Hamlet's Emotions, Actions, and Importance in the Nunnery Scene

Hamlet's Emotions, Actions, and Importance in the Nunnery Scene

"Like sweet bells jangled, out of time and harsh" Hamlet's trust is betrayed by the people who are dearest to his heart (III.i.87). The theme of betrayal takes root before the Shakespeare's tragedy begins, when Hamlet's uncle murders his father and marries his mother. These enormous betrayals, along with other pointed deceptions, justify many of Hamlet's words and actions. A striking example of the deceit Hamlet endures can be seen in act three, scene one of Hamlet: the nunnery scene. When Hamlet steps through the entryway he walks into a web of secrets, deception, and dishonesty. Determined to discover the nature of Hamlet's madness, the king and Polonius have summoned Hamlet to a place where they know he will "run into" Ophelia under their observation; the scene is a set-up. Hamlet is spied on by his stepfather and lied to by his love in this moment of cruel deceit.

In Olivier's 1948 film version of Shakespeare's Hamlet, the nunnery scene allows Hamlet to articulate his frustration without confronting his enemies. Hamlet enters the scene fully aware of its contrived nature, like an actor taking his place on the stage. The ensuing performance is that of a narcissistic child wining just to hear the sound of his own voice; Olivier's Hamlet has no real interaction with any of the other characters in the scene. Olivier's choice to focus on Hamlet and his feelings, rather than the action going on around him, is highlighted in the nunnery scene and evident in the entire play Branagh, on the other hand sees Hamlet as a exciting tale of courtly intrigue and deception. Branagh' s Hamlet's truly affected by the action unfolding Olivier's open and abstract nunnery...

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...with the deceit of those around him. Branagh's attempt to widen the scope of his Hamlet, beyond Olivier's interpretation of the play as a look into the main character's mind, allows him to generate a Nunnery scene far more engaging than Olivier's. Though it offers interesting insight into Hamlet's mind, Olivier's Nunnery Scene offers the audience no plot advancement and little action. By sharp contrast, Branagh's rendering unfolds to reveal exciting twists in the story and riveting conflict among the characters as they actively betray Hamlet's trust.

Works Cited

Carr, Jay. "Full-length ŒHamlet' still swift." The Boston Globe January 1997: C5

Hamlet. Videocassette. Dir. Laurence Olivier.1948.

Hamlet. Videocassette. Dir. Kenneth Branagh. 1996.

Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Cyrus Hoy. Norton Critical Series. 2nd Edition. New York: Norton, 1992.