Get Thee to a Video!

We know how it is. You’re researching Hamlet for that important English 102 paper you have to write. You’ve found tons of great resources in the SCC Library’s databases, chock-full as they are with online journals, e-books, magazines, newspaper, and even audio files, but you’re still interested to know more about Shakespeare’s classic.

Of course the problem is obvious: You forgot about video! Sometimes the best information comes in the form of good, old-fashioned A/V, and as Shakespeare says, “The play’s the thing.” Written material is vital, but if you really want to see Hamlet come to life in all its gorey glory, video is the place to be.

Thankfully, the SCC Library has got you covered the video department, and the best part is you don’t even have to get up from your computer! On-campus or off, you have the Library’s video databases at your fingertips, including Films on Demand, the Credo Video Collection, Bloom’s Literature Videos, and 20th Century Historical Videos. Detailed searches are easy, and you’ll find citations, transcripts, embed codes, and much more.

Just try a search for our emo friend Hamlet in the Films on Demand database, and you’ll find valuable information on Shakespeare’s classic, such as:

Hamlet: A Critical Guide

This insightful and entertaining overview of Shakespeare’s masterpiece covers the play’s major themes of revenge and death, as well as a focus on Hamlet’s relationships with the women in his life, his mother and Opehlia. Leading scholars discuss the plot and character motivations. Essential viewing for the Shakespeare student!

The Great Hamlets

Who knows better the story of Hamlet better than the legendary actors who brought the play to life? Join Sir John Gielgud, Ben Kingsley, Richard Burton, Sir Laurence Olivier and others as they discuss the substance and meaning of the Shakespearian tragedy they know so well.

Comedia dell’Arte Hamlet

This television production from 1964 presents scenes from Hamlet as interpreted through Comedia dell’Arte, the classic Italian genre of comedy and pantomime. Think of it as Shakespeare by way of The Three Stooges (with a little Jerry Lewis thrown in). The presentations emphasizes the comedic nature inherent in the Bard’s works.

Hollow Crowns: Shakespeare and Us

This documentary views Hamlet through a modern lens by examining the public (and Shakespeare’s) relationship to our royalty. Learn what fascinated Shakespeare about the frailty of monarchs and their families and how it is reflected in the lives of the royal families today.

Shakespeare on the Silver Screen

Explore Hamlet and the rest of Shakespeare’s classics through their history on the motion picture screen. An endless variety of styles and reimaginings of the Bard’s works have appeared throughout film history, and the many scenes examined here help bring the majesty and mystery of Shakespeare’s world to life.

And don’t forget: complete adaptations of Hamlet are also available through Films on Demand, including the classic BBC production starring David Tennet and the even-more-classic film starring Laurence Olivier.

If you’re off-campus, just use your SCC web ID and password to access the videos or any other SCC Library database. And as always, ask the SCC Library staff if you have any questions about how to research Hamlet (or ham radio or ham salad or Alexander Hamilton or ham near anything!).