William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, is enjoyed today by many people around the world, whether it is through reading it in a book, enjoying it as live theatre or simply watching it as a film. The film adaptations of Hamlet by Kenneth Branagh and Franco Zefferelli portray the tragedy of betrayal that occurs during the play. Hamlet's madness and feelings of betrayal for himself and his father have a great influence on the essence of the play. After examining the acting and costumes of the characters, the settings and the conclusions of both versions, it becomes clear that the Kenneth Branagh version proves to be much better than the Franco Zefferelli's version of Hamlet.

In the Branagh version of Hamlet, Kenneth Branagh plays the role of Hamlet himself. Although he is a little old for the part of Hamlet, Branagh exhibits excellent acting skills. When Branagh becomes frightened, the...