little hamlet things i want
standing in the cold courtyard in 1.4, hamlet and horatio enter before marcellus. they snicker at some graffiti on a wall. horatio is bundled up to high heaven in scarves and a parka. hamlet is looking around anxiously, shivering. horatio stands beside him, clearly noticing how stressed his friend is, and doesnāt look at hamlet as he quietly takes his hand. hamlet barely reacts, maybe just relaxes ever so slightly, but you just KNOW how much the gesture means. they yank apart when marcellus joins them
a pause in the lineĀ āas i doā¦theeā¦.ā Ā in 3.2 before hamlet suddenly blinks at horatio and slowly leans in to kiss him tentatively, almost nervously, shoulders tense and fingers shyly brushing the front of horatioās shirt, having realised how much he loves him, and horatio starts to kiss back and thereās a moment between them where denmark doesnāt exist before hamlet breaks away, murmuring (almost worried, shaky, sad) āsomething too much of thisā because feelings are confusing and hamlet doesnāt want to get horatio hurt like ophelia and gertrude and everyone else he has loved.
claudius slapping hamlet full force across the face at the lineĀ āthatās the endā (4.3), R & G flinching because their loyalties are being tested and this isnāt what we signed up for,Ā and hamlet stumbling out of that room, opening the door to find horatio on the other side of it
horatio actually being in opheliaās singing/ārue for youā scene unlike the NT production and singing along with ophelia with as happy a voice he can manage, face stained with tears. ophelia gives each person a stick. claudius reacts to his gift that lets us as the audience know he knows the symbolism of rue
laertesā speech to ophelia about not trusting hamletās love being delivered in a way that makes it really obvious that they once had a thing
gertrude not leaving with claudius at the end of 4.7, feigning too much grief to walk. maybe sheās crumpled on the floor over the stick ophelia gave to her. claudius rolls his eyes and goes after laertes. then, ophelia appears, a bit soaked but not dead. without exchanging a Ā word, they nod at each other and gertrude hands the girl an envelope. itās implied that gertrude has helped ophelia escape denmark.Ā
horatio deliveringĀ ānay, my good lord-ā (5.2) with genuine anger/frustration because dammit hamlet iām trying to help you why wonāt you just listen to me!
In the final scene, fortinbras turns up as scripted but we cut a lot out so it goes from horatioāsĀ āall this i can truly deliverā, said with his head high but eyes wet, to a long pause as fortinbras observes the scene and exchanges looks with his men. then instead ofĀ ālet us haste hear itā, we jump toĀ ālet four captains bear hamlet like a soldier to the stageā and the play ends with the line:Ā āTake up the bodies.ā