Laurence Olivier- In his portrayal of Hamlet, he created a rather hostile environment. By having the king act so proud while simultaneously belittling Hamlet set a rather tense feel between the two characters. Furthermore, Hamlet sitting in a chair and avoiding eye contact made him seem helpless and meek while King Claudius appeared proud and powerful by parading around the room and literally talking down to Hamlet. On the contrary, the relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude was very genuine, meaningful, and even incestuous. While she was still seemingly on the side of her husband it was clear that her heart was with her son.
BBC- In this version of Hamlet the queen seemed extremely distant and removed. She did not have the same affection and affinity for her son as the actress in the Olivier's version. Furthermore, it appeared that hamlet was on the offense rather than on the defense. He seemed to be the one that was condescending. And while Gertrude did show a certain amount of sympathy for her son, it was apparent that his relationship with both the king and his mother was already damaged.
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