Shiv's Hamlet

       

Overall I think the Zeffirelli version is the best one. It does the best job of pulling the key points set forth by the book. Although it did not contain the flashback to the murder I still like the sad emotion and dark eerie mood. It also did a good job with the setting. Hamlet chased the ghost to the roof where they had their confrontation and the ghost shows sad emotion towards his son. Also I did not like how  the Branagh version included the explosions and fires while Hamlet was chasing the ghost, it was unnecessary. The Branagh version did a good job with the music. It played a sort of climatic music when the ghost revealed he was murdered by the uncle and a sorrowful tone after the ghost was gone. However music was not a key factor in the other two versions. In the first two versions Hamlet is shown to be a bit crazed as his guards try to talk him out of following the ghost, but in the Almereyda version the ghost walks to Hamlet in his apartment and his guards are nowhere to be found. The Almereyda version also did a good job of showing the relationship between father and son but the ghost looked nothing like a ghost he looked like a living human being. If I were creating an adaptation of this scene I would definitely include a flashback to the murder scene. It provides the viewer with a clearer view of what really happened but it also makes the reader want to sympathize with King and Prince Hamlet and hate Claudius. Also in the flashback I would like to clear up the fact that Gertrude was not involved in the murder and she just married her brother-in law out of sorrow and regret.