Hamlet Kills Polonius - Act III, Scene iv (Kevin Kline)

Dana Ivey ... Gertrude
Kevin Kline ... Hamlet
Josef Sommer ... Polonius

filmed in 1990, Directed by Kevin Kline




From William Hazlitt's "Characters of Shakespeare's Plays" (1817):

...Shakespeare was thoroughly a master of the mixed motives of human character....Polonius is a perfect character of it's kind; nor is there any foundation for the objections which have been made to the consistency of this part. It is said that he acts very foolishly and talks very sensibly. There is no inconsistency in that. Again, that he talks wisely at one time and foolishly at another; that his advice to Laertes is very sensible, and his advice to the King and Queen on the subject of Hamlet's madness is very ridiculous. But he gives the one as a father, and is sincere in it; he gives the other as a mere courtier, a busybody, and is accordinglly officious, garrulous, and impertinent.

In short, Shakespeare has been accused of inconsistency in this and other characters, only because he has kept up the distinction which there is in nature between the understandings and the moral habits of men, between the wisdom of thier ideas and the absurdity of their motives. Polonious is no a fool, but he makes himself so. His folly, whether in his actions or speeches, comes under the head of impropriety of intention.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• William
• Shakespeare
• Hamlet
• Kevin-Klein
• soliloquy
• drama
• theatre
• Kevin
• Klein
• performing
• arts

[Airia]

No matter the version....this scene always creep me out. :(

[ostattack]

Hamlet is high on ecstasy :P

[buckleygeneration]

Kevin Kline is really not a suitable Hamlet.

[DrFudgyTV]

doing this for a play so i have to look at how polonius talks

[nyc334]

WHAT THE FUCK!?

[CryDevil93]

the best part - Goodnight Mother(with scary voice)

[DogSoldierFury]

ROFL

[DJPaddy643]

i do believe it is:

"How now! A rat?"

[codrina23]

dap:X

[juliet66]

perfect

[ManweArcadio]

Blitz and MusicGiver are very immodest people.