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Shakespeare's "Hamlet" continues to intrigue and challenge contemporary filmmakers. This chapter presents an in-depth look at adaptations of the play by Sir Laurance Olivier, Franco Zeffirelli, Kenneth Branagh, and Michael Almereyda. It begins with background information about Shakespeare by Sylvan Barnet. Edward Hubler's " Hamlet as Tragedy" discusses Shakespeare's treatment of tragedy and how it differs from classical tragedy. In "Shakespeare and Nonverbal Expression," Jack Jorgens considers the ways in which film can illuminate the meaning of a playwright's words. The rest of the chapter is divided into four sections devoted to the four versions of "Hamlet" by Olivier, Zeffirelli, Branagh, and Almereyda. Each begins with a cinematic outline which is followed by commentary from the filmmaker and then a review. In addition, Branagh's section includes a film diary and a side-by-side comparison of Branagh's screenplay with Shakespeare's play. The chapter ends with an extensive glossary of film terms. Note: Internet sources are generally transitory, so if a link given for an activity is no longer available, notify the administrator of this site. The link will be fixed or replaced with a suitable source for the activity.
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