Synopsis
Shakespeare's classic tragedy of love, madness, and revenge, first enacted in London in 1602. Young Prince Hamlet, in mourning for his dead father, receives an apparition of his father's ghost telling him that he was murdered by his own brother Claudius, who then assumed the throne and married Hamlet's mother, Gertrude. Intent on revenge, Hamlet feigns madness and plots how he might kill Claudius. When Polonius, Claudius's counselor, hides behind a curtain in Gertrude's bedroom to eavesdrop on Hamlet, Hamlet mistakes him for Claudius and stabs him to death. Claudius then sends Hamlet into exile, intending him to be killed abroad, but Hamlet outwits his assassins and makes his way back to Denmark. Polonius's daughter Ophelia, who had been in love with Hamlet, goes mad from grief over her father's death and Hamlet's exile, and she drowns herself. After Hamlet returns, he is challenged to a duel by Laertes, Ophelia's brother. Claudius secretly poisons the tips of the swords, and both Laertes and Hamlet die from their wounds, but not before Hamlet kills Claudius before the assembled court.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1996-12-01 | | Edition Description: | Illustrated |
| Size | | Length: | 208 pages | | Height: | 9.0 in | | Width: | 6.5 in | | Thickness: | 0.8 in | | Weight: | 16.0 oz |
Publisher's Note
Often credited with creating a popular movie audience for Shakespeare, Kenneth Branagh has wanted for many years to bring to the screen the complete, full-length version of "Hamlet", Shakespeare's greatest play. "The film, like the play, will have something for everyone," he says. "Its a ghost story, a thriller,an action-packed murder mystery, and a great tragedy that is profoundly moving." With an
outstanding cast of international actors--including Derek Jacobi as Claudius, Julie Christie as Gertrude, Kate Winslet as Ophelia, Charlton Heston as the Player King, Robin Williams as Osric, and Gerard Depardieu as Reynaldo--Branagh's version, in which he will play the title role as well as direct, is sure to go down in film history.
This beautiful volume includes Branagh's introduction and screenplay adaptation of Shakespeare's text, color and black-and-white stills, and a production diary that takes us behind the scenes for a day-to-day look at the shooting of his film.
Industry Reviews
Wouldn't you know that Branagh would finally tackle Hamlet on screen. This official tie-in includes a production diary, stills from the film, and the screenplay. But where's Emma?
Breitman
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