Charlton Heston as Player King in Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet

Anon he finds him
Striking too short at Greeks. His antique sword,
Rebellious to his arm, lies where it falls,
Repugnant to command. Unequal matched,
Pyrrhus at Priam drives, in rage strikes wide,
But with the whiff and wind of his fell sword
The unnerved father falls. Then senseless Ilium,
Seeming to feel this blow, with flaming top
Stoops to his base, and with a hideous crash
Takes prisoner Pyrrhus' ear. For, lo, his sword,
Which was declining on the milky head
Of reverend Priam, seemed i' th' air to stick.
So as a painted tyrant Pyrrhus stood,
nd, like a neutral to his will and matter,
Did nothing.
But as we often see against some storm
A silence in the heavens, the rack stand still,
The bold winds speechless, and the orb below
As hush as death, anon the dreadful thunder
Doth rend the region. So, after Pyrrhus' pause,
Arousèd vengeance sets him new a-work.
And never did the Cyclops' hammers fall
On Mars's armor forged for proof eterne
With less remorse than Pyrrhus' bleeding sword
Now falls on Priam.
Out, out, thou strumpet Fortune! All you gods
In general synod take away her power,
Break all the spokes and fellies from her wheel,
And bowl the round nave down the hill of heaven,
As low as to the fiends!

[@austinsmith538]

Charlton Heston had like 4 minutes in this movie and he gave his very heart and soul for that performance.

[@bryanismyname7583]

a bit more than that, since he has this scene and another with Rosemary Harris, acting out the play that Hamlet wants his uncle to see in order to get his reaction. It could add up to around ten minutes.

[@justasking3877]

He was just amazing. Wonderful.

[@austinsmith538]

@@justasking3877 Oh absolutely

[@danmalic6688]

He played often Shakespeare in UK when he was not doing films. It is a fact that he NEVER received a bad review by British often merciless reviewers. He was never really appreciated as a great actor. He never advertised his abilities in real theatre. Rest in peace sweet prince!

[@williammartin2593]

I love learning this. Good old internet. People have such varied and wonderful knowledge and experiences.

[@Generationrhino]

dan malic I think after THE TEN COMMANDMENTS..what else to do??

[@ShadowSonic2]

I wouldn't say he wasn't appreciated. He's a Legend of cinema and stage. Folks will remember him more than they remember Daniel Day-Lewis.

[@elsie900]

He really was at his best with Shakespeare. Wish he had done more of this and less "Hollywood" material.

[@JimmySteller]

@@ShadowSonic2 What are you crapping on Day Lewis for? He’s one of the greatest living actors in the world.

[@BlotRorschach]

I love the smoldering contempt Hamlet has for Polonius in this scene. That look could burn down a forest.

[@MrMrMrprofessor]

Charlton Heston...Sir John Gielgud ...and Dame Judi Dench all acting in the same scene together....good lord

[@wigster600]

MrMrMrprofessor Best scene ever.

[@stevevandien310]

Heston is superb in this scene. Almost alone among American movie stars of his generation, he was at home in Shakespeare. We have of course his two Marc Antonys on film, plus his "Antony and Cleopatra." But I sure wish we had more of his Shakespearean work on film --

[@Chad01234]

Stunning performance. The movie itself was just excellence, but this piece is a true tribute to Mr. Heston who in turn gave powerful tribute to William Shakespeare.

[@Chad01234]

Sam Houston I have a while ago but ty I will again. Heston was a one-of-a-kind thespian. Sadly missed.

[@rainbowrainbow8220]

I hadn’t recognised he was Charlton Heston when the players huddled together, but his stately figure and poised manner caught my eyes. As he started to act, I was stunned and completely subdued by his power! Then I found that he was Ben Hur. Charlton Heston, the embodiment of perfection!

[@ericcook-g4b]

Right! Charlton Heston also portrayed Moses, Colonel George Taylor and Marc Antony.

