Hamlet Act 2 Scene 2 Soliloquy (1996)

[aaalecsa]

Phenomenal. Sweet goodness, this man knows his Shakespeare. I cannot handle all this.

[2write2sing2dance]

This is the best Shakespeare actor out there. He killed it. As per usual.

[cheesebob799]

I had to memorize this for school :D

[cheyenne2414]

woo, memorized this in an hour :D

soo excited to present this in AP english tomorrow!!!

[cheesebob799]

@cheyenne2414 lol ur doing this for AP english im doing it for 8th grade

[Kiffraji]

@filledcup Actually, it's just "if he but blench" in my edition...maybe there's a disparity? Either way, Kenneth Branagh is like the God of Shakespeare. I doubt he'd suffer a mistake to remain in the final version.

[filledcup]

Spotted a tiny mistake. 3:03 It should be "[i]f he do blench,.." =P

This man is pro (no sarcasm). Like~

[rebecgood]

@filledcup He follows the first follio version, so there are quite a few differences if you follow along :) (Especially the other character's diologue)

[magicalunicorn15]

:D 

[just2comment]

FML.... I have less than three days to memorize this... AND write a paper about it. D':

[malomartwo2]

i have about 3 hours to memorize this...

[rmbouwens]

Well, I memorized it in two haha.

[uglyguido]

Most people don't know that dialogue gets replaced in the studio during the post production process, so he had to act just as good as he did on camera in a studio setting with probably a bunch of people staring at him through a glass window and maybe even the director phoning in from a different location. That's how amazing this guy is at acting.

[SolaScriptura1994]

Haha I memorized this in three days. Presentation tomorrow. For standard lit.

[rmbouwens]

I have 3 weeks to memorize this for AP Lit!! Pray for me haha

[lisaf94]

heey its lockhart from harry potter

[lollerfly724]

I love Kenneth for period interpretation, and David Tennant for modern interpretation. I can't decide which movie I like best, and so I won't.

[DameHaha2011]

Did Olivier's Hamlet include this?

[CTTT]

I love this version Kenneth Branagh is a great actor/director...other than this scene one scene I liked in particular was the beginning when Claudius asks Hamlet why the clouds hang on him. Other actors do this scene playing Hamlet as dark and moody...but I love the way Branagh plays it because through the emotion, the tears in his eyes a son grieving for the loss of his father. Much better take than the dark and moody interpretation,

[IamthebeastinU]

Yea... I gotta perform this soliloquy plus the second half of this scene for all the ap lit students in my school... this is gonna be tough

[Jamkarulz]

This dude did an unbelievable job as Hamlet. Props Kenneth for this and THOR!

[906087]

How did nowhon hear this?

[MrVKCA]

@906087

You're not suspending your disbelief nearly well enough.

[906087]

@MrVKCA OK, I see what you mean. It's a play, just go with it.

[Im5oC00l]

Wow... O_o It's emotional..

[brittfred4195]

rockhammer85: how is this a poor script?!

[Brideshead09]

Cont'd... If I've embarrassingly failed to notice something, please enlighten me and I'll stop making such a fool of myself.

[nepsjg]

what a great act.. i love it.

[rockhammer85]

Branagh does a fine job with a poor script.

[XxTheHeartGirlxX]

@rockhammer85 Poor script he did the 4 hour full text of hamlet pick up a book at Barnes and nobles or borders called "Hamlet" its his script!

[rockhammer85]

@XxTheHeartGirlxX

I know. Please don't tell me you thought my comment was serious.

[XxTheHeartGirlxX]

@rockhammer85 there wasnt exactly a jk at the end

[rockhammer85]

@XxTheHeartGirlxX

Not being serious doesn't mean making a blatant joke with a neat punchline. All the same, the flippancy should have been obvious to you.

[ilikeblondie]

I love this play this movie and shakespear but he has a habit of screaming every two seconds.

[FirstShotInc]

shakespeare sucks

[TasteJustLikeChicken]

Words.....Words.....Wooooorrrd­sssssssssss

[SexyAlyssaRitchie]

do you think hamlets tantrum is bit carried over the top in this scene? was this the max of hamlet's "seething rage"?

[GhibliFan1]

Absolute masterful interpretation and delivery.

[SnorkyO]

Kenneth Branagh is amazing

[ooohmyhead]

I dont remember this part in harry potter and the chamber of secrets????

[puppywithhorns7]

@ooohmyhead um.......this is Hamlet not Harry Potter. Same actor different character and movie/play completely.

[darthsane]

What a master, a true pleasure to watch!

