Sarah Kelly 10X                                                                         23rd November 2001

                

If I were to have the pleasure of directing “Hamlet” I would first think about how and where the scene would be set. I would have the scene set in the suburbs of Italy where the ‘gangsters’ are, because the portrayal of gangster Italy, on television (which the audience may be familiar with) is like the situation in Hamlet. Where revenge must be taken by the son, also upholding the family honour and such family situations. Also the portrayal of Italians is that they are very religious and that they tend to be Catholics, so the religious aspect of this scene (trying to pray and having the need to be forgiven by god) would fit in with my version and Shakespeare’s.

I would have this scene set in a Roman Catholic Church to support the fact that Claudius wishes to pray here and that he is Catholic. I would like the church to echo the voices to show that Claudius’ heart must be empty for him to have committed this evil crime, so all he hears is the voices of his head, telling him what he thinks is the right thing to do, for example to pray for forgiveness. However his heart would be telling him to give up the things that he killed for, which Claudius himself mentions, “since I am still possess’d of those effects for which I did the murder”.

I would like the lighting to be an orangey afternoon colour, like when the sun sets. I imagine churches to be empty around early sunset time and if Claudius really felt guilty he would not want people o see that he is unable to pray

I would not have any sound effects as the church would echo and I would like the audience to focus on what the actors were saying. Also silence between lines tends to create a sense of atmosphere. It would make the audience feel tense as though something was about to happen.

I would like Claudius to look into the mirror when he is talking to himself throughout most of the scene. Except when it is inappropriate, for instance when he goes to pray. I would like the audience to feel more relaxed by this, as Claudius does not seem to be very emotionally at thins. I would like the audience to feel quite angry with Claudius. I would like them to feel this as they can see that he is not mentally disturbed by the goings on. However when Hamlet goes to talk to himself I would like to have him talking to the audience to show that although Hamlet said in an earlier scene that he would pretend to go mad, “How strange or odd some’er I bear myself-As perchance hereafter shall think meet to put an antic disposition on” all the frustration about getting revenge and his fathers murder may have actually driven him mad. I feel that having Hamlet talk to the audience shows this, as the other members of the play do not seem to be able to see the audience (King Claudius talking to himself in the mirror). I would like the audience to be shocked, by this and feel on edge as this scene is all about whether Hamlet will kill the king or not which is very tense.

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 Since Claudius is a King in Shakespeare’s Hamlet I would like him to play someone of high importance, so I would have him being played as a gangster leader. The outfit I would like him to wear would be a grey Armani suit, a waistcoat, blue collared shirt, and patent leather shoes. I would like him to have square framed glasses and for him to wear lots of gold jewellery, but especially a gold signant ring to symbolise that he is the leader of a gang, which has resemblance to the fact that he is a king (monarchs wear a ...

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