[@garethburch2735]

Heston: an underrated classical actor.

[@fishyc150]

To speak the words, to feel the passion and humour of a man who died 400 years ago...

[@pp312]

Heston's been dead 400 years? Boy, how time flies! :-)

[@aarondaguio7179]

“There are no small roles, only small actors.”

[@cjamonwilliams]

Heston was one of the best at Shakespeare... Mark Anthony speech..take a look! He was also active in civil rights!

[@thedoctor4327]

Got to respect Branagh for deciding to get two of England's finest actors to cameo as two figures who are only mentioned in the text, aren't relevant to the main plot, and don't even have discernable lines of dialogue while on screen because Heston's voiceover drowns them out.

[@cubdukat]

A lot of the cameos Branagh chose for "Hamlet" really had me scratching my head (namely Jack Lemmon and Billy Crystal), but this was one of his best choices. I had no idea Charlton Heston could do Shakespeare this well...

[@williammartin2593]

I thought Billy Crystal got every possible laugh. Not so impressed with Lemon, but he was OK.

[@sesfilmsllc]

And Robin Williams.

[@cubdukat]

@@sesfilmsllc Definitely one of his best choices. I don't remember Osric being so camp, though...

[@paulgiorgio4308]

Disagree with Crystal. he was excellent. Lemon, great as he was, was not made for Shakespeare. Branagh, although too old to be Hamlet, is awesome. Didn't even get nominated for Best Actor. Get F'n Serious!

[@Hotspur77]

@@williammartin2593 Agreed. Heston is great here. A true man of the theatre who could also fill the Hollywood big screen in all his hambone glory. Heston is always watchable. “Out, out thou strumpet fortune!”

[@femoman]

"Hey, John gielgud and Judi Dench want in on this movie!" "Uhh... We've run out of characters... Oh, wait, how about we take the Player King's speech about Priam and Hecuba and have them act it out!"

[@mattdaitsman5694]

I understood that reference

[@jim5746]

Nobody could speak as well as Charlton Heston !!!

[@docdave15]

This is so good it's hypnotic.

[@fairies47]

One of best moments of the movie... Makes me cry every time! Magnificent Heston

[@MarkBowenURL]

And this part is usually cut from most productions, which unfortunately has to be the case if you don't want it to be 4 hours long... but this play within a play makes for a good stand alone piece for performance. Check out the video I just created to bring to life the whole Pyrrhus story, making it continuous with Polonius's interruptions: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKeagYyYiNp5bZY

[@xankersmith9194]

Brutus was an honorable man.

[@jennymacallan9071]

So were they all, all honorable men.

[@Bojack727]

The thing I've always respected about Heston was that he kept his political views separate from his acting. I'm pretty liberal in many ways, but even I can be left speechless by the raw intensity of his performances. He was/is one of the greatest actors of the last century, and one of the few people who could bring me to tears with the raw emotion in his acting. This man was such a grand performer that he held his own even with the great Laurence Olivier in "Kartuum" (an underrated film that more people should go and watch).

[@Bojack727]

That's a great moment. Heston could be in just one scene, but you won't forget it.

[@deathsheadknight2137]

@@No-hf5xb two can play at that strawman game. Liberals just want to kill every baby and kiss the ass of the ADL.

[@ShadowSonic2]

@Kat Harper Oh grow up.

[@madouc5754]

@Kat Harper I have read that Heston was pretty liberal himself.

[@bryanismyname7583]

@@madouc5754 : except on gun rights.

[@jfjvhgsieofl]

Not a great fan of this movie as a whole, since Hamlet is such a brilliantly complex play to get right, but Charleton Heston may have given perhaps the best performance of the Player King I can imagine. He absolutely nails it, with his cold dead hands.

[@bbkingzor]

+Terrence Daugherty For me, this is easily the best movie version of the play. It finds a way into each of the characters that gives them depth unlike any other movie has I think.

