Death and Afterlife in Hamlet
Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet is widely considered one of the best adaptations to date, and he is regarded as the best Shakespearean actor in many circles. Although the play does feature a few comedic scenes, overall it has, quite fittingly, a very dull and melancholy theme to it. Death and afterlife in Olivier’s Hamlet is presented with uncertainty which is portrayed through Hamlet’s indecisiveness. In the famous “To be, or not to be” scene, Olivier (Hamlet) watches over waves crashing violently on some rocks beneath him from the top of the ramparts, where he considers suicide as he draws out a dagger, but decides against it as he seems to fear “…in that sleep of death what dreams may come”. It seems as if Hamlet is weary of life, but fears what may come after, which proves to be the deciding factor in him choosing to live. This theme of uncertainty of what happens after death seems to recur throughout the play. Another instance where Hamlet is bothered by this doubt is when he chanc