They Bleed on Both Sides Too much water hast thou, poor Ophelia, And therefore I forbid my tears. But yet It is our trick; nature her custom holds, Let shame say what it will. (4.7.186-89)
Greater tension builds through Hamlet’s admission that Laertes’ actions have been bold and that he stands in such a similar position. In approaching the topic of Hamlet’s analytical nature versus the emotional rashness of Laertes within the play, certain directorial choices in tackling the production can significantly emphasize the two opposite paths by highlighting the contrast between Hamlet and Laertes. This is not to say that the production’s theme is “Laertes and Hamlet are very different,” but by juxtaposing their different reactions to the pursuit of revenge within the production, the audience can discover a deeper theme: both analytical and rash approaches to revenge, however opposite they appear, will destroy. Beginning with the script, a director of Shakespeare must keep the lines of the text directly relating to his or her directorial concept and theme. In a production focusing on Hamlet’s delay that uses Laertes as an example of rashness, such lines as mentioned earlier or the multitude of other references to “thought,” “words,” or “action,” must be kept as significant sources of the production’s theme.This could leave other portions free for cutting out (if the director chooses to trim the text for time or any other purpose) that may lend themselves to other themes not specifically focused on in the particular production. Along with cutting the script, choosing a point for the play’s intermission can also serve as a significant indication of concept and theme, though it may seem trivial and not ultimately connected to the action that actually occurs on the stage. Within act 3, a director choosing to use the end of act 3, scene 2 (Hamlet’s failure to kill Claudius while praying) as a break for the audience could communicate the focus for the production, not just a choice made because of time (although for timing purposes this point is very close to the middle of the action).
99