[@jfjvhgsieofl]

bbkingzor I see your point, and I would have to agree that this is the best film version of the play so far. In my opinion, Shakespeare is best represented on the screen with Orson Welles’ 'Chimes at Midnight’, or ‘Ran’ by Kurosawa (as well as Zeffirelli’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’.) Hamlet, however, is a much larger animal and perhaps could never be done perfectly since he is such an endlessly complex character.

[@bryanismyname7583]

The Player King part is often shrunk down in film versions. Kenneth Branagh's adaptation was the complete text and he probably owes his adapted screenplay Oscar nomination partly to that fact (in addition to stage direction, in lieu of a directing nod -- which he was robbed of that year). And casting Heston in that role was a masterstroke. It's easily the best thing he did in the latter years of his career.

[@zyxmyk]

loved it. great actor. great voice!

[@peterwessex8777]

0:29 - Me, when someone at the end of a boring meeting at work asks, 'Does anyone have anything else to add before we wind this up'.

[@dutchmountainsnake5379]

Heston could act

[@williammartin2593]

This is astonishing. I had no idea of Heston's talent, since most of his movies were not my cup of tea.. Branagh is a great director as well. To get some laughs from the looks of the players is wonderful.

[@Generationrhino]

William Martin See Touch of Evil. He's amazing in it.

[@pp312]

They didn't drink tea in Heston's movies. It was usually mead. :-)

[@bryanismyname7583]

@@Generationrhino : Will Penny

[@Chad01234]

Rest in peace, good sir.

[@42kellys]

It was a long time ago when I saw the Kenneth Branagh version of Hamlet and I hated it, but Charlton Heston is always great! I have just watched again Laurance Olivier in his Hamlet and there will never be such a Hamlet. I am not a great fan of Hamlet but that one touched me before and touched me again.

[@jacksutcliffe4856]

Unbelievably good...

[@TheGrades90]

Really great performance of the meter, sinking into the language.

[@tomschnauber6749]

The best thing Heston ever did, far and away, as an actor.

[@kev3d]

A true master.

[@fairies47]

Awsome...

[@sweetbitter2]

His accent is amazing here

[@mikefelix6338]

the way he says "take away her power!" lol only Heston could phrase it like that...so good.

[@tylerbarnick8750]

Love how the first ten seconds is everyone looking at Hamlet like "Uh...wtf?"

[@trevorbrooks813]

Wow... !!!!!

[@Relflow]

The Player King's Speech Anon he finds him Striking too short at Greeks. His antique sword, Rebellious to his arm, lies where it falls, Repugnant to command. Unequal matched, Pyrrhus at Priam drives, in rage strikes wide, But with the whiff and wind of his fell sword The unnerved father falls. Then senseless Ilium, Seeming to feel this blow, with flaming top Stoops to his base, and with a hideous crash Takes prisoner Pyrrhus' ear. For, lo, his sword, Which was declining on the milky head Of reverend Priam, seemed i' th' air to stick. So as a painted tyrant Pyrrhus stood, nd, like a neutral to his will and matter, Did nothing. But as we often see against some storm A silence in the heavens, the rack stand still, The bold winds speechless, and the orb below As hush as death. Anon the dreadful thunder Doth rend the region. So, after Pyrrhus' pause, Arousèd vengeance sets him new a-work. And never did the Cyclops' hammers fall On Mars's armor forged for proof eterne With less remorse than Pyrrhus' bleeding sword Now falls on Priam! Out, out, thou strumpet Fortune! All you gods In general synod take away her power, Break all the spokes and fellies from her wheel, And bowl the round nave down the hill of heaven, As low as to the fiends! ... 'Run barefoot up and down, threatening the flames With bisson rheum; a clout upon that head Where late the diadem stood, and for a robe, About her lank and all o'er-teemed loins, A blanket, in the alarm of fear caught up; Who this had seen, with tongue in venom steep'd, 'Gainst fortune's state would treason have pronounced: But if the gods themselves did see her then, When she saw Pyrrhus make malicious sport In mincing with his sword her husband's limbs, The instant burst of clamor that she made, Unless things mortal move them not at all, Would have made milch the burning eyes of heaven, And passion in the gods!

