Hamlet...........?

Question

What is the play, Hamlet about?

What kind of monologue would be good for an audition to be in the play, Hamlet?

thanks =]

Answer 1

..serves me right! (my name here "2bornot" is a partial reference to Hamlet)

What is Hamlet about? Well, have you ever felt treated unjustly, or been hurt by someone who had no right or reason to hurt you or yours..? What could you have done about it, what did you do about it? (Or did you do anything at all.....?)

If you've ever suffered or been depressed or were tired of the "games" people play- or didn't always know the right thing to do -you might really appreciate Hamlet. Despite the characters and storyline- it can be very easy to relate to...

ANYway, the best I can do is to suggest that you check out "sparknotes.com" -very informative- and maybe watch one of the many Hamlet films for some ideas or inspiration. My favorite is actually the Mel Gibson version (beautifully filmed and very 'easy to watch' -it was also my first intro to Hamlet)
Good luck (I mean, "break a leg" :-)

p.s. just found some good links (better than sparknotes)

Answer 2

Hamlet is about a guy who comes home from college to find his uncle has murdered his father and married his mother. Hamlet tries to prove his uncle did indeed kill his father, starts acting crazy, drives his girlfriend to suicide, and ends up in the large mound of bodies onstage (customary at the end of most Shakespearean tragedies). The Lion King is kind of based on Hamlet, but you can see the differences from the synopsis I've given.

It depends on what part you're going for - but take a monologue from the actual play if you can. Another idea is to take one from another Shakespearean tragedy, like Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, or King Lear. Be careful about choosing an overdone monologue (like "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?") in an audition. To play in Hamlet, definitely prove yourself at an audition as a person who understands Shakespeare and can make it understandable for others.

Break a leg!

Answer 3

Why don't you just read it, dear? A monologue from Hamlet would be good, I should think.

DUH