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.
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 ring to show that they are married to their country). I would like Hamlet to be wearing rather informal clothes to show that he may have gone slightly mad. I would have him wearing a plain black shirt, which would be reasonably tight. I would then have him wearing a black Hawaiian shirt with a thatched pattern on it. I would also like him to be wearing dark blue jeans. The dark clothes would be symbolising that Hamlet is still in mourning for his father’s death. I would like Hamlet to be wearing a silver Saint Christopher around his neck, to show that Hamlet may need guidance for the revenge of his father’s death.
I would like to keep the language the same as I feel that if the text were to be converted into modern language the impact of the rhythm and words would be lost. Such as when Claudius says, “It hath the primal eldest curse upon’t,” means “It’s like when the first murder happened in the bible”. These words do not have nearly as much effect as the original line. The original line provides some atmosphere. The word ‘curse’ suggests evil, as witches were thought in Shakespeare’s time to send curses. Also as people were more religious in Shakespeare’s time the fact that Claudius has committed the worst sin n the bible they may have been horrified by Claudius’ crime. This wouldn’t have as much effect on a modern day audience however I feel that the words too tend to portray that Claudius shows disgust towards himself.
Some of the words in this scene are quite difficult to interpret so I would have to make some sort of gesture in order to make it more obvious what the two actors mean. I think that obvious hand or body gestures would make it more obvious. For example when Hamlet says, “Up, sword, and know thou a more horrid hent” I think that Hamlet should, lift his sword and then approach Claudius. This would make the true meaning of the sentence clearer.
A few lines in this scene make it so enjoyable to watch, but it all depends on the actor’s interpretation and delivery of the line. When Claudius says, “O, my offence is rank” This line needs to be emphasised as it shows that Claudius may be feeling regret for what he did. So he could show this by shouting the line, which displays the anger that he may be feeling with himself. Also “a brothers murder” must be emphasised as this is the reason to Claudius guilt, and why he is so angry with himself. He could portray this to the audience by saying it slowly, and going into an audible whisper as if someone may hear. Claudius should also emphasise when he says, “Forgive me my foul murder!” as this shows that maybe he does truly repent and feel guilt. He could shout this line to the ceiling as if he were talking to god. When Claudius talks of the things he does not wish to give up, “My crown, mine own ambition, and my queen.” The should be said in a low husky tone, to show that Claudius although in this scene he may seem to be wanting forgiveness, he does not truly want it as he would give up these items that he killed his brother for. When Claudius is describing how in the criminal world he can ‘buy himself out of trouble’, “In the corrupted currents of this world”. This line and the following three lines should also be delivered in the same low husky tone to show that Claudius is still evil as to mix himself with criminals, who were also known as sinners in Shakespeare’s time. Also when Claudius talks to his knees, telling them to, “Bow stubborn knees” he should speak softly as though here were speaking to a child. This would emphasise the line and show that Claudius is encouraging himself to pray; just a children are encouraged when spoken to in a soft voice. The line he says, “All may be well” should also be softly as he trying to convince himself that everything will be all right. It is the final two lines that should be emphasised the most as this show the true irony of the whole scene. Hamlet decides not to kill Claudius, as he believes that Claudius is praying and would go straight to heaven. Here when Claudius says, “My words fly up, my thoughts remain below. Words without thought never to heaven go.” We learn that he was unable to pray anyway so Hamlet could have killed Claudius, only Hamlet did not know this. His line could be emphasised with pauses in between up and my, and in-between thought and never.
When Hamlet says “And now I’ll do it”. I think here the actor should raise his sword above his head and increase the volume of his voice to a shout. Hamlet should then approach Claudius and let out a war like cry to emphasise this line. This I feel is effective as it emphasises this line and the silence that would follow would also emphasise the next line, “and so ‘a goes to heaven.” I think that those two lines are very important as they show that Hamlet is about to kill Claudius until he decides that he’ll wait. I also think that when Hamlet is talking about the death of his father, “’A took my father grossly”, he should speak through his teeth, in a low tone. I feel that Hamlet would be feeling very angry, as he cannot yet revenge his father’s death. So I feel that that talking through his teeth would portray that anger to the audience. This also emphasises the line as the audience would listen to what he was saying as him talking through his teeth would be obvious to them. Hamlet, however should speak with joy when he talks about what kind if thing Claudius will be doing when Hamlet could kill him, “When he is drunk asleep, or in rage; Or in th’ incestuous pleasure of his bed; At game, a-swearing, or about some act”. I feel that Hamlet would be imagining Claudius being killed and going straight to hell, which would make him very happy. I then think that when Hamlet delivers this last line, “this physic but prolongs thy sickly days”. It must be emphasised as Hamlet would be feeling quite sad and angry that he has Claudius in very vulnerable position yet he feels that he cannot kill him, as that would not give him true revenge. I feel that sadness and anger can be portrayed by Hamlet having a pause between physic and but. Also the actor should speak in a low tone to get the audience’ attention as this line displays the irony as Claudius is unable to pray.
This scene is only effective because the audience knows what happened in the previous scene. They know that Claudius has portrayed his true guilt to Hamlet, confirming Hamlet’s beliefs that Claudius killed his father. The way in which he did show his guilt, (When the players put on a play with a murder committed the same way that he killed his brother) would be more effective in Shakespeare’s time as then all people who committed murder were believed to go mad, and be affected by the site of their crime. When Claudius views his crime he horrified by himself and feels the need to be forgiven which explains his sudden desperate need to pray.
I feel that this scene gives Hamlet its edge of tenseness. The rest of the play is an unwinding tale leaving the audience wondering right until the last scene, will Hamlet kill Claudius?
