Three Movies: Hamlet As An Insane Person

Dhruv Kapadia

Hamlet in all three films share the same characteristics. In all three films, Hamlet is portrayed to be as an insane person. For example, in film one, Hamlet is a crazy person because he is on a cliff and looks like he is about to jump down. In this scene, Hamlet is seen to be talking to himself and is debating whether or not he should kill himself because he is extremely depressed. The cliff represents Hamlet’s mental state, as you go up the cliff, you are becoming more insane and in order to reach the bottom (sanity), you must kill yourself. In film two, Hamlet is also insane because he is always switching his emotions. For example, when he is talking to Ophelia, Hamlet started out by talking calmly. When Hamlet heard a noise

in the room, he suddenly got really angry and dragged Ophelia across the room and pushed her face into a mirror. This shows how Hamlet is a crazy person because a sane person would not switch their emotions from being calm to angry in less than a minute. A mentally unstable person would not be able to control their emotions either and this is what Hamlet is also unable to do. In the third film, Hamlet is also crazy because he is having murderous thoughts towards individuals.

For example, when Claudius is praying for forgiveness, Hamlet pulled out his sword and thought that it will be good to kill him at that instance. Hamlet started to think as to how he would kill Claudius and got a flashback of stabbing him in the head. This example shows that he is crazy because he is not able to control is id and wanted revenge right away. A sane person would not fantasize about stabbing another person in the head, especially when they are praying. However, all three films also differ greatly when portraying Hamlet as well. Hamlet is different in his personality when contrasting the three films. In the movie by Laurence Oliver, Hamlet is seen to be more of a dark and depressing person. His clothes are all dark and he is dressed formally which gives the impression of being a quiet person. An example of this is when Hamlet is on top of the cliff. When Hamlet decided not to kill himself, he starts to walk back down the stairs. The stairs are seen to be foggy and dark and this tells the audience of Hamlet’s personality, which is depressing. The effect that this had on Hamlet’s character is that it made him seem to be suicidal. Hamlet did not seem to be very revengeful and made

him look weak. In the film by Franco Zeffirreli, Hamlet’s personality is more aggressive and oppressing. Hamlet is having the dominate role which is displayed in his behavior. To give an example, in the film, Hamlet shows his aggressive nature by kicking Rosencrantz off his chair when they were talking. Hamlet also throws his mother onto the bed which shows both his aggressive and oppressing personality. Finally, in the third film, Hamlet is seen to be more of an emotional individual. Hamlet is more of a caring person and is nicer to some people. For example, when Hamlet is talking to Ophelia, he hugged her and even started to cry. This shows Hamlet being a person who cares about people and who is also sensitive. This is completely different from the other personalities in the previous two films. The effect that this had on the film is that it made Hamlet look like he is powerless. In this version of the movie, Hamlet does not look like he can kill Claudius and avenge his father because of his crying and affectionate behaviors. When Hamlet displayed these behaviors, he seems more sensitive.

The character of Gertrude, in all three versions of the film, have similarities. In all the movie versions watched, Gertrude’s emotions are similar. In the film by Laurence Oliver, Gertrude’s character does not react when the play called “Mousetrap” took place. Gertrude’s character is calm and collected even though Hamlet started to embarrass her. The reason why Gertrude is calm because it allows her to display the impression that what she did is socially acceptable. If she reacted to Hamlet’s comments, the audience watching “The Mousetrap” would have started to think negatively of her. The effect that is produced is that it shows the character Gertrude to be a woman who is strong and confident as the mocking of Hamlet does not make her feel uncomfortable. Conversely, in the second movie, Gertrude is also very calm. For instance, in the bedroom scene, Gertrude is seen to be more of a mother who is calm yet also stern with her son. She firmly tells Hamlet that what he is having done is wrong and is not nervous in telling him. If she is not calm towards Hamlet, Hamlet would have been even more aggressive towards her after he sees that she is nervous and scared around him. The effect of this is that it makes Gertrude seem like a person who is, again, powerful and tough even when her son is aggressive towards her. Lastly, in the third film, Gertrude is also seen as a calm and composed person. The evidence of this is in the beginning of the play.
Contrastingly, in every film that is watched is different as well.

