hamLIT

you've been struck by

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 doesn’t 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 line ‘as i do…thee….’  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 horatio’s shirt, having realised how much he loves him, and horatio starts to kiss back and there’s a moment between them where denmark doesn’t exist before hamlet breaks away, murmuring (almost worried, shaky, sad) ‘something too much of this’ because feelings are confusing and hamlet doesn’t 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 line ‘that’s the end’ (4.3), R & G flinching because their loyalties are being tested and this isn’t what we signed up for, and hamlet stumbling out of that room, opening the door to find horatio on the other side of it

horatio actually being in ophelia’s singing/’rue for you’ 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

laertes’ speech to ophelia about not trusting hamlet’s 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 she’s 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  word, they nod at each other and gertrude hands the girl an envelope. it’s implied that gertrude has helped ophelia escape denmark. 

horatio delivering ‘nay, my good lord-’ (5.2) with genuine anger/frustration because dammit hamlet i’m trying to help you why won’t you just listen to me!