Lighting In Hamlet

Franco Zeffirelli portrayed a more effective version of the famous to be or not be soliloquy by having it set below in the family mortuary. Having violently rejected Ophelia, Hamlet climbs down the stoned stairs of the medieval castle and into the cellar where all his ancestors’ burial tombs lie, including his father’s. Surrounding himself in tombs and skeletons, he intones the to be or not to be speech in isolation and darkness. Having this particular set design, Zeffirelli enhanced the scene by creating a cold, dark, and suspenseful atmosphere. The family mortuary set design was eerie and melancholic which added realism into the speech as it allowed the audience to really see the manifestation of death that Hamlet contemplated. It also added

During Hamlet’s to be or not to be speech, Hamlet frequently stops and takes pauses as a way to reflect on what he has just said. At first, Hamlet remains relatively calm but as his speech progresses, and he walks around the mortuary visiting different tombs, including his father’s, his anger level elevates. Zeffirelli uses an effective lighting technique that bathes this scene with darkness but a golden glowing light casts on the side of Hamlet’s face, bringing out the contrast between light and dark, and life and death. The way Hamlet’s face is lit from one side and darkened from the other reflects Hamlet’s soliloquy of to be or not to be. It reflects Hamlet’s internal battle within himself to continue to live or to take his life away. The lighting in this scene changes from more darkness to more light when Hamlet moves into a ray of light coming from above. The dramatic change in the lighting is at that point of the speech when Hamlet decides against killing himself and that he would rather “Be” than “Not to be”. The ray of light symbolizes that Hamlet has escaped from the evil that had captivated his thoughts on death and that he now sees the light at the end of the tunnel which ultimately has stopped him from the temptation of committing suicide. A new spark of hope is generated in Hamlet that helps him regain control of his mind,

In Ophelia’s madness scene, Ophelia is brought inside the castle where the King and the Queen along with some citizens of Denmark and guards are seen. The guards are dressed in armour and the King and the Queen are dressed in embellished, elegant, and polished outfits that scream out royalty. Ophelia in contrast, is dressed in a dirty, tattered rag, which makes her closely resemble a very lower class citizen. The different types of costumes that each character wore are appropriate for that time period which enhanced the audience’s understanding of the play. The costumes reflected how each character presented themselves along with the choices that each one of them made. The King for an example was the only character who was seen wearing animal fur on his robe. This outfit befitted his character because it magnified and brought out his barbaric and savage like characteristics. Furthermore, the costumes allowed the audience to see that stark differences in each social class. It allowed for a visual comparison between the totally different lifestyles that Hamlet and Ophelia had, reinforcing the reason why Laertes cautioned Ophelia about her relationship with Hamlet and why Polonius was so obsequious to the King. The outfits thus explain why each character behaves the way they do, creating a more effective portrayal of the play