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In the two different film versions shown in class of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Prince Hamlets To be or not to be soliloquy is presented very differently and therefore is interpreted differently as well. In the Gibson version, the soliloquy can be construed as a lamentation over the fight that took place between the Prince and Ophelia. During their interaction, Ophelia was portrayed as in control and Hamlet suffered the most. In the Branaugh version, the soliloquy can be interpreted as Hamlets selfish contemplation of suicide. When Hamlet interacts with Ophelia in this version, he is in control and Ophelia suffers the most. The placement of the soliloquy in the plot, and the body language and vocal tones all help create these two very different interpretations.
In the Gibson version, Hamlets fight with Ophelia comes before his soliloquy, while in the Branaugh version it comes after. This fight provides Hamlet a reason to say his soliloquy in the Gibson version, since Ophelia is in control most of the time and Hamlet is the most damaged. This placement gives meaning to the soliloquy's tone of suffering and grief, while in the Branaugh version, Hamlets only reasons for this grief are the death of his father and the remarrying of his mother to Claudius. While these a valid reasons for grief, Hamlet has already expressed his anger and grief in an earlier soliloquy.
Furthermore, these problems are not legitimate reasons to kill ones self. Since this is how the soliloquy was presented in the original play, it seems only to illustrate how self-absorbed, foppish, and melodramatic Hamlet is. In the Gibson version, Hamlet contemplates suicide after Ophelia forsakes his love, returning his love poems and letters with force and a cold demeanor. Besides his mother, Ophelia was the only other person alive to love Hamlet.
To add to his torment, his mothers love was rather underwhelming, since he felt a strong sense of betrayal and anger towards her for remarrying so soon. These combined factors justified Hamlets contemplation of death, giving real meaning to the soliloquy. The body language in the two versions helps to once again create different interpretations of the fight and the soliloquy. In the Branaugh version, Hamlets voice and gestures are loud, angry, and violent. He begins the soliloquy in a normal voice and soon accelerates until he is shouting at the top of his voice. He stalks around the room, waving his arms profusely and overturning furniture.
When Ophelia enters, he still uses the same chaotic gestures and tone of voice. Hamlet is in total control throughout the scene, dominating Ophelia with his physical presence and oppressive voice. He even slams her against the mirrors that wall the room, yelling in her face. This violence illustrates Hamlets overpowering melodramatic nature, which is evident as well in his soliloquy. This amount of violence was uncalled for and unprovoked. Ophelias rejection of Hamlets love was done timidly and with genuine sorrow.
On the other hand, Hamlets body language and voice are controlled, depressed, and quiet for the most part. The only time he raises in voice is at the end of his fight with Ophelia when he loses control and screams get thee to a nunnery! During all of the other interactions between the two, Ophelia emerges as the dominant one. She stands tall and firm, talking directly to Hamlets face without a hint of emotion or understanding. He cowers against a wall, slumped and occasionally sitting.
He appears utterly crushed and overwhelmed by despair. This appearance carries through into his soliloquy, which he gives in a quiet, depressed voice with slouching posture and downcast eyes. Hamlets body language and emotional speaking show how deeply the previous encounter wounded him, giving him reason to want to take his own life. The placement of the fight scene and soliloquy, as well as the body language and vocal tones in each version created two incredibly dissimilar interpretations. In the Gibson version, Hamlet comes off as a despairing youth who lost his only love, seeking death as an answer. In the Branaugh version, Hamlet is seen as a raging beast, driving the woman who no longer loves him away with violence and hatred.
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Research essay sample on Branaugh Version Hamlets Gibson Version Hamlet Soliloquy
