HAMLET GOES TO THE MOVIES

Donald F. Ungurait
College of Communication
Florida State University
October 2000

Table of Contents

Dramatic Structure 3 - 20
Willing Suspension of Disbelief 3 - 4
Screenplay = Picture Story 4 - 5
Dramatic Structure and the Motion Picture 5 - 6
The Dramatic Curve 6 - 8
Conflict 8 -
Eight Basic Building Blocks of a Script 9 - 13
Two Other Literary Traditions 13 - 14
Stories in Dramatic Form 14 - 20
Tragedy 14 - 15
Melodrama 15 - 16
Comedy 16 - 19
Tragicomedy 19 - 20
Chronicles (History Plays) 20 -
Adaptation 20
Performance 21 - 25
What is Acting? 21
Character 21 - 22
Techniques of Acting 22 - 23
Three Basic Approaches to Acting 23 - 24
Film Acting vs. Stage Performance 24 - 25
Notes on Hamlet, Prince of Denmark 26 - 44
Productions of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark 45 - 68
Laurence Olivier's Hamlet (1948) 45 - 48
John Gielgud's Hamlet (1964) 49 - 51
Tony Richardson's Hamlet (1969) 52 - 54
The BBC Hamlet (Rodney Bennett) (1980) 55 - 57
Franco Zeffirelli's Hamlet (1990) 58 - 61
Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet (1996) 62 - 65
Michael Almereyda's Hamlet (2000) 66 - 68
Discussion Assignments for Hamlet, Prince of Denmark 69 - 106
Text Assignment for Hamlet, Prince of Denmark 69 - 88
Comparison (Awards) Assignment for Hamlet 89 - 100
Mise en scene / Casting Assignment for Hamlet 101 - 106

DRAMATIC STRUCTURE, ADAPTATION AND SCREENWRITING

I. The films based on Shakespeare's plays are narrative, theatrical, feature-length motion pictures. These movies are essentially part of Shakespeare the storyteller's art but told in cinematic terms:

A. The Willing Suspension of Disbelief

1. Theatre audiences, even today, are

a. Less in need of realism and
b. More accepting of abstraction than are moviegoers.

2. Film audiences are firmly rooted in reality experiences.

a. They understand realism
b. But would prefer naturalism
c. And they are belligerently opposed to anything that offends their "willing suspension of disbelief".

3. Interestingly, the musical dominates the commercial theatre scene.

a. But, until Evita (Alan Parker) starring pop icon Madonna, and edited in a flashy, musical video style, young audiences today laughed at more abstract musicals like West Side Story and were bored with My Fair Lady.
b. These were musical films, which had won numerous Academy Awards in their time.

4. Styles change! And we have failed to train young audiences in the arts.

a. Audiences do not appreciate what they cannot understand.
b. That is a problem that must be faced by the films based on the plays of William Shakespeare.

B. Shakespeare's plays survive because they are being reinvented for today's theatre, movie and television audiences.

1. The poetic power of the spoken word is enhanced by a reinterpretation of the narrative in visual terms.

a. Reading is not believing.
b. Hearing is not believing.
c. Seeing is believing.

2. And now that Shakespeare is alive and well on the movie screen and video stores, the play will remain the thing -- not the same thing -- but the thing nonetheless.

a. In Elizabethan theatre, the text - the spoken word - was the thing.
b. In 20th century film - the images and the sounds - are the thing.
c. The text of the play becomes the blueprint for the interpretation of the play.
d. Reinvention of Shakespeare's plays is a theatrical tradition that is alive and well and living on the silver screen.

C. If William Shakespeare were alive today, I believe that he would be a filmmaker.

1. Movies are the drama of our age. And the motion picture is where a "new man," like Shakespeare, can make his fortune.
2. And he would write in the idiom of film language, which is in as much flux as was Elizabethan English.
3. Shakespeare could now have Hamlet say "Tonight we will see a film (play)."

D. Screenplay = Picture Story

1. The feature film is dependent upon the two literary traditions for most of the stories it tells:

a. The novel
b. The play

2. Therefore, dramatic and fiction writing styles and techniques are tremendous influences on the art of the motion picture.

a. However, in movies stories are told by a series of moving pictures.
b. On the other hand, novels and plays are more dependent on words.

2. The novelist is least constrained and has the greatest structural freedom.
3. The playwright is more constrained because of the limitations of the stage and, traditionally (in commercial theater), has a more formalized structure with which to contend.
4. The screenwriter is somewhere between the novelist and the playwright.

a. When a novel is adapted into a screenplay, it is normally abbreviated in terms of characters, places, action, etc.
b. When one of Shakespeare's plays becomes a film, the tendency is to "open it up" and expand its stage bound qualities.
c. Screenplays are built with intense bits or bytes of visual and aural information that go beyond dialogue and description and stage action.

i. The motion picture is an "intense" communication experience and needs less dialogue, than Shakespeare provides, to successfully tell the story.
ii. Dialogue rends to slow a movie down.

a. What makes Kenneth Branagh's William Shakespeare's Hamlet so very long is that he visually communicates the play and yet retains all of the text.
b. It is a wonderful, exciting, innovative interpretation.
c. It works, but it is overlong for modern movie audiences and it suffered at the box office
.
b. The battle scene at Agincourt in Branagh's Henry V visually expands the report of the battle in the text of the play and negates extensive explanation
c. The "come into dinner" scene in Branagh's Much Ado about Nothing allows Branagh to humanize Benedick and Beatrice in a way that would be more difficult to do on stage
d. The opening party in Loncraine's Richard III is a wonderful exploration of the characters before the opening soliloquy, which is then shot in s series of different locations.

5. Characters are less articulate in Shakespeare's film than Shakespeare's plays.
6. The screenplay based on a Shakespearean play is not word based; the screenplay of necessity must be image and sound based.

II. Dramatic Structure and the Motion Picture

A. A photoplay, a silent film synonym for film script, is more dependent on dramatic theory and convention than on literary theory and convention.
B. More than any other art, the theatrical motion picture is beholden to the artistic principles of drama;

1. The screenwriter is a screen dramatist.
2. In fact, many screenwriting treatises suggest the script be developed in three (3) acts.
3. In all of Shakespeare's romantic comedies:

a. Act One is the introduction to characters, story-theme, action and conflict. BOY MEETS GIRL
b. Act Two complications arise characters, story-theme, action and conflict. BOY LOSES GIRL
c. Act Three is the conclusion to characters, story-theme, action and conflict. BOY GETS GIRL

C. The dramatic curve rises and falls in filmed dramatizations exactly the way it does on the stage. All plays and movies have beginnings, middles, and ends, but not necessarily in that order.

Beginning Middle End

1. Traditionally in plays and movies, the following chart illustrates the way the dramatic elements are developed:

In the beginning In the middle In the end

STORYLINE is established is complicated is concluded

CHARACTERS are introduced are added, deleted, triumph / fail
developed & changed

CONFLICT is identified is intensified, the is resolved
consequences of
failure made evident

ACTION begins gains momentum concludes

2. When the curve is magnified, specific elements become clearer,
and five major dramatic elements are evident:

CLIMAX

DEVELOPMENT RESOLUTION

EXPOSITION DENOUEMENT

a. Exposition is the dramatic process by which information is revealed to an audience about story, events, characters, and action. It prepares the audience to understand the complexities to come.

i. At the very beginning there may be a prologue that in classical theatre was peroration, a lecture or recitation.

a. In classical Greek theatre it was "sung" in unison by a chorus.
b. In Elizabethan theatre, it was a blank verse monologue by an actor. Sometimes by a character named "prologue" or "chorus".
c. In Baz Luhrmann's William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, the opening prologue is first read as news commentary by a TV news anchor and then repeated as voice (read by Pete Postlethwaite-Friar Laurence) over MTV images of the conflict between the Capulets and Montagues.

ii. It serves as an explanation of things to come.

a. In Richard III, Gloucester's opening soliloquy is a form of prologue that gives the audience necessary background information.
b. In Henry V, a character named Chorus provides the audience with information and a plea to use their imagination.

iii. Today's movies and TV series have an prologue before or during the credits that serves the same purpose, which is called a "teaser" or "hook", because it tries to get the audience involved or stay "tuned in".
iv. It explains little but rather serves to hook the audience.

a. In Richard Loncraine's Richard III, a scene is added at the Lancastrian headquarters in which Gloucester kills both Henry VI and Edward Prince of Wales, which are liberal interpretations of events Shakespeare explores in Henry VI, Part 3.
b. In Kenneth Branagh's Much Ado About Nothing, there credits serve as an exhilarating visual interpretation of one line in the play, "Don Pedro approaches." It is an exciting visual hook that involves the audience in the excitement of the characters.

b. Development moves the audience through a series of actions called crises, which tend to accelerate the plot.
c. The climax is the emotional high point of the film. It is the point of no return (in airline terminology) in the drama. It is not -- repeat not -- the final resolution at the end of a play or movie.

i. Unfortunately, some have redefined the climax as the resolution of conflict.
ii. This is incorrect in terms of a traditional definition of conflict.
iii. It is too easy an answer, because it signals the end of drama, rather than the decision that sets the drama on an unalterable course towards the resolution of conflict.

a. The climax in Hamlet is the Prince's failure to kill Claudius, while he is at prayer.
b. The climax in Romeo and Juliet is Romeo's murder of Tybalt after the death of Mercutio.
c. In both cases, the protagonist has no alternative but to go on.

d. The resolution is the (temporary)

i. Removal of conflict
ii. Return of (ab) normalcy
iii. Restoration of consonance
iv. It too is a series of crises that lead to the conclusion of the drama.

e. The denouement ties up the loose ends and clarifies the mysteries of the drama.

i. It is Puck's wonderful monologue at the end of A Midsummer Night's Dream.
ii. It is Epilogue spoken by Prospero at the end of The Tempest.
iii. It is Friar Laurence's confession and the woeful end of the Montague-Capulet feud with Escalus, Prince of Verona's summary couplet

For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo

3. A third magnification of the curve brings rather sharp peaks and valleys into focus.

The climax

Rising action Falling action

Dramatic action

a. Dramatic action rises to and falls from the climax.
b. Drama is derived from the Greek word for action, drau.
c. All drama is based on conflict, which is the absolutely essential element.
d. Conflict involves beliefs, actions, causes, conditions, things, the supernatural, love, etc. Remember there is no drama without conflict.
e. Conflict moves:

i. From normalcy (lack of conflict)
ii. To agitation (appearance of conflict)
iii. Through advancement (intensification of conflict)
iv. To a resolution (elimination of conflict)
v. Which is a return to normalcy (lack of conflict)

D. The screenplay's content changes in:

1. Preproduction (planning and casting)
2. Production (shooting)
3. Postproduction (editing, scoring, etc.)

E. The screenplay is essentially a creative effort using the old journalist "W's" (who, what, when, where, why [motivation] and how.

III. There are eight basic building blocks a screenwriter must initially create.

A. Plot and subplots hinged on plotpoints that swing the story in new directions. It needs a storyline (usually).

1. In effect, this is the storyline.
2. Remember that stories are for the audience.
3. The story must involve the audience.

B. Themes are the ideas and issues and positions about humanity and the human spirit. Audiences must intuitively "believe" in the theme.
C. Characters are the prime symbols in a film.

1. Audiences must care about and become involved with them.
2. Who are these people and what are their situations or conditions. 3. Audiences must like or dislike (love or hate) the characters.

D. Action must involve the audience as participants as it moves through a series of events and breaks down into:

1. Character (Action) changes due to conflict.
2. Dramatic (Action) moves the storyline.
3. Physical (Action) directs the "business" in the film.

E. Time and Place are key in the area of the design elements of a film.

1. Time refers to both:

a. Dramatic time (a life time)
b. Real time (Audiences expect a 2 hour running time)
c. Dramatic time can be expanded, contracted, sped up, slowed down or repeated.
d. All of the production elements must fit the time or at least be consistent with the intent of the theme and storyline.

2. Place is the environment(s) or location(s), from one to many, at one too many times.

a. Settings are critical to a screenplay

i. Sets house and illuminate character.
ii. They are the stories' environments.

b. Ambiance

i. Studio vs. location

a. Chorus in Laurence Olivier's Henry V is on the stage in The Globe.
b. Chorus in Kenneth Branagh's Henry V is on a movie soundstage.
c. Olivier's version retains a kind of theatrical artifice until the one location scene of the battle at Agincourt
d. Branagh's version seeks to create a more gritty naturalistic reality throughout.

ii. Character and meaning

a. Laurence Olivier's Richard III is set in stylized sets on a soundstage.

i. It depends largely on period costumes and stylized performances
ii. It asks the audience to make the leap in belief and depends on the willing suspension of disbelief to accept the reality it creates.

b. Richard Loncraine sets his Richard III in a fascist England of the 1930's.

i. This design argues that the play about
political power struggles is universal and timeless.
ii. It draws on the audience's understanding of the Nazi movement in Germany and uses the some of image style from Triumph of the Will.
iii. In addition, Edward VIII had abdicated the throne of England so that he could he could marry an American, twice divorced Wallis Simpson.
iv. As Duke of Windsor, Edward had apparently flirted with Fascist elements and ideology while living in Franco's Spain, which adds another element to the film's depiction of the monarchy.

iii. In terms of the concept of place, Orson Welles use of mise en scene is critical in the visual feast of his Othello.

a. Location

i. The Turkish bath scene where Iago kills Roderigo was improvised when costumes for the financially strapped production did not arrive.
ii. He borrowed sheets and towels from the hotel and improvised this powerful scene.

b. Type (light and shadow)
c. Placement (full/empty and noisy/quiet)
d. Purpose (who is bathing and why)
e. Relationships (physical placement)
f. Viewpoint

i. How is the place seen?
ii. Are the characters comfortable?
iii. Does the setting add to the psychological power of the scene?

F. Motivation -- the rational; the reasons the actors and the can believe in the material.

1. The director (and other participants) needs to understand why something happens.
2. We must understand the reasons characters do things.
2. Action must be motivated (cause-effect).
3. Goals must be attainable.
4. Character action must be believable.

