Mr. John Prince

Nehemie KabeyaMr. John Prince

Weiting About Literature

April 16, 2021

In this paper, I will choose the interpretation of Act 1, Scene III as a director. This is the scene of the interaction between Ophelia and Polonius. Hamlet happens to be an exclusively rich and complex stage history reflecting the captivation which the main character has awakened in all kinds of critic, partially since the excellent usage of his soliloquies attracts captivating attention to his indefinable personal identity. The uncertainties of the protagonist and the scheme have unlocked immeasurable interpretative options. This variety likely gives a challenge purposely made by the writer to provoke addressees interest. This scene presents a tender, if somewhat humorous, conversation between sister and brother, father and daughter, and father and son. However, hidden in the dialog is the hint of love vs. betrayal, honesty vs. deceit, and reality vs. appearances that recur all the way through the play.

Being the director, in the scene of the Interaction between Ophelia and Polonius in Act I, Scene III, I intended Polonius to be strict and of power, with the manner, he talks to Ophelia and also for this to be made open and contrasting with Polonius’ association with Laertes. In the scene’s opening, I imagined Ophelia attempting to leave the room while being scared that her dad would want to know from her concerning what Laertes asserted. But on the other hand, Polonius would take her inside with his inquiry, and the dialog begins. I expected a neutral tone in Polonius opening lines when he asks about Hamlet as he says what he overheard, but for that to escalate gradually into a serious tone. As a director, from lines 98-102, “Marry, well bethought… Have your audience been most free and bounteous”, I imagined Polonius to stride towards Ophelia and lead her to a chair in a kindly way. Though, in his lines leading up to, “What is between you? Give me up the truth” (107), I had an image of him to be seated beside her, with his eyes sternly looking into her eyes with his brows wrinkled, and clutching her hands, quaking it in some way violently as he furiously demands the truth from her.

My imagination as a director for the rest of the scene would play out his anger. By use of a disdainful tone, Polonius talks quickly to dismiss Ophelia’s ideas of Hamlet’s love. To demonstrate this, he would have inflated gestures, for instance, his hand moving in the air as if he was attempting to frighten away insects near him, apart from his hand motion would be hasty and in control when he asserts, “Affection, puh!” (110), as if he were scooting away Ophelia’s idea. I imagined Polonius to have had a serious tone over an angered one talking slower for his words to sink in his last bit of dialogue.

Until now the play, Ophelia appears to generally agree with and accept what individuals tell her, for instance, Hamlet’s proposals which she trusts to be affection in addition to the advice Laertes gives her. Because of this, my expectation of her manner is to be principally similar in this conversation with Polonius. Consequently, in her very brief replying lines, I had an imagination of Ophelia speaking somehow softly and thoughtfully, having a hesitation when she speaks initially on and develops confidence as she attempts to persuade her dad that Hamlet adores her, but ultimately giving a submissive tone when she comes to an agreement of doing what her dad decides. When it comes to staging directions, I decided to provide her with more hand gestures to provide a visual picture of what she feels and attempts to influence the father of her words. For instance, in lines 108-109, when she claims that Hamlet shows her a lot of love, “He hath, my lord, of late made many tenders of his affection to me.” I decided that she ought to hold her two hands to her heart when she asserts the term “affection,” and her and her facial appearance, having a smile, in a dreamy haze as she falls into thinking about Hamlet.

Another thing I imagined by being the director is some of the interactions to take place based off on the same situation whereby my younger sister was having a talk from my dad about dating. It was a very serious and civilized dating in which they sat at the living room acres each other. Forced to involuntary listen and learn, I noticed that my sister diverted her eyes, not actually interested in paying attention during the lengthy conversation. I picked the psychological note of other movements and the tone in voice during the dialogue and brought into the interpretation of the interaction between Polonius and Ophelia. I imagined Ophelia to be more submissive but opted for her to try to fight against her father’s ideas, all in the name of love. I would direct and add more had gestured to the characters to create more emphasis, make more interaction between the characters to demonstrate better what they feel, and add more liveliness in the play. Will try to be an excellent director in all the scene.

Works Cited

Evans, Rachel. “Hamlet by William Shakespeare, and: Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw.” Theatre Journal 70.1 (2018): 92-94.

Shakespeare, William. “Hamlet: [1604].” Oxford Text Archive Core Collection (1991).

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