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The second of three big theatrical Shakespeare adaptations that Laurence Olivier directed and starred in, following his ''Henry V'' and succeeded by his ''Richard III''. Contained several future stars of British and Hollywood film. Creator/JeanSimmons appeared in her StarMakingRole[note]although a supporting one, her first success as a leading actress came a year later with ''Film/{{The Blue Lagoon|1949}}''[/note] as Ophelia, Hamlet's girlfriend, who probably should have dumped him. Creator/PatrickTroughton, later known as the second Series/DoctorWho, appears as the Player King. This was the first of twenty-four films that Creator/PeterCushing and Creator/ChristopherLee appeared in together; Cushing plays Osric while Lee is an extra (one of the guards). Creator/PatrickMacnee also appears as an extra. Character actor Creator/JohnLaurie plays Francisco, one of the guards in the opening scene who sees the ghost.
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The second of three big theatrical Shakespeare adaptations that Laurence Olivier directed and starred in, following his ''Henry V'' and succeeded by his ''Richard III''. Contained several future stars of British and Hollywood film. Creator/JeanSimmons appeared in her StarMakingRole[note]although StarMakingRole[[note]]although a supporting one, her first success as a leading actress came a year later with ''Film/{{The Blue Lagoon|1949}}''[/note] Lagoon|1949}}''[[/note]] as Ophelia, Hamlet's girlfriend, who probably should have dumped him. Creator/PatrickTroughton, later known as the second Series/DoctorWho, appears as the Player King. This was the first of twenty-four films that Creator/PeterCushing and Creator/ChristopherLee appeared in together; Cushing plays Osric while Lee is an extra (one of the guards). Creator/PatrickMacnee also appears as an extra. Character actor Creator/JohnLaurie plays Francisco, one of the guards in the opening scene who sees the ghost.
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The second of three big theatrical Shakespeare adaptations that Laurence Olivier directed and starred in, following his ''Henry V'' and succeeded by his ''Richard III''. Contained several future stars of British and Hollywood film. Creator/JeanSimmons appeared in her StarMakingRole as Ophelia, Hamlet's girlfriend, who probably should have dumped him. Creator/PatrickTroughton, later known as the second Series/DoctorWho, appears as the Player King. This was the first of twenty-four films that Creator/PeterCushing and Creator/ChristopherLee appeared in together; Cushing plays Osric while Lee is an extra (one of the guards). Creator/PatrickMacnee also appears as an extra. Character actor Creator/JohnLaurie plays Francisco, one of the guards in the opening scene who sees the ghost.
to:
The second of three big theatrical Shakespeare adaptations that Laurence Olivier directed and starred in, following his ''Henry V'' and succeeded by his ''Richard III''. Contained several future stars of British and Hollywood film. Creator/JeanSimmons appeared in her StarMakingRole StarMakingRole[note]although a supporting one, her first success as a leading actress came a year later with ''Film/{{The Blue Lagoon|1949}}''[/note] as Ophelia, Hamlet's girlfriend, who probably should have dumped him. Creator/PatrickTroughton, later known as the second Series/DoctorWho, appears as the Player King. This was the first of twenty-four films that Creator/PeterCushing and Creator/ChristopherLee appeared in together; Cushing plays Osric while Lee is an extra (one of the guards). Creator/PatrickMacnee also appears as an extra. Character actor Creator/JohnLaurie plays Francisco, one of the guards in the opening scene who sees the ghost.
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Playing Gertrude is now a disambig (and thus not a trope, so can't be Unbuilt).
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* PlayingGertrude: The tradition of casting improbably young actresses as Gertrude is the TropeNamer, but few productions are as extreme as this one. Eileen Herlie, who plays Gertrude, was 11 years younger than Oliver. This only serves to increase the IncestSubtext.