G. Direction refers to both:

1. The thrust of the plot line.
2. The business of the characters,
3. The rule of thumb is to have only essential set directions appear in the script.
4. The most famous direction in Shakespeare appears in A Winter's Tale to the effect "exit chased by a bear."

a. The assumption among some scholars is that since the Bear Garden was nearby, a trained bear was used to perform that stage direction to thrill the audience or create what Aristotle might call spectacle.
b. The question today is how will that business be played today?

i. Do you have an actor in a bear costume?
ii. Do you project a shadow on the wall?
iii. My favorite was in the English Shakespeare Company production with Michael Pennington as Leontes, who appears before his servant, who bows down as Leontes raise his fist, which has become a bear's paw.

H. Dialogue refers to the lines that are spoken and need to suggest a rhythm or tempo.

1. In Shakespeare's plays the actor is faced with reading poetry largely written in blank verse.
2. Unless trained, the actor is faced with a daunting task.
3. No filmmaker has done a better job of having his actor's speak the verse conversationally than Kenneth Branagh.

a. Perhaps the greatest achievement of this director is to make the poetry accessible to modern audience.
b. He is the singer of the song.
c. The audience understands the meaning easily and accepts the style as their own.

4. Laurence Fishburne's read of the Moor in Oliver Parker's Othello is amazing in light of the fact that the actor had never played Shakespeare before.
5. Forms of dialogue

a. Narration and Commentary that is used to explain events, characters, action, etc. by:

i. Characters in the present time.
ii. Characters in other timeframes (remembering things past)
iii. Non-characters who observe rather than participate

b. A soliloquy is a lengthy speech by a character for the purpose of thinking aloud for the audience and, perhaps, other characters.

i. The opening speech in Richard III
ii. The "Agincourt battle speech" in Henry V.

c. Traditional dialogue -- used to:

i. Provide exposition.
ii. Advance story.
iii. Reveal character "mind sets."
iv. Identify and solve problems.
v. Clarify relationships.
vi. Develop complex themes and ideas.
vii. Express emotion.
viii. Comment on action.

d. Improvisation -- which are speeches developed by the actors during performance. This is one of the things that Shakespeare has Hamlet decry in the famous speech to the players.

6. Dialogue is dramatic conversation written for the ear.

a. Lines should belong to the character.
b. But too much dialogue tends to slow down a film.
c. Shakespeare had to have the players say things a film can show the audience.

7. Dialogue is far sparser in film than on stage or in novels.

a. Remember, Shakespeare's plays are written with numerous long speeches by characters.

i. Modern productions, especially movies, need less talking, because much of what Shakespeare's characters describe can now be visualized on the screen.
ii. The modern tradition in writing dialogue is to have characters two characters interact verbally with one or two sentence lines.

b. All dialogue must be purposeful and reveal " stuff" about the:

i. Characters
ii. Theme / plot
iii. Coming action

V. The narrative, theatrical, feature-length motion picture is essentially a storyteller's art in cinematic terms:

A. Screen-play = Picture-Story
B. The feature film is dependent upon the two literary traditions for most of the stories it tells:

1. The novel is a fictional prose narrative dealing with human experience in which the storyline is unfolded through characters' thoughts, speeches and actions.

a. It is a literary invention of the 17th century. (il Novella,1639)
b. Fiction is a literary work imagined by the human mind told in prose (rather than poetic) narrative and meant to be read.
b. Non-Fiction books are based on fact.

2. The drama is a story told by actors (chorus) in the form of a play and meant to be heard and seen.

a. Shakespeare's plays were meant to be read only by the actors, who then "translate" it to the stage.

i. In fact, the actor's parts were written out separately.
ii. They were not given the entire text, but they only their character's lines and cues.
iii. Today we called those parts - sides
iv. This procedure was followed

a. Because the company tried to protect the complete text from being printed, which would allow other companies to present the play.
b. Because of the cost of have a clerk copy the complete text for every player.

b. Today when theatre and film artists, directors, designers and actors, read plays, they see and hear words, because of how they have been trained.
c. Unless the reader is trained to see and hear a Shakespearean play, it is can be a deadly dull and boring experience, because Elizabethan English is a foreign language.
d. For high school students, reading Shakespeare and other dramatists has done more to destroy the love of theatre than any other act.

i. This does not mean that young folks trying to become educated should not learn to read Shakespeare's plays, but rather it is a plea that we train teacher's to read them aloud.
ii. At some universities, English majors are not longer required to take courses in Shakespeare, so those politically correct courses could be added to the curriculum and find enrollment.

f. Every foreign language needs a translator.

i. The director serves as a translator
ii. The designers serve as translators
iii. The actors serve as the most important translators, because these are only people with the audience has contact.
iv. The texts of most plays are written to be seen and heard not read.
v. Plays are meant to have "interpreters," who open the magic hidden in the words for the audience.

3. And since the narrative, theatrical, feature-length motion picture tells its' stories in dramatic form. We need to determine how that is done.

a. Tragedy, a play based on human suffering.

i. The word comes from the Greek word, tragoidia, which literally translated means "goat-song".
ii. Tragic vision (modern theorists) or tragic action (Aristotle) that leads to a tragic ending (bleak future) dealing with moral question or human passions (emotional stress).
iii. The first tragedies were performed as trilogies and a satyr play in celebration of Dionysus, (Bacchus -- Roman).
iv. The Elizabethans (Christopher Marlowe and Thomas Kyd, in particular, invented the revenge tragedy.

a. Several of Shakespeare's tragedies are revenge tragedies.
b. Shakespeare's first tragedy, Titus Andronicus, is a revenge tragedy.
c. Hamlet is the crowning achievement in this form.

v. Tragedies became dark and skeptical in the Jacobean period.
vi. Various playwrights/philosophers have argued back and forth that tragedy is:

a. Hegel -- the collision of "equally justified ethical causes" (good guys versus good guys or bad guys versus bad guys.
b. Nietzsche -- argued for the "irrationality of fate" was inherently opposed to moralism.
c. As realism and naturalism entered the theatre -- common dramatic characters experienced common tragic problems and social issues were explored on stage.
d. Commoners replaced kings as tragic figures.

i. Willy Loman, a salesman in Death of a Salesman a great tragic figure without being a member of the nobility.
ii. The greatest tragic figure of recent years is the title character in Nixon.
iii. Dick Nixon is "tragically flawed" and he is fated to fail. Even though he was President of the United States - he was a commoner. He was dealing with "his demons." The Kennedys were royalty, not Dick Nixon. Nixon has replaced Oedipus as the protagonist.
iv. The Godfather saga is the best tragic trilogy in film history. It concerns Michael's descent into "hell." He is the "fallen angel." And he is fated never to redeem himself. He is Faust, (Dr. Faustus) and his soul is owned by the devil. That soul can never be redeemed.

b. Melodrama -- the clowns help the hero defeat the villain and tragedy is averted or transcended as in Samuel Becket's Waiting for Godot.

i. It also has a more modern meaning a romantic "tear jerker".

a. Some argue that Romeo and Juliet is a melodrama, rather than a tragedy.
b. Unfortunately, there is a modern misnomer that labels most bad, overwrought, and sensational and poorly executed dramatic films as melodramas.

ii. Films and TV shows that exploit the audience's emotions tend to be on the sensational side and lack plausibility.
iii. In the extreme, it has a stereotyped villain who abducts the stereotypical heroine who must then be rescued by the stereotypical hero. (Eraser)
iv. Many of today's action films are sophisticated versions of melodramas (Die Hard), where heroines, families, cities (Die Hard With a Vengeance), nations, worlds (Independence Day) are rescued by the good guy or guys.
v. In the theatre there were "sensational scenes" now the action movie audiences come for the action scenes and special effects rather than the story.

a. Science Fiction
b. Horror
c. Fantasy
d. Spy Movies
e. Westerns
f. Most War movies

c. Comedy comes from the Greek word for festive "revel-song," which is a painlessly ugly drama according to Aristotle. The audience must at least feel good and smile, even if they don't laugh outright.

i. Comedy writing is based on cruelty and misunderstandings and exaggeration and insult and foibles and deviance.
i. It is to a great extent comedy is always at odds with reality. It deals with oddballs, screwballs in situations that are out of control.
iii. Comedy has few rules, but one to keep in mind is that a gag can be repeated up to three times and the third time needs to put a new "spin" on the gag.
iv. It is an organized misadventure in which most of the elements are disorganized.
v. In comedy it is technique that makes us believe.
vi. Comedy is more abstract than straight drama.

a. The characters are "tilted".
b. The story is "off the wall".
c. The action is frenzied.
d. Behaviors are "unwell" if not down right insane.
e. In comedy makes the ridiculous becomes reasonable.
f. It involves aberrant human behavior.

vii. Comedy is anything you can get away with?
It is easy to be serious; it is harder to be funny than serious.

a. Low (vulgar / vulgate) vs. high comedy (comedy of manners).
b. Clowns (Zanni) versus Fools

viii. Shakespeare's comedies are really romantic comedies, where unrequited love or intrigue is the source conflict.
ix. Comic characters were "typed" the commedia della arte, "comedy of the profession," preserved the classic comic types that populated older comedies, yet today. The audience recognizes the types and loves them all.
xi. Comedy is not inferior to tragedy. In fact, comedy is much more difficult to do than tragedy.
xi. Shakespeare's plays, both tragedies and comedies, utilize different styles of comedy.

a. Slapstick is very physical ("the pratfall" is universal) and visual comedy (Chaplin, Keaton, Laurel & Hardy, Chevy Chase)

i. Sight gags
ii. Sketches
iii. Mistaken identity
iv. Role reversal
v. "Shtick" and characterization of the comic (Woody Allen - the nervous intellectual)
vi. Jokes by comics, who "overplay" and work with a "straightman", who underplay" and feed the comic straight lines (Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis)

b. Burlesque is ridicule through distortion and a like Tom Stoppard's Travesties.
c. Farce is high style, raucous comedy, perhaps not unlike satyr plays, because it mocks serious stuff based on the manipulation of characters in situations

i. TV situation comedies are "low style" farce, "All In The Family" and "Murphy Brown", "Home Improvement").
ii. "High style" is the hardest to do, because it plays implausibility with a straight, cynical face.
iii. The dialogue is insane, but played straight.
iv. It is plot-dependent usually concerning "fragile sexual propriety",
iii. The bedroom farce begins in the bedroom and ends with a wedding leaving the lecherous husband with the wives from whom they were incompetently trying to stray through deception and manipulation.
iv. Farce in the extreme is surreal.

d. Situation comedy is based on the stuff audiences know.

i. The emotional environment
ii. Stock characters
iii. Recognizable situations with a twist

e. Romantic

i. Boy meets girls.
ii. Boy loses girl.
iii. Boy gets girl.

f. Parody is the dramatic ridicule or mocking of recognizable individuals and topical, issues using ironic caricatures.

i. It is today a gentler "send up)" or making fun of the well known, like commercials or pop culture or other movie the "takeoffs" on "The Tonight Show " or Spy Hard or Naked Gun or Airplane.
ii. Puns --the lowest form of parody
iii. Malapropisms -- the misuse of words or mangled and mispronounced words (Archie Bunker and Mrs. Malaprop - Restoration Comedy playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan)
iv. Play on words
v. Fractured languages (I Love Lucy, Sid Caesar)
vi. There are intellectual clowns who deal with controversial topics (John Cleese and the Smothers Brothers).
vii. Juxtaposition Two characters discussing two totally different things in one conversation and understanding / misunderstanding each other. Often used in sex comedies via double entendre, where the audience, but not the characters, are in on the gag. It is more than just "dirty jokes." It is the mixed meaning that makes it fun.

g. Satire A more serious or biting parody (from the Roman word for mixed dish of fruit) is the most cruel, barbed, bitter, pointed humor aimed at a specific target, often a person of note, exposing immoral character flaws and lack of intelligent behavior.

i. It is the most subversive, political form of drama.
ii. It is meant to "pain" the target and has been the most often censored form of drama.
iii. Satire requires knowledge, imagination and thoughtfulness on the part of the audience.
iv. It has been described as insult with an upper class British accent.
v. Monty Python attacks the sacred cows. It pokes fun at "stuffiness" and the "uppity" and generally accepted establishment beliefs.

a. The birth of Christ
b. The nations freed from the bonds of colonialism.
c. Women's Liberation
d. The Life of Brian and other Monty Python outings are not politically correct by any stretch of the imagination.

h. Period "historical settings and characters" (Tom Jones, Young Frankenstein, Some Like It Hot), but written for today's audiences.
i. However, the greatest comedies are timeless in their appeal. Comedy unlike straight or topical drama is less "time bound."

vii. Comedy is abstract, radical and cruelty.

d. Tragic comedy or tragicomedy (Renaissance) or commedia tragica, is essentially a form of drama that mixed the two together, tragic action with a happy ending.

i. Shakespeare's later comedies, The Merchant of Venice and The Tempest are tragicomedies.
ii. There is also a term in use today, the Comedy Drama, which is a drama told comically with deeper meaning, that can have a happy or bittersweet ending.
iii. The Tragic Comedy and Comedy Drama are both very powerful forms of drama, because they are light (happy) and when they turn serious the impact is very potent emotionally.
iv. Black Comedy makes the audience "laugh at tragic action" and then they are faced with a tragic ending, Fargo, where a tragic vision is expressed with comic devices.
v. Literary scholars have chosen to call Shakespeare's last comedies, Romances.

e. What we call history plays were called chronicles and they are certainly less not history but today would be considered propaganda in support of the Tudor overthrow of the House of York.

i. It refers to a very limited number of plays written during the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods of England
ii. Shakespeare's dramas about the English kings and Marlowe's Edward II are examples of the form.
iii. Recent complete editions of Shakespeare's plays are adding Edward III to the Shakespeare's list of history plays based on recent scholarship.
iv. Patton is a modern example of the form.

f. Categories or genres are a simple way to divide up Shakespeare's plays into:

i. Comedies
ii. Tragedies
iii. Histories (chronicles)
iv. More recently, English language scholars have invented a new classification for Shakespeare's later, darker comedies and called them romances. These plays are more accurately tragicomedies.
v. Although we not believe Shakespeare wrote masques, there are sort segments, as in The Tempest that are examples of the form.

