01-04-2020, 05:44 PM
Quote:It all becomes a tragedy when, at the end, the stage is littered with the corpses of not just Claudius, but also Hamlet, his mother Gertrude, and the son of Polonius, Laertes. But beyond that, and cut from most film versions of the play, these deaths make possible the entry of an invading army from nearby Norway, led by the character Fortinbras.
Jim, this isn't correct. Fortinbras does not enter Elsinore as an invader. He is returning from a successful campaign against Poland, launched after obtaining safe passage through Denmark. This is described in IViv leading to Hamlet's last great soliloquy.
Denmark (in this play) had an elective monarchy. In the final scene Hamlet with his last breath throws his support to Fortinbras' candidacy, with Horatio as spokesman. Fortinbras indicates he will pursue his claim, not a word to the effect that he had conquered Denmark.
Branagh as director committed an absurd blunder when he converted Fortinbras into an invader, one reason why this movie was such a disappointment.