dark-haired-hamlet:

oldshrewsburyian:

dark-haired-hamlet:

dark-haired-hamlet:

I have so many problems with Mel Gibson’s Hamlet, but the fact that he plays “get thee to a nunnery” as a warning to Ophelia that shit’s about to go down is so fantastic and effective.

Like why do productions insist on the abusive brothel connotation when it’s infinitely more powerful and gut-wrenching delivered as Hamlet trying to take care of Ophelia without giving himself away.

Reblogging myself to say that I saw a live Hamlet production the other day that did Gibon’s interpretation of the nunnery scene and the audience nearly cried it was such a good, emotionally moving, and logical interpretation of the scene.

Destroy Fuckboy Nunnery Interpretation 2K17.

I read Olivier as doing the same thing. He performs Fuckboy Nunnery Interpretation(™ @dark-haired-hamlet) loudly and passionately for the listeners he knows are there… and then kneels down and all but strokes Ophelia’s hair and very gently, with tears in his voice, repeats: “To a nunnery, go,” and I dissolve. Updated with link to conclusion of scene because godddd Laurence Olivier.

YES OKAY and I HATE Olivier’s Hamlet (just…don’t get me started) but that line is always SO POWERFUL.

Honestly, if I was directing, with my love of the “eyes of Elsinore are watching” interpretation, hamlet in this scene would be loudly yelling his misogynistic threats so that Polonius & Claudius can hear, but then switching from them into a soft voice that they cannot hear, trying to tell Ophelia – “leave! We’re in danger here, this is a poisonous place. They’re watching. Get thee to a nunnery!” and then returning again. The two “views” of hamlet’s insanity almost.

It brings a whole new dynamic to the scene and element of hamlet’s character…makes both of the characters more human and highlights the perilous position they’re both in – pawns in a game that is trying to manipulate them towards the players’ own ends.