The
lowdown: This television adaptation of the Royal Shakespeare
Company's award winning production of the Bard's
most famous tragedy was
broadcast on BBC2 on 26 December 2009, and featured most of the cast of
the stage version,
including David Tennant
as Hamlet and Patrick Stewart as Claudius. Many of the sets are very minimilist,
with many of
the scenes set on a stage
with black walls and a shiny black floor, which does help to create some
of the atmosphere
of a stage play. The use
of modern clothing and technology such as a camcorder and CCTV provides
an interesting and
provide a stark contrast
to the 17th century language of Shakespeare at his best. Doctor Who fans
will recognise John
Woodvine (The Marshal in
The
Armaggedon Factor) as the Player King.
The
King of Denmark, also named Hamlet, has recently died and his brother Claudius
succeeds him. Claudius marries
Prince
Hamlet's mother, Gertrude. Two sentinels inform the young prince
that during the night they saw the ghost of his
late
father. Hamlet resolves to see the ghost for himself, and sure enough,
the next night he has an encounter with the
ghost
of King Hamlet (also played by Patrick Stewart). The ghost reveals that
he was murdered by Claudius, by pouring
poison
into his ear. Hamlet vows to avenge his father's death.
A group
of travelling actors arrives at the royal family's castle, and Hamlet arranges
for them to put on a performance of
The
Murder of Gonzago. However, he asks the actors to make some changes
to their script, so that the play portrays
the
murder of his father, as described by the ghost of the king. Claudius
leaves after the murder scene, which Hamlet
believes
is proof that he had murdered the king. Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius,
Claudius's chief counsellor, during
having
an argument with his mother. Hamlet had thought it was Claudius eavesdropping
upon them, and hides the body.
Hamlet
is brought before Claudius, who demands to know what he has done with the
body of his old friend, and sends
Hamlet
away to England, where he plans to have the young prince killed. Hamlet
survives and returns to Denmark, and
Claudius
schemes to get rid of him permanently by arranging a fencing match between
the prince and Laertes, the son
of
Polonius. Laertes puts poison on the tip of his sword, but Claudius decides
to put poison in a goblet of wine, just in
case
Hamlet proves to be superior at fencing. Gertrude mistakenly drinks the
poisoned wine and dies, and Hamlet kills
Laertes
with his own sword, but Hamlet too is wounded and dies in the arms of his
best friend, Horatio.
Video
clips: The
ghost 4.2mb
Kill Claudius
3.7mb Hamlet
and Claudius 5.8mb
Video
clips: Yorick
5.9mb To
be or not to be 2.2mb
Hamlet dies
5.3mb |
|
