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Representations of the Ghost in Hamlet Movies

One of the most popular and most performed plays in the world Shakespeares Hamlet
continues to be an inexhaustible source of inspiration centuries after its first performance. Its rich
language and abundance of themes empowered the film industry to reinterpret the play and beget
a vast variety of screenings from silent versions to modern-day adaptations. Most significant
character is widely considered to be the Ghost of King Hamlet because he is the catalyst to set
the play in motion(OConnor).
In this essay I intend to discuss how some movie directors decided to picture the Ghost
and why they chose that particular approach. For my purpose I will consider the perspectives of
the following directors: Franco Zeffirelli (1990), Kenneth Branagh (1996) and, Gregory
Doran (2009).
Zeffirellis adaptation of Hamlet deviates in a certain measure from the original plot, even
so Shakespeares drama does not seem to suffer from artful cutting and rearrangement of the text.
He leaves out lines and also cuts the initial scene of the play, in which the guards see the Kings
Ghost before Hamlet himself does. In addition Zeffirelli chose to represent the Ghost with no
armor. These sacrificed elements are meant to narrow the focus and create a unique tribute to
Shakespeares play.
Depriving the king of his armor, Zeffirelli pictured the Ghost as a weak and sorrowful old
man. There is anguish in his sad look and defeat in his posture. Most of the lines of his speech
were left out, he does not judge his son, nor does he manipulate him to exact vengeance on
Claudius as Shakespeares Ghost actually does in a severe manner. Critics have seen Zeffirellis
version of the Ghost as a very palpable apparition, emphasizing the need of the father to connect
with his son. As Anthony Dawson put it he is a father who wants recognition, remembrance
(200), Zeffirelli main interest being in family relationships.
Six years later another director Branagh updates the play setting to the 19 th century but
keeps the original language specific to the Elizabethan Age. Apart from the placing in time, his
movie demonstrates high fidelity to Shakespeares text, yet his personal touch is easily
recognisable. Initially he introduces the Ghost as a statue which later on comes to life. In the first
scene the one who once owned the kingdom is now seen as an intruder, as an enemy by his

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former servants. Unlike Zeffirellis version, Branaghs ghost is malicious, acts in a violent
manner and, he is the first one to reach his weapon when the guards sense his presence
But why does Branagh opt for such an aggressive ghost? The reasons might be that he
tries to shock both Hamlet and the audience in order to feel the turmoil experienced by the Ghost
himself. Due to modern visual techniques he manages to design the atmosphere that he desires:
dark background, flashes of light, fog, close-ups with the kings face. The zoomed-in images of
the Ghosts eyes, mouth and poisoned ear are full of significance. The horrifying unnatural blue
eyes evoke another world, unknown to both the living and the king himself, who has not been
able to find his way and his peace. His mouth represents his sole remained power: the word; he
cannot achieve revenge by his own, but he can communicate with his son and compel him to put
things in the right order. In addition, the close-up on his mouth gives force to his message and
frightens at the same time. His bleeding ear comes as a strong argument, depicting the horrible
crime committed by his own brother. This explicitly visual image is complementary to the
feelings of horror and awe of which Hamlet is stricken.
Last version of the Ghost that I am going to scrutinize is the one of the director Gregory
Doran in his 2009 movie. His interpretation brings a new dimension to Shakespeares play. The
modern-day setting makes the plot easily accessible to the understanding of the audience;
however he does not alters the original language. The Ghost is being played by Patrick Stewart
who also plays the role of Claudius, essentially this makes them twins- an original view of the
director, who rather wants to highlight the difference in character between the two brothers and
ignore the physical features.
Nevertheless Doran's Ghost production stands faithful to Shakespeare's depiction in
pinpoint fashion. The armor adorning him reflects the exact image of him in the play. As far as
his moral and mental conduct are concerned, there is a mixture of feelings that torment him from
sadness and melancholy to severity and thirst for being revenged- a faithful image that mirrors
the behavior of Shakespeares character. The dark setting adds angst to the entire scene and the
fear arises as the cold brick walls throw back the echoes of his authoritative voice.
In conclusion, even if hundreds of years elapsed since they were written, the
Shakespearian plays continue to be subject of reinterpretations for any generation of art
producers. Hamlets thematic complexity and the volubility of the language allow the play to be
put on stage in a wide variety of settings and the actors to have unique and creative
performances.
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Bibliography
1. Dawson, Anthony B., Shakespeare in Performance. Hamlet (1995), Manchester
University Press, New York, Web. 17.Oct. 2015
https://books.google.ro/books?id=e2zdLrXIMQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=isbn:0719046254&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CB4Q
6AEwAGoVChMI6N_GjKjJyAIVhgwsCh1UYQ7M#v=onepage&q&f=false
2. OConnor 06, Bridget, Spirit of Health and Goblin Damned: The Ghost of King
Hamlet as a Symbol for the Religious Ambivalence in England during the Religious
Reformation (2006). Honors Projects. Paper 5. Web. 16 Oct.2015
http://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/eng_honproj/5