[BottlesHD]

what is the mood of this sililoquy....vegeance/anger??

[breadforsin]

@BottlesHD neither its self loathing for the first three quarters before returning to the main theme the play, retribution, in the last few lines

[TenderTrap86]

Kenneth Branagh does Shakespeare so naturally. Other versions are so stiff.

[yellowstrawberries]

11 people don't know a good shakespeare soliloquy when they see one

[QuantumFart2]

@yellowstrawberries amen

[bucktkd]

@yellowstrawberries well said my brother... well said

[dyad2r1]

Rosenkranz & Guildenstern were Jews. Rosenkranz means "funeral wreath" and Guildenstern means "gold star." Shakespeare used these symbols to convey that they were untrustworthy and treacherous and deserved to die.

[wack909]

@dyad2r1 actually rosenkranz means rose wreath or commonly known as a rosery and guildenstern means gold star like you said yet Shakespeare used irony as a main piece of his works and these very religious holy or "pure" symbols are ironic of the evil things they are doing by spying

[dyad2r1]

@wack909

They're also Jewish names. Guildenstern means yellow star which would have been immediately recognizable to Shakespeare's audience. In fact, they probably laughed.

[wack909]

@dyad2r1 you do make a very valid point.

[sunshinemvh22]

jlnknkhnbkj

[sunshinemvh22]

good stuff

[Brideshead09]

This is Hamlet's 2nd Soliloquy...

[ToxicKetchup22]

@Brideshead09 Nah, it's his 3rd

[Brideshead09]

@ToxicKetchup22 ... It's really not.

[ToxicKetchup22]

@Brideshead09 Ah but it is though :)

[Brideshead09]

@ToxicKetchup22 I think we must be talking about different Hamlets. Hamlet's soliloquies, as I've always known them, go:

Act 1 Scene 2 - Oh that this too too solid flesh would melt

Act 2 Scene 2 - Oh, what a rogue and peasant slave am I (THIS ONE)

Act 3 Scene 1 - To be, or not to be (The 3rd Soliloquy)

Act 3 Scene 3 - Now might I do it pat

Act 4 Scene 4 - Now all occasions do inform against me

I did look these up to check, and can't find any support for this one being the 3rd. Cont'd...

[ToxicKetchup22]

@Brideshead09 I'm studying Hamlet in school, and as far as I know there are 6 soliloquies:

Act 1 Scene 2, as you've said

Act 1 Scene 5, just after the Ghost has told him about his murder by Claudius

Act 2 Scene 2, this one

Act 3 Scene 1, To be or not to be

Act 3 (not sure of which scene, left my Hamlet in school :L), "Now is the very witching time of night..."

And Act 4 Scene 4, when he's praising Fortinbras

I dunno, I'm from Ireland, so maybe we're taught it differently here?

[ToxicKetchup22]

@Brideshead09 Oh, and I don't think the "Now might I do it, pat" speech is a soliloquy, cuz Claudius is on stage at the time, and soliloquies are spoken by an actor/actress completely alone

[ToxicKetchup22]

@Brideshead09 Ugh, that was only 5 I've listed and I can't for the life of me remember the one I left out :L

I've been looking it up, and I've seen anything from 4 to 7 soliloquies.

Guess it's a matter of opinion :/

[ToxicKetchup22]

@Brideshead09 Apologies for the spam, but I just recounted and I did say 6 :L

I am not coming across well in this thread xD

[tamerlanenj]

One shot. Just like the stage.

[Sleepyhead6350]

This guy is the baddest actor I have ever seen. He totally ruins The real hamlet's reputation

[Brideshead09]

@Sleepyhead6350 Baddest, dear, is only a word if you're using it - rather ironically - as a colloquialism in lieu of "best". The word you're looking for is "worst".

[Jimbomonkey1234]

@Sleepyhead6350 The real who's now?

[assngiggle]

The next soliloquy in this play is far overrated compared to this one.

[datsyuk134life]

they had electricity hamlet's time?

[baladonian]

@datsyuk134life this is set in denmark later in history

[KtotheSallday]

what a fagg

[ccdonee]

i agree with him being too old but other than that he did pretty good!

[insaneatic]

Branagh does this soliloquy far better than any other version I have seen; he is quite an amazing actor.

[bananas1and2]

Though not my favourite version, I must say Branagh does quite a good job getting the anger across.

[colourfulwithaU]

Where he says 'SWOUNDS, I SHOULD TAKE IT! He is speaking with anger, when he should be speaking with self-pity.

[assdertghy]

You're wrong, well you're right first he is speaking with anger, but it's himself he's angry with. I think it's very well done, but of course that's just my opinion the lowly youtuber.

[colourfulwithaU]

But as the witty, occasionally composed character that Hamlet is, he would do well to laugh at himself. There is no right and wrong here, it is all subjective, but I think that anger at one's self should not be expressed in a similar way to anger at others. And I probably wouldn't call it anger anyways...I don't know. I'm a literature guy, not a dramatist.

[assdertghy]

It just seems to me that, if he were to laugh at himself, all though it would fit suit to the whole pretending to be mad idea, but he's alone, maybe it's suggesting something darker, perhaps split personality? What I meant by wrong is no wrong, just The way the actor portrays Hamlet throughout the play it seems like it would suit him better to throw a tantrum rather than do something more adult. Sorry, I didn't meant to come off that blunt and you are right, there is no wrong or right.

[XxTheHeartGirlxX]

@colourfulwithaU I know that most performances may seem to take it in the self pity way but the lines are definitely up for interpretation on how they might be said. I've seen multiple versions of hamlet where the line has been said as you suggest and multiple where it is angry.

[abdulios]

i love this soliloquy the best because theres three parts to it:

1. he is feeling pity towards himself

2. he is angry at himself

3. he creates a scheme to see if his uncle is the real killer of his father

[74dorset]

He looks so much like my English teacher it's unreal.

[Cactus775]

haha, mine too. Strangely enough...we believe our teacher likes Branagh so much, that he does it on purpose

[implifcations]

If I had seen my father's ghost who told me that he was murdered by my uncle who then married my mother, and my girlfriend can't be trusted, I think I would be exactly in the emotional state that Branagh depicts in this scene. Don't take any scene out of context.

[ilikeblondie]

random question of it all i only seen just this scene who is this character?

[Kyl3rFran3y]

yeah, thats Hamlet.

[zynormous]

it's Hamlet's son.

[abdulios]

this guy is hamlet's son but his name is also hamlet

[charmingemily]

he's hamlet

[PiledriveHAMMER]

Right, I agree its entirely up to the discretion of the actor to portray the scene, but that contradicts your earlier point about Shakespeares obvious allusion to what emotion should be displayed. The actor, given the talent or understanding, can deliver the scene however they feel is most appropriate since Shakesepeare did not in hind sight reveal the correct direction of feelings from each character, unless it's completely obvious and a normal human reaction. This was my argument

[PiledriveHAMMER]

You could say more if you want since your wrong. Shakespeare gives direction of intention for each actor to depict which action they are performing, or what their thoughts are on the matter at hand. There are very little scenes that give clear emotion to the soliloques or just talking. the only scenes that have obvious emotions are the ones that have evident relavence to normal human feeling, such as someone dying or something exponential happening.

[PiledriveHAMMER]

You could say more if you want since your wrong. Shakespeare gives direction of intention for each actor to depict which action they are performing, or what their thoughts are on the matter at hand. There are very little scenes that give clear emotion to the soliloques or just talking. the only scenes that have obvious emotions are the ones that have evident relavence to normal human feeling, such as someone dying or something exponential happening.

[Memourable]

He gets emotional over nothing

its as if someone summarised for him and he didnt actually think about it

rather disappointing compared to the rest of the film

[PiledriveHAMMER]

Have you ever fucking read a full shakespear play? the soliloques are outrageously long. Kenneth does an amazing job as Hamlet. Even better than the mel gibson adaption. Shakespear doesnt give directon on what emotion each player is feeling. This is a great adaptation.

[Memourable]

Umm chyeah I have read Hamlet and Kenneth's adaptation is great but this is poor coming from him

[jcgalad]

I perfectly agree! We must remember that Hamlet is depicted as a brilliant young man, with a most sharp wit, and a passionate nature, he would not speak the soliloquies like a vegetable.

[charmingemily]

haahaha you talk like shakespeare. most sharp wit. speaking like a vegetable...

[UryuOrihimelover4eva]

@PiledriveHAMMER: I agree!! I just watched just movie after reading the play in my AP Lit class, and I loved Kenneth! He did an amazing job portraying Hamlet! And he is such a good director as well.

[wigster1978]

@PiledriveHAMMER

You don't read Shakespeare, you watch it.

[baladonian]

My acting teacher does this scene sooooo well!

[TasogareII]

Masterfully done

[asandwell]

I had to memorize this soliloquy for one of my high school English classes. We had to choose a soliloquy from Hamlet to memorize and I chose this one because it seemed to resonate with me personally, somehow. So it seems as though no matter who plays Hamlet, I'll always identify with the actor's particular version of the character for at least the duration of this soliloquy--provided it's recited in it's entirety unlike in Mel Gibson's version.