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* UnbuiltTrope: Ironically for PlayingGertrude (Laurence Olivier was 41, Eileen Herlie was 30) and traditions of casting actresses far too young to be mothers - this happened in works like ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'' too but this film is the TropeNamer. This casting was forced by ExecutiveMeddling; the studio would only allow ''Hamlet'' to be made if Laurence Olivier played the lead.
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it seems this trope was cut
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* BackofHeadTransition: The "To be or not to be" speech opens via a zoom into the back of Hamlet's head before cutting to a shot of him from the front. The soliloquy is done largely through voice over, so the zoom is presumably intended to show the audience that the words are coming from Hamlet's thoughts.
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The second of three big theatrical Shakespeare adaptations that Laurence Olivier directed and starred in, following his ''Henry V'' and succeeded by his ''Richard III''. Contained several future stars of British and Hollywood film. Jean Simmons appeared in her StarMakingRole as Ophelia, Hamlet's girlfriend, who probably should have dumped him. Creator/PatrickTroughton, later known as the second Series/DoctorWho, appears as the Player King. This was the first of twenty-four films that Creator/PeterCushing and Creator/ChristopherLee appeared in together; Cushing plays Osric while Lee is an extra (one of the guards). Creator/PatrickMacnee also appears as an extra. Character actor Creator/JohnLaurie plays Francisco, one of the guards in the opening scene who sees the ghost.
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The second of three big theatrical Shakespeare adaptations that Laurence Olivier directed and starred in, following his ''Henry V'' and succeeded by his ''Richard III''. Contained several future stars of British and Hollywood film. Jean Simmons Creator/JeanSimmons appeared in her StarMakingRole as Ophelia, Hamlet's girlfriend, who probably should have dumped him. Creator/PatrickTroughton, later known as the second Series/DoctorWho, appears as the Player King. This was the first of twenty-four films that Creator/PeterCushing and Creator/ChristopherLee appeared in together; Cushing plays Osric while Lee is an extra (one of the guards). Creator/PatrickMacnee also appears as an extra. Character actor Creator/JohnLaurie plays Francisco, one of the guards in the opening scene who sees the ghost.
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* BackofHeadTransition: The "To be or not to be" speech opens via a zoom into the back of Hamlet's head before cutting to a shot of him from the front. The soliloquy is done largely through voice over, so the zoom is presumably intended to show the audience that the words are coming from Hamlet's thoughts.
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Woman In White is no longer a trope
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* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Brunette Jean Simmons wears a wig of long blonde hair as Ophelia. This, together with her WomanInWhite dress, emphasizes her sweet and gentle nature.
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* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Brunette Jean Simmons wears a wig of long blonde hair as Ophelia. This, together with her WomanInWhite white dress, emphasizes her sweet and gentle nature.
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* WomanInWhite: Ophelia is dressed all in white, emphasizing her purity.
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* WomanInWhite: VirginInAWhiteDress: Ophelia is dressed all in white, emphasizing her purity.
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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hamlet_7.jpg]]
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* WomanInWhite: Ophelia is dressed all in white, emphasizing her purity.
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* UnbuiltTrope: Ironically for PlayingGertrude (Laurence Olivier was 41, Eileen Herlie was 30) and traditions of casting actresses far too young to be mothers - this happened in works like ''Film/GoneWithTheWind'' too but this film is the TropeNamer. This casting was forced by ExecutiveMeddling; the studio would only allow ''Hamlet'' to be made if Laurence Olivier played the lead.
* WomanInWhite: Ophelia is dressed all in white, emphasizing herpurity.purity.
----
* WomanInWhite: Ophelia is dressed all in white, emphasizing her
----
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** Fortinbras, prince of Norway who comes in at the end of the play to pick up the bodies and assume the crown of Denmark, is also omitted.
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** Fortinbras, prince of Norway who comes in at the end of the play to pick up the bodies (seriously, there was no curtain in Elizabethan theater, and Shakespeare needed a way to get the corpses off the stage) and assume the crown of Denmark, is also omitted.
