Thought Piece: Hamlet’s First Soliloquy When comparing Franco Zeffirelli’s Hamlet to Kenneth Branagh's rendition, the preceding setup of Hamlet’s first soliloquy is just as important as the interpreted performance itself. Branagh’s version seems to stay true, but not without added extravagance, to the original, in which Claudius and Gertrude attempt to wean Hamlet off of the sorrowful milk of mourning whilst in the company of many onlooking eyes and the council. This contrasts to Zeffirelli’s, in that his version primarily takes place in what appears to be Hamlet’s study, making the conversation between the King, Queen, and Hamlet much more intimate, which, in my opinion, seemed much more fitting and natural. In the play text, no more than 10 people seem to have been written to appear onstage during Act 1 Scene 2, so Claudius and Gertrude's pleas and words of persuasion would most likely seem less strange in the company of others, considering when these things tend to happen in plays the uninvolved characters just fall away into the background until it is their turn to speak or act; however in the midst of the grandeur setting of Branagh’s interpretation of the scene, it comes across as rather odd to speak about such private matters in front of what seems like at least one hundred or so …show more content…
However, I point this out not to criticize, as much as to ultimately highlight the differing emphases between the two versions as it pertains to who or what Hamlet’s first soliloquy is