[annamariablack]

I love it love it love it love it, i dont care what people think, its brilliant <3 :)

[hera2day]

if you guys like Kennith's performance here, you HAVE TO watch his performance in "Much ado about nothing". A romantic comedy, its another Shakespearian play, the full movie is here on youtube, the movie and Kennith's performance IS EFFIN AWESOME.

[redwolf481]

I agree

[neil73]

for't.

[ultimasniper]

1:30

[writer8788]

0_____0

Kenneth is God.

I feel so shamful for the fact that I saw Mel Gibson's Hamlet before this version -_-;;

All Mel Gibson seems to do is sulk and glance around shiftly, and play upon the Freudian aspect of Gertrude and Hamlet's relationship.

[CubeTricks]

I agree, i saw that one first as well. Kenneth is amazing.

[jackieblack257]

fucking brilliant

[manthatissodumb]

i love, love, love, love kenneth branagh. and uhm to those who say that he's speaking too fast, why would someone, in a rage no less, speak at any other rate?

[sweetkittensarah21]

this actor is so talented ,he expresses every word by such awonderful performance .bravooooooooooooooooooooo

[Resort2Restless]

What I like about this version of Hamlet is that it leaves nothing out. It goes word for word as the play actually does. That and Kenneth Branagh is just amazing.

[abiworld]

oh its to funnnyyyyyyyyyyyyyy hahhhh

[xXDannyGeraldoXx]

I dont understand a goddamn thing.

[poohbie09]

i love him!...he is way much better than mel gibson....he's a natural to perform shakespeare

[kaikayne]

he speaks too fast, gibson at least speaks as people truly would.

[poohbie09]

yeah i guess so....gibson did a good job too. i mean he went to therapy after...just shows how he truly went into character.....i still like this version better though

[Kuramalova]

I absolutely love this version of Hamlet :)

[junejoyleng]

it is well done. the passion, the agony and the frustrations comes right through. try watching BBC version, a very different feel to it

[AdytaShakespeare]

Kenneth Branagh is the ultimate Shakespearean actor.

[LeavesNoTrace]

I did this scene miles better than him.

[kingdomaffiliate]

that's right. mel gibson was not convincing for me.

[freedomnow2012]

Mel can blow me! This guy comes close enough.

[objective11]

Also, Hamlet is way too old here, in the actual version he is a young man, not this 60 year old hag.

[objective11]

mel gibson version is much better.

[shatner85]

gibson's an anti semitic joke

[X4SleepyMaloX4]

nice

[mateo2kool]

Kenneth Branagh directing AND playing Hamlet is amazing! this movie is the best Hamlet rendition hands down!

[jayzee7777]

mel gibson version wayy better

[mickealduplessis]

wow that was amazing, beats the mel gibson version hands down i want to see the rest of this version.

[RichardDdog]

So what is he talking about?

[igluandhartley]

dont be a fuken tool..have some sense and pick up a book, hamlets one of the best, if not thee best, piece of literary every written!

[venakew]

Hes frustrated because the actor can bring such powerful emotion, yet he who has a genuine cause to act agaist Claudius can do nothing. He wonders whethers hes just a cward then decides, probably delusionally, that the reason hes not acted is because he can't be sure whether the ghost is really telling the truth or an evil spirit trying to mislead him so he decides to put on a play with the same plot as KIng Hamlets murder to see how Claudius will react.

[CarterdeMars]

What a piece of work is man. How noble in reason. How infinite in faculty. In form and moving how express and admirable. In action, how like an angel. In apprehension, how like a God. The beauty of the world. The paragon of animals. And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust. Man delights not me.

[Arisusa44]

Ah man so much emotion! And I gotta recite the bit from "who calls me villain?..." to "a scullion!" XD; I shouldn't have picked this one.

[KillzoneO91]

Wow, there's just so much emotion in this play. Hamlet is surprisingly very cunning for what I first assumed him to be. I also imagined him to be younger. However, I definitely got a better understanding thanks to this video. Well done!

[hellagoodx17]

i love this so much.

[RealHerring]

I've just come back from seeing David Tennant at Stratford. Brannagh is rubbish.

[MildewFilm]

I second that ;)

[eastafr1ka]

that guy was good=D

[NigaChuWan]

heath ledger would have done it better haha dam this whole story is truly amazing theres so many levels to every thing involved im glad im doin an assignment on it now haha

[valland55]

the play is the thing,,"wherein I'll catch the conscience, of the King."

