... the same play but were clearly very different. In the Zeffirelli version, Mel Gibson played a very good Hamlet. The scene where he confronts Ophelia and tells her that he does not love her particularly moved me. I think that it showed one very good interpretation of Hamlet, that Hamlet really did love Ophelia but was really hiding it because he knew that King Claudius and Polonius ... were listening in on their conversation. You can tell from parts of this scene that Mel Gibson tells Ophelia that he once loved her in a very quiet voice ... to her in the past. In the PBS movie version, ...

• Word Count: 405
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... recognizes and describes Denmark as "the corrupted current of this world." It is through the creation of a central, unpleasant location of Denmark within the founding scenes that Shakespeare is able to craft an interpretation of corruption with Hamlet. Shakespeare uses the timing of Claudius' abrupt immoral marriage to Gertrude to create corruption within Hamlet. In Act I, the immoral nature of King Claudius' marriage is shown Hamlets reaction ... of repulsion "a most wicked speed! To post with such dexterity to incestuous sheets." Hamlet's passionate first soliloquy reveals to the audi...

• Word Count: 782
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate