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...ion is worthy of recognition. Jacobi succeeds to penetrate deep into his character to exhibit shrewdness and the desperate urge to have Hamlet dead. In the Final scene, when Hamlet refuses the poisoned drink, the audience can easily identify the fear and nervousness on this King’s face. The viewers can understand that he wants Hamlet dead at any cost. This is exactly what Shakespeare intended to convey in his theatrical Hamlet. In contrast, Alan Bates as Claudius in Zeffirelli’s adaptation fails to depict such emotions in the Final scene. Overall, the cast in Branagh’s film gave stronger performances than those of Zeffirelli’s version. In addition to the star cast, Branagh surpassed Zeffirelli in direction too. In terms of direction, Branagh cuts and edits very little from the play and his correct sequencing of the scenes facilitates the development of the main themes of betrayal, revenge and death which helps the viewers to get essence of the play. In Zeffirelli’s version, Hamlet says Ophelia “Get thee to a nunnery” (III, i, 121) before commencing the Mouse Trap where both Ophelia and Hamlet are seated in the audience. This confuses Ophelia and she responds with a blank puzzlement. In the Branagh’s version, this dialogue is delivered when Ophelia is sent to spy on Hamlet by Claudius and Polonius. She feels exposed to danger and thus responds by getting scared, and later expresses her pity for him. Thus, the audience realizes that she is betraying her own love but is helpless. This kind of reaction best suits her character. Besides this, when Hamlet killed Polonius in the Chamber scene, Branagh’s film focused more on Polonius’ body in the pool of blood. This helps the audience to grasp that this is just the beginning of violence and it foreshadows the death of other characters. Most importantly, the death and funeral of Hamlet is beautifully directed in Branagh’s film. Hamlet’s dead body is carried away by four men such that his arms are stretched on either side. The audience can view it in form of a Christian cross and then he is given a military burial by Fortinbras. Thus, Hamlet’s death symbolizes a noble cause and the end of conspiracy in Denmark. On the other hand, Zeffirelli not only edits the important character of Fortinbras but fails to signify Hamlet’s death. On the whole, it can be concluded that Branagh better understood the power of the play which is evident by his superb direction. Furthermore, in Branagh’s version, the magnificent set designs are symbolic indications of disloyalty, revenge and death. The hall of mirrors in the royal palaces emphasizes the tensions between the worlds of illusion and reality. When Hamlet says his soliloquy, the mirror is the tool used to delineate Hamlet’s character. It helps to reveal his intimate thoughts, his personality, his fears and is used to question his reflection about himself. The audience can grasp that he felt deceived by the people around him. Another example of the symbolism is the chessboard flooring. As Hamlet enters the room in the Nunnery scene, he is the only one there; symbolically, this makes him the last piece on board. Later in his soliloquy, he is trying to make a strategic choice concern...