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The second of three big theatrical Shakespeare adaptations that Laurence Olivier directed and starred in, following his ''Henry V'' and succeeded by his ''Richard III''. Contained several future stars of British and Hollywood film. Creator/JeanSimmons appeared in her StarMakingRole as Ophelia, Hamlet's girlfriend, who probably should have dumped him. Creator/PatrickTroughton, later known as the second Series/DoctorWho, appears as the Player King. This was the first of twenty-four films that Creator/PeterCushing and Creator/ChristopherLee appeared in together; Cushing plays Osric while Lee is an extra (one of the guards). Creator/PatrickMacnee also appears as an extra. Character actor Creator/JohnLaurie plays Francisco, one of the guards in the opening scene who sees the ghost.
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The second of three big theatrical Shakespeare adaptations that Laurence Olivier directed and starred in, following his ''Henry V'' and succeeded by his ''Richard III''. Contained several future stars of British and Hollywood film. Creator/JeanSimmons Jean Simmons appeared in her StarMakingRole as Ophelia, Hamlet's girlfriend, who probably should have dumped him. Creator/PatrickTroughton, later known as the second Series/DoctorWho, appears as the Player King. This was the first of twenty-four films that Creator/PeterCushing and Creator/ChristopherLee appeared in together; Cushing plays Osric while Lee is an extra (one of the guards). Creator/PatrickMacnee also appears as an extra. Character actor Creator/JohnLaurie plays Francisco, one of the guards in the opening scene who sees the ghost.
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* CampGay: Peter Cushing plays Osric this way, with a mincing manner, an effeminate voice, and a hat with a huge feather that he waves around constantly.
* CatchTheConscience: Hamlet hopes the [[ShowWithinAShow Mousetrap]] will catch Claudius's conscience, evoking visible guilt over his murder of the old king.
-->'''Hamlet:''' The play's the thing, wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king.
* CatchTheConscience: Hamlet hopes the [[ShowWithinAShow Mousetrap]] will catch Claudius's conscience, evoking visible guilt over his murder of the old king.
-->'''Hamlet:''' The play's the thing, wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king.
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* CurtainCamouflage: Poor Polonius should have picked a better place to hide.
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* TheDyingWalk: In this version Hamlet does not make Claudius drink the poisoned wine. Instead, after Hamlet stabs Claudius a few times, the king gets back up and picks up his crown, which fell off. He then staggers into the center of his room, and looks at his guards--all of whom then point their spears at him. Only then does Claudius keel over dead.
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* MidfightWeaponExchange: Happens in the duel between Hamlet and Laertes, meaning they are both mortally wounded with the [[PoisonedWeapons poisoned blade]].
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* SlainInTheirSleep: Hamlet's father was murdered during his afternoon nap.
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* AlasPoorYorick: TropeNamer. Hamlet encounters the alleged skull of Yorick, the court jester of his childhood, prompting the prince to reflect on his mortality.
* BlackComedy: A lot of this when Claudius is trying to find out just what the heck Hamlet did to Polonius. Hamlet remarks that if they wait a month or so, they may smell a bad stink around the stairs. When Claudius sends his guards there, Hamlet says "He will stay till ye come."
* BlackComedy: A lot of this when Claudius is trying to find out just what the heck Hamlet did to Polonius. Hamlet remarks that if they wait a month or so, they may smell a bad stink around the stairs. When Claudius sends his guards there, Hamlet says "He will stay till ye come."
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* HeroicSacrifice: Every production or adaptation of ''Hamlet'' has to decide whether or not Gertrude knows the wine is poisoned. In this version she obviously does--she stares at it quite meaningfully--and she drinks it in order to stop Hamlet from drinking it. (Obviously it doesn't do much good as Hamlet is sliced with Laertes' poisoned blade moments later.)