C. The screenwriter is the person, who uses the process of adaptation to create a screenplay from a Shakespearean play.

1. The successful screenwriter possesses a keen sense of "visualization", of thinking in pictures.
2. This process has been likened to having a projector inside the head, projecting onto a screen at the front of the brain, and writing down what is being projected there.

3. Screenwriting is a combination of literary, visual, and dramatic art, because each screenplay contains elements of literature, painting, and theater.

PERFORMANCE (ACTING)

I. Less is written systematically about acting than any other part of the creative process. As a result the most obvious element of filmmaking is the least explained yet most evaluated part of the creative process.

A. What is acting?

1. Classically, acting is the ritual celebration of the human spirit.
2. The actor is the major celebrant in direct contact with the audience.
3. Film acting begins with thinking that moves to moving and speaking.
4. Acting is the complex interpretation and expression of character. It is portrayal, playing the part. It is above all else communicating with the audience the ideas of the screenwriter in concert with the director and other creators of the film.

B. The actor is a conscious artist who makes major contributions to theatre and film.

1. The key may not be directing actors, but casting them.
2. Only the actor has the potential to express human behavior on the stage and screen.
3. The actor is the major symbol in film and theatre for audiences.

D. The Actor's Creative Process makes the old look new spontaneously, yet it is crafted out of work and very calculated.

1. Actors work with "signposts" rather than hard and fast rules.
2. It is not technique so much as the singular use of technique that makes for a great performer.

E. The actor is subjective and uses the only tool he/she has, herself, using his/her inner most resources to glorify someone else.
F. The actor is the most important contributor to popular audiences. It is whom they remember:
G. The actor, in effect, is a lens through which the written impressions become visual and aural expressions.

Impression < LENS > Expression

1. The core of performance is reacting but in a controlled, calculated and creative responsive manner.
2. The actor's role is to make the silly responsible and the ridiculous sublime.

IV. Character is the personality of a role projected by the actor through technique by the selection of characteristics, which are emphasized.

A. Characterization generates character through vocal, physical, emotional, and intellectual mannerisms.
B. Characterization or how the actor plays the character is breaths life into character.
C. Three major participants create character -

1. The screenwriter originates character.
2. The director influences character.
3. The actor communicates character.

D. Character Development is a process of analysis, trial and error and that finally leads the audience to the identity of the character.
E. Portrayal can only be contributed by an actor.

1. Most actors' performances do not change radically from film to film.
2. It is the nuances that make the difference, because film holds a magnifying glass up to the actor with minor variations of technique taking great significance.
3. Actors do anger or love or fear rather than being angry, etc.

a. Control is absolutely essential.
b. Actors observe, recall, turn-on, and channel passion - it is technique.
c. The actor transforms the audience rather than herself.

F. Persona is Latin for mask, and in theatre and film personality (character) is the mask the actor wears.

V. Techniques of acting fall into three broad categories: vocal technique, physical technique, and timing.

A. Vocal Technique-Great actors have a distinctive vocal quality or voice print. Dramatic actors needed engaged voices rather than the disengaged, neutered voice of TV news actors (or anchors).
B. Physical technique begins and ends in deportment, which is a character's physical ego. Great actors have presence a kind of dignity under pressure.

1. Screen beauty is part natural and considerable make-up and aging is the cruelest fate of all and to be retarded at all cost.
2. Sex appeal is an essential ingredient. The audience wants to respond emotionally.
3. Movement of the actor is the physical expression of thought or body language.

C. Timing is doing the right thing at the right time, which gets the right reaction from the audience involved.

1. An actor must have co-ordination of body and voice.
2. She must react with other actors.
3. He must interact with technical elements.
4. In film splendid editing is the actor's new timing technique.
5. Characteristics of an actor's timing are:

a. Tempo and pace - comedy is faster
b. The uses of beats (pauses)
c. The cardinal sin is predictability
d. Business before a line is suspenseful
e. Business on a line must add a dimension or be discarded
f. Business after a line is a reaction to the line

VI. There are essentially three basic approaches to acting.

A. The Personality Approach is where the power of the "self" of the actor dominates the performance.

1. The actor's medium also impacts on dependence on personality as the core of a performance.
2. Key descriptors: Individually stylized, popular, theatre, film and television.
3. Actors' personalities are not static, but have a "range" that they can play convincingly.
4. In movies, the star system was built around the personality Actors were typed and to some extent were "trapped" into playing only certain types of roles. They were said to have a limited range.
5. Actors remain recognizable and play types to great advantage.
6. The actor's personality is precious and made wonderful by the nuances and style excellence of characterization.

B. The Internal Approach finds its creative juices in the thoughts, emotions and feelings discovered in a kind of psychoanalysis of the role.

1. To some extent it is a psychophysical performance style.
2. Do the voice and the body express the psychological state of the character?
3. The actor attempts to discover and expose the inner recesses of the character.

a. The discovery process is begun within the "psyche" of the part and then built from within.
b. The actor imagines a creative fantasy as to background personality traits.

4. The approach evolved from the work of a Russian actor-director-teacher Constantine Stanislavski at the Moscow Art Theatre Stanislavski called the process "affective memory". In the United States it was popularized by the Actors' Studio.

a. Founded in 1947 by directors Elia Kazan, Robert Lewis and Cheryl Crawford.
b. Lee Strasberg served as the Artistic Director from 1948 to 1982.

5. In popular jargon it is called "method" acting

a. It tends to be an introspective, creative psychoanalysis
b. External technique of portrayal is "motivated" from within the "personality of the role"
c. It has had tremendous impact on film acting style

C. The External Approach is rooted in technique to create a role.

1. It is planned, specific and well executed.
2. Whereas, the internal approach is emotionally intellectual, the external style is physically intellectual.
3. Character emerges from the way one looks, dresses, walks, gestures, and speaks.
4. It is "business" (physical things the actor does wears and uses) dependent and we build character out of characteristics.
5. It's recent roots are in the English, classically trained school with Lawrence Olivier as its most brilliant example- a master stylist and technician, which some critics maintain is emotionally distanced and technique replaces an emotional bonding with the audience.

D. In reality, most great actors depend on all three approaches at various degrees. No one way is better; they are indeed complimentary.

1. Film acting is representational art - art that masquerades as reality.
2. Actors are the audience's representatives in the drama.

E. Ensemble acting generates organic wholes in scenes and films where a creative action generates complementary creative reactions leading to a kind of artistic unity.

1. When actors work well together the momentum of a scene increases geometrically rather than arithmetically.
2. Everyone takes on an added dimension.
3. The studio system developed "stock companies". Some directors had a cadre of "types" for supporting roles as well leads.

VII. Film Acting vs. Stage Performance
A. Film is representational (more real). The stage is presentational (more abstract)
B. Film audiences are close and "dead", stage audiences are away and "live"
C. The stage actor has a rational order of performance; the film actor's scenes are shot out of order.
D. Stage actors enjoy considerable rehearsal; the film actor has little or none. Most rehearsals on the set are for the technicians rather than the actors.
E. The director's attention is focused on the actor on stage, but diffused in film.
F. Disruptions unthinkable on stage are commonplace on the set.
G. The theatre actor is consistently active; the film actor goes through long periods of inactivity.
H. When a scene is played on stage the other actors are there - in film not necessarily. The screen actor has to hold the emotional moment of the scene and deliver the goods to a blank wall if need be.
I. The screen actor has less help from atmosphere.
J. The film actor creates pieces of a performance; the editor makes the whole piece of cloth.
K. Scenes in film are staged for hardware rather than actors.
L. Scenes can be reshot in film.
M. The stage actor controls the audience's eyes and ears but the technicians do it in film.
N. In film, the actor commits to a character the first day of shooting, but to some extent changes can be made after the show opens in theatre.
O. The stage performance is bigger, reactive to audiences, and more symbolic. Film depends on the inner resources of the actor, the technology and the editing.
P. In essence, film acting is smaller than stage acting but in reality more intense because of the smallness, because it connotes a more realistic presentation of the emotions involved in the characterization. It is amazing how powerful the smallness of screen performances can be. In film acting less is more.
Q. Television, unlike film and video are shot with multiple cameras and shots are "called" as the performance continues more like the stage performance rather than film performance.
R. The least satisfactory productions are stage presentations are not reblocked for the camera and serve simply as a valuable historical record of the staging and the acting.

7. Characters are less articulate in Shakespeare's film than Shakespeare's plays.
8. The screenplay based on a Shakespearean play is not word based; the screenplay of necessity must be image based.

Notes on Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

I. Dates, Sources and Text

A. The Stationer's Register (works approved for publication by the Crown) on July 26, 1602 records "A booke called The Revenge of Hamlett Prince of Denmarke as yt was latelie Acted by the Lord Chamberleyne his servantes."
B. First documentation in marginal note by Gabriel Harvey in his 1598 copy of Speght's Chaucer, but we are unsure of the date when the notation was made.
C. In addition, Frances Meres lists Hamlet among the plays in Palladis Tamia, also published in 1598
D. One must remember that drama texts are reworked over the life of a resident playwright. The play is lengthened, shortened and changed.
E. In Shakespeare's case, there are approved and unapproved versions extant.

1. The First Quarto in 1603 The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare was an unauthorized version. This is a somewhat erratic version with 240 lines not found in other editions. The demand was extremely high for this pirated version oh Shakespeare's version of the story of the "melancholy Dane." This is referenced as a bad quarto."
2. The Second Quarto of 1604 is considered by many literary scholars to be the definitive version of the text of Hamlet.

a. This is referenced as a good quarto and is double the length of the "bad quarto" printed a year earlier.
b. Some scholars feel that it must have been copied from the author's manuscript.

3. The First Folio of 1623 was put together by actors in Shakespeare's company some seven years after the author's death and may contain text added, deleted or changed after Shakespeare was gone from the scene.

a. This is the version scholars believe came from the prompt book in the keeping of the King's Men.
b. This called an "acting version" by literary scholars to denote early modifications of the text of the play and about 200 lines of the Second Quarto are deleted and some new lines added.

4. It must be remembered that across time The Tragedy of Hamlet has been modified to suit the players and the audience of the day, as written, is about four hours long.

a. Today's audience, expects a performance to run about 2.5 hours including an interval.
b. Across time the exception would be a production that includes all of the characters, subplots and text.

F. Earlier versions of the story of Hamlet existed as source material for Shakespeare to use.

1. It is based on a Viking legend and part of the lore of Iceland, Ireland as well as Scandinavia not unlike the Beowulf of Saxon origin.
2. Saxo Grammaticus' Historia Danica version of c. 1200 is the earliest literary source of the story of Amlethus, which was first printed in 1514.
3. Francoise de Belleforrest's Histories Tragiques (5th Volume) (1576) adapted the storyline to meet French romantic taste and embellished the tale of the Danish Prince with elements of feigned mental illness, adultery, revenge of fratricide and a love interest for Hamlet,
4. Thomas Kyd's Ur-Hamlet (c. 1589) is lost to us but he is best remembered for Heronimo is Mad Again or The Spanish Tragedy, which is acknowledged by most scholars as the first revenge tragedy as Shakespeare's Hamlet is regarded as the greatest revenge tragedy. There is also Thomas Marston's Antonio's Revenge, which is the second half of the two part work The History of Antonio and Mellida and considered by some scholars as the best revenge tragedy before Shakespeare's .

a. The Ur-Hamlet was part of The Admiral's Men's repertoire, which was the chief rival acting company of Shakespeare's The Chamberlain's (later King's) Men group of actors.
b. Phillip Henslowe's famous account books record a performance on June 11, 1594.
c. The revenge tragedy is rooted in the plays of the Roman Seneca, who wrote his plays to read or read aloud by a small group rather than performed in public.
d. However, revenge as a major motive in theatre can be traced back to the classical drama of the Greeks, most prominently The Oresteia by Aeschylus.
e. Madness, ghosts and revenge are all critical elements of revenge tragedies.

G. Hamlet was the first of William Shakespeare's four (4) greatest tragedies written between roughly 1600 and 1606.

1. Hamlet 1600 - 1601
2. Othello 1604
3. King Lear 1605 - 1606
4. Macbeth 1606

II. Playing and interpreting Hamlet.

A. In Hamlet Shakespeare appealed to the audience of the day with a bloody story of revenge of a hated crime, fratricide urged upon a dutiful son by the ghost of his father.
B. Ah, but is the ghost an honest ghost, or is it a creation of the devil urging Hamlet to commit an equally great sin?
C. There a major line of thought that argues that the ghost is indeed dishonest and that if Hamlet acts on the ghost's information he becomes the devil's scourge rather than God's rightful revenger.
D. If Hamlet is indeed a Renaissance and Christian nobleman, should he then leave both Claudius and Gertrude to heaven's justice?
E. In effect, his conscience and his ability to reason are restraints on his immediate instinct to kill Claudius. The horns of Hamlet's dilemma are Heaven and Hell.
F. There is a political side to the drama that tends to be discarded in modern productions.

1. Hamlet's father had staved off outside attack, but with the death of the rightful King, Denmark is once again threatened by Norway and the young Fortinbras, whose father was defeated and killed by the elder Hamlet.
2. In addition, why did the dead King's brother, Claudius, rather than Hamlet ascend the throne? It is a play about Hamlet's personal ambition and pride in becoming King, rather than a revenge tragedy it can be played as an "ambition tragedy."
3. To whom is the court loyal? To whom is Gertrude loyal? What political action must hamlet take to gain the throne?
4. Is the internal political problem responsible for The Danes weakness in anticipating and fending off Fortinbras invasion?

G. The 18th century imposed a romantic, sentimental interpretation on the play.

1. Prince Hamlet was purified and became an "impractical dreamer' who thought rather than acted.
2. In mediation (worrying about the truthfulness of the ghost and the consequences of killing Claudius) Hamlet is immobilized and fails to act. Hamlet is too deliberative to be resolute.

