Analysis of an Amateur Production of Shakespeare's Hamlet

Director's Notebook 

 The play featured in the video is an amateur production of Hamlet, of Act 1 Scene 4. The opening scene shows Hamlet, Horatio and Marcellus standing in silence on a minimalistic set, on watch for the Ghost King. The Ghost appears a few minutes into the clip, and only a few features are discernible because of the dim lighting and eerily swirling smoke, causing the trio to panic. The Ghost’s appearance has intentionally been given an air of mystery, so as to create a sense of tension and uncertainty among the audience, as this is one of the most important turning points in the plot. Although on watch, the group seem to be at ease before the Ghost appears. The speech is casual; however, at the appearance of the Ghost, the atmosphere of the scene changes instantly and dramatically. Horatio cries out in surprise and grabs Hamlet’s shoulder to point in the direction of the approaching apparition. Soon after, Hamlet addresses the Ghost in a frightened and wavering voice. His posture is upright but not courageous, showing that Hamlet is unsettled by his father’s likeness. Such facial and physical behaviours portray emotion effectively. The clothing worn by the actors is quite modern, making the scene seem as if it were one from between the 1900’s to the 2000’s, as opposed to the traditional play, where the clothing was more medieval. The modern dress might have been used in this play to appeal to younger audiences. It is worth noting that although modern fashion can be seen, the soldier still carries a spear, and the King dons a crown. Sound effects like thuds and trumpets have been used to liven up the play and make some of the discourse clearer to the audience (i.e. when Horatio asks “What does this mean, my lord?”, after hearing the trumpets). These directorial choices make the audience perceive the Ghost as mysterious, and the thought of the Ghost being a dangerous entity might have crossed their mind.

Link to the video: https://youtu.be/6Tbs2_nDDTk

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