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Jackie Tynes

Mr. Gallagher

AP Literature

27 March 2010

In Kevin Kline as Hamlet, Kline gives a more sarcastic and joking interpretation of Hamlet.

Whereas the other videos show a more perturbed, annoyed Hamlet. Through Kline, Hamlets

constant attitude of innuendos and subtle jokes shows through throughout the scene. The

conversation between Kline and the gravedigger also conveys the attitude of Hamlet as well as

the irony of the scene. The gravediggers jovial and upbeat singing depict the irony of madness,

happiness, and sanity in a graveyard. The quick pace of the banter also emphasize and correctly

highlight the subtle wordplay that Shakespeare uses.

Throughout the entire video, Kline's attitude is very sarcastic and seems more amused with

the gravedigger than annoyed. His body language is very casual and loose. He is comfortable in

his environment. His eyes show that he is entertained by the gravedigger, their is a playfulness in

his eyes that show his ulterior motives in conversing with him, particularly when he realizes

"how absolute the knave is" (5.1.140) and must "speak by the card"(5.1.140-142) in order to

withdraw information from the gravedigger. All through the conversation Kline crouches and

leans in close to the gravedigger and smiles and laughs at all of his witty remarks. By leaning in

close he takes away the distance between him and the gravedigger making the the conversation

more comfortable and creating a less formal atmosphere, alluding to how Shakespeare uses class

structure in the play. Hamlet constantly uses his status in different ways, always to his advantage.

In this case he conceals it in order to find out what is going on in the kingdom. In the play,

Shakespeare constantly pits different social classes and statuses against each other. This can be
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seen not only in this scene but also in Act 1, scene 5, with Ophelia and Polonius, here

Shakespeare uses not only the social statuses of Man over woman, but also Father over

daughter.

Kline's tone shows both playfulness and sarcasm adding a comedic twist to the scene. This

playfulness and sarcasm hold true to the entire play in which Hamlet is constantly making sexual

innuendos and jokes. This tone however is false as Hamlet conveys to Horatio but goes

unchecked and unnoticed by the gravedigger. This subtle allusion to the falsity that is rampant in

the play is seen Hamlet as well as almost every other character. In Act II scene, Hamlet

addresses Claudius as "a little more than kin and less than kind" showing how Claudius is falsely

king (by false means, murder) and Hamlet is falsely loyal or ignorant to his misdeeds. This

falsity is also seen in Ophelia's betrayal of Hamlet as well as Rosencrantz and Guildensterns

false friendship with Hamlet. Through Hamlet, Shakespeare conveys subtle meanings and

allusions in form of jokes, Kline depicts this word play with speedy dialogue and added

emphasis on the double entendres. He adds particular emphasis to "I think it be thine indeed, for

thou liest in't" (5.1.124) As the grave digger answers Kline proceeds to snap his fingers and point

"Thou dost lie in't, to be in't and say it is thine. Tis for the dead, not for the quick; therefore thou

liest." (5.1.127-128) thus pointing out the double meaning to "lie". Klines behavior is also fitting.

His behavior makes him seem like a young boy in an older mans body, which due to the fact that

Hamlet is thirty, shows through in the play as Hamlet's character develops. Hamlet seems boyish

though it is clear that he is very smart and full grown man.

This double meaning leads to the overall irony of the scene itself. The gravediggers

upbeat song and tone contribute a sense of happiness where happiness is scarcely found; a

graveyard. This singing is what attracts Hamlets attention and causes him to think that "this

fellow" has "no feeling of his business", it is the irony of a man being happy in a graveyard that
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gives Hamlet pause. Shakespeare plays with this idea of mismatched emotions and place in the

entire play, for example Gertrude and Claudius in act one tell Hamlet to "cast thy nighted color

off" (1.2.70) and to stop seeking "for the noble father in the dust"(1.2.73) they are very merry

and happily married though King Hamlet has only been dead for two months, they are too happy

for such a sad occasion. This is apparent in many different scenes; the players often emit an

emotion contrary to the occasion.