A Sharp Contrast: Brother/Sister

Act IV Scene 5 (Part 1)

Act IV Scene 5 (Part 2)

In the Royal Shakespeare Company's Part 1 production of Hamlet's Act IV Scene 5, we see right away a shattered mirror, a prop the director uses to symbolize the death of Polonius. Interestingly enough, the fragmented mirror can also be considered as the symbol of the "broken" and mad Ophelia. At the 46 seconds mark in the Part 1 video, the camera captures Ophelia through the broken mirror as she enters Gertrude's room. I found the director's choice to introduce Ophelia at this angle to be quite interesting as the broken mirror angle displays Ophelia literally broken into bits of pieces. Because Ophelia is first introduced as physically broken through the reflection of the fragmented mirror, the director's angle here also suggests that this mad behavior first arises from the death of her father Polonius as represented by the broken mirror. The director further shows the disturbed behavior of Ophelia through her physical appearance. Ophelia's disheveled appearance starting with her unkempt and tangled hair to her non-existent shoes only strengthens the argument that Ophelia is mentally unstable. In the video, Ophelia even strips to only her underwear as she sings, again showcasing her crazy behavior.

In the Part 2 video of Act IV Scene 5, Ophelia comes back to the room now occupied by Laertes, Claudius, and Gertrude with arms full of different flowers. However, the director's decision to present Ophelia this time with bruises and scars visible all over her upper body is a further testament to her pitiful, mad behavior. The director also makes Ophelia stand out in the room by displaying her in a dirty white dress, while everyone else is covered fully in black. This costume of Ophelia, which also does not cover all of her body unlike those of the rest of the characters, emphasizes and shines the unstable behavior in the dark room, which at the time, is tense.

Yet, this mentally ill behavior of Ophelia is strongly contrasted with the vengeful behavior of her brother Laertes. Towards the end of the Part 1 video and into the beginning of the Part 2 video, the director introduces a storming Laertes who points the gun at Claudius. The costume of Laertes is an all black fashion: black pants and a black turtleneck topped with a black leather jacket. Even the gun Laertes holds is black. This consistent color of black on Laertes displays his dark and revengeful behavior. Laertes's modern outfit also reminds me of those of the assassins and agents we see in TV shows and movies. Also, the director's choice to have the whole scene in the dimly lighted room with black walls and curtains helps emphasize the tense and vengeful mood lingering around Laertes.

All in all, the director's ultimate choice of certain costumes and props for Ophelia and Laertes strengthens the sharp contrast between the behaviors of the two siblings. This production of Act IV Scene 5 does a tremendous job of emphasizing a sharp division of reactions from opposite sexes to a father's death.