“Thus conscience does make cowards of us all” Line 83 Act 3 Scene 1: an Analysis of the Use of Shakespeare’s Language in Three Soliloquies From Hamlet in a Selection of Screen Adaptations

This comparative study analyses three screen versions of three soliloquies from Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. The study explores the use of Shakespeare’s language, the process of translation from theatrical speech to cinematic and televisual dialogue, adaptation theory, theories around performance, and the mise en scene used for each soliloquy. This reveals each director’s interpretation of the central character and the significance of the poetic blank verse to any screen adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.