Hamlet - A Study in Poison

 First, if you want some Memorial Day thoughts, you might enjoy this post about my visit to the American Memorial in Normandy.

 

 I recently did a re-watch of the 4 hour opus that is Branagh's interpretation of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Kenneth Branagh stars as the titular character. I believe there was some discussion about his wanting to be or not to be the lead but he finally elected to suffer the slings and arrows of the outrageous role. Brian Blessed plays Hamlet's dad. Julie Christie plays his mum, and Derek Jacobi is the murdering uncle/stepfather. Kate Winslet plays my least favorite character: Ophelia. Richard Briers takes the role of Polonius. Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Judi Dench, Gerard Depardieu, Jack Lemon, and the magnificent Charlton Heston also appear. 

You would think that a film with such a fantastic cast would be absolutely fabulous. You would be right. It is. I would rather watch even an hour of this masterpiece than any other adaptation I've seen--except maybe Strange Brew. I doubt there will ever be a sillier yet entertaining version than Strange Brew.

I'm no edumacated critic or expert on all things Shakespeare, but I did notice a few things about Hamlet this time as I watched it over four or five sessions of thirty minutes to an hour each--over a period of a few weeks. I was struck by the poison theme in the play.

Hamlet's father is slain by poison poured into his ear--sort of like what the news media has been doing to the country for the last several years. (That was uncalled for. This isn't a political piece, but when I see a connection, sometimes it just slips out). The entire kingdom is poisoned. The king's ghost tells Hamlet of his murder--thus infecting the youth's mind against his mother and stepfather with the toxin of revenge. Hamlet goes on to poison Ophelia's well-being by mistakenly killing her father, sending her mixed messages about his love for her, and finally rejecting her. 

 As you might expect, she takes it all rather badly and eventually drowns her sorrows along with herself. 

As a result of two family members meeting their demise, and Prince Hamlet being the obvious common denominator, her brother Laertes has his heart poisoned against Hamlet. 

Claudius seizes the opportunity to continue poisoning Laertes against Hamlet and encourages him to slay Hamlet with--you guessed it--poison. Claudius arranges a fencing match between Laertes and Claudius. During the course of the match, Laertes has his sword tipped with poison. Not one to leave a good murder to chance, Claudius also prepares a poison pellet in the chalice from the palace (or maybe it's the flagon with the dragon--it wasn't stated, but I know it wasn't the vessel with the pestle) which he proposes as a congratulatory refreshment for Hamlet after scoring a touch against Laertes. Hamlet succeeds in scoring on Laertes, but puts off his quaff from the toxic tankard. Instead, his mother Queen Gertrude guzzles from the brew that is cruel. The fencing match goes full Outback (i.e., no rules) and Hamlet takes a wound from Laertes' poisoned blade. He disarms Laertes and, in returning the blade to Laertes, switches swords with his enemy. Shortly thereafter, Hamlet, being a gifted artist, draws blood on Laertes. Gertrude dies, Laertes dies, confessing his treachery and Claudius' subterfuge before he expires. Hamlet

 hurls the poisoned blade through Claudius' back and pours the last of the poisoned wine into Claudius's mouth, inserting curses and invective into Claudius' ears all the while. The murderous uncle thus receives all he gave, reaping that which he sowed. Hamlet finally stops talking and succumbs to the poison wound.

Unfortunately for the kingdom, one who has not been poisoned, Fortinbras, 

 completes his sneak attack invasion of the nation and the palace as the remnants of the royal family enjoy their final repose on the palace parquet.

I must say, it was a terrific conclusion with the sword fight and folks dropping dead of poison. I highly recommend it; five stars given, but I suggest you refrain from any offered refreshments.