Almereyda 's rendition of Hamlet is one where the bustling and modern metropolis of New York City is the backdrop for the Elizabethan Era tragedy. This amalgamation between the old and the new allows Almereyda’s characters, such as Polonius, to interact in ways that Shakespeare never intended. Throughout the original play, Polonius is seen spying on Hamlet in multiple scenes: this spying remains true in Almereyda’s interpretation. Almereyda relies on his backdrop of New York City and the new technology of the modern era to transform Polonius’ spying from archaic to modern.
In the original text of Hamlet, Polonius’ courtier role to Claudius is seen as he offers to spy on Hamlet in order to discover if he is truly in love with Ophelia. Polonius …show more content…
If he continues to spy on Hamlet, as the king bids, he believes he will continually move up in status around the court. However he must keep this motive hidden in order to protect his plan, and he must continue to spy on Hamlet as the king asked. For example in Almereyda 's version Polonius sneaks up behind Hamlet and peers over his shoulder at Hamlet’s screen. This scene, which rotates from the view of being close to their interaction to looking from the security camera footage, culminates this idea of Polonius watching Hamlet. In the original play, when Polonius says “ How does my good lord Hamlet?” the audience doesn 't necessarily imagine Polonius sneaking up behind Hamlet (2.2.171). This liberty taken by Almereyda helps further establish Almereyda’s Polonius as the spy he is. Also the fact that Polonius addresses the security footage directly after Hamlet leaves shows that this technology is important to his spying. In the original text, his speech is an aside in that there is nobody listening except himself. Almereyda has Polonius say this aside while looking into a surveillance camera, a symbol for spying, to make this scene obviously one where Polonius is not talking to Hamlet just because he would like, but also because he is prodding for clues that he is indeed mad. This interaction is different than in the play, but Polonius in Almereyda’s Hamlet and Polonius in Shakespeare’s Hamlet are in fact two different characters. While they both use many of the same lines, they are different in their actions, and this juxtaposition makes the audience compare the two and see how Almereyda has designed Polonius’ character around his access to new
In the original text of Hamlet, Polonius’ courtier role to Claudius is seen as he offers to spy on Hamlet in order to discover if he is truly in love with Ophelia. Polonius …show more content…
If he continues to spy on Hamlet, as the king bids, he believes he will continually move up in status around the court. However he must keep this motive hidden in order to protect his plan, and he must continue to spy on Hamlet as the king asked. For example in Almereyda 's version Polonius sneaks up behind Hamlet and peers over his shoulder at Hamlet’s screen. This scene, which rotates from the view of being close to their interaction to looking from the security camera footage, culminates this idea of Polonius watching Hamlet. In the original play, when Polonius says “ How does my good lord Hamlet?” the audience doesn 't necessarily imagine Polonius sneaking up behind Hamlet (2.2.171). This liberty taken by Almereyda helps further establish Almereyda’s Polonius as the spy he is. Also the fact that Polonius addresses the security footage directly after Hamlet leaves shows that this technology is important to his spying. In the original text, his speech is an aside in that there is nobody listening except himself. Almereyda has Polonius say this aside while looking into a surveillance camera, a symbol for spying, to make this scene obviously one where Polonius is not talking to Hamlet just because he would like, but also because he is prodding for clues that he is indeed mad. This interaction is different than in the play, but Polonius in Almereyda’s Hamlet and Polonius in Shakespeare’s Hamlet are in fact two different characters. While they both use many of the same lines, they are different in their actions, and this juxtaposition makes the audience compare the two and see how Almereyda has designed Polonius’ character around his access to new