Not To Be

William Shakespeare originally wrote a play called Hamlet. Hamlet contains a famous soliloquy called “To be or not to be”. In the speech Hamlet debates whether or not he should take his own life. He is not sure if the afterworld is more miserable than the life he is already in. Franco Zeffirelli, Laurence Olivier, and Kenneth Branaugh directed entirely different versions of the play Hamlet.  

Franco Zeffirelli directed Hamlet has Mel Gibson acting as Hamlet. In Franco Zeffirelli’s play Hamlet the tone changes. At times he speaks rather slowly and other times he tends to talk hastily. He is talking about a somber situation, regarding whether or not Hamlet should take his own life. He is listening to himself speak, because in the room the soliloquy is taken place you can hear his voice and steps echo. Mel Gibson is wearing all black and he has a full unkempt beard. His body camouflages in the background. The scene strongly symbolizes how Hamlet is feeling. He is feeling that no one notices him, he insignificant, and that he is just simply another person. He also feels that his intelligence does not stand out from the crowd. Mel Gibson walks into a very dark room similar to a basement. The little light in the room comes from the stairway which he slowly walked down to reach a room full of caskets and statues of dead people. The director did a great job with this scene because I thought that he purposely didn’t allow any light in the room besides the stairway signifying that the life he came from is much better than the life he is about walk into. Mel Gibson paced a lot during his speech. Frequently he would look up at the ceiling, as if he was talking to the gods in Heaven. Mel Gibson is most likely trying to talk to the gods asking for assistance. Should Hamlet take his own life? Mel Gibson touches the statues and the coffins. He rests his body on one of the caskets and assumes the praying position.  The scene is very gloomily and dark, which is very comparable the Hamlet’s words. 

Hamlet’s “To be or Not To be” soliloquy by Laurence Olivier acting as Hamlet takes a different approach on the scenery for the viewers to grasp a better understanding of Hamlet’s words. Hamlet is outside on top of rocks on elevated land. Below Hamlet, is water gushing towards the rocks and land. It looks rather chilly outside and very foggy. In the beginning of the soliloquy he closes his eyes to gather his thoughts. He later pulls out a very sharp-looking knife which he plans to use to end his life. We can hear the wind in the background and Hamlet looks like he has a tight grip on the rocks that he is sitting on. He may be afraid that the wind could pick up speed and push him off the rock. As the speech continues he looks rather relaxed with his thoughts. The actor lacks emotion in his words and body language. In Laurence Oliver’s scene he does get up from sitting on the rock and stands close to the edge looks down and observes the landscape in the distance.  

Hamlet is also directed by and starring Kenneth Branaugh. Kenneth Branaugh “To be or Not To be” speech takes place in a fancy ballroom. The scenery does not give off a gloomily impression. Ballrooms are usually filled with happy couples. The music gives off a vibe as if something bad is about to occur. Hamlet walks into a room and stands in front of mirror. As he is talking to himself he sees himself through the mirror. He is wearing a black suit with a white dress shirt underneath. Kenneth Branaugh has maintained his facial hair and hair is neatly combed. He emphasizes on words, sometimes he takes a breath before and after essential words. He has a knife stored in the waist of his pants which he pulls at the points at the mirror and the reflection looks as if he is pointing it at himself. He also points the knife towards the temple in his head. His speech is interrupted by someone walking into the fancy decorated room. Overall, each director did a great job directing Hamlet. The actor’s presence and scenery is just as essential as the scenery