the modern version, the director chose this scene to take place in a blockbuster, Hamlet walks back and fourth in the action isle. This is very symbolic because it represents his conflict in taking action against himself. In the background, there were tvs that were flickering. I think that this was a representation of Hamlet's confused and twisted thoughts. The director used this method earlier in the ghost scene, when he showed fire on the tv as the ghost walked past it. Also, Hamlet seemed very calm while walking through the isles because towards the end, it shows him at the register buying movies but still thinking of his problems. In my opinion, this version was very distracting and did not really convey the serious issue that Hamlet was going through.