I'm really not good at deeply analysing stuff, so I was hoping you guys could help me. In Branagh's version of Hamlet, what is the major theme that is being emphasized? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

-- ducka (rjknipfer@yahoo.com), November 05, 2003

Answers

Betrayal?

-- catherine england (catherine_england@fastmail.com.au), November 06, 2003.

Catherine is right. Betrayal.

But like many of S's plays, there is that "tell people what you are feeling when you are feeling it before everyone starts to drop dead, get put in jail, go mad, etc." thing. Open, honest communication prevents death, don't you know....

-- Casey (mikken@neo.rr.com), November 08, 2003.

Branagh is also really emphasizing the theme of appearance versus reality. Look at Act 3, Scene 1; this is full of examples of the theme. In the movie, he uses mirrors as a powerful tool showing vision's important relationship with the contrasted ideas.

-- R (Tempest883@aol.com), November 14, 2003.

revenge

-- amb (mae_101903@yahoo.com), December 11, 2003.

I am in 8th grade and we are studying Hamlet and we just finished the full text. Another theme is Mystery and Intrigue.

-- Deanna (dmd12991@sbcglobal.net), March 01, 2005.