H. In the 20th century Freudian psychology took hold and Hamlet was viewed as having an Oedipal complex, an unhealthy, sexually motivated love of his mother

1. This psychosis then accounts for his hesitance to act without thinking twice and kill his uncle without remorse or concerning himself about the consequences of that act.
2. Medically, Hamlet is enveloped in a deep and disabling depression. He refers to it as his "melancholy."

I. What makes Hamlet such a great living work of art is that it remains open to reinterpretation to each succeeding generation and the characters of Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude, Polonius, Ophelia, Laertes and the others remain open to a wide variety of characterizations.

1. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Sigmund Freud and T. S. Eloit attest to Hamlet's greatness and ability to be reinterpreted across time.
2. If one does not know Hamlet and recognize the play's greatness one is not a learned man.
3. And for great actors it is the role of a lifetime, because it is a character to be probed and re-examined based on contemporary knowledge and attitudes.
4. Hamlet is a "problem character' or more accurately a character with a problem and the problem is a mystery open to conjecture.

III. The characters in The Tragicall History of Hamlet Prince of Denmark

A. Hamlet Prince of Denmark is peopled with a marvelous array of characters, perhaps the greatest collection of roles in any play ever written.

1. And they are open to the widest range of interpretations the stage has ever seen.
2. The text has many unanswered questions and the play is so complex that the sketches provided of the parts in the play allow for a wide degree of interpretation.
3. For most scholars Hamlet is the single most remarkable dramatic character in the history of the stage.
4. Hamlet has more lines than any other character in the plays of William Shakespeare and the monologues where the Prince "speaks is mind" are the most beautiful and revealing speeches in dramatic literature.
5. It is the most frightening and coveted role available to a classical actor.
6. Hamlet is complex, full of anger, passion and contradiction, and he lives out the greatest dramatic trauma ever written for the stage.

a. Hamlet is the Crown Prince of Denmark, which means he is next in line to the throne.
b. But why is he not the King of Denmark now? He was next in line before King Hamlet was murdered and Claudius, the King's brother, usurped the throne. Given the political situation, was he too young to rule? Was the murder of his father part of a palace coup with others involved? Was he away at the University of Wittenburg at the time of the death of the King and then shuffled aside by the power structure? iv. Was he considered unfit to rule? Did the line of succession not place the only son ahead of the brother of the King? Was Claudius to rule until a time when Hamlet fit?
c. The hasty, incestuous marriage of Claudius and Gertrude denies the throne to the Crown Prince by validating the uncle, who declares the Prince to be next in line to the throne?

7. The play's momentum comes from Hamlet's inner turmoil and the impact of that turmoil on his relationship with the other characters in the play.

a. What is his relationship to his uncle? Were they not close before Claudius kills the King?
b. What is his relationship to Gertrude? Are the Freudians correct that he has an unhealthy love of his mother?
c. Does he love Ophelia and why he thinks she betrays him?
d. And Polonius, was he a part of the palace coup.
e. Is Horatio his best and only friend?
f. And Laertes, were the two boys friends and companions early on?
g. And what about Rosencrantz and Guildenstern why do they turn away from their old classmate so readily?

8. The key question remains why is Hamlet incapable of taking action?

a. Does Hamlet see evil in himself? Is Hamlet is a good man who does evil?
b. Does he believe the Ghost to be untrue or is he just too weak to do the deed?
c. Or is it as Olivier said in 1948 film that is a story about a man "who could not make up his mind?"
d. Certainly, Hamlet is flawed, as are all tragic heroes according to the Aristotle.
e. Ophelia, Polonius, Laertes, Rosencrantz, Guildenstern, Gertrude and Hamlet all die, because the Prince fails to kill Claudius immediately upon the urging of the ghost.
f. And Denmark falls to Fortinbras, because of the turmoil within the state.

9. Hamlet is not only grieving the death of a father he obviously loved and admired but also he is revolted by his mother's "over-hasty" incestuous marriage to Claudius.

B. Claudius is the play's antagonist, his nemesis of Hamlet if you will.

1. Claudius commits fratricide when he kills his brother, Hamlet's father? He is Cain to his brother's able. His is God's first criminal reborn. His terrible sin is ultimately the undoing of the nation.
2. Claudius then marries Hamlet's mother, Gertrude, too soon after the death of King Hamlet.
3. Claudius usurps the throne of Denmark, pushing Hamlet aside.
4. When Hamlet gets to close to the truth and kills Polonius, whom the Prince mistakes as the King, Claudius sends him to England (the Danelaw) with a letter of execution.
5. Claudius incites Laertes to foully murder Hamlet with a poisoned sword tip and a cup of poisoned wine.
6. But actor's must ask why and what if questions?

i. Why kill King Hamlet?
ii. Was it jealousy or lust for power?
iii. Does Claudius love and lust after Gertrude? Were they lovers before the King is murdered?
iv. In the extreme what if Claudius truly loved his nephew (his godson) or what if Hamlet as a child discovered his uncle and his mother in delicato? And, beyond reason, what if King Hamlet was too old and Claudius is Hamlet's true father and the Ghost is seeking retribution through Hamlet?

7. Is Claudius a strong warrior-king and what effect does fratricide have on his ability to rule?
8. Is Claudius drunkenness a part of his attempt to sublimate the terrible deed that brought him to the throne?
9. If Claudius is played sympathetically, truly in love with Gertrude, fond of Hamlet and attempting to rule wisely and well, then the play becomes more complex and makes some sense of Hamlet's delay in carrying out the command of the Ghost.
10. Is Claudius inherently evil or an inherently good man driven to do the terrible deed by very human passions and then plagued by what was that good man's conscience?

C. Gertrude is an enigma to some extent.

1. The Queen marries the brother-murderer of her husband, which is an unseemly act even if she does not have knowledge of (involvement in) the fratricide.

a. It was against the social strictures of the time to marry a relative and to do so soon after the death of a spouse was unseemly at best.
b. Did she remarry to solidify the kingdom? Does Gertrude passionately love Claudius, because her act delays the accession of her son to the throne?
c. It was a taboo in the Middle Ages for a man to marry his brother's widow, which the English considered akin to incest.
d. More recently, the age of the Queen has become of interest. Was King Hamlet significantly older than his wife was? Gertrude could still be in her 30's and passionately in love with a younger brother of the King Claudius.

2. What is her emotional "connection" to her son? How does she love him? Is she protective? Could the Freudians have clues to the relationship?
3. What are the keys that turn her from love of her husband to love of her son? Does she drink the poison intended for Hamlet intentionally to assuage her sin?

D. The Ghost of Hamlet's Father comes down to us as one of the roles played by Shakespeare.

1. The ghost is a pivotal figure in the play, because it is the Ghost of Hamlet's father that provides the impetus for the revenge tragedy to begin its unalterable course.
2. The critical decision the Ghost forces Hamlet to make is whether it is a true ghost burdened by sins he was unable to confess because of his foul murder by his brother or a false ghost attempting to lead Hamlet to eternal damnation.
3. The ghostly encounter leads in great measure to Hamlet's indecision and the portrayal of the ghost can go a long way in helping the audience understand Hamlet's dilemma.
4. The Elizabethan sensibility regarding ghosts was substantially different than that present day audiences.
5. The role in most productions is played sympathetically as a "good father," spurring his only son on to right the wrong that will allow his spirit to end its wandering and be put to rest.

E. Polonius is one of the truly great supporting roles in the plays of William Shakespeare.

1. What is Polonius role at the Danish court? It is normally assumed to be Lord Chamberlain, the chief political advisor to the King.
2. Was he also the chief advisor to King Hamlet in the previous reign or did Claudius raise him to the position?
3. Did he have foreknowledge of the plot to assassinate the King? Was he a party to the assassination? Does he even know it was an assassination?
4. Was he a contemporary of the elder Hamlet or the younger brother Claudius? Does he suspect the new King of murder?
5. What is his attitude toward Hamlet? Would he support Hamlet's kingship?
6. Is he a dottering old fool or a wily political operative? If a fool, then the character can be compared to Pantalone in the commedia della arte.
7. Does he love Ophelia and Laertes differently?
8. If the character were played as a clown, why would Claudius pick Polonius to be his closest advisor?
9. Polonius can also be played as cynic, currying favor with his new liege lord. He certainly is the court's spymaster.
10. He can be played either a loving parent or uncaring man giving both his children that is the gospel of self-interest.
11. He could also truly care about a son on the rise and disinterested in a daughter that could cause his political embarrassment.
12. To Hamlet he could be either an ingratiating busybody or a cunning adversary. Either way there is a tension between Polonius and the Prince. They do not like each other.

F. Ophelia has one of the great "mad scenes" in dramatic literature as a girl-woman driven mad by the murder of her father by the love of her life, Hamlet.

1. The interpretation of Ophelia has changed dramatically over the last 40 years. Perhaps her interpretation has changed more than any other character in the play, because of our changing attitude toward the roles of young women in our society.
2. The lines as written present one view of a young woman, but those lines can be interpreted in a variety of ways.

a. Today Ophelia is open to a freer interpretation.
b. The role can be played as an obedient and subservient daughter or a less demure, secretively wilder young woman filled with passion and compassion for the Prince.
c. Hamlet's rejection of Ophelia must be carefully played or the audience will turn against the Prince.

4. The key of course is her emotional and physical relationship with the Prince, which is in opposition to the advice of her brother, Laertes, and the strict instructions of her father, Polonius.
5. She is a pawn of the King and her father and this finally leads to her rejection by Hamlet.
6. Does she love Hamlet? Has she made love to the Prince? Why does she become a party to the plot to spy on the Prince? All are questions that must be answered in the playing of the role.
7. How obedient and subservient should Ophelia be played?
8. In his obsessive grief and revulsion, Hamlet rejects all about including Ophelia whom he loves and who loves him.

a. Some Freudians argue that Hamlet's rejection of Ophelia is displaced anger at his mother.
b. The plants she gives others in the mad scene are symbolic of her loss of love and innocence.

9. If there is any character victimized in the play, it is poor Ophelia. But who is that victimizes her? Is it Hamlet? Or is it the "system" the society, the social structure? Modern interpretations can play on this question.
10. Interestingly, there was a Katherine Hamlett, who lived near Stratford upon Avon in Tippington and drowned in 1576 at the age of 15, while drawing water from the river and an inquest was held to determine if it might have been suicide. After two months the ruling came down that she died by accident and deserved a Christian burial.

G. Laertes is the son of Polonius and brother of Ophelia.

1. Laertes is a "made-man" at the Danish court because of the position of his father.
2. He too is a student, but attends the University of Paris rather than going to Wittenburg with Hamlet.
3. The text does not provide any hints at a relationship with the Prince other than to warn his sister against a liaison with Hamlet.
4. Laertes is apparently a member of the court party, perhaps being groomed to replace his father and can be played as a favorite of Claudius.
5. Upon learning of the death of his father, Polonius, Laertes takes on the role of the revenger and he assumes that the cause of his father's death is the King.
6. The King persuades him that Hamlet is at fault and then is doubly moved to revenge his grief by the madness of his sister, Ophelia.
7. He appears to be a dutiful son and brother; it is relationship with Hamlet that is a mystery, since they must be approximately of the same age and have had intimate knowledge of each other.
8. Like the actor playing Hamlet, the playing Laertes must be trained in stage combat to make the final duel work.
9. Whereas, Ophelia is full of love, Laertes passion is unthinking anger and revenge at all cost to the extent that he "fouls" Hamlet when he cannot wound or kill him fairly in the bout.
10. In giving to and asking for forgiveness of Hamlet, Laertes absolves himself of blame shifting to fault solely to King Claudius, thus justifying his immediate murder by Hamlet.

H. Horatio is a commoner, close confidant of Hamlet and fellow student returned home to pay his respects to the dead King. He is Hamlet's one trustworthy, calm and sane friend. He is the play's representative of what a renaissance man should be. He is at peace with himself.

1. Horatio is one character that is loyal and sympathetic to Hamlet throughout the play.
2. He is Hamlet's only true friend and after he witnesses with Marcellus and Bernardo the wanderings of the Ghost, he reports the event to Hamlet rather than Claudius.
3. In addition he has the confidence of the queen and is asked to look after Ophelia after she has gone mad.
4. It is Horatio's arms that Hamlet dies, after the Prince asks his friends to tell his side of the story to the world.
5. This is a difficult role to play and become a cipher in the portrayal of a less skillful actor.
6. Horatio must be more than a "yes man." He must be a sympathetic listener of a Prince that he has known in better days.
7. It is up to the actor to flesh out the character of Bernardo with his read of the lines and his body attitude.

I. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are boyhood friends and fellow students of the Prince at Wittenburg.

1. They are summoned home by the King and Queen presumably to help relieve Hamlet's melancholy.
2. However, they are in the employ of Claudius who has a darker purpose in mind. They are sent for to learn what Hamlet knows.
3. The friendship they once enjoyed with the Prince is soured by their obvious subservience to Claudius.

a. They have become his toadies to gain his favor.
b. They are courtiers that bend with the wind.
c. They are only interested in their own advancement and interpret Hamlet's rejection as a symptom of his madness.

4. They are in reality fair-weather friends, who spy on Hamlet and then report what they know to their patron, Claudius.
5. After the murder of Polonius, they are sent as "guards" to ensure Hamlet reaches England, where is to be dispatched.
6. They can be played in a variety of ways, but often serve as comic foils to the dark Prince. They die in England unaware of what they did to merit death,
7. These two characters are reborn in the last half of the twentieth century in Tom Stoppard's drama Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, where the two do not realize they are dead or how or why it happened.

J. Voltemand and Cornelius are the two ambassadors sent by Claudius to the court of old Norway to gain assurances that Fortinbras will be brought to heal and desist from warring against Denmark. They return to the Danish court to report that their mission has been successful.
K. Bernardo and Marcellus are Danish soldiers (officers, sentries).

