Hamlet: The First Ghost Scene

The first version of the ghost scene by Zeffirelli was set in medieval times. I feel that Mel Gibson portrayed Hamlet well. His reaction to the truth of his father's death was very dramatic. The ghost of King Hamlet made gestures that portrayed extreme desperation. His pale complexion and the light from the moon made a haunting effect. The music in the background played very softly for the audience to concentrate more on the dialogue. The director didn't use intense special effects in this scene. It was very to the point. Overall, I liked this version over the other two because of the dark, eerie, and haunting effect.

Branagh's interpretation of the ghost scene was set in the 18th century. The ghost of Hamlet's dead father appears outside the castle wearing battle armor like in Shakespeare's play. The special effects that involved the ground shaking and splitting and exploding were unnecessary in my opinion. Hamlet's narration while he was running through the woods was obnoxious too. The ghost looked and sounded much ghastlier than Zeffirelli's. His eyes were a grey-blue and his complexion was very pale, as if he actually had risen from the dead. His voice was very soft while he spoke to Hamlet. He was whispering, but you felt a sense of suspense. The flashbacks also went along with the dialogue but I felt like it wasn't necessary. The ghost was more unearthly and haunting in this version but the special effects kind of brought down the scene.


In the third version directed by Almereyda, the setting was much more modern. It was a modern day Hamlet but the dialogue was straight from the play. I found this version interesting because of the use of Shakespeare's modern english in the present day. No special effects were used. Hamlet and his father's ghost were just in a hotel room. In this version, the ghost of King Hamlet is holding a handkerchief that he consistantly presses against this ear. This use of a prop symbolizes the way he died. Playing on the tv in the background is a video of young Hamlet and his father. Since Hamlet is a film student in this version he has this recording on the television. This could symbolize their close relationship. King Hamlet does make physical contact with Hamlet in this scene. But towards the end when he reaches for his son, just before he can touch him, he disappears. This was common in all the versions of the ghost scene.