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* IncestSubtext: Many productions of Hamlet have emphasized this trope in regards to Hamlet and Gertrude, but maybe none more than this one, which used an actress younger than Oliver (Eileen Herlie) and has her kiss Hamlet square on the lips in the early scene where everyone's telling Hamlet to stop moping about his father's death. She's also holding his face in a manner that look like it's about to lead to a passionate kiss, when King Hamlet's ghost interrupts.
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* IncestSubtext: Many productions of Hamlet have emphasized this trope in regards to Hamlet and Gertrude, but maybe none more than this one, which used an actress younger than Oliver (Eileen Herlie) and has her kiss Hamlet square on the lips in the early scene where everyone's telling Hamlet to stop moping about his father's death. She's also holding his face She kisses him on the lips again in a manner that look like it's about rather un-motherly way at the end of the scene where Polonius dies (and this right after Hamlet tells her to lead to a passionate kiss, when King Hamlet's ghost interrupts.not have sex with Claudius anymore), and then ''again'' right before he leaves.
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* LapPillow: Hamlet does this not on Ophelia's lap, but on his mother's, in the scene where Polonius is murdered that absolutely reeks of IncestSubtext.
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* DramaticDrop: Hamlet drops his dagger in surprise when he pulls back the curtain and it's Polonius, not Claudius, who tumbles out dead.
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* IncestSubtext: Many productions of Hamlet have emphasized this trope in regards to Hamlet and Gertrude, but maybe none more than this one, which used an actress younger than Oliver (Eileen Herlie) and has her kiss Hamlet square on the lips in the early scene where everyone's telling Hamlet to stop moping about his father's death.
* InnerMonologue: Oliver chose to stage most of the soliloquies, including the "To be or not to be" speech, as inner monologues, with him walking around or staring pensively as the soliloquy plays over the soundtrack.
* InnerMonologue: Oliver chose to stage most of the soliloquies, including the "To be or not to be" speech, as inner monologues, with him walking around or staring pensively as the soliloquy plays over the soundtrack.
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* IncestSubtext: Many productions of Hamlet have emphasized this trope in regards to Hamlet and Gertrude, but maybe none more than this one, which used an actress younger than Oliver (Eileen Herlie) and has her kiss Hamlet square on the lips in the early scene where everyone's telling Hamlet to stop moping about his father's death.
death. She's also holding his face in a manner that look like it's about to lead to a passionate kiss, when King Hamlet's ghost interrupts.
* InnerMonologue: Oliver chose to stagemost some of the soliloquies, including the "To be or not to be" speech, soliloquies as inner monologues, with him walking around or staring pensively as the soliloquy plays over the soundtrack.soundtrack. Hamlet's thoughts while standing over Claudius with a dagger are rendered this way.
* InnerMonologue: Oliver chose to stage
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* MilkingTheGiantCow: In this film Hamlet's instructions to his players are interrupted by the Player King making a silly "dramatic speech" gesture with his arm, which causes Hamlet to say "Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand."
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* MilkingTheGiantCow: MilkingTheGiantCow:
** In this film Hamlet's instructions to his players are interrupted by the Player King making a silly "dramatic speech" gesture with his arm, which causes Hamlet to say "Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand.""
** Despite this instruction the Player King still milks the giant cow during his scene with the Player Queen.
** In this film Hamlet's instructions to his players are interrupted by the Player King making a silly "dramatic speech" gesture with his arm, which causes Hamlet to say "Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand.
** Despite this instruction the Player King still milks the giant cow during his scene with the Player Queen.
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* MilkingTheGiantCow: In this film Hamlet's instructions to his players are interrupted by the Player King making a silly "dramatic speech" gesture with his arm, which causes Hamlet to say "Nor do not saw the air too much with your hand."
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* ExactEavesdropping: In this version of the story Hamlet, listening from above, hears Polonius tell the King and Queen of his plan to "loose my daughter unto him." The idea is for Ophelia to find out why Hamlet is acting so weird. There is nothing in the text of the play to suggest that Hamlet overhears this conversation, but it would explain why he is so nasty to Ophelia later.
