Betrayal In Branagh's Hamlet

Written as an exploration of revenge, madness, and betrayal, Shakespeare’s Hamlet documents a young man’s internal turmoil after the murder of his father, the king, by his devious uncle Claudius. Hamlet is frequently the victim of betrayal by his close acquaintances and family members, which leads him into a dreadful solitude. In Act III Scene I of the play, the multiple betrayals of Hamlet culminate as Claudius both plots to spy on Hamlet and turn his lover Ophelia against him. Hamlet delivers his famous “To be or not to be …” soliloquy in which he proposes the idea of suicide but determines that people are much too cowardly to act on it because of their uncertainty regarding the afterlife. In order to convey the various layers of Hamlet’s

In order to build the continuing themes of betrayal and mistrust, director Kenneth Branagh utilizes various camera angles and verbal and physical elements in his film that demonstrate the internal feelings of the multiple characters. Set in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the castle of Elisnore, Branagh’s 1996 Hamlet is often seen as the most traditional and complete film adaptation of Shakespeare’s famous play and portrays the characters and scenes in a dramatic, colorful, medieval sense. Act III Scene I opens with Claudius discussing with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two of Hamlet’s

As they discuss the possible reasoning for Hamlet’s apparent madness, Claudius sends them to continue their spying and turns to Polonius, his counselor and the father of Ophelia (Branagh 12:56-15:08). The two decided that love is driving Hamlet mad and hatch a plan to prove their theory, delivering the lines ``We may of their encounter frankly judge and gather by him, as he is behaved, If’t be th’ affliction of his love or no that thus he suffers for” (Hamlet 3.1. 37-40). The characters in this scene are tightly huddled together, and appear to be apprehensive and tense. The camera angles, slowly circling the huddle as they discuss, pan to each facial expression as they appear. This choice by the director gives the audience a glimpse into the attitudes of each character, as one can see Ophelia’s reluctance, Claudius’ apprehension, and Polonius’ scheming. The secretive atmosphere of the scene contributes to the betrayal of Hamlet, as now his mother and lover are actively working against him. Hamlet then enters the now empty room and begins his soliloquy, staring himself in the mirror. The director emphasizes the physical elements of this scene in order to portray the uncertainty Hamlet feels as he stares himself in the mirror,