Hamlet Diary Entries

Entry #1: Modern Hamlet

Since my last entry, we made the transition to studying Hamlet, a play I had never read before. I did not have any background information beyond the famous phrase "To be or not to be." Nonetheless, I enjoyed this story significantly and felt like I followed it along fairly well. I found an intriguing production on YouTube that I couldn't resist watching in addition to reading an online copy of the play. It made a big impression on me, so I wanted to share my thoughts.

The version I discovered starred Andrew Scott as Hamlet, and what made it so fascinating was that it maintained the original dialogue while using a contemporary setting in Denmark. With new interpretations of the play's scenes and characters, this modern

In this production, the ghost was first seen by the guards through a security camera. It was an ingenious twist that incorporated technology into the supernatural encounter, adding an intriguing layer to the scene.

Additionally, The play's tragic character Ophelia was portrayed in a particularly striking way. Her transformation was visually stunning in this play. She appeared on stage in a wheelchair, dressed in a hospital gown, and with a scruffy appearance. It made the transition from her normal state to her eventual descent into madness starkly contrasted. Her confinement and vulnerability were highlighted by the wheelchair and hospital gown, which also highlighted the mental and emotional anguish she went through.

Overall, the modern setting combined with the original script offered a novel and thought-provoking angle on Hamlet. If you have not viewed this performance, it was recorded by the British Broadcasting Corporation.

Entry #2: Amleth vs. Hamlet

Today, I delved into the fascinating world of Hamlet’s roots and sources, particularly exploring the connections between Shakespeare's play and the legend of Amleth as recounted by Saxo Grammaticus in his work Historiae

This work was quite unique for it used Hamlet to tell the story of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two side characters. The play effectively captured Shakespeare's tone, exploring themes of identity, free will, and the absurdity of life. It was interesting how the play mostly retained the dialogue of the original scenes from Hamlet while adding additional scenes around them. I found it fascinating how Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, in a constant state of confusion, simply went with the flow of events because they did not know what else to do. This perspective captured the tumultuous and bizarre nature of