University of Virginia Library

Controversial

The most controversial
innovation in the production has to
be the ending. Neither Hamlet or
Claudius died on stage, and the
killing of the latter was done in
ritualistic fashion with the victim
offering no resistance. One piece of
staging which intrigued me occurred
after Claudius exited to his death,
when Hamlet stood in his place
while other members of the court
fell to one knee, for the first time
being aware of his sanity (there was
a strong hint earlier that perhaps
Hamlet really was imagining wild
fantasies, that perhaps Claudius was
innocent) and paying him respect.

If this production of "Hamlet"
did nothing else, it confirmed my
belief that Mr. Miller is a master at
evoking comedy and employing
humorous directorial devices, a
conclusion which I initially reached
last year upon seeing his "Twelfth
Night." There was much more
humor in this "Hamlet" than in
either of the previous two I have
seen, and I am not convinced it was
in the best interests of the play.
Even Hamlet's duel with Laertes
was staged with an eye to comedy.