1. They have previously witnessed the appearance of the Ghost and call upon Horatio to stand guard with them to verify what they have seen.
2. They are also present when Horatio brings Hamlet to the battlements to witness the apparition.
3. The Ghost of Hamlet's father forces upon them an oath of secrecy to which they adhere.
4. It can be presumed that they are seasoned veterans who served in the wars of King Hamlet and are not easily frightened.

L. Francisco is the soldier on watch who was perhaps the first to see the Ghost of Hamlet's father.

M. Osric is normally played as a comic, foppish member of the court.

1. Osric is sent by Claudius to fetch Hamlet to his death in the bout (duel) with Laertes.
2. He also serves as the referee in the trial of arms between Laertes and Hamlet.
3. It is a wonderful small character, whose abuse by Hamlet and discomfort the audience delights in.

N. Fortinbras is the "Crown Prince" of Norway.

1. Fortinbras is the Norwegian equal of Hamlet; he is the son of the Norwegian leader, King Fortinbras, who was defeated and killed and the forces were not only driven from Danish territory but Norwegian territory was ceded to the elder Hamlet.
2. Fortinbras is like Hamlet bent on revenge for the death of his father. But in Fortinbras' case, he is taking action.
3. The "old Norway" to whom Cornelius and Voltemand are sent to demand that Fortinbras be held in check is like Claudius an uncle to a rebellious prince.
4. He is given permission by Claudius to march through Danish territory to attack the land of the Polacks, which is a pretext to attack the Danes and recover holdings lost by his father.
5. Claudius had sent Voltemand and Cornelius to reign in Fortinbras, but despite assurances to the contrary he attacks at the moment of greatest dissention within the Danish power structure and easily captures Elsinore.
6. Hamlet designates Fortinbras to be his heir to the throne of Denmark as he dies and Fortinbras provides regal funeral rights for Hamlet.
7. Unlike Hamlet, Fortinbras is a man of action rather than a brooding, thinker-philosopher. He is a valorous and admirable man who acts in his and his country's best interests.
8. He is the avenging angel that punishes Denmark for its King's evil deeds. Personal evil in the leadership of a nation ("Something is rotten in the state of Denmark.") causes that nation to suffer the consequences of an individual's deeds.
9. If the personalities of Fortinbras and Hamlet had been reversed, Claudius would have been swiftly dispatched, Gertrude would have been closeted in a convent, Polonius put out to pasture, Ophelia would be Queen, Horatio would have been raised to a peerage and Denmark would have been purified.
10. Ah, but then there would not have been the play we know.

O. First Gravedigger and Second Gravedigger (First Clown and Second Clown} are the commoner wits of the play and play with the wit of Hamlet.

1. The First Clown is in the play strictly for comic relief and both the Other Clown (Other Gravedigger are there to serve as straightmen to react to his witty comments on the law, the church and life itself.
2. The Gravedigger is one of those great small roles that appear briefly in all of Shakespeare's tragedies to lighten the emotional load of the audience.
3. He may be compared to an enigmatic chorus in the drama, especially in his down to earth attitude toward death as a normal part of life.

P. The Players are a traveling (strolling) troupe of jugglers, minstrels, acrobats and actors. The number of players on stage depends upon the availability of bit players/extras. But certainly, a production will need a minimum of three to enact The Murder of Gonzago, which is the play rewritten by Hamlet "to catch the conscience of the King."

1. The First Player normally portrays the Player King in the play within the play. This character also performs the beautiful rhetorical interlude, Pyrrhus and Hecuba.
2. The Second Player enacts the Player Queen.
3. There is also the murderer in the playlet, Lucianus.
4. "The Murder of Gonzago" is first done in mime or dumbshow and then repeated with narration.
5. The players are also used as foils, when Shakespeare, speaking though Hamlet, presents his famous "advice to the players" speech. Some historians suggest that the speech was written as a good-natured, put down of the clown, Will Kempe, who had recently left the Lord Chamberlain's Men and was renowned for his overplaying and ad-libbing. The part would have been written for Robert Armin who replaced Will Kempe.

Q. The Priest (Other Monastics) who conducts the burial service for Ophelia.
R. First Sailor and Second Sailor are the pirates that bring the news of Hamlet's imminent return from England to Denmark.
S. Norwegian Captain and Norwegian Soldiers inform Hamlet, who is on his way to England of the campaign of the Norwegian Army and then conquer the State of Denmark.
T. Members of the Court, Ladies in Waiting, Soldiers and Servants

IV. The Mise en Scene - The Look of the Production

A. In theatre, a unit set of various levels can be made to work with changes of set pieces and props.

1. This speeds up the action of the play.
2. On a better-equipped stage with a larger production budget sets can be changed quickly using modern stage machinery.

B. In television, it tends to be too abstract for most audience members to accept. (It is less involving).
C. In film, we need more elaboration of individual sets and incidents within scenes.
D. Lighting must provide an emotional tone in addition to indicting the time of day or place of action.
E. If a unit set is used it is the costumes and props that will indicate time and place.

V. The location is the castle at Elsinore, the seat of government of the court of the King of Denmark.

A. Act I

1. Act I Scene 1 -- The Battlements (The Platform) This is the third appearance of the Ghost.

a. Francisco
b. Marcellus
c. Bernardo
d. Horatio
e. The Ghost of Hamlet's father.

2. Act I Scene 2 -- The Throne Room or "room of state"

a. Claudius
b. Gertrude
c. Polonius
d. Laertes
e. Ophelia
f. Voltemand
g. Cornelius
h. Hamlet
i. Horatio
j. Marcellus
k. Bernardo
l. Members of the Court, Armed Retainers and Servants

3. Act I Scene 3 -- Polonius' Apartment (The Lord Chamberlain's Apartment)

a. Laertes
b. Ophelia
c. Polonius
d. Perhaps Servants or Ladies in Waiting

4. Act I Scene 4 -- The Battlements (Same as Act I Scene 1)

a. Horatio
b. Marcellus
c. Hamlet
d. The Ghost
e. Perhaps Bernardo

5. Act I Scene 5 -- Another Section of the Battlements

a. Horatio
b. Marcellus
c. Hamlet
d. The Ghost
e. Perhaps Bernardo

B. Act II

1. Act II Scene 1 -- Polonius' Apartment (Same as I, 3)

a. Polonius
b. Reynaldo
c. Ophelia

2. Act II Scene 2 -- The Royal Apartment or the Throne Room

a. Claudius
b. Gertrude
c. Rosencrantz
d. Guildenstern
e. Polonius
f. Cornelius
g. Voltemand
h. Hamlet
i. The Players

C. Act III -- The Throne Room

1. Act III Scene 1 -- The Royal Apartment

a. Claudius
b. Gertrude
c. Rosencrantz
d. Guildenstern
e. Polonius
f. Ophelia
g. Hamlet

2. Act III Scene 2 -- The Throne Room

Act III Scene 2A -- The Player's Dressing Room
a. Hamlet
b. Fist Player
c. Second Player
d. Other Players

Act III Scene 2B -- The Throne Room
a. Hamlet
b. Horatio
c. Polonius
d. Rosencrantz
e. Guildenstern
f. Claudius
g. Gertrude
h. Ophelia
i. Members of the Court
j. The Players in the Playlet
The "Dumb Show"
The Scene with Dialogue

Act III Scene 2C -- The Throne Room (A Vestibule)
a. Hamlet
b. Horatio
c. Rosencrantz
d. Guildenstern
e. Polonius

3. Act III Scene 3 -- The King's Apartment (The King's Chapel)

a. Claudius
b. Rosencrantz
c. Guildenstern
d. Polonius
e. Hamlet

4. Act III Scene 4 -- The Royal Bedchamber

a. Gertrude
b. Polonius
d. Hamlet

D. Act IV

1. Act IV Scene 1 -- The King's Apartment

a. Claudius
b. Gertrude
c. Rosencrantz
e. Guildenstern

2. Act IV Scene 2

a. Hamlet
b. Rosencrantz
c. Guildenstern

3. Act IV Scene 3

a. King
b. Rosencrantz
c. Guildenstern
d. Soldiers (Members of the Court)
e. Hamlet

4. Act IV Scene 4 -- Outside Elsinore

a. Fortinbras
b. Norwegian Captain
c. Officers
d. Hamlet
e. Rosencrantz
f. Guildenstern

5. Act IV Scene 5 -- The Throne Room (The Great Hall)

a. Gertrude
b. Horatio
c. Members of the Court
d. Ophelia
e. Claudius
f. Messenger
g. Laertes
h. The Mob

6. Act IV Scene 6-- A Hallway

a. Horatio
b. Members of the Court
c. First Sailor
d. Second Sailor

7. Act IV Scene 7 - The King's Apartment

a. Claudius
b. Laertes
c. Messenger
f. Gertrude

E. Act V

1. Act V Scene 1 -- The Graveyard

a. First Gravedigger (First Clown)
b. Second Gravedigger (Second Clown)
c. Hamlet
d. Horatio
e. Claudius
f. Gertrude
g. Laertes
h. Ophelia (on Bier)
i. Priest
j. Other Monastics
j. Members of the Court as Mourners

2. Act V Scene 2 -- Hamlet's Apartment (The Throne Room)

(Act V Scene 2A -- Hamlet's Apartment)

a. Hamlet
b. Horatio
c. Osric
d. A Member of the Court

(Act V Scene 2B -- The Great Room - Throne Room)

a. Hamlet
b. Horatio
c. Laertes
d. Osric
e. Claudius
f. Laertes
g. Members of the Court
h. Fortinbras
i. Norwegian Soldiers

Hamlet (1948)
Two Cities Films Ltd. / Pilgrim Pictures / Universal International
UK: DRAMA/Shakespeare Tragedy, 147 Minutes, Not Rated, B & W, Aspect Ratio 1.37:1

Credits:
Director Laurence Olivier
Screenwriter Alan Dent
Based on the play by William Shakespeare
Producer Laurence Olivier
Associate Producer Reginald Beck
Assistant Producer Anthony Bushell
Cinematographer Desmond Dickinson
Editor Helga Cranston
Composer William Walton
Music Director John Hollingsworth and Muir Mathieson
Production Designer Roger Furse
Art Director Carmen Dillon
Set Designer Roger Ramsdell
Costume Designer Roger Furse
Special Effects Paul Sheriff, Henry Harris and Jack Whitehead
Costumes Elizabeth Hennings
Makeup Tony Sforzini

Cast:
Laurence Olivier Hamlet
Eileen Herlie Queen Gertrude
Basil Sydney King Claudius
Jean Simmons Ophelia
Norman Wooland Horatio
Felix Aylmer Polonius
Terence Morgan Laertes
Peter Cushing Osric
Stanley Holloway Gravedigger
John Laurie Francisco
Esmond Knight Bernardo
Anthony Quayle Marcellus
Niall MacGinnis Sea Captain
Harcourt Williams Player
Russell Thorndike Priest
Harcourt Williams First Player
Patrick Troughton Player King
Tony Tarver Player Queen
John Gielgud Voice of (Ghost)
Anthony Bushell Attendant
Christopher Lee Attendant

Olivier Hamlet Awards and Recognition:
Olivier Hamlet Academy Awards:
1949 Best Picture Laurence Olivier - Producer
1949 Best Art Direction/Set Decoration (B&W): Roger K. Furse - Art Dir Carmen Dillon - Set Dec
1949 Best Costume Design - Black & White Roger K. Furse
1949 Best Actor Laurence Olivier
Olivier Hamlet Academy Award Nominations:
1949 Nomination for Best Director Lord Laurence Olivier
1949 Nomination for Best Original Score Sir William Walton
1949 Nomination for Best Supporting Actress Jean Simmons
Olivier Hamlet British Academy Awards:
1949 Best Film from any Source
Olivier Hamlet British Academy Award Nominations:
1949 Nomination for Best British Film
Olivier Hamlet Golden Globe Awards:
1949 Best Motion Picture - Foreign
1949 Nomination for Best Actor Laurence Olivier
Olivier Hamlet New York Film Critics Circle Awards:
1948 Best Actor Laurence Olivier
Olivier Hamlet Venice Film Festival Awards:
1948 Golden Lion - Laurence Olivier
1948 Best Actress Jean Simmons
Olivier Hamlet Bodil Festival Awards:
1949 Best European Film Laurence Olivier (Director)

1948 Laurence Olivier Hamlet
Cast:
The Royal Family
Laurence Olivier Hamlet, the Crown Prince of Denmark, who is passed over to become King by his 'Uncle/Father'
Basil Sydney Claudius, the newly crowned King and husband of Hamlet's Mother, therefore 'Uncle/Father' of Hamlet,
Eileen Herlie Gertrude, the Queen and Mother of Hamlet, wife to Claudius
John Gielgud (Voice) Ghost of Hamlet's Father, former King of Denmark and husband of Gertrude, who was murdered by Claudius

The Family of Polonius
Felix Aylmer Polonius, chief minister and adviser to Claudius, Father of Laertes and Ophelia
Jean Simmons Ophelia, Daughter of Polonius, Sister to Laertes and lover of Hamlet
Terence Morgan Laertes, Son of Polonius, Brother to Ophelia and student at the University of Paris
Vernon Dobtcheff Reynaldo, servant of Polonius, sent to spy on Laertes

Members of the Watch
Anthony Quayle Marcellus, member of the watch, who reports seeing the Ghost
of Hamlet's Father to Horatio
Esmond Knight Bernardo, member of the watch, who reports seeing the Ghost
of Hamlet's Father to Horatio
John Laurie Francisco, soldier on watch at the beginning of Act 1

Friends and Fellow Students of Hamlet from Wittenburg
Norman Wooland Horatio, friend of Hamlet and fellow student at the University of Wittenburg
Rosencrantz, acquaintance of Hamlet, in the employ of Claudius and fellow student at the University of Wittenburg
Guildenstern, acquaintance of Hamlet, in the employ of Claudius and fellow student at the University of Wittenburg

