Much of the humor throughout Hamlet
is accomplished only through live performance. A director working with a
group of actors can bring out the humor.
The recent Royal
Shakespeare Company Production of Hamlet (2008) with David Tennant
and Patrick Stewart directed by Gregory Doran is a wonderful example. In 2010, PBS
aired it on "Great Performances". This version is available to watch at the PBS
website. (See the link below.)
In this production, the
"mad" Hamlet mocks both Polonius and Claudius. Tennent also used his body effectively
to bring out the humor in the play. The reactions of both Claudius (Patrick Stewart)
and Polonius (Oliver Ford-Davies) were also important in eliciting laughter from the
audience.
Shakespeare often interjected humor into his
tragedies which, of course, heightened the tragic
actions.
As an actor in Kevin Klein's Hamlet
told me, "Play comedy for tragedy and tragedy for
comedy."
Below is the link to
PBS>
www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/episodes/hamlet/watch-the-film/980/
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