[drtompat]

Ah, so that's how its done. I've been saying this bit, for the last twenty years or so, because it brings me pleasure. Now I know how it really should come off. Bravo, Kenneth, I say unto thee, Bravo.

[DonkeyofHeaven]

"The Devil hath power to assume a pleasing shape." That fits every televangelist I've seen.

[DonkeyofHeaven]

Check out Ken Nordine's blues version of Hamlet's Soliloquy: O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I! (2.2.555-612)

on YouTube at UzU-02cBSXU titled "Hamlet does the Blues by Ken Nordine"

[hirbo20]

i think, at the beginning he is too sensitive...he has to play it more agressive at the beginning....and more he plays, more he has to become sensitive

[penguinsloveDW]

That's actually a good point, even though I disagree. That's the wonderful thing about Shakespeare, a little change in inflection or punctuation, and the whole thing changes.

[WilltehGreat]

There's just no Hamlet like Branagh Hamlet.

Also, I laugh at people who pronounce the "gh" in "Branagh".

[marathiman1]

BLOODY BAWDY VILLAIN! REMORSELESS, TREACHEROUS, LECHEROUS, KINDLESS VILLAIN! O VENGEANCE!!! what powerful words Shakespeare came up with. and branagh's genius to act it out so wonderfully

[turbobread]

chill mate

[icepik1234]

this is the 2nd soliloquy the third it to be or not to be

[HantoKah]

Best effing soliloquy ever. I'm gonna memorize this puppy; don' care if I'm a chick. P.S. Kenneth Branagh = God.

[shotgunsamurai]

Wonderful soliloquy, really shows the depth of Hamlets character. To go from self pity to anger to plotting all within three minutes and forty eight seconds. Bravo Mr. Branagh, bravo

[mom63423]

Always wonderful! And touching! And thrilling!

[InvaderScandal]

Ooh, scaries...

[jayboy51015101]

i get to present this to my AP english class tmrw... kinda not looking foreward to it

[jensiuiscool]

i have an objective test on Hamlet tomorrow :/ this is veryy helpful. he executes it so well

[KristiNoGood]

why do I not own this movie?

Kenneth Branagh makes me love Hamlet even more.

[StephenWraysford]

I Love Hamlet and A Midsummer Night's Dream!

[xxbbii]

i think this is better that the other hamlet with mel gibson. i fell asleep on that one. LOL now i have to present this soliloquy to my english class on friday.. +_+

[minnie1247]

trust me its not as bad as it seems. i had to present to be or not to be to my english class some montha ago and now were watching the movie too. not this version. i wish they woulda played this version. to be or not to be is cut out in the one were watchin...bummer.

[HekuTenchi2]

what? How can you have Hamlet without "To be, or not to be?"

[minnie1247]

haha! this'll teach me not to jump to conclusions. we finished wachin it and it came later. we were all VERY relieved. but yea, hamlet aint nuttin w/o to be or not to be.

[Whozanerd]

I just saw bits and parts of this in my English class the past few days (My teacher plays the longer parts, or her favorite parts so we don't butcher them) and I fell in love with it. I've read the play before and like it, but this movie is just the greatness

[zakamoe12]

lol...calm down, now hamlet somebody might hear you!

[cottagedweller]

utterly wonderful.....many, many thanks to all concerned. we are so lucky to be able to see this, the first time i have really, really understood the scale of this man...shakespeare

[vocaexsilentia]

O VENGEANCE!

[QuoGirl]

Probably the most believable Hamlet I've seen thus far. He's got so much intensity in his speech, and I love how Kenneth Branagh uses a lot of expression (I don't think it's overdone because when you're reading along, he's saying the words just as how it was written on the script) and it works out quite well. Wow, brilliant. Especially when he goes frantic and mad at 1:58. btw, he recited every line on this scene, not one word was missed!!

[deathman1021]

well hes certainly better than that horrible Mel Gibson Version

[MagicSomething]

I saw this part of the movie for the first time today and it just took my breath away. I'm sure it must be against the law for me to be enjoying "Hamlet" so damn much. I love how this soliloquy is performed... it breathes so much life into the text. Thank you so very much for posting this video, Ruganhoz.

[deathman1021]

Hamlet rocks, all of shakespeares stuff does, why would it be illegal?

[KellyOwnsShakespeare]

NO! KELLY DOES!...or at least she's better than Shakespeare. And MagicSomething is using an expression saying that he/she loves Hamlet. Duh, shetbag!

And...it tastes like the hospital! If you can't tell, I'm kinda high/drunk-ish, which is why I'm even watching this.