The elasticity of Shakespeare is extraordinary. Kenneth Branagh More Quotes by Kenneth Branagh More Quotes From Kenneth Branagh Friendship is one of the most tangible things in a world which offers fewer and fewer supports. Kenneth Branagh support friendship world In the hands of a great poet, words have ways of affecting us in ways we don't understand. Kenneth Branagh poet hands way One of the things that makes Hamlet unique among Shakespeare's characters is his courage to face up to the darker elements of his personality. Kenneth Branagh unique personality character Hamlet and Victor Frankenstein are each obsessed with death. Hamlet's whole story is a philosophical preparation for death; Victor's is an intellectual refusal to accept it. Kenneth Branagh philosophical preparation intellectual The best actors, I think, have a childlike quality. They have a sort of an ability to lose themselves. There's still some silliness. Kenneth Branagh quality actors thinking It doesn't mean old or younger. I've learned a lot from people much younger than me as well as people much older than me. So I think it's about honesty and generosity. Kenneth Branagh honesty mean thinking I feel more Irish than English. I feel freer than British, more visceral, with a love of language. Shot through with fire in some way. That's why I resist being appropriated as the current repository of Shakespeare on the planet. That would mean I'm part of the English cultural elite, and I am utterly ill-fitted to be. Kenneth Branagh fire mean way I come from the theatre, my bones are in the theatre; it’s as natural as breathing to want to be in the theatre Kenneth Branagh breathing theatre want My definition of success is control. Kenneth Branagh definition-of-success definitions success There is some mysterious thing that goes on whereby, in the process of playing Shakespeare continuously, actors are surprised by the way the language actually acts on them. Kenneth Branagh mysterious-things actors goes-on I don't think Hamlet is mad, nor is he predisposed to be a gloomy or tragic figure. Kenneth Branagh mad figures thinking Music and language are a vital element. We, as actors and directors, offer it to people who want to experience it. Sometimes the actual meaning is less important than the words themselves. Kenneth Branagh important directors people Don’t stand up when you can sit down and don’t sit down when you can lie down. Kenneth Branagh down-and lying It's very strange that the people you love are often the people you're most cruel to. Kenneth Branagh mean-people mean people