HAMLET by William shakespeare Background Hamlet was written

HAMLET by William shakespeare

Background • Hamlet was written between 1599 and 1601. • Hamlet is one of the most famous plays ever written and is still being adapted into many forms of art and entertainment today. • Hamlet was first performed between 1600 -01 in the Globe Theater in London, England.

In the Globe Historical rendition of the Shakespearean Globe

Theater vs. Film • How does performing in a theater differ from performing on film?

Adaptations • Three movie adaptations of the famous soliloquy “To be or not to be”: – Hamlet with Mel Gibson (1990) – Billy Madison scene (1995) – Hamlet with Ethan Hawke (2000) Something to think about…. how does each adaptation compare/contrast to your understanding of the scene?

Hamlet – 1990 (Mel Gibson) (click picture)

Discuss…. • How does seeing the scene performed in its original time period, help you to better understand the “To be or not to be” soliloquy?

Billy Madison Scene - 1995 (click picture)

Discuss…. • Why would the director of Billy Madison parody the scene? Why is it funny?

Hamlet – 2000 (Ethan Hawke) (click picture)

Discuss…. • How does the modern setting affect or alter the scene?

So… to be or not to be? • Which adaptation did you find most/least effective? • Why/why not? • What would you change, if anything? For extra credit, sign in to and post your thoughts on this lecture or on anything relevant to Hamlet. (click Facebook link above at top of logo).

Any Questions?