Never before had a rendition of this Hamlet monologue hit so uncomfortably home to me as this one. This portrayal shows such vulnerable fear and internal conflict that hits like a wrecking ball, reminding me of my own personal journey over the last few years. I never truly understood what was being said until this performance.

Essiedu is genuinely one if my favourite Shakespearean actors out there right now. His Edmund was really good too

So far my favourite rendition. I must see the entire production. Chills every time.

who else is here because of there teachers

Something about the way Paapa does this scene which is both beautiful and haunting. Everything is just point perfect.

This magnificent interpretation rips open and reveals deep avenues of thought and feeling. I so appreciate the Jean-Michel Basquiat inspired costume and set. ~ Multiple creative layers of drama.

About time this has been put up! Saw Paapa perform this in Stratford last year - was captivating and immediately became my favourite performance of this most famous of monologues.

Lovely performance, i had goosebumps throughout the scene.

This soliloquy has been recited so many time but this beats them all - this is a lyrical performance. It's like listening to a well done opera.

Travelled down from Newcastle just to see this in Hackney. What a performance, so natural and subtle!

had the pleasure of seeing this production...I was amazing !!!!!!!!!!!!!

absolutely OBSESSED with his Hamlet, omg

Absolutely amazing. Perfection.

Saw this at the hackney empire and was blown away .

Art is and always will be something that is meant to evolve and grow as each generation reflects on its relevance throughout history up to the moment of now. How can we grow how can we feel if we are not allowed to free our minds from societies fears. Ideas, Art, Science, Life is meant to be shared - I believe everyone should respect that. Artists are rebels, those unwilling to stand silent. Thank God.

Love this take on young Prince Hamlet

Beautiful.

Brilliant! A must see!!!

I had doubts at first seeing the costuming, but he was brilliant!

He does such a good job!

BRILLIANT. The way Shakespeare should be done.

Wonderful actor. Though I am not into modernists “make-fit” renditions of classical dramas. But what a wonderfully sensitive rendering. Great talent here.

Wow..he just nails it.

saw this at the lowry a few years ago he's an incredible actor

That was rather good.

He is phenomenal

So good. I like it! :)

Just took my breath away.

Great performance. I think I'll cite performance in my essay

Certainly a different approach. It shows Hamlet's fears.

I’m here fprk because no other teacher took the time to share this with me . To be or not to be , in my school it was not to be . 😢😢 sad .

Brilliant

Very touching, moving wonderful.I wish I could see the whole production!

Twas a cool show

Good performance

Beautiful interpretation! Superb!

That geezer's great

This is painful and exquisite.

wow, my bby snapped

I love it

💞

Branagh this Olivier that LOOK AT THIS MAN

Can someone tell me why he's covered in chalk paint?

That is the correct answer

"RSC’s 2018 tour of Hamlet" But this video was published in 2017.

Later I am in a Shakespeare competition. I am doing this monologue. I’m terrified.

shit bangs. this soliloquy hits way harder in a british accent

I'm here because I just read this segment from the book, "A Poem A Day" edited by Karen McCosker and Nicholas Albery. A TRUE TREAT INDEED! ☆☆☆☆☆ 😎

Anlamadım ama anladım ✅

Basqauit?

If y’all want I’ll post how to do this on my KZfaq

Actually, I thought this rhymed with Sphinx.

untill 0:43 was he scratching his back hole ? some one please let me know i mean is that scripted in the play itself??

Here because he is amazing as Kwame.

So, it looks like the ghost of Basquiat painted the set.

I didn’t know Sesame St did Shakespeare

Hamlet, acte III, scène 1 * To be, or not to be, that is the question, Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against the sea of troubles, And by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep- No more, and by a sleep to say we end The heart-ache, and the thousand natural shocks That flesh is heir to; 'tis a consummation Devoutly to be wished to die to sleep ! To sleep, perchance to dream, ay there's the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil Must give us pause-there's the respect That makes calamity of so long life : For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, Th'oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of disprized love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th'unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin; who would fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovered country, from whose bourn No traveller returns, puzzles the will, And makes us rather bear those ills we have, Than fly to others that we know not of ? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, And thus the native hue a resolution Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, And enterprises of great pitch and moment With this regard their currents turn awry, And lose the name of action.... Soft you now, The fair Ophelia-Nymph, in thy orisons Be all my sins remembered.

Although a unique choice in delivery, the acting somehow mirrors the emotional aesthetic of the soliloquy in a more authentic way than many performances that I've seen so far

Jesus

No teachers allowed...

wuz Shakespeare an shit.

This is not how it was original performed with such exageration.Look for the “original pronounciation” editions at the Globe

Much too "mannered."

SORRY..JUST DOSNT WORK....FOR ME

To be or nots to be...dat be de question homey

Nicely spoken, Paapa, but you clearly have no idea what it means. Like Tennant and the rest, you're just saying the words with feeling and hoping for the best.

Not good

I liked his costume, but that was about it 🙈 It seemed moment focused rather than message focused like he was stepping out to return to ways that he had done before rather than following the unique energy of that moment to deliver the monologue authentically. It felt disjointed and forced at times rather than emanating from spirit and experience. I heard he won awards for this role, so perhaps it was an off night.

It's not great. Essiedu needs to learn to stop replacing the text with so many injections of self-induced emotions. The soliloquy is the ultimate test of an actor's intelligence. This is a disaster. Not every actor is really made for Shakespeare.

Tennant did it better. Just saying.

I'm surprised the RSC missed the fact that Hamlet is a Danish prince.

Give me Gielgud, Olivier, Burton. This is awful. Here, Hamlet is dressed like a clown, a court jester. Is he going to a party? He should be dressed all in black, still in mourning for his father. He should be wearing an “inky (black) cloak”! The gesticulations and grimaces are all wrong. This is a somber meditation on death, it should be spoken in a sober and manly way, while maintaining a sense of the poetic rhythm. This actor lacks the necessary gravitas. He sounds like a gay guy who just broke up with his boyfriend, he’s much too effeminate to play Hamlet.

Terrible over-acting.

Dislike this performance

Bloody awful. More like Hamlet Prince of the 'Hood!!