Skip to main content

Hamlet (al-Demerdash; Sobhi, 1977)

Full Video

About This Clip

Hamlet

Staged in 1971, 1975, 1976-7

Author: Shakespeare (adapted by Mohamed Sobhi (Muhammad Ṣubḥī) from three Shakespeare translations: Khalīl Muṭrān, ʻA.Q. al-Qiṭṭ, and J.I. Jabrā).  Directed for television by Nur al-Demerdash.

Hamlet

Clips

Hamlet’s “To Be or Not to Be” speech

Speech was relocated to Act 5. Loosely based on Hamlet 3.1; script has been changed compared to original play.more

Speech was relocated to Act 5.
Loosely based on Hamlet 3.1; script has been changed compared to original play. less

Players enter

Hamlet 2.2

Hamlet 2.2 less

The Mousetrap scene

Hamlet 3.2

Hamlet 3.2 less

Gertrude and Polonius, then closet scene

Hamlet 3.4 Ends with “I must be cruel only to be kind/thus bad begins and worse remains behind.”more

Hamlet 3.4
Ends with “I must be cruel only to be kind/thus bad begins and worse remains behind.” less

Ophelia’s mad scene

Hamlet 4.5

Hamlet 4.5 less

Hamlet’s first soliloquy

Shakespeare’s Hamlet 1.2

Shakespeare’s Hamlet 1.2 less

Ghost scene

Hamlet 1.5 25:49 Ghost appears 27:00 “I’ll follow.” 27:59 Hamlet finishes following the ghost: “Speak, I’ll go no further.”more

Hamlet 1.5
25:49 Ghost appears
27:00 “I’ll follow.”
27:59 Hamlet finishes following the ghost: “Speak, I’ll go no further.” less

Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern at Claudius’s Court

The scene shows ʻAmr Afifi playing Polonius for comic relief, not as the sinister spymaster we’ll meet in later Arabic adaptations). Hamlet 2.2more

The scene shows ʻAmr Afifi playing Polonius for comic relief, not as the sinister spymaster we’ll meet in later Arabic adaptations).
Hamlet 2.2 less

Nunnery scene

Nevine Ramez plays Ophelia. Hamlet 3.1 Much of the intervening material between 2.2 and 3.1 has been cut, and the rest has been moved, so this is much earlier in...more

Nevine Ramez plays Ophelia. Hamlet 3.1
Much of the intervening material between 2.2 and 3.1 has been cut, and the rest has been moved, so this is much earlier in Sobhi’s play than Shakespeare’s. less

Opening scene (funeral) Carmina Burana

Now a noble heart has stopped. Good night, dear prince. Good night. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. Goodbye, my prince. (He repeats these lines four times,...more

Now a noble heart has stopped. Good night, dear prince. Good night. And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest. Goodbye, my prince. (He repeats these lines four times, in different versions that could be translated differently or not.) Give me the man who is not passion’s slave and I will hold him in my heart’s core. As I do you. (Pause.) Death is a sleep. A sleep. A sleep. A sleep. (Music rises. Funeral procession continues across the stage and exits left.) less

Horatio’s framing speech

How shall I describe that day? The sky full of fog. The people silent. Eyes far away, cheeks streaked with tears. Bells tolling in the distance, carrying the grievous news....more

How shall I describe that day? The sky full of fog. The people silent. Eyes far away, cheeks streaked with tears. Bells tolling in the distance, carrying the grievous news. (Deep sigh.) The mighty king Hamlet the Elder was dead. I urged Hamlet the young prince to let me go with him to Denmark to attend his father’s funeral, but he went ahead.
And when I arrived here, in Denmark, there was no funeral, and no signs of mourning. I saw Claudius, the uncle of the prince, who had become a king on the throne, and had married the queen, the wife of his dead brother. From here began the tragedy which ended with the death of the young prince, Hamlet.
And only I am left: Horatio, alone, lost. I have to set the people straight and tell them the whole story of the things that took place, including crimes of passion and blood, deaths put on by fate and forced cause. All this can I now tell you, truly. less

Council scene

Sobhi’s entrance, the council scene, ending in a dance to 1812 Overture Shakespeare’s Hamlet 1.2more

Sobhi’s entrance, the council scene, ending in a dance to 1812 Overture
Shakespeare’s Hamlet 1.2 less

Hamlet : Full Video

Take Notes

Log In (or Sign Up) to activate the note-taking feature which allows you to take notes about the video and send them in an e-mail.

Title:
Year:
Director:
Play:
Language:
Type:
Venue:
Company:

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

16 Comments

  • Deena says:

    Really astonished by this master piece
    Although Shakespeare’s one is Great But Staging Like this would make me just open my mouth infront of it
    Really it’s also one of Subhy’s Masterpieces

  • ana keda says:

    Omg finally i found it …..i’m searching for it since i have studied it (since 2 years
    ) XD

  • nehad says:

    ts a goood play

  • me says:

    is there any way to download it?

  • Glad you all are interested in this production – it’s a classic! If anyone is interested in working on subtitles for any of the scenes (perhaps as part of a class project?), please contact me. Meanwhile, please spread the word that this film is available online – I would love to see more reactions to particular scenes. We’ll work on making Arabic comments display correctly on the site.

  • nana says:

    مسرحيه عبقريه من ممثل عبقرى برؤيه عصريه مختلفه

  • manal says:

    يوجد مشكلة في تشغيل الفيديو ولا اعرف ما هي. المسرحيات الأخرى تعمل بكفاءة ما عدا هذه المسرحية. أرجو مساعدتي في هذا

    • شكرا على التعليق. نحتاج إلى معلومات إضافية.

      هل جربت المقطعات القصيرة على نفس الصفحة، وهل هي تعمل بشكل عادي؟

      تحياتي

      مارجريت

  • manal says:

    شكرا على الرد. جميع المقاطع لا تعمل. وانا احتاجها ضروري لأنها جزء من ابحاثي. برجاء ارشادي لكيفية التشغيل.

  • Belinda Yung says:

    At this time the videos require the QuickTime web browser plug-in which comes with installing QuickTime Player via the Apple website. However, we have received reports of compatibility issues with new browser releases and QuickTime.

    If you are experiencing problems viewing the videos, please email globalshax-www@mit.edu so that we may help troubleshoot the issue with you. Thank you!

  • karim younis says:

    i have the quick plugin and also have problem to watch what shall i do

    • Global Shakespeare Team says:

      The site is undergoing maintenance and some of the videos are temporarily unavailable.

      Apologies for the inconvenience. Please check back again.

      — The Global Shakespeare Team

    • Liana de Camargo Leão says:

      Dear Peggy
      You will have to refer to prof Terezinha or to prfo Marlene Soares dos Santos,her email is msdoss@globo.com I believe prof Marlene knew your aunt. You can also try prof Rberto Rocha who is on facebook, ; his email is darocha56@hotmail.com (darocha56@gmail.com)

      Professor da rocha probably heard of your aunt. He teaches at the same university now. Best of luck
      Liana Leao

    • Liana de Camargo Leão says:

      sorry, we will see to that.

Close Menu