William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” has been celebrated as one of the best plays ever written, and its popularity is proven by the fact that the play is still being enacted, centuries after being presented to the public for the first time. Partially, its universal appeal is explained by the fact that the play tackles issues that are still relevant for the contemporary audiences, such as betrayal, revenge and love, among many others. The play’s universality is so great that director Michael Almereyda was able to adapt it to the screen by changing the setting of the story to present-day New York, while still preserving the original dialogue. Released in 2000, Michael Almereyda’s “Hamlet” provides an interesting interpretation of the play, which allows viewers to situate Hamlet in the contemporary imagination, and to understand him as a sensitive young man upon whom a heavy load was laid. Act I, Scene 5: Another Part of the Platform” when the ghost and Hamlet meet for the first time is extremely significant both in the play and in the film, because it represents the moment when Hamlet’s fate is sealed. While Shakespeare does not provide any stage indication regarding this meeting, the director manages to create a powerful scene between father and son by imagining Old Hamlet not like an eerie spirit, but like a corporeal presence, who is able to interact with Hamlet at a physical level. This gives more substance to the scene, and manages to explain the impact of this meeting upon Hamlet, but also, the ghost’s intense anger and yearning for revenge, which is transmitted to the son.
In the film, the scene of the meeting between Hamlet and the Ghost starts at 17:36, when Hamlet wakes up and sees his father from the window, leaning on a balcony and looking at him directly, and ends at 23:49, when the Ghost suddenly disappears from the same balcony. It is dark outside, because, as Shakespeare indicated, the ghost only appears at night. Hamlet sleeps on the couch at the moment of the Ghost’s appearance, and wakes up, being alerted by his friends by means of a telephone call. The TV is open, and the explosion on the screen suggests the intensity of the scene. The contemporary setting of the hotel room contrasts powerfully with the setting of the original play, but in fact, the interaction between the characters is similar. The ghost then appears outside the glass terrace door, and Hamlet steps forward to open it for Old Hamlet. The camera cuts to a close –up of the protagonist’s face. Hamlet seems extremely impressed by the ghost of his father, as any ordinary person would be. While Hamlet wears an entirely black casual outfit, and the father wears an extremely elegant suit, with a white shirt and a red tie. He thus appears to be a powerful man whose presence overwhelms the son and the audience.
In the film, the ghost is a corporal being, being able to speak and act as a living person. He grabs his son by the hair, and presses his shoulders and his chest to give more power to his words. He seems angry as he explains to his son that he was murdered. The close-ups to his face allow the viewers to understand the pain and anger of the ghost who feels betrayed. The filmmaker put a handkerchief in Old Hamlet’s hand, which he sometimes takes to the ear in which the poison was poured, suggesting a feeling of pain or discomfort, which is unlikely, given that the character is dead. The handkerchief however is symbolic, and reminds the audience of the pain that Old Hamlet endured unjustly.
The filmmakers’ choice corresponds to the initial intention of the playwright, as Shakespeare’s ghost also needed to be played by an actor. No special effects could be used at the time that the play was written, and by preserving the corporeality of the ghost, Almereyda maintains the original appearance of the ghost. Thus, in the play, the meeting takes place in Act I, Scene 5, on a platform which is situated before the castle. Shakespeare indicates: “Enter GHOST and HAMLET” (Shakespeare I.5), and the first line is spoken by Hamlet, who asks the Ghost not to go further, because he will not follow. This line is not used in the film, as the ghost is welcomed by Hamlet in his room. In the play however, this line indicates Hamlet’s fear and uncertainty, which is transcribed in the film by the emotions which are obvious on the actor’s face. The most important part of this scene is the request that the father makes, to “revenge his foul and most unnatural murder” (Shakespeare I.5), which indicates that the ghost still has feelings and this is why he cannot rest until the murderer is punished.
While in the play, Shakespeare does not give any indications on the attitude of the Ghost, his gestures, or the way it acts towards Hamlet, his powerful and angry voice suggests an acting intensity that would produce intense feelings in the audience. For example, the ghost says,
“O, horrible! O, horrible! most horrible!If thou hast nature in thee, bear it not;Let not the royal bed of Denmark beA couch for luxury and damned incest” (Shakespeare I. 5).
The intensity of these words suggests that the Ghost is in great pain and revenge is the only possible solution for the ghost to finally rest in peace. This forces Hamlet to take action against the murderer, as a loyal son. The request to remember him at the end of the dialogue further creates an obligation for the son. In the film also, the father asks Hamlet to remember him, and the director emphasizes this request by means of a loving hug, for which there is no indication in the play. However, given the intensity of the dialogue, the hug seems appropriate and credible. The connection between the two men is as strong as it was during the king’s life, and Hamlet, while seemingly shocked, still answers with the same eagerness. The bond of love being reinforced, Hamlet has no other choice than to obey the spirit of his father.
Therefore, both in the pay and in the film, the Ghost appears as a corporeal presence which interacts with Hamlet as a human being would. While setting the film in contemporary America, the filmmaker does not make use of special effects to create an ethereal ghost but on the contrary, he creates a physical ghost, who appears as lively as the protagonist. Imagining the ghost this way is necessary in order to explain the long and meaningful dialogue between the two characters. While no indication is provided in the play, the director allows Old Hamlet to touch, grab, and hug the protagonist, thus creating even more intimacy between the two characters, and suggesting even more clearly the material nature of the ghost. This corporeality allows the viewers to perceive the dead king as a compelling and powerful character whose words cannot be dismissed, and whose request must be fulfilled.
Works Cited
“Hamlet”. Michael Almereyda (dir.), Ethan Hawke (perf). USA: Miramax Film. 2000. Film.
Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. 1602. Web.
