... themes in the play and highlights the weakness of Gertrude and the strength of Hamlet." Discuss with reference to interpretations you have seen and read. Act III scene IV, also known as the "Closet scene," is a key scene in "Hamlet" as it is the first time in the play that Hamlet and Gertrude are alone and engage in more than passing conversation. To establish ... the importance of this scene and how it reflects the personalities of the characters concerned it is important to study and respond to various interpretations. This scene is often interpreted in two contrasting ways, one where...

• Word Count: 1824
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

William Shakespeare wrote Hamlet in 1602. It has been performed and directed more times with more interpretations than perhaps any other work in the English canon. The focus of the plot is on the young Prince of Denmark, who suffers from ... However, this madness is not genuine. "I am but mad north-north-west. When the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw- (2.2, 378-379). Hamlet feigns insanity in order to manipulate those around him and discover the truth about his father's murder. Kenneth Branagh directed and starred in his own version of ... of his father. Branagh's version of th...

• Word Count: 1039
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography

... may be changed according to the interpretations of directors, actors and audience. Shakespeare's plays are always open to interpretation; this is seen clearly through several movie versions of his famous play Hamlet. In Franco Zeffirelli's 1991 and Kenneth Branagh's 1996 film version of "Hamlet," we can see that the portrayal ... Zeffirelli's version, the ghost is portrayed as being weak and more human-like. The ghost's sitting position implies that it means no harm. Hamlet feels sympathy instead of fear for the ghost which drives him to avenge his father's death. Branagh stays true the ...

• Word Count: 1209
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School