Why Is Hamlet's Great Mind

William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is often cited as a study of madness. However, there are several factors in the young protagonist’s life that contribute to his attitude and actions in the script. This leaves the door wide open, and lends a freedom to the character of Hamlet for someone directing the play. I believe that Hamlet is exceptionally intelligent, and would choose to play him in this light. Throughout the text, many examples and insights of Hamlet’s great mind are offered, and in certain film versions the actors make choices that act upon how smart the character truly is, and how he twists things his way. The first instance in which Hamlet appears in the play, he displays his superior wit and intelligence. His, once uncle, now
Therefore, they send Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to speak with and try to crack his exterior. Hamlet realizes they were ejected on him by Claudius and Gertrude immediately, and effortlessly creates a scenario with which to humiliate them. He produces a recorder and asks Guildenstern to play on it. Guildenstern tells Hamlet several times that he cannot because he does not know how to play it. As he continues to plead he cannot play the recorder, Hamlet becomes fed up with for assuming he is “to be played on than a pipe” (3. 2. 400). Hamlet places these two in such a situation almost rapidly, which shows the speed at which his mind processes. I would play up how quickly he creates this scenario, having a certain intensity to Hamlet, as he would be offended by how the two underestimate his
In his discussion after with Gertrude, I would present a different angle to when he asks his mother “forgive [him] this [his] virtue” (3. 4. 173). Instead of having an actual desire to reconstruct his relationship with his mother, I would display it as a strategic move. I would build up his brightness, while simultaneously playing Gertrude as rather dull. Hamlet would only be trying to get Gertrude on his side to weaken the King’s aggression on him. I would the actor use specific body language and facial expressions to get this point across. When Claudius soon after asks Hamlet where Polonius is, he responds with one of his most clever retorts in the script. He states that Polonius is “at supper...not where he eats, but where he is eaten” (4. 3. 20-22). Even after so much stress and tension has made way into his life, Hamlet is still as sharp as he ever was. He is able to develop an impressively witty response in almost no time. I would have my Hamlet portray an arrogant intelligence here, he would talk down to Claudius until what he says is