Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet

Unfortunately, no one in the present court remembers Yoric and so they cannot understand what Hamlet is doing and so pronounce him mad. That is why Hamlet calls upon the players. His actions as a fool have not brought results and so the play is the thing wherein he'll catch the conscience of a King. The play charts Hamlet's attempts to prove his Uncle's guilt. To kill a King was serious even if you were certain he was a murderer.

When Hamlet returns from England and embarks on the dual his speech regarding the fate of a sparrow answers the question. "If it be now..." He has come to the end of his options; everything will be answered then and there. No longer do we hear Hamlet's expressions of self-reproach or doubts that he will act favorably towards Claudius. What is impressive is his newly found decisiveness. Thanks to what he calls "rashness" and "indiscretion", he is able to formlate a plan and to execute it without delay.

I think that Hamlet is very human with respect to his reaction towards all that has happened around him. Most people when they are stressed or traumatized or whatever, tend to feel sorry for themselves, isolate themselves, lament over their own problems, etc. without much regard for the feelings of others. In Hamlet's case, I believe he does care for Ophelia until he realizes that she has betrayed him. He dooesn't understand what his mother has done--put yourself in his position; how would you feel?

Therefore I have concluded that Hamlet was not mad. What is the definition of insanity? Clearly, insanity seems to run along the lines of something like this: "Losing touch with reality, lacking the ability to determine right from wrong, or having no concept for the consequences of one's actions." Hamlet has a clear understanding of the situation, understands that he is in the wrong no matter what he does, and realizes-all too fully-the consequences of his actions. He is, therefore, not mad. Madness is NOT making decisions that we ourselves would not make. Remember,"Though this is madness, there's method in it". By definition, Polonius's very words discount the possibility of madness. If there is method, then there is no madness. I believe Hamlet was trying to escape God by creating his own way and displaying his hatred of God by his refusal to grieve the sorrow over the loss of his father and by his thwarted passion and detachment from Ophelia.

Question #2: Ophelia, daughter of Polonius, sister to Laertes, and rejected lover of Hamlet is a sumbol of innocence gone mad. A dutiful daughter, she is manipulated into spying on Hamlet and must bear his humiliating and brutal remarks.She believes him to be mad, commenting sadly "O, what a noble mind is here o'erthrown." Having lost Hamlet's affection, she herself goes mad when her father is killed by Hamlet. Her mad scene (act IV, scene 5)is one of the best known in Western literature. Driven out of her mind by Hamlet's neglect and the murder of her father, Ophelia wanders down to a stream, clutching garlands of flowers and slips into the water where she drowns. Her death is not represented in the Branagh's film of Hanlet, but is described by Hamlet's mother. Ophelia, instead of being "baptised" in the purifying water of transforming Love, signifying Hamlet's "metanoia", drowns in grief in the waters of forgetfulness.

In Branagh's interpretation of Hamlet, he is putting on an act by which he can distance himself from everyone, even his love, Ophelia (Kate Winslet) driving her to insanity. Kate Winslet gives a heart wrenching performance as Ophelia. Her descent into madness is harrowing to watch, and although it is tempting to blame Hamlet for this, Winslet makes it clear that Ophelia made the decision to obey her father and betray Hamlet which in turn brought his wrath against her. Instead of intentionally playing the part for sympathy, she lets us know that Ophilia had as much to do with her downfall as anyone else.

After watching Branagh's rendition of Hamlet and researching other resources on Shakespeare's Hamlet, in my opinion I believe Ophelia's madness is true madness according to the definition of madness by which I described in question #1. Hamlet's madness was a brilliant act of craftiness and manipulation whereas Ophelia's was not. As much as, Ophelia's choices led to her demise she did in fact go mad. She was racked with guilt and shame;fell into a deep pit of despair and hopelessness, and betrayed by the past her faith was weakened. She longed for deep satisfaction, intimacy with God and others, especially Hamlet. Through her refusal to grieve and her flight from sorrow she lost sight of reality and God. Therefore seeing no other option, she ended her life. Whereas in the case of Hamlet his madness was a tool by which he was able to distance himself from intimacy with Ophelia and others and carry out his revenge on his uncle, King Claudius. However, I believe that there were elements of redemption, restoration and reconciliation actively operating in Hamlet's soul upon his return from England and discovering that Ophelia was dead. If Hamlet had lived he may very well have experienced a miraculous "metanoia" in his life.

Continued on page 3

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Copyright 2000 by Rebekah Johnston