Courtiers in or at the Court of King Claudius and Queen Gertrude
Voltemand, ambassador sent to meet with Old Norway
Cornelius, Ambassador sent to meet with Old Norway
Peter Cushing Osric, courtier sent to bring Hamlet to duel with Laertes
Lords, members of the court in various scenes
Gentleman brings news to the Queen of Ophelia's madness
Messenger brings message that Laertes has returned and is leading a rabble to the palace
Ambassador of the King of the English reports that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have been executed

1948 Laurence Olivier Hamlet Cast (Continued):
The Traveling Players
Harcourt Williams First Player, leader of the troupe
Cast for "The Murder of Gonzago"
Prologue
Patrick Troughton Player King
Tony Tarver Player Queen
Third Player (Lucianus)
Player in the mime (King)
Player in the mime (Queen)
Player in the mime (Murderer)
Other Players

The Grave Scene
Stanley Holloway First Gravedigger, perhaps the greatest clown part created by Shakespeare in a tragedy
Second Gravedigger, foil of the First Gravedigger
Russell Thorndike Priest, who officiates at the burial of Ophelia

The Pirates
Niall MacGinnis Captain (Norwegian Captain/First Sailor) Sea Captain
Sailor (Second Sailor)

Norwegian Invaders
Fortinbras, young warrior son of the late King of Norway, who had been killed in battle by Hamlet's Father, who serves as a parallel to Hamlet
Captain, (Fortinbras' officer), who tells Hamlet of the approach of the 20,000 troops on the way to attack Poland

of the 20,000 troops on the way to attack Poland

Hamlet (1964)
Electronovision / Warner Bros.
First Simulcast September 23, 1964
USA, Minutes, B & W, Video (Kinescope) Electronovision

Credits:
Director John Gielgud and Bill Colleran (TV)
Recorded Version of a stage production in New York televised in the US
Screenwriter Adaptation John Gielgud
based on the play by William Shakespeare
Producer Alfred W. Crown, John Heyman and William Sargent Jr.
Production Designer Ben Edwards

Cast:
Richard Burton Hamlet
Alfred Drake Claudius
John Gielgud Ghost (voice)
Eileen Herlie. Gertrude
Hume Cronyn Polonius
Linda March Ophelia
John Cullum Laertes
Michael Ebert Francisco/Fortinbras
Barnard Hughes Marcellus/Priest
Frederick Young Bernardo
Robert Milli Horatio
Clement Fowler Rosencrantz
William Redfield Guildenstern
Dillon Evans Reynaldo/Osric
Hugh Alexander Cornelius/Second Gravedigger/English Ambassador
Philip Coolidge Voltemand
George Rose First Gravedigger
George Voskovec Player King
Christopher Culkin Player Queen
Geoff Garland Lucianus
John Hetherington Player Prologue

1964 John Gielgud Hamlet
Cast:
The Royal Family
Richard Burton Hamlet, the Crown Prince of Denmark, who is passed over to become King by his 'Uncle/Father'
Alfred Drake Claudius, the newly crowned King and husband of Hamlet's Mother, therefore 'Uncle/Father' of Hamlet,
Eileen Herlie Gertrude, the Queen and Mother of Hamlet, wife to Claudius
John Gielgud (Voice) Ghost of Hamlet's Father, former King of Denmark and husband of Gertrude, who was murdered by Claudius

Family of Polonius
Hume Cronyn Polonius, chief minister and adviser to Claudius, Father of Laertes and Ophelia
Linda March Ophelia, Daughter of Polonius, Sister to Laertes and lover of Hamlet
John Cullum Laertes, Son of Polonius, Brother to Ophelia and student at the University of Paris
Dillon Evans Reynaldo, servant of Polonius, sent to spy on Laertes

Members of the Watch
Barnard Hughes Marcellus, member of the watch, who reports seeing the Ghost
of Hamlet's Father to Horatio
Frederick Young Bernardo, member of the watch, who reports seeing the Ghost
of Hamlet's Father to Horatio
Michael Ebert Francisco, soldier on watch at the beginning of Act 1

Friends and Fellow Students of Hamlet from Wittenburg
Robert Milli Horatio, friend of Hamlet and fellow student at the University of Wittenburg
Clement Fowler Rosencrantz, acquaintance of Hamlet, in the employ of Claudius and fellow student at the University of Wittenburg
William Redfield Guildenstern, acquaintance of Hamlet, in the employ of

Courtiers in or at the Court of King Claudius and Queen Gertrude
Philip Coolidge Voltemand, ambassador sent to meet with Old Norway
Hugh Alexander Cornelius, Ambassador sent to meet with Old Norway
Dillon Evans Osric, courtier sent to bring Hamlet to duel with Laertes
Lords, members of the court in various scenes
Gentleman brings news to the Queen of Ophelia's madness
Messenger brings message that Laertes has returned and is leading a rabble to the palace
Hugh Alexander Ambassador of the King of the English reports that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have been executed

1964 John Gielgud Hamlet Cast (Continued):
The Traveling Players
The Traveling Players
George Voskovec First Player, leader of the troupe
Cast for "The Murder of Gonzago"
John Hetherington Prologue
George Voskovec Player King
Christopher Culkin Player Queen
Geoff Garland Third Player (Lucianus)
Player in the mime (King)
Player in the mime (Queen)
Player in the mime (Murderer)
Other Players

The Grave Scene
George Rose First Gravedigger, perhaps the greatest clown part created by Shakespeare in a tragedy
Hugh Alexander Second Gravedigger, foil of the First Gravedigger
Barnard Hughes Priest, who officiates at the burial of Ophelia

Pirates Who Save Hamlet
Captain (Norwegian Captain/First Sailor)
Sailor (Second Sailor)

Norwegian Invaders
Michael Ebert Fortinbras, young warrior son of the late King of Norway, who had been killed in battle by Hamlet's Father, who serves as a parallel to Hamlet
Captain, (Fortinbras' officer), who tells Hamlet of the approach of the 20,000 troops on the way to attack Poland

Hamlet (1969)
Filmways Pictures / Woodfall Films / Columbia
UK: DRAMA/Shakespeare Tragedy, 114 Minutes, Rated G, Color,

Credits:
Director Tony Richardson
Screenwriter Tony Richardson
Based on the play by William Shakespeare
Producer Hans Gottschalk, Neil Hartley, Leslie Linder, and Martin Ransohoff
Cinematographer Gerry Fisher
Editor Charles Rees
Composer Patrick Gowers
Production Designer Jocelyn Herbert

Cast:
Nicol Williamson Hamlet
Marianne Faithfull Ophelia
Anthony Hopkins Claudius
Judy Parfitt Gertrude
Mark Dignam Polonius
Michael Pennington Laertes
Gordon Jackson Horatio
Ben Aris Rosencrantz
Clive Graham Guildenstern
Peter Gale Osric
John J. Carney Player King
Richard Everett Player Queen
Roger Livesey Gravedigger and Lucianus
John Trenaman Bernardo
Robin Chadwick Francisco
Roger Lloyd-Pack Reynaldo
Ian Collier Priest
Michael Elphick Captain
Mark Griffith Messenger
Anjelica Huston Court Lady
Jennifer Tudor Court Lady
Bill Jarvis Courtier
John Railton First Sailor

1969 Tony Richardson Hamlet
Cast:
The Royal Family
Nicol Williamson Hamlet, the Crown Prince of Denmark, who is passed over to become King by his 'Uncle/Father'
Anthony Hopkins Claudius, the newly crowned King and husband of Hamlet's Mother, therefore 'Uncle/Father' of Hamlet,
Judy Parfitt Gertrude, the Queen and Mother of Hamlet, wife to Claudius
Nicol Williamson (Voice) Ghost of Hamlet's Father, former King of Denmark and husband of Gertrude, who was murdered by Claudius

The Family and Servant of Polonius
Mark Dignam Polonius, chief minister and adviser to Claudius, Father of Laertes and Ophelia
Marianne Faithfull Ophelia, Daughter of Polonius, Sister to Laertes and lover of Hamlet
Michael Pennington Laertes, Son of Polonius, Brother to Ophelia and student at the University of Paris
Roger Lloyd-Pack Reynaldo, servant of Polonius, sent to spy on Laertes

The Watch
Marcellus, member of the watch, who reports seeing the Ghost
of Hamlet's Father to Horatio
John Trenaman Bernardo, member of the watch, who reports seeing the Ghost
of Hamlet's Father to Horatio
Robin Chadwick Francisco, soldier on watch at the beginning of Act 1

Friends and Fellow Students of Hamlet from Wittenburg
Gordon Jackson Horatio, friend of Hamlet and fellow student at the University of Wittenburg
Ben Aris Rosencrantz, acquaintance of Hamlet, in the employ of Claudius and fellow student at the University of Wittenburg
Clive Graham Guildenstern, acquaintance of Hamlet, in the employ of

Courtiers in or at the Court of King Claudius and Queen Gertrude
Voltemand, ambassador sent to meet with Old Norway
Cornelius, Ambassador sent to meet with Old Norway
Peter Gale Osric, courtier sent to bring Hamlet to duel with Laertes
Bill Jarvis Lords, members of the court in various scenes
Gentleman brings news to the Queen of Ophelia's madness
Mark Griffith Messenger brings message that Laertes has returned and is leading a rabble to the palace
Hugh Alexander Ambassador of the King of the English reports that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have been executed
Anjelica Huston Ladies, members of the court in various scenes
Jennifer Tudor

1969 Tony Richardson Hamlet Cast (Continued):
The Traveling Players
` First Player, leader of the troupe
Cast for "The Murder of Gonzago"
Prologue
John J. Carney Player King
Richard Everett Player Queen
Roger Livesey Third Player (Lucianus)
Player in the mime (King)
Player in the mime (Queen)
Player in the mime (Murderer)
Other Players

The Grave Scene
Roger Livesey First Gravedigger, perhaps the greatest clown part created by Shakespeare in a tragedy
Second Gravedigger, foil of the First Gravedigger
Ian Collier Priest, who officiates at the burial of Ophelia

Pirates Who Save Hamlet
Michael Elphick Captain (Norwegian Captain/First Sailor)
John Railton Sailor (Second Sailor)

Norwegian Invaders
Fortinbras, young warrior son of the late King of Norway, who had been killed in battle by Hamlet's Father, who serves as a parallel to Hamlet
Captain, (Fortinbras' officer), who tells Hamlet of the approach of the 20,000 troops on the way to attack Poland

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (1980)
A BBC Production in association with Time-Life Television
First Telecasts UK - May 25, 1980 & USA - November 19, 1980
UK, DRAMA/Shakespeare Tragedy, Minutes, No Rating, Video

Credits:
Director Rodney Bennett
Producer Cedric Messina
Fight Arranger B. H. Barry
Music Adviser David Lloyd-Jones
Mime Music James Tyler
Title Music Sir William Walton
Incidental music composed & conducted by Dudley Simpson
Literary Consultant Dr. John Wilders
Assistant Floor Managers Anthony E. Smith & Steve Finn
Director's Assistant Jill Reeves
Production Unit Manager Fraser Lowden
Production Assistant Jeremy Ancock
Senior Cameraman Jim Atkinson
Vision Mixer Shirley Coward
Videotape Editor David Hillier
Make-up Artist Pam Meager
Costume Designer Barbara Koenig
Sound Chick Anthony
Lighting Sam Barclay
Script Editor Anthony Shallcross
Designer Don Homfray

1989 BBC Hamlet
Cast:
The Royal Family
Derek Jacobi Hamlet, the Crown Prince of Denmark, who is passed over to become King by his 'Uncle/Father'
Patrick Stewart Claudius, the newly crowned King and husband of Hamlet's Mother, therefore 'Uncle/Father' of Hamlet,
Claire Bloom Gertrude, the Queen and Mother of Hamlet, wife to Claudius
Patrick Allen Ghost of Hamlet's Father, former King of Denmark and husband of Gertrude, who was murdered by Claudius

Family of Polonius
Eric Porter Polonius, chief minister and adviser to Claudius, Father of Laertes and Ophelia
Llala Ward Ophelia, Daughter of Polonius, Sister to Laertes and lover of Hamlet
David Robb Laertes, Son of Polonius, Brother to Ophelia and student at the University of Paris
Raymond Mason Reynaldo, servant of Polonius, sent to spy on Laertes

Members of the Watch
Paul Humpoletz Marcellus, member of the watch, who reports seeing the Ghost
of Hamlet's Father to Horatio
Niall Padden Bernardo, member of the watch, who reports seeing the Ghost
of Hamlet's Father to Horatio
Christopher Baines Francisco, soldier on watch at the beginning of Act 1

Friends and Fellow Students of Hamlet from Wittenburg
Robert Swann Horatio, friend of Hamlet and fellow student at the University of Wittenburg
Jonathan Hyde Rosencrantz, acquaintance of Hamlet, in the employ of Claudius and fellow student at the University of Wittenburg
Geoffrey Bateman Guildenstern, acquaintance of Hamlet, in the employ of

Courtiers in or at the Court of King Claudius and Queen Gertrude
John Humphry Voltemand, ambassador sent to meet with Old Norway
John Sterland Cornelius, Ambassador sent to meet with Old Norway
Peter Gale Osric, courtier sent to bring Hamlet to duel with Laertes
Lords, members of the court in various scenes
Gentleman brings news to the Queen of Ophelia's madness
Reginald Jessup Messenger brings message that Laertes has returned and is leading a rabble to the palace
David Henry Ambassador of the King of the English reports that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have been executed
Ladies, members of the court in various scenes

1989 BBC Hamlet Cast (Continued):
The Traveling Players
Emrys James First Player, leader of the troupe
Cast for "The Murder of Gonzago"
Prologue
Emrys James Player King
Jason Kemp Player Queen
Geoffrey Beevers Third Player (Lucianus)
Bill Homewood Player in the mime (King)
Peter Richards Player in the mime (Queen)
Terence McGinity Player in the mime (Murderer)
Peter Burroughs & Stuart Fell Other Players

