Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquy is the one of the most famous monologues of all time. And for good reason. It captures a pivotal point in the storyline of Hamlet and quite frankly, if it is acted correctly, can draw in an audience so much that they can't take their eyes from the stage or off the screen, as was my experience in researching these videos.
These two videos in particular captured my attention because of the two different takes on the same set extreme of emotions. They both show that Hamlet is facing a very hard decision, and that he is debating suicide, whether or not he should act on what his father's ghost has told him to do, and all the while trying to keep the people he cares about safe from himself.
The first video captures the stressed and depressed side of the soliloquy, which I feel stands out more in the text and in what Hamlet is trying to say, granting it top spot in the list of things to show in a performance of the piece in my mind. This rendition allowed me to understand what Hamlet feels and thinks as he talks himself through his problems, which is crucial for obvious reasons in understanding the story. Because this version made me understand the soliloquy more, it also made me realize why these Shakespearean plays are supposed to be plays. Plays just deliver the message better.
The second video shows a different side of the piece, which, although important, I felt shouldn't have been highlighted. It focused on the anger at the situation and the craziness that is all around Hamlet, and maybe even the craziness inside his head. This version caught me off-guard when I made the realization that Hamlet seemed like a kind of psycho, pulling out daggers and yelling at himself in the mirror. I kept thinking to myself, "Isn't Hamlet supposed to be acting crazy, and not actually being crazy?" As a result of this thought I was lost and confused while watching this rendition of the soliloquy.