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The second of three big theatrical Shakespeare adaptations that Laurence Olivier directed and starred in, following his ''Henry V'' and succeeded by his ''Richard III''. Contained several future stars of British and Hollywood film. Creator/JeanSimmons appeared in her StarMakingRole as Ophelia, Hamlet's girlfriend, who probably should have dumped him. Creator/PatrickTroughton, later known as the second Franchise/DoctorWho, appears as the Player King. This was the first of twenty-four films that Creator/PeterCushing and Creator/ChristopherLee appeared in together; Cushing plays Osric while Lee is an extra (one of the guards). Creator/PatrickMacnee also appears as an extra. Character actor Creator/JohnLaurie plays Francisco, one of the guards in the opening scene who sees the ghost.
to:
The second of three big theatrical Shakespeare adaptations that Laurence Olivier directed and starred in, following his ''Henry V'' and succeeded by his ''Richard III''. Contained several future stars of British and Hollywood film. Creator/JeanSimmons appeared in her StarMakingRole as Ophelia, Hamlet's girlfriend, who probably should have dumped him. Creator/PatrickTroughton, later known as the second Franchise/DoctorWho, Series/DoctorWho, appears as the Player King. This was the first of twenty-four films that Creator/PeterCushing and Creator/ChristopherLee appeared in together; Cushing plays Osric while Lee is an extra (one of the guards). Creator/PatrickMacnee also appears as an extra. Character actor Creator/JohnLaurie plays Francisco, one of the guards in the opening scene who sees the ghost.
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Added DiffLines:
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hamlet_7.jpg]]
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* HeartbeatSoundtrack: There's a heartbeat soundtrack every time the ghost appears.
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''Hamlet'' is a 1948 film directed by, and starring, Creator/LaurenceOlivier.
It is--how did you know?--an adaptation of Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}''. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (Olivier) is all bummed out because his father, King Hamlet, died two months ago. King Hamlet was succeeded by his brother, Claudius, whom his nephew Prince Hamlet strongly dislikes. Much worse, barely a month after King Hamlet was in the ground, his widow Queen Gertrude married her former brother-in-law Claudius. Prince Hamlet does not like this one little bit.
One night Hamlet's good friend Horatio reports to him that the watchmen on the walls of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kronborg Elsinore]] Palace have seen a ghost of Hamlet's father, walking in the night. When Hamlet goes to see for himself, the ghost tells him some very disturbing news. It seems that King Hamlet did not die of natural causes as everyone assumed, but was murdered by Claudius, who poured poison in his ear and thus took his brother's life, throne, and wife. The ghost, who is not happy about all this, makes Prince Hamlet swear to avenge him.
The second of three big theatrical Shakespeare adaptations that Laurence Olivier directed and starred in, following his ''Henry V'' and succeeded by his ''Richard III''. Contained several future stars of British and Hollywood film. Creator/JeanSimmons appeared in her StarMakingRole as Ophelia, Hamlet's girlfriend, who probably should have dumped him. Creator/PatrickTroughton, later known as the second Franchise/DoctorWho, appears as the Player King. This was the first of twenty-four films that Creator/PeterCushing and Creator/ChristopherLee appeared in together; Cushing plays Osric while Lee is an extra (one of the guards). Creator/PatrickMacnee also appears as an extra. Character actor Creator/JohnLaurie plays Francisco, one of the guards in the opening scene who sees the ghost.
----
!!Tropes:
* AdaptedOut:
** Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet's two buddies who are both [[TheGenericGuy Generic Guys]] in the play, are cut from this film entirely. Although Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are so superfluous to the story that [[Theatre/RosencrantzAndGuildensternAreDead an entire play]] was written around their pointlessness, this is the only one of the major theatrical ''Hamlet'' adaptations that does not include them.
** Fortinbras, prince of Norway who comes in at the end of the play to pick up the bodies and assume the crown of Denmark, is also omitted.
