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Summary In-Depth Study of Contemporary Interest in Hamlet
In-Depth Study of Contemporary Interest in Hamlet
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So, today’s presentation is going to cover “Why there is such sustained and widespreadcontemporary interest in Hamlet, the character, and in Hamlet, the play”. What these images on
screen already reflect is the ability to adapt many of the key themes of Hamlet, despite being a 16 th
or 17th century play, into a suitable viewing for contemporary norms. The images also suggest that
despite being stills of the same character, it is the character’s traits that remain memorable, rather
than the contextual background of the play itself. Ultimately, the play Hamlet is stripped of its
Elizabethan conventions, and contemporary performances of Hamlet showcase the complex, yet
relatable emotions that are conveyed through the characters of the play, particularly Hamlet.
“Hamlet” is Shakespeare’s longest play which presents, revenge, curiosity, complexities regarding
truth, love, certainty, corruption, religion, the representation of women and death, yet exploring this
list of themes is only the beginner’s guide of understanding Hamlet. The complexity of the play itself
is what allows individuals to interpret the play, allowing them to constantly find elements that are
relative to today. For example, the limited representation of a dominant female character in Hamlet
or generally during the period of 16-17 th century theatre, where men or young boys would perform
female roles, led to new productions in which a female lead would take up the role of Hamlet, or in
the case of “The Roaring Girl’s Hamlet” performed at the Warehouse Theatre in Croydon in 1992,
where the majority of the roles were performed by female actors. Productions of Hamlet that
remain to be the best adaptations often star famous actors like Kenneth Branagh, who starred in a
film adaptation in 1996, David Tennant, who starred in a modern television adaptation of Hamlet in
2009 and a stage production in 2008, Benedict Cumberbatch, who starred in a stage production in
2015, and also starred a scene from “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” by Tom Stoppard for
the Royal National Theatre in 2013. These actors are only the few of many who have starred in an
endless number of adaptations, whether they are short scenes or full films or stage productions. In
an article published by the New York Times, Frank Rich reviews Shakespeare’s plays and concludes
that “the visual vocabulary of modern Shakespeare productions increasingly seems as universal, if
not always as eloquent or timeless, as the plays themselves.” This statement emphasises that
Shakespeare’s Plays remain relevant because of those who perform the characters. Audiences to
some extent feel more relatable to the characters they see on screen if performed by an actor who is
known. This is especially relative to Hamlet because not only are his characteristics so universally
relatable, but by being performed by well known actors only intensifies the popularity of modern
adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays.
Hamlet also exists outside of the theatres, and is often used in children’s films, comic books and in
popular television show. The Lion King, released in 1994 shows direct parallels between its
characters to the characters in the play, but thankfully with a much happier ending. A lesser known
children’s film is “Green Eggs and Hamlet”, which was released in 1995 and is loosely based on the
play, but also with influences by other texts such as Dr. Seuss. Episodes of The Simpsons also had
characters such as Bart, Lisa and Homer as Hamlet, Ophelia and the Ghost of King Hamlet
respectively. A Comic series, Calvin and Hobbes released in 1994 also used the “To be or not to be”
soliloquy when some food that the character attempts to eat comes to life. The use of plays like
Hamlet in children’s books, television shows and films may be a way to introduce classic literature to
young children, emphasising that Shakespeare’s plays, specifically Hamlet is ageless and timeless.
Now focusing on the character of Hamlet, it is important to note that Hamlet is ultimately an
enigma. The ambiguous nature of his character means that his character is picked apart constantly
to understand the reason behind his supposed madness. Hamlet questions what many philosophers
of the 19th and 20th century, such as Fredrich Nietzsche, Karl Marx and Bertrand Russell attempted to
make sense of for instance, the meaning of life, the existence of God, the concept of death, etc.
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