Hamlet (1996 Film) Kenneth Branagh

Main characters

• Kenneth Branagh as Prince Hamlet, the story's protagonist and Prince of Denmark. He is the son of the late King Hamlet and heir to the throne of Denmark. At first, Hamlet is depressed about his father's death and is angered by his mother Gertrude's swift remarriage to his uncle Claudius. However, Hamlet is told by the ghost of his father that Claudius murdered him, usurping his throne. Hamlet swears to avenge his father's murder. Branagh described his interpretation of the title role as considerably less "neurotic" than others, removing the Oedipal fixation prominently featured in Laurence Olivier's 1948 film adaptation, among others. During the scenes in which Hamlet pretends to be insane, Branagh portrayed the Prince as manic.[8]
• Derek Jacobi as King Claudius, the play's antagonist and brother of the late king. He murders his brother by pouring poison into his ear while he sleeps. He usurps his brother's title and marries his widow. At first, believing Hamlet to have been driven mad by the loss of his father, Claudius tries to spy on Hamlet. When Claudius learns that Hamlet knows of the murder, he tries to use Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two of Hamlet's schoolmates, to murder his nephew. Jacobi appeared in the title role in the BBC's 1980 made-for-television version of Hamlet.
• Julie Christie as Gertrude, Queen of Denmark and wife to both the late King Hamlet and King Claudius, who she swiftly married following the former's death — ignorant of the foul play that caused his death.
• Richard Briers as Polonius, the Lord Chamberlain. An impertinent busybody, Polonius believes Hamlet to be mad and convinces Claudius to join him in spying on the prince. Hamlet eventually kills him, believing him to be Claudius.
• Kate Winslet as Ophelia, noblewoman of Denmark and daughter of Polonius. Ophelia is in love with Hamlet until she is advised by her father Polonius and brother Laertes to end their relationship. She is eventually driven mad by both Hamlet's rejection and her father's murder and drowns herself.
• Nicholas Farrell as Horatio, a good friend of Hamlet who he met while attending Wittenberg University.
• Michael Maloney as Laertes, the son of Polonius and brother of Ophelia. After instructing his sister to have no further relations with Hamlet, he departs for Paris. On news of his father's murder, Laertes returns to Denmark, leading a mob to storm the castle. Claudius incites Laertes to kill Hamlet and avenge Polonius's death. He later conspires with Claudius to murder Hamlet during a fencing duel.
• Rufus Sewell as Fortinbras, the Norwegian crown prince. Played mostly in flashback and frequently referenced throughout the film, Fortinbras storms Elsinore castle with his army during the final scene, and assumes the vacant throne of Denmark.

Supporting characters

• Robin Williams as Osric, the Elsinore courtier sent by Claudius to invite Hamlet to participate in the duel with Laertes.
• Gérard Depardieu as Reynaldo, a servant to Polonius. He is sent by Polonius to Paris to spy on Laertes.
• Timothy Spall as Rosencrantz and Reece Dinsdale as Guildenstern, courtier friends of Hamlet who are sent by Claudius to spy on Hamlet.
• Jack Lemmon as Marcellus and Ian McElhinney as Bernardo, sentries at Elsinore who alert Horatio of the appearance of King Hamlet's Ghost.
• Ray Fearon as Francisco, a sentry at Elsinore and the first character to appear on screen.
• Brian Blessed as the Ghost of Hamlet's Father, an apparition in the form of the late King who informs Hamlet of his murder and Claudius's usurpation of the throne.
• Billy Crystal as the First Gravedigger, a sexton digging Ophelia's grave who makes a case for why she should not receive a Christian burial before having a quick dialogue with Hamlet. Later, he presents the skull of Yorick to Hamlet, not knowing Hamlet's history with the jester.
• Simon Russell Beale as the Second Gravedigger.
• Don Warrington as Voltimand, an ambassador sent by King Claudius to Old King Norway.
• Ravil Isyanov as Cornelius, an ambassador sent by King Claudius to Old King Norway.
• Charlton Heston as the Player King.
• Rosemary Harris as the Player Queen.
• Richard Attenborough as the English Ambassador.
• John Gielgud as Priam, the King of Troy, played in flashback during the Player King's speech.
• Judi Dench as Hecuba, the Queen of Troy and wife of Priam, played in flashback during the Player King's speech.
• John Mills as Old King Norway, uncle of Fortinbras, played in flashback, reprimanding his nephew for claims against Denmark.
• Ken Dodd as Yorick, the King's Jester, played in flashback entertaining the royals of Elsinore during the gravediggers scene.
• John Spencer-Churchill, 11th Duke of Marlborough, appears in a cameo as the Norwegian captain.