Characterization of Hamlet May Be Thesis

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When we consider the character of Hamlet, it is easy to assume we are in for serious contemplation. Hamlet is not one of the easiest characters to figure out. However, we do know that he is a broken man. Some of the ideals and impressions he once held dear have surely been shattered upon returning to Elsinore. Some of his first thoughts include what it might be like for his "sullied flesh would melt/Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew" (Shakespeare I.ii.133-4). Hamlet questions God and his purpose, too, saying, "Or that the Everlasting had not fixed/His canon 'gainst self-slaughter!" (I.ii.135-6). Life "weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable (I.ii.137) for Hamlet and "things rank and gross in nature/Possess it merely" (I.ii.140-1). This is the character Zeffirelli portrays in the film. This is the Hamlet we expect to see on the stage. He is not over the top; he is buried in grief. Zeffirelli's interpretation of the film can be criticized for omitting certain aspects of the play but by doing this, he makes the audience focus solely on the character of Hamlet.
From this perspective, the film is a tremendous success because it delivers to the audience a broken, melancholy individual that can no more come to terms with what has happened than he can seek vengeance. They are, after all, intertwined and Hamlet is lost somewhere in the middle of life and death. No other film versions characterize Hamlet in the quite the same way. For this reason, this version of Hamlet is the one to watch to catch a glimpse of the character in all his "glory." Understanding the character of Hamlet is not easy; this aspect makes him popular and worth dissecting. The best portrayal of this man will be the one that focuses on the deepest, darkest aspects of his nature that make him appear human and crestfallen.

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