* {{Chiaroscuro}}: The film is shot in black and white, leading to many starkly lit, high-constrast shots. The opening sequence where Hamlet goes to meet the ghost is full of shots like this.
* DeadPersonConversation: The ghost of King Hamlet shows up and insists that Prince Hamlet avenge him.
* DoubleStandard: After Laertes tells Ophelia to stay a virgin and not let Hamlet have sex with her, she insists that he should follow the same chaste advice himself.
* ExcessiveMourning: In his first appearance everyone else is telling Hamlet to cheer up and stop mourning his dead father. Claudius calls it "unmanly grief".
* FireAndBrimstoneHell: The Ghost of Hamlet's father reveals that as his punishment in the afterlife, he must spend the days in "sulf'rous and tormenting flames" (by night, he walks as a ghost). The Ghost's prison is not Hell, but Purgatory, as (he says) his punishment will last (only) until his earthly crimes "are burnt and purged away".
* {{Flashback}}: The ghost's tale of his murder is accompanied by a flashback to Claudius pouring poison into the ear of King Hamlet (also Laurence Olivier).
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Brunette Jean Simmons wears a wig of long blonde hair as Ophelia. This, together with her WomanInWhite dress, emphasizes her sweet and gentle nature.
* HeldGaze: The "long distance love-scene", where Hamlet and Ophelia hold each others' gaze from opposite ends of a corridor.
* HurricaneOfAphorisms: Polonius's parting words to his son Laertes, the famous "to thine own self be true" speech.
* ImpairmentShot: A variation on this, as the appearance of the ghost is marked by the camera going out of focus for a bit.
* IncestSubtext: Many productions of Hamlet have emphasized this trope in regards to Hamlet and Gertrude, but maybe none more than this one, which used an actress younger than Oliver (Eileen Herlie) and has her kiss Hamlet square on the lips in the early scene where everyone's telling Hamlet to stop moping about his father's death.
* InnerMonologue: Oliver chose to stage most of the soliloquies, including the "To be or not to be" speech, as inner monologues, with him walking around or staring pensively as the soliloquy plays over the soundtrack.
* OminousFog: In the opening scenes where Hamlet goes out to see the ghost, the castle is very heavily shrouded in spooky fog.
* ParalysisByAnalysis: This is often described as Hamlet's FatalFlaw, his inability to stop dithering about Claudius's treachery and Gertrude's sluttiness and just ''act''. It's expressly stated in this film, in a prologue where Olivier's voiceover describes the story as "the tragedy of a man who could not make up his mind".
* PlayingGertrude: The tradition of casting improbably young actresses as Gertrude is the TropeNamer, but few productions are as extreme as this one. Eileen Herlie, who plays Gertrude, was 11 years younger than Oliver. This only serves to increase the IncestSubtext.
* WomanInWhite: Ophelia is dressed all in white, emphasizing her purity.
It is--how did you know?--an adaptation of Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}''. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark (Olivier) is all bummed out because his father, King Hamlet, died two months ago. King Hamlet was succeeded by his brother, Claudius, whom his nephew Prince Hamlet strongly dislikes. Much worse, barely a month after King Hamlet was in the ground, his widow Queen Gertrude married her former brother-in-law Claudius. Prince Hamlet does not like this one little bit.
One night Hamlet's good friend Horatio reports to him that the watchmen on the walls of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kronborg Elsinore]] Palace have seen a ghost of Hamlet's father, walking in the night. When Hamlet goes to see for himself, the ghost tells him some very disturbing news. It seems that King Hamlet did not die of natural causes as everyone assumed, but was murdered by Claudius, who poured poison in his ear and thus took his brother's life, throne, and wife. The ghost, who is not happy about all this, makes Prince Hamlet swear to avenge him.
