It’s easy to assume that Hamlet has always enjoyed global popularity, but only within the last century and a half has Shakespeare’s great tragedy achieved iconic status. Why does it resonate so deeply with modern audiences?

Called “the greatest Hamlet of his generation” by Guardian reviewer Robert McCrum, Scottish actor David Tennant headlines this edgy film version of the acclaimed 2008 Royal Shakespeare Company stage production. Modern costumes, shrewd textual abridgements, and a recurring motif of high-tech video surveillance all connect the play to 21st-century anxieties, but these attributes in no way eclipse Tennant’s forceful mixture of rage, sorrow, and manic humor. Original broadcast title: Hamlet. A BBC Production. (2 parts, 88 minutes and 94 minutes)

This program artfully brings together a treasury of visual resources to retrace Shakespeare's life and work.  Produced by Hugh Richmond, University of California-Berkeley; directed by Paul Shepard. (31 minutes)

State-of-the-art streaming video platform produced by the Films Media Group (FMG).  Streaming video content, ranging from clips to complete documentary films, may be incorporated into content management systems, online lesson plans, distance learning courseware, or electronic library card catalog systems. 

NOTE: A User Account must be set up to create and share customized playlists, save favorite videos for quick access, and set default preferences. 

The Great Hamlets (56:00) 

In the first program, each actor comments on the major scenes of the play, and, through excerpts from productions that range from the silent film era to the modern stage, we see various interpretations of those scenes. Trevor Nunn then interviews each actor about the source of his interpretation. The program includes both traditional and avant-garde productions. (56 minutes, b&w/color)

The Great Hamlets (56:00) 

In this program Trevor Nunn probes the underlying dynamics of the play. He examines the psychological dynamics of Hamlet, the oedipal conflict and Hamlet’s madness, feigned or real. Nunn also explores the political questions that are raised in the play. The viewer learns that Hamlet is the most coveted of all performances in the classical repertoire, because, as Nunn says, "To act Hamlet requires nothing less of the actor than everything he’s got." (57 minutes)

Shakespeare’s troubled character comes to life in this program in the capable hands of leading scholars, as they discuss the major themes of the play, its plot, and the actions of its main characters. (31 minutes)

The Banquet (2006)

Let the Devil Wear Black (1999)

Osaka Hamlet (2008)

Hamlet (2000)