The Grave Scene
Tim Wylton First Gravedigger, perhaps the greatest clown part created by Shakespeare in a tragedy
Peter Benson Second Gravedigger, foil of the First Gravedigger
Michael Poole Priest, who officiates at the burial of Ophelia

Pirates Who Save Hamlet
Dan Meaden Captain (Norwegian Captain/First Sailor)
Iain Blair Sailor (Second Sailor)

Norwegian Invaders
Ian Charleson Fortinbras, young warrior son of the late King of Norway, who had been killed in battle by Hamlet's Father, who serves as a parallel to Hamlet
Captain, (Fortinbras' officer), who tells Hamlet of the approach of the 20,000 troops on the way to attack Poland

Hamlet (1990)
Carolco Pictures / Icon Productions / Le Studio Canal+ / Marquis
Production Cost $15.5 Domestic Revenue: $20.7
Release Date: January 1991
UK / France / Spain, 135 minutes, Rated PG, Color, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1

Credits:
Director Franco Zeffirelli
Screenwriters Christopher DeVore and Franco Zeffirelli
Based on the play by William Shakespeare
Producer Dyson Lovell
Editor Richard Marden
Composer Ennio Morricone
Cinematographer David Watkin
Production Designer Dante Ferretti
Art Director Michael Lamont
Costume Designer Maurizio Millenotti

Cast:
Mel Gibson Hamlet
Alan Bates Claudius
Glenn Close Gertrude
Helena Bonham Carter Ophelia
Ian Holm Polonius
Nathaniel Parker Laertes
Stephen Dillane Horatio
Paul Scofield The Ghost
Michael Maloney Rosencrantz
Sean Murray Guildenstern
Richard Warwick Bernardo
Christien Anholt Marcellus
Dave Duffy Francisco
Trevor Peacock The Gravedigger
John McEnery Osric
Vernon Dobtcheff Reynaldo
Pete Postlethwaite Player King
Christopher Fairbank Player Queen
Sarah Phillips The Players
Ned Mendez Player
Roy York Player
Marjorie Bell Player
Justin Case Player
Roger Low Player
Pamela Sinclair Player
Roy Evans Player
Simon Sinclair Baby Player

Zeffirelli Hamlet Awards and Recognition:
Zeffirelli Hamlet Academy Award Nominations:
1991 Nomination for Art Direction Dante Ferretti - Art Dir, Francesca Lo Schiavo - Set Dec
1991 Nomination for Costume Design Maurizio Millenotti
Zeffirelli Hamlet British Academy Award Nominations:
1992 Nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role Alan Bates
Zeffirelli Hamlet David di Donatello Awards:
1991Best Foreign Film
Zeffirelli Hamlet Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists:
1991 Best Dubbing, Male Tonino Accolla (For the voice of Mel Gibson)

1990 Franco Zeffirelli Hamlet
Cast:
The Royal Family
Mel Gibson Hamlet, the Crown Prince of Denmark, who is passed over to become King by his 'Uncle/Father'
Alan Bates Claudius, the newly crowned King and husband of Hamlet's Mother, therefore 'Uncle/Father' of Hamlet,
Glenn Close Gertrude, the Queen and Mother of Hamlet, wife to Claudius
Paul Scofield Ghost of Hamlet's Father, former King of Denmark and husband of Gertrude, who was murdered by Claudius

The Family of Polonius
Ian Holm Polonius, chief minister and adviser to Claudius, Father of Laertes and Ophelia
Helena Bonham Carter Ophelia, Daughter of Polonius, Sister to Laertes and lover of Hamlet
Nathaniel Parker Laertes, Son of Polonius, Brother to Ophelia and student at the University of Paris
Vernon Dobtcheff Reynaldo, servant of Polonius, sent to spy on Laertes

Members of the Watch
Christien Anholt Marcellus, member of the watch, who reports seeing the Ghost
of Hamlet's Father to Horatio
Richard Warwick Bernardo, member of the watch, who reports seeing the Ghost
of Hamlet's Father to Horatio
Dave Duffy Francisco, soldier on watch at the beginning of Act 1

Friends and Fellow Students of Hamlet from Wittenburg
Stephen Dillane Horatio, friend of Hamlet and fellow student at the University of Wittenburg
Michael Maloney Rosencrantz, acquaintance of Hamlet, in the employ of Claudius and fellow student at the University of Wittenburg
Sean Murray Guildenstern, acquaintance of Hamlet, in the employ of

Courtiers in or at the Court of King Claudius and Queen Gertrude
Voltemand, ambassador sent to meet with Old Norway
Cornelius, Ambassador sent to meet with Old Norway
John McEnery Osric, courtier sent to bring Hamlet to duel with Laertes
Lords, members of the court in various scenes
Gentleman brings news to the Queen of Ophelia's madness
Messenger brings message that Laertes has returned and is leading a rabble to the palace
Ambassador of the King of the English reports that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have been executed
Ladies, members of the court in various scenes

1990 Franco Zeffirelli Hamlet Cast (Continued):
The Traveling Players
Pete Postlethwaite First Player, leader of the troupe
Cast for "The Murder of Gonzago"
Prologue
Pete Postlethwaite Player King
Christopher Fairbank Player Queen
Geoffrey Beevers Third Player (Lucianus)
Player in the mime (King)
Player in the mime (Queen)
Player in the mime (Murderer)
Peter Burroughs & Stuart Fell Other Players
Sarah Phillips, Ned Mendez, Roy York, Marjorie Bell
Justin Case, Roger Low, Pamela Sinclair & Roy Evans
Simon Sinclair Baby Player

The Grave Scene
Trevor Peacock First Gravedigger, perhaps the greatest clown part created by Shakespeare in a tragedy
Second Gravedigger, foil of the First Gravedigger
Priest, who officiates at the burial of Ophelia

Pirates Who Save Hamlet
Captain (Norwegian Captain/First Sailor)
Sailor (Second Sailor)

Norwegian Invaders
Fortinbras, young warrior son of the late King of Norway, who had been killed in battle by Hamlet's Father, who serves as a parallel to Hamlet
Captain, (Fortinbras' officer), who tells Hamlet of the approach of the 20,000 troops on the way to attack Poland

Hamlet (1996)
Columbia / Sony Pictures / Castle Rock / Turner / Fishmonger Films
Production Budget $18 Million Release Date December 25, 1996
USA/UK, DRAMA/Shakespeare Tragedy, 238 Minutes, Rated PG-13, Color, Aspect Ratio 2.35 : 1

Credits:
Director Kenneth Branagh
Adapted Screenplay Kenneth Branagh
based on the play by William Shakespeare
Producer David Barron
Director of Photography Alex Thomson
Editor Neil Farrell
Composer Patrick Doyle
Music Producer Patrick Doyle and Maggie Rodford
Production Designer Tim Harvey
Costume Designer Alex Byrne

Cast in End Title Credit Order (Alphabetical):
Riz Abbasi Attendant to Claudius
Richard Attenborough English Ambassador
David Blair Attendant to Claudius/Servant
Brian Blessed Ghost/Old Hamlet
Christopher Bowles Cadet in Play Scene(Not Credited)
Kenneth Branagh Hamlet
Richard Briers Polonius
Michael Bryant Priest
Peter Bygott Attendant to Claudius
Julie Christie Gertrude
Billy Crystal First Gravedigger
Charles Daish Stage Manager
Judi Dench Hecuba
Gérard Depardieu Reynaldo
Reece Dinsdale Guildenstern
Ken Dodd Yorick
Angela Douglas Attendant to Gertrude
Rob Edwards Lucianus
Nicholas Farrell Horatio
Ray Fearon Francisco
Yvonne Gidden Doctor
John Gielgud Priam
Rosemary Harris Player Queen
Charlton Heston Player King
Ravil Issyanov Cornelius
Derek Jacobi Claudius
Rowena King Attendant to Gertrude/Messenger
Jeffery Kissoon Fortinbras' Captain
Sarah Lam Attendant to Gertrude
Jack Lemmon Marcellus
Ian McElhinney Bernardo
Michael Maloney Laertes
Duke of Marlborough Fortinbras' General
John Mills Old Norway
Jimi Mistry Sailor Two
Sian Radinger Prologue
Melanie Ramsey Prostitute
Cast in End Title Credit Order (Alphabetical):
Simon Russell Beale Second Gravedigger
Andrew Schofield Young Lord
Rufus Sewell Fortinbras
Timothy Spall Rosencrantz
Tom Szekeres Young Hamlet
Ben Thom Player 1
Don Warrington Voltemand
Perdita Weeks Player 2
Robin Williams Osric
Kate Winslet Ophelia
David Yip Sailor One
Placido Domingo Singer of In Pace (End Title Credits)

Branagh Hamlet Academy Award Nominations:
1997 Nomination for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration Tim Harvey
1997 Nomination for Best Costume Design Alexandra Byrne
1997 Nomination for Best Original Score Patrick Doyle
1997 Nomination for Best (Screenplay Adaptation) Kenneth Branagh
Branagh Hamlet British Academy Award Nominations:
1997 Nomination for Best Production Design Tim Harvey
1997 Nomination for Best Costume Design Alexandra Byrne
Branagh Hamlet Motion Picture Sound Editors Award Nominations:
1997 Nomination for Best Sound Editing - Music - Gerard McCann (Music Editor)
Branagh Hamlet British Society of Cinematographer Awards:
1997 Best Cinematography Alex Thomson, David Lenham and Martin Kenzie
Branagh Hamlet Broadcast Film Critics Association Award Nominations:
1997 Nomination for Best Picture
Branagh Hamlet Camerimage Award Nominations:
1997 Nomination for Best Cinematography - Alex Thomson
Branagh Hamlet Golden Satellite Award Nominations:
1997 Nomination for Outstanding Cinematography Alex Thomson
1997 Nomination for Outstanding Original Score Patrick Doyle
1997 Nomination for Outstanding Art Direction Tim Harvey
1997 Nomination for Outstanding Costume Design Alex Byrne
1997 Nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Supporting Role - Drama Kate Winslet
Branagh Hamlet Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Awards:
1998 Best Dubbing, Male Massimo Popolizio (for Kenneth Branagh)

1996 Kenneth Branagh Hamlet
Cast:
The Royal Family
Kenneth Branagh Hamlet, the Crown Prince of Denmark, who is passed over to become King by his 'Uncle/Father'
Derek Jacobi Claudius, the newly crowned King and husband of Hamlet's Mother, therefore 'Uncle/Father' of Hamlet,
Julie Christie Gertrude, the Queen and Mother of Hamlet, wife to Claudius
Brian Blessed Ghost of Hamlet's Father, former King of Denmark and husband of Gertrude, who was murdered by Claudius

The Family and Servant of Polonius
Richard Briers Polonius, chief minister and adviser to Claudius, Father of Laertes and Ophelia
Kate Winslet Ophelia, Daughter of Polonius, Sister to Laertes and lover of Hamlet
Michael Maloney Laertes, Son of Polonius, Brother to Ophelia and student at the University of Paris
Gérard Depardieu Reynaldo, servant of Polonius, sent to spy on Laertes
Melanie Ramsey Prostitute/Serving Maid to Polonius (Not in play)

Members of the Watch
Jack Lemmon Marcellus, member of the watch, who reports seeing the Ghost
of Hamlet's Father to Horatio
Ian McElhinney Bernardo, member of the watch, who reports seeing the Ghost
of Hamlet's Father to Horatio
Ray Fearon Francisco, soldier on watch at the beginning of Act 1

Friends and Fellow Students of Hamlet from Wittenburg
Nicholas Farrell Horatio, friend of Hamlet and fellow student at the University of Wittenburg
Timothy Spall Rosencrantz, acquaintance of Hamlet, in the employ of Claudius and fellow student at the University of Wittenburg
Reece Dinsdale Guildenstern, acquaintance of Hamlet, in the employ of

Courtiers in or at the Court of King Claudius and Queen Gertrude
Don Warrington Voltemand, ambassador sent to meet with Old Norway
Ravil Isyanov Cornelius, Ambassador sent to meet with Old Norway
Robin Williams Osric, courtier sent to bring Hamlet to duel with Laertes
Riz Abbasi Lords, members of the court in various scenes
Rowena King Gentleman brings news to the Queen of Ophelia's madness
Messenger brings message that Laertes has returned and is leading a rabble to the palace
Ambassador of the King of the English reports that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have been executed
Angela Douglas Ladies, members of the court in various scenes
Sarah Lam
David Blair Servant to Claudius
Yvonne Gidden Doctor
Andrew Schofield Young Lord
Christopher Bowles Cadet in Play Scene (Not Credited)

1996 Kenneth Branagh Hamlet Cast (Continued):
The Traveling Players
Charlton Heston First Player, leader of the troupe
Cast for "The Murder of Gonzago"
Sian Radinger Prologue
Charlton Heston Player King
Rosemary Harris Player Queen
Rob Edwards Third Player (Lucianus)
Player in the mime (King)
Player in the mime (Queen)
Player in the mime (Murderer)
Ben Thom & Perdita Weeks Other Players
Charles Daish Stage Manager

The Grave Scene
Billy Crystal First Gravedigger, perhaps the greatest clown part created by Shakespeare in a tragedy
Simon Russell Beale Second Gravedigger, foil of the First Gravedigger
Michael Bryant Priest, who officiates at the burial of Ophelia

Pirates Who Save Hamlet
David Yip Captain (Norwegian Captain/First Sailor)
Jimi Mistry Sailor (Second Sailor)

Norwegian Invaders
Rufus Sewell Fortinbras, young warrior son of the late King of Norway, who had been killed in battle by Hamlet's Father, who serves as a parallel to Hamlet
Jeffery Kissoon Captain, (Fortinbras' officer), who tells Hamlet of the approach of the 20,000 troops on the way to attack Poland
Duke of Marlborough Fortinbras' General

Characters talked about in the play but visualized on the screen
Sir John Mills Old Norway
Jimmy Ellis Old Fortinbras
Ken Dodd Yorick
Dame Judi Dench Hecuba
Sir John Gielgud Priam
Tom Szekeres Young Hamlet
Ken Dodd Yorick