The second of three big theatrical Shakespeare adaptations that Laurence Olivier directed and starred in, following his ''Henry V'' and succeeded by his ''Richard III''. Contained several future stars of British and Hollywood film. Creator/JeanSimmons appeared in her StarMakingRole as Ophelia, Hamlet's girlfriend, who probably should have dumped him. Creator/PatrickTroughton, later known as the second Franchise/DoctorWho, appears as the Player King. This was the first of twenty-four films that Creator/PeterCushing and Creator/ChristopherLee appeared in together; Cushing plays Osric while Lee is an extra (one of the guards). Creator/PatrickMacnee also appears as an extra. Character actor Creator/JohnLaurie plays Francisco, one of the guards in the opening scene who sees the ghost.
----
!!Tropes:
* AdaptedOut:
** Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet's two buddies who are both [[TheGenericGuy Generic Guys]] in the play, are cut from this film entirely. Although Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are so superfluous to the story that [[Theatre/RosencrantzAndGuildensternAreDead an entire play]] was written around their pointlessness, this is the only one of the major theatrical ''Hamlet'' adaptations that does not include them.
** Fortinbras, prince of Norway who comes in at the end of the play to pick up the bodies and assume the crown of Denmark, is also omitted.
* {{Chiaroscuro}}: The film is shot in black and white, leading to many starkly lit, high-constrast shots. The opening sequence where Hamlet goes to meet the ghost is full of shots like this.
* DeadPersonConversation: The ghost of King Hamlet shows up and insists that Prince Hamlet avenge him.
* DoubleStandard: After Laertes tells Ophelia to stay a virgin and not let Hamlet have sex with her, she insists that he should follow the same chaste advice himself.
* ExcessiveMourning: In his first appearance everyone else is telling Hamlet to cheer up and stop mourning his dead father. Claudius calls it "unmanly grief".
* FireAndBrimstoneHell: The Ghost of Hamlet's father reveals that as his punishment in the afterlife, he must spend the days in "sulf'rous and tormenting flames" (by night, he walks as a ghost). The Ghost's prison is not Hell, but Purgatory, as (he says) his punishment will last (only) until his earthly crimes "are burnt and purged away".
* {{Flashback}}: The ghost's tale of his murder is accompanied by a flashback to Claudius pouring poison into the ear of King Hamlet (also Laurence Olivier).
* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Brunette Jean Simmons wears a wig of long blonde hair as Ophelia. This, together with her WomanInWhite dress, emphasizes her sweet and gentle nature.
* HeldGaze: The "long distance love-scene", where Hamlet and Ophelia hold each others' gaze from opposite ends of a corridor.
* HurricaneOfAphorisms: Polonius's parting words to his son Laertes, the famous "to thine own self be true" speech.
* ImpairmentShot: A variation on this, as the appearance of the ghost is marked by the camera going out of focus for a bit.
* IncestSubtext: Many productions of Hamlet have emphasized this trope in regards to Hamlet and Gertrude, but maybe none more than this one, which used an actress younger than Oliver (Eileen Herlie) and has her kiss Hamlet square on the lips in the early scene where everyone's telling Hamlet to stop moping about his father's death.
* InnerMonologue: Oliver chose to stage most of the soliloquies, including the "To be or not to be" speech, as inner monologues, with him walking around or staring pensively as the soliloquy plays over the soundtrack.
* OminousFog: In the opening scenes where Hamlet goes out to see the ghost, the castle is very heavily shrouded in spooky fog.
* ParalysisByAnalysis: This is often described as Hamlet's FatalFlaw, his inability to stop dithering about Claudius's treachery and Gertrude's sluttiness and just ''act''. It's expressly stated in this film, in a prologue where Olivier's voiceover describes the story as "the tragedy of a man who could not make up his mind".
* PlayingGertrude: The tradition of casting improbably young actresses as Gertrude is the TropeNamer, but few productions are as extreme as this one. Eileen Herlie, who plays Gertrude, was 11 years younger than Oliver. This only serves to increase the IncestSubtext.
* WomanInWhite: Ophelia is dressed all in white, emphasizing her purity.
