To speak or not to speak: The implications of silence in Shakespeare\u27s Hamlet

This thesis explores the function and importance of silence throughout William Shakespeare\u27s play Hamlet. Along with analysis of Shakespeare\u27s text, this thesis also reviews and analyzes three film versions of the play: Laurence Olivier\u27s 1948 production, Kenneth Branagh\u27s 1996 production, and Michael Almereyda\u27s 2000 production. All of these showcase various depictions of silence while working with the same Shakespearian text and plotline. Throughout the text and film analyses this thesis explores three areas in which silence plays an important role: refusal to join a conversation, emotional distress rendering someone silent, and societal limitations placed on the individual. This thesis attempts to examine silence in its most natural forms. Throughout this examination, it is the moments without words that aid in the shaping of our understanding of Hamlet