This soliloquy shows the trapped feeling of depression so well. In his self-hatred, betrayal, and grief, Hamlet saw only two options--to be (for life to continue this way always) or not to be (to die). He had no hope or even conception that he had the choice or ability to make changes to his life so that it wouldn't always be so terrible.
My God! It is possible to do the most quoted speech of all time and give it new life. It is the first time I’ve seen a performance where suicide was a probable outcome. Bravo
Yes, I was looking for this! Didn't know till I found it, but the others were all the same. This guy dared to just do it straight and clearly! Yet I was on the edge of my seat, thinking he would swallow those pills, even tho I knew it wasn't in the script.
After 400 years of this soliloquy being performed, Mr. Whishaw brought forth a new take on this work and a masterful one as well. Ben is going supernova. Extraordinary. Thank you.
I've seen many takes on Hamlet and Mr. Whishaw makes it most frail, sad and scared interpretation I've seen. There is so much raw fear in this iconic monologue as he is teetering between two horrifying alternatives.
AS close to what I have always imagined in my head as I have ever heard. No intoning like in a trance, no enormous pauses for no reason, like relatively normal speech within what Shakespeare gives.
Yesssss! Ah, you said it all. I didn't quite dare to criticize those whispered intonations and "enormous" pauses! But this performance is what I was looking for.
Love where he pounds his knee at "from whose bourn no traveler returns": seems like he's pretty clearly trying to tell himself the Ghost was NOT his father. Nice reference back to the end of the second soliloquy.
No disrespect intended, but I was listening to this- not watching- and at first I thought that voice belonged to a middle aged woman. Great performance though, I like how he made it seem like suicide might actually happen here rather than just depressively pondering it.
I hate this modern age! A perfectly realised contemporary interpretation, like something generated on a park bench, may grab the attention of the young, but I LIKE black tights and heroic poise! Fortunately, WS can survive fashion, or the lack of it!
@karlosthejackel69 Did you dislike it just because it's grittily real and his voice is kind of high? Or maybe it seemed too literal and obvious? I loved it; much more engaging than the usual fare.
