Comparing "What a Piece of Work is a Man" from Hamlet. (Part 2 of 3)

A short excerpt from Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2 as seen in multiple film productions.

More comparisons of this kind can be seen at http://www.jkenfisher.com/comparisons/

Part 1 includes:

Richard Burton (Hamlet - 1964)
Innokenti Smoktunovsky (Hamlet [Gamlet] - 1964)
Sir Derek Jacobi (Hamlet - 1980)
Kevin Kline (Hamlet - 1990)
Mel Gibson (Hamlet - 1990)
Ethan Hawke (Hamlet - 2000)

Part 2 includes:

Kenneth Branagh (Hamlet - 1996)
Adrian Lester (Hamlet - 2002)
William Houston (Hamlet - 2003)
Wilson Belchambers (Hamlet - 2007)
David Tennant (Hamlet - 2009)

Part 3 includes:

Sir Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation - "Hide and Q" - 1987)
Jeff Daniels (Gettysburg - 1993)
Iain Glen (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead - 1990)
Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French (Coraline - 2009)
Frank Grimes (Britannia Hospital - 1982)
Robin Atkin Downes (Babylon 5 - "The Paragon of Animals" - 1998)
Richard E. Grant (Withnail & I - 1986)
Mitchell Ryan (Grosse Pointe Blank)

-------------

I have of late- but wherefore I know not- lost all my 
mirth, forgone all custom of exercises; and indeed, it goes so 
heavily with my disposition that this goodly frame, the earth, 
seems to me a sterile promontory; this most excellent canopy, the 
air, look you, this brave o'erhanging firmament, this majestical
roof fretted with golden fire- why, it appeareth no other thing 
to me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours. What a 
piece of work is a man! how noble in reason! how infinite in 
faculties! 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- no, nor woman 
neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• hamlet
• shakespeare
• what a piece of work is man
• what a piece of work is a man
• kenneth branagh
• adrian lester
• william houston
• david tennant

[cooldaddyjames]

where is the picard scene.

[JohnKFisher]

@cooldaddyjames Like the descrip says:

"Part 3 includes:

Sir Patrick Stewart (Star Trek: The Next Generation - "Hide and Q" - 1987)" :-)

[comraderaoul]

@NapalmTheElf Yes, exactly. I feel kind of embarrassed for Branagh watching his version, but the Lester one is superb. It captures the complex interplay between systematic ratiocination and personal despair that makes the soliloquy great.

[sundus100]

brangh is the best and everyone fails in comparison!

[razorlikeblue]

ლ(ಠ益ಠლ) y u no have part 1?

[wigster1978]

I love Ken but he get's nowhere near this scene.

[NapalmTheElf]

have to say Branagh has done some good stuff and his films are always beautiful to watch, but this is a weak piece for him. The Lester version is excellent, my personal fav. The Houston one is slight too far on the insane side and the Belchambers is rushed and I think a bit desperate to make something different. And sadly, though I like tennat, thats not to my liking....and the Tshirt looks silly

[MrTomelbourne]

branagh is the best

[YPSILONZ]

I'm a big fan of Branagh and i consider his Hamlet to be the greatest film ever, but I have to admit that Hawke's soliloquie moves me to tears. It has to do with the direction too of course.

Generally I want to note that it is not fair to judge a performance not having watched the whole film first to sense the atmosphere. How can you judge Iain Glen's delivery (how noble in reason - burp! --LOL!) if you don't know he plays in a comedy for example.

[burtonrules123]

i hate when they try to modernize these things, or put shakespeare in modern times. it doesnt go.

[BeerGogglesReviews]

No Withnal???

[founder287]

@CecilyHeron Sorry, malformed the ID. Use this instead: EMIElnuZnjc