[@kjarrard8379]

0:29 is where he starts

[@hlmoore8042]

Oh my the people in this movie.

[@forgive7449]

charlton heston has a vest on ☺

[@reconbravo104]

2:00 is so fucking funny

[@CharlotteFairchild]

I remember him in this player King part with Greek robes and beard. I don't know where he played. Was it only once that he played in Branagh's court?

[@JPH1138]

(Sorry for the late response, could be redundant) This version of Hamlet is an unabridged adaptation, so the player King appears again when they perform the play and wears robes during the performance.

[@rgaleny]

Don't forget to see: "Trosian Women" 1971, on KZbin.

[@pp312]

Is that about the women from Trosia?

[@hekatoncheiros]

Is this scene from the movie?

[@JustSomeCanadianGuy]

Heston would have been great as Claudius.

[@YamacKocovali7]

2:04

[@gorgolyt]

This is too long.

[@pearsnake1994]

3 minutes of clenching

[@Hotspur77]

Great performance by Heston. Too bad Branagh put a soundtrack over it…I respect the effort, however, to spread the bardic gospel to the unwashed. Old man Heston showed up ready for work that day.

[@WimGrundy]

What blessedness for Swan Song then is this! That Hamlet's ironies would so declaim A character as jimmied and so pompous Would stamp upon this Heston epitaph A role so fake and film'ed for all time That all to come may ever taste his ham!

[@alejandromolina7270]

Does Heston have fake teeth?

[@gerthenriksen8818]

Molina: no.

[@princeandrey]

Amazing how an actor as great as he could be such a stupid person. We live in halves! And such a great Hamlet-movie by Branagh!

[@pp312]

You mean Heston? Heston wasn't stupid. Have you read his books, "The Actor's Life" or "In the Arena"? You might disagree with his politics but his views weren't the result of stupidity--far from it. I met him here in Australia and was most impressed not only with his intelligence but his endless patience and courtliness.

[@Nonameneededhere]

Sounds like Donald Trump when he says good, moble queen sounds good 😀

[@deathsheadknight2137]

good speech but wtf is he talking about

[@ShadowSonic2]

I think he's talking about the destruction of Troy.

[@JPH1138]

It's a monologue about Hecuba, the Queen of Troy, seeing her husband murdered and the body butchered after the city has been taken. It's deliberately meant to be overly-long, flowery and obscurely worded (hence the fourth wall breaking moments, where Polonius complains that the speech is too long and Hamlet doesn't know what the word 'mobled' means) so its something of a self-parody by Shakespeare making it tougher than usual to understand. In the context of the story Charlton Heston's character is the senior actor of a travelling theatre troupe that have come to the castle hoping to be commissioned. Hamlet wants them to stage a play that will mirror the story he has heard of his father's murder by King Claudius - because the king will be in the audience Hamlet believes the king might give away his guilt and he can therefore tell if the story is true or not. In this particular scene Hamlet requests the actor perform the monologue about Hecuba in order to impress Polonius (the guy in green, the right hand man of King Claudius) and then be hired so they can perform the play.

[@deathsheadknight2137]

@@JPH1138 oh I got the second part, I saw this movie when I was a kid and loved it then too. I was just unaware as to the subject of heston's recitation so thank you for that explanation.

[@pp312]

@@JPH1138"...its something of a self-parody by Shakespeare making it tougher than usual to understand." Yes, and usual is tough enough.

[@adamlis9321]

This is too long

[@theprinceofeverything1975]

IT SHALL TO THE BARBERS WITH YOUR BEARD