Today over breakfast my 8yr son asked me, “What would rather watch, Hamlet or Midsummer Night’s Dream?”
Good question.
In theory I’d like to say Hamlet, I think Hamlet is the better play with more depth to explore. But honestly Hamlet can also be incredibly boring if it’s done poorly. Many times I find myself playing closer attention entirely in an attempt to find something about the secondary cast to interest me.
Midsummer, on the other hand, has that light and entertaining layer on top of its depth, so even a mediocre production is still likely going to be good for some laughs.
So my answer was, “Depends on who is playing Hamlet. If it’s just another Hamlet with nobody special, well, I’ve seen that a bunch. But if it’s a big actor of today, like say Daniel Day Lewis, then I’m totally picking the Hamlet. Otherwise I’ll go Midsummer.”
What do you think?
Hamlet requires the bigger commitment of time and intellect, and can be exhausting and more than a little draining. But the play's bleak outlook better matches the midwinter gloom. I guess my answer would be "depends on the season."
Hard to top Jacobi in the BBC version, IMHO.