Every version of the film showed Gertrude displaying different feelings for Hamlet in the climactic scene. To begin, in the first film Gertrude’s feeling towards Hamlet is neutral. For example, in the scene, tried to scold Hamlet and be very stern with him. Despite having a kiss, it is Hamlet who started and Gertrude did not really want to do it. The reason why Gertrude is having neutral feelings towards Hamlet is because she is trying to be commanding in front of Hamlet and scold him. The effect of this action shows the audience that Gertrude is a mother who does not have a close relationship with her son. On the other hand, in the second movie by Franco Zeffirelli, Gertrude is having lovey feelings towards Hamlet. To give an example, in the climactic scene, Hamlet’s mother is the one who initiated the action of kissing her son. Gertrude would have kept going if the ghost did not come. When the ghost came, Hamlet stopped showing attention to Gertrude. Gertrude showed these feelings because she also is having an unresolved “Oedipus complex” that is having to be fixed. The difference is that instead of the son having feelings for the mother, the mother is having feelings for the son. The effect of Gertrude showing feelings towards Hamlet is that it makes her seem more of a mother in the movie and makes her a person with more emotions. In the third movie, however, Hamlet’s mother is completely distanced from

her son. The climax point of the scene, Hamlet’s mother is seen to be behind a chair when Hamlet enters the bedroom. The chair acts as a barrier and prevents Hamlet from getting close to her. Another example is when they were on the bed. Despite being really close to each other, nothing happened between them. This implies that Hamlet’s mother does not love Hamlet and does not care for him. The reason why the director had her emotionally distant to Hamlet is because he wanted Gertrude to be more of a tougher mother and wanted her be more commanding. The effect of having this is that it makes the audience see Gertrude as a bad mother. The people watching the movie do not see the connection between mother and which also may show why Hamlet is having gone crazy.
Claudius in every version of Hamlet also is having characteristics that are very similar. In every film analyzed, Claudius is a person who is always having strong emotional feelings. In the Laurence Oliver version of the movie, when Claudius is praying, he starts to cry. Claudius, in this scene, is regretting his decision on killing his brother. Claudius does not seem to be a strong and commanding person in this version of the movie. A king would not start to cry and show “feminine” behaviors. This version of the film does not make Claudius look like a political leader, but rather someone who cannot lead a country. Similarly, in the second version of the movie, Claudius is also filled with emotions. This is seen during the play “The Mousetrap” when “senior Hamlet” is murdered. The king makes himself look suspicious that he committed the murder because he reacted badly to the play. The king made a scene and caused the audience to stare at him. The effect of this version on the king is that it does not make him look like a person who is fit to be a king. Finally, in the last film, Claudius’ behavior is also almost identical to the first two movies. For example, intense feelings are present in the play when Claudius. After the play “The Mousetrap” is over, when Claudius is in his room, he is showing strong feelings of anger. Claudius is very upset after Hamlet shows him the play. In this scene, Claudius is displaying feelings of intense anger and this is visible in his words. When speaking to the other individual in the room, Claudius’ seems to look upset and his words sound frustrated. The effect of having Claudius show intense emotions is that it makes Claudius look like someone who cares about his reputation. Without Claudius’ emotions present, his character would look as though he does not care about what people say about him. When Hamlet was being rude to Claudius in front of an audience, Claudius’ emotions match with what he feels about Hamlet. However, in contrast, all three films also differ in how Claudius is portrayed. In every film, during the play, Claudius reacts differently. Laurence Oliver’s movie on Hamlet has Claudius reacting with his hands on his eyes, saying “Give me some light” and has Claudius yell loudly. The reason why the director has Claudius react like this is because he wants Claudius to be portrayed as being regretful and with a conscience. The effect that this has on the play is that it makes Claudius look like a person who cares about what he has done. Claudius is not portrayed as a person that does not care about his actions, he is illustrated as a person who knows about right and wrong actions. Conversely, in the second version of the film, Claudius is laughing when he sees the murder of the king in the play. Claudius shows a defense mechanism to cope with the memories he has. The director, Franco Zefferelli, decides to have Claudius react this way because he wants Claudius to be more of a weak and “powerless” individual who is controlled by his emotions. This is true because the reason why a person needs to use a defense mechanism is to help them cope with a very intense emotion. Claudius is using laughter to try and distract himself from the crime he committed. The effect that this has on the play is that Claudius is now perceived to be a person who is afraid and cannot handle the decision he makes. In the final film by Kenneth Branagh, Claudius does not have a reaction. In the scene, Claudius says, “Give me some light” but does not sound angry or fearful. Claudius calmly says that he wants some privacy and walks slowly back to his room. The reason why Kenneth Branagh wanted Claudius to be calm during this scene is because he wanted to show the king to be a person who is emotionless yet also have a dominating presence as well. The effect that this has on the character is that it makes the king look like a person who is a leader and is in charge of the kingdom. The king does not look regretful of his actions and has a commanding personality. In the other two versions, the king does not seem like a person who can rule a kingdom but the opposite is true in this version of the film.