Historical & Social Context
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Folger Shakespeare Library: HamletProvides articles and podcasts about the play, adaptations, and images from early printed texts.
Performances & Documentaries
Performances
A selection of film adaptations available in our DVD and streaming collections. More adaptations can be found by doing a search in the Library Catalog. See the main Shakespeare guide for search tips.
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Live from Stratford-upon-Avon, Hamlet
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Hamlet (Franco Zeffirelli)
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William Shakespeare's Hamlet
1996 feature film directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh.
Borrow DVD
Watch Online
Note:Films available in the Swank collection require a username and password. Request this info from your classroom teacher or contact the library for help. -
Hamlet, National Theatre Collection (Online only)
Starring Rory Kinnear. Royal National Theatre, 2010. -
Hamlet 360: Thy Father's Spirit
A 360-degree adaptation of William Shakespeare's Hamlet performed by the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company. The 360 video is best viewed using a VR headset, such as the Google Pixel phone with Google Cardboard or Daydream View.
Documentaries
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Hamlet Within (Online only)Directed by Ken McMullen and featuring Ian McKellen, this documentary investigates the myth of Hamlet, its origins, and its enduring appeal across cultures and systems of belief.
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The Great Hamlets (Online only)
In this two part series,Trevor Nunn, artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, talks with some of the greatest actors of the 20th century about their interpretations of Hamlet—John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier, Vittorio Gassman, Richard Burton, Mandy Patinkin, Nicol Williamson, Ben Kingsley, Jean Louis Barrault, Maximilian Schell, and the great Russian actor Innocenti Smoktunovsky. (2 episodes, 56 minutes each) -
Discovering Hamlet (Online only)
A journey into Hamlet the play and the man, through the experiences of the major actors and directors who have brought the play to life. Filmed at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-Upon-Avon, in London, Canada and Italy, featuring Christopher Plummer, Sir Trevor Nunn, Franco Zeffirelli, John Nettles, John Simm and David Tennant. (44 minutes)