Hamlet (2000)
Double A Films / Channel Four / Miramax
Production Budget $2
Release Date: Sundance January 24, 2000 Limited Release: May 12, 2000
USA, DRAMA/Shakespeare Tragedy, 121 Minutes, Color and B & W,

Credits:
Director Michael Almereyda
Screenplay based on the play by William Shakespeare
Producer Jason Blum and Amy Hobby
Executive Producer Andrew Fierberg and John Sloss
Line Producer Callum Greene
Cinematographer John de Borman
Editor Kristina Boden
Composer Carter Burwell
Production Designer Gideon Ponte
Art Director Jeanne Develle
Set Decoration Joshua Drew and Jeffrey Everett
Costume Designer Marco Cattoretti and Luca Mosca

Cast:
Ethan Hawke Hamlet
Kyle MacLachlan Claudius
Diane Venora Gertrude
Sam Shepard Ghost
Bill Murray Polonius
Julia Stiles Ophelia
Liev Schreiber Laertes
Karl Geary Horatio
Steve Zahn Rosencrantz
Dechen Thurman Guildenstern
Jeffrey Wright Gravedigger
Robert MacNeil Player King
Paul Bartel Osric
Casey Affleck Fortinbras
Rome Neal Barnardo
Paula Malcomson Marcella
Robert Thurman Priest
Tim Blake Nelson Flight Captain
Bernadette Jurkowski Blockbuster Clerk
John Martin Claudius' Bodyguard

2000 Michael Almereyda Hamlet
Cast:
The Royal Family
Ethan Hawke Hamlet, the Crown Prince of Denmark, who is passed over to become King by his 'Uncle/Father'
Kyle MacLachlan Claudius, the newly crowned King and husband of Hamlet's Mother, therefore 'Uncle/Father' of Hamlet,
Diane Venora Gertrude, the Queen and Mother of Hamlet, wife to Claudius
Sam Shepard Ghost of Hamlet's Father, former King of Denmark and husband of Gertrude, who was murdered by Claudius

The Family and Servant of Polonius
Bill Murray Polonius, chief minister and adviser to Claudius, Father of Laertes and Ophelia
Julia Stiles Ophelia, Daughter of Polonius, Sister to Laertes and lover of Hamlet
Liev Schreiber Laertes, Son of Polonius, Brother to Ophelia and student at the University of Paris
Reynaldo, servant of Polonius, sent to spy on Laertes

Members of the Watch
Paula Malcomson (Marcella) Marcellus, member of the watch, who reports seeing the Ghost
of Hamlet's Father to Horatio
Rome Neal Bernardo, member of the watch, who reports seeing the Ghost
of Hamlet's Father to Horatio
Ray Fearon Francisco, soldier on watch at the beginning of Act 1

Friends and Fellow Students of Hamlet from Wittenburg
Karl Geary Horatio, friend of Hamlet and fellow student at the University of Wittenburg
0
Courtiers in or at the Court of King Claudius and Queen Gertrude
Voltemand, ambassador sent to meet with Old Norway
Cornelius, Ambassador sent to meet with Old Norway
Paul Bartel Osric, courtier sent to bring Hamlet to duel with Laertes
Lords, members of the court in various scenes
Gentleman brings news to the Queen of Ophelia's madness
Messenger brings message that Laertes has returned and is leading a rabble to the palace
Ambassador of the King of the English reports that Rosencrantz and Guildenstern have been executed

2000 Michael Almereyda Hamlet Cast (Continued):
The Traveling Players
Robert MacNeil First Player, leader of the troupe
Cast for "The Murder of Gonzago"
Prologue
Player King
Player Queen
Third Player (Lucianus)
Player in the mime (King)
Player in the mime (Queen)
Player in the mime (Murderer)
Other Players

The Grave Scene
Jeffrey Wright First Gravedigger, perhaps the greatest clown part created by Shakespeare in a tragedy
Second Gravedigger, foil of the First Gravedigger
Robert Thurman Priest, who officiates at the burial of Ophelia

Pirates Who Save Hamlet
David Yip Captain (Norwegian Captain/First Sailor)
Jimi Mistry Sailor (Second Sailor)

Norwegian Invaders
Casey Affleck Fortinbras, young warrior son of the late King of Norway, who had been killed in battle by Hamlet's Father, who serves as a parallel to Hamlet
Captain, (Fortinbras' officer), who tells Hamlet of the approach of the 20,000 troops on the way to attack Poland

Name ____________________________________ Social Security # ____________________
Hamlet Prince of Denmark
Text Discussion Assignment: In the analysis of the text of a play, the director, the designers
and the cast have to know Who is doing What to Whom. And When and Where and Why they
are doing it.
1. The scene or place of action is the When and Where!
2. The characters are the Who!
3. The action is the What! And the motivation is the Why!
This assignment asks you to analyze the text as the director and actors do. First, set the scene. Second, identify the characters in the scene. Third, explain what happens in the scene.
ACT I
Act I Scene 1 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
2.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
3.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
4.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________

Act I Scene 2 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
2.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
3.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
4.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________

Act I Scene 3 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
2.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
3.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
4.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________

Act I Scene 4 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
2.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
3.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
4.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________

Act I Scene 5 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
2.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
3.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
4.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________

ACT II
Act II Scene 1 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
2.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
3.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
4.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________

Act II Scene 2 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
2.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
3.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
4.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________

ACT III
Act III Scene 1 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
2.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
3.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
4.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________

Act III Scene 2 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
2.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
3.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
4.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________

Act III Scene 3 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
2.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
3.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
4.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________

Act III Scene 4 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
2.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
3.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
4.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________

ACT IV
Act IV Scene 1 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
2.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
3.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
4.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________

Act IV Scene 2 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
2.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
3.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
4.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________

Act IV Scene 3 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
2.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
3.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
4.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________

Act IV Scene 4 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
2.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
3.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
4.
___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________
Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________
Line Numbers From to ___________

___________________________________________________________

Act IV Scene 5 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

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2.
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3.
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4.
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Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

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Line Numbers From to ___________

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Act IV Scene 6 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

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2.
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3.
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4.
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Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

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Line Numbers From to ___________

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Act IV Scene 7 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

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2.
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3.
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4.
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Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

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Line Numbers From to ___________

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ACT V
Act V Scene 1 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

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2.
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3.
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4.
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Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

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Line Numbers From to ___________

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Act V Scene 2 (Hamlet)
Where does the action in the scene occur?

___________________________________________________________
What characters appear in the scene (in the order of their appearance)?

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

_______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
What is the action in the scene? What happens in the scene?
1. ___________________________________________________________

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2.
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3.
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4.
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Key Lines or Exchange of Dialogue (Please number lines as in play text.)
Line Numbers From to ___________

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Line Numbers From to ___________

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Name ____________________________________ Social Security # ____________________
Hamlet Prince of Denmark
Comparison/Awards Assignment

We have now seen three film versions of William Shakespeare's, Hamlet Prince of Denmark. And now we need to contrast and compare the three movie versions of the play: 1948 Laurence Olivier's Hamlet; 1990 Franco Zefferelli's Hamlet; 1996 Kenneth Branagh's William Shakespeare's Hamlet.

1. Overall, which of the three films is the best adaptation and why is that adaptation better than the other two films? (This is an analysis of how the Text was adapted/cut.)
The best film is _________________________________________________________________

Who did the adaptation? _________________________________________________________
REASON # 1

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REASON # 2

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Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
2. Overall, which of the films has the best mise en scene (look) -- best set design and best costumes -- and why were they better?

Best sets are in _________________________. Production Designer ____________________
REASONS (Best Sets)

_____________________________________________________________________________

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Best costumes are in _______________________. Costume Designer ___________________
REASONS

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3. Overall, which of the films has the best cinematography and why was the lighting and camera work better?

Best camerawork is in _____________________________ DP __________________________
REASONS

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Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
4. Overall, which of the films has the best editing and why?

Best editing is in _____________________________ Editor ___________________________
REASONS

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5. Which of the films makes the best use of sound effects and score? Why?

Best sound effects are in _______________________________________________________.
REASONS

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Best score is in ____________________________. Composer _________________________
REASONS

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Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
6. And now for the best performance awards?
The nominees for the Best Hamlet are Laurence Olivier, Mel Gibson and Kenneth Branagh?

And the winner is _____________________________________________________. REASONS

_____________________________________________________________________________

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The nominees for the Best Claudius are Basil Sydney, Alan Bates and Derek Jacobi?

And the winner is _____________________________________________________. REASONS

_____________________________________________________________________________

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The nominees for the Best Polonius are Felix Aylmer, Ian Holm and Richard Briers?

And the winner is _____________________________________________________. REASONS

_____________________________________________________________________________

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The nominees for Best Laertes are Terence Morgan, Nathaniel Parker and Michael Maloney?

And the winner is _____________________________________________________. REASONS

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Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Nominees for the Best Horatio are Norman Wooland, Stephen Dillane and Nicholas Farrell?

And the winner is _____________________________________________________. REASONS

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Nominees for Best Ghost are John Gielgud (voice), Paul Scofield & Brian Blessed?

And the winner is _____________________________________________________. REASONS

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Nominees for Best 1st Gravedigger are Stanley Holloway, Trevor Peacock & Billy Crystal?

And the winner is _____________________________________________________. REASONS

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Nominees for Best First Player/Player King are Harcourt Williams, Pete Postlethwaite & Charlton Heston?

And the winner is _____________________________________________________. REASONS

_____________________________________________________________________________

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Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
The nominees for Best Rosencrantz are Michael Maloney and Timothy Spall?

And the winner is _____________________________________________________. REASONS

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The nominees for Best Guildenstern are Sean Murray and Reece Dinsdale?

And the winner is _____________________________________________________. REASONS

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Nominees for Best Osric are Peter Cushing, John McEnery & Robin Williams?

And the winner is _____________________________________________________. REASONS

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Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

And now for the best performance awards for female actors?

The nominees for Best Queen Gertrude are Eileen Herlie, Glenn Close and Julie Christie?

And the winner is _____________________________________________________. REASONS

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Nominees for Best Ophelia are Jean Simmons, Helena Bonham Carter and Kate Winslet?

And the winner is _____________________________________________________. REASONS

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Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Identify one outstanding male actor and one female actor in smaller roles in each of the films not already evaluated. Try to explain what impact the actor/character has on the film.

The nominees for the Best Male Supporting Player are

Actor _____________________________________ Character ___________________________
in Laurence Olivier's Hamlet

Actor _____________________________________ Character ___________________________ in Franco Zefferelli's Hamlet

Actor _____________________________________ Character ___________________________
in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet

Reasons for the selection in Laurence Olivier's Hamlet

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Reasons for the selection in Franco Zefferelli's Hamlet

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Reasons for the selection in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet

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Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
The nominees for the Best Female Supporting Player are

Actor _____________________________________ Character ___________________________
in Laurence Olivier's Hamlet

Actor _____________________________________ Character ___________________________ in Franco Zefferelli's Hamlet

Actor _____________________________________ Character ___________________________
in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet

Reasons for the selection in Laurence Olivier's Hamlet

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Reasons for the selection in Franco Zefferelli's Hamlet

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Reasons for the selection in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet

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Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Nominees for Best Ensemble are Laurence Olivier's Hamlet, Franco Zefferelli's Hamlet and Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet?

And the winner is ______________________________________________________REASONS

_____________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________
7. What are important contributions to our understanding of William Shakespeare's play is made by Laurence Olivier's Hamlet?

1. ___________________________________________________________________________

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2. ___________________________________________________________________________

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8. What are important contributions to our understanding of William Shakespeare's play is made by Franco Zefferelli's Hamlet
1. ___________________________________________________________________________

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2. ___________________________________________________________________________

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9. What are the important contributions to our understanding of William Shakespeare's play made by Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet?

1. ___________________________________________________________________________

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_____________________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________________

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Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
10. If a student can only see one film version of William Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, Prince of Denmark? Which should they see and why?

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Notes on Productions of
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

Name ____________________________________ Social Security # ____________________
Hamlet, Prince of Denmark
Mise en scene, Character and Casting Assignment
Now that you have read Hamlet, Prince of Denmark and seen 3 films based on the play, you are going to attempt to produce a film based on the play. You must
1. Describe the milieu or setting in terms of time and place and justify why you think this will work with present day audiences.
2. Provide character descriptions for all the major roles in the play.
3. Cast the major roles in the film with actors whom you think can play each part.
1. Describe the mise en scene of the production you plan to mount? What will be the look of the film? What is the time period? Describe the costumes and scenery? What are the sets for each of the scenes?

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Hamlet Mise en scene, Character and Casting Assignment
Describe how see or how you would play the characters visually, physically, and emotionally? What is the character like?
Hamlet ___________________________________________________________

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Claudius
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Gertrude
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The Ghost
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Hamlet Mise en scene, Character and Casting Assignment
Polonius
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Ophelia
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Laertes
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Horatio
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Hamlet Mise en scene, Character and Casting Assignment
Rosencrantz
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Guildenstern
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First Player/Player King
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Osric
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Hamlet Mise en scene, Character and Casting Assignment
First Gravedigger
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Bernardo ___________________________________________________________

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Francisco ___________________________________________________________

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Marcellus ___________________________________________________________

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Fortinbras
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Hamlet Mise en scene, Character and Casting Assignment
How you cast the roles in the new movie you are producing based on Hamlet, Prince of Denmark? (Name a film or TV series in which they have appeared.)
Character Actor (Film / TV Title)

Hamlet ________________________________________________

King Claudius ________________________________________________

Queen Gertrude ________________________________________________

The Ghost ________________________________________________

Polonius ________________________________________________

Ophelia ________________________________________________

Laertes ________________________________________________

Horatio ________________________________________________

Reynaldo ________________________________________________

Rosencrantz ________________________________________________

Guildenstern ________________________________________________

Osric ________________________________________________

First Player ________________________________________________

First Gravedigger ________________________________________________

Second Gravedigger _____________________________________________

Bernardo ________________________________________________

Francisco ________________________________________________

Marcellus ________________________________________________

Voltemand ________________________________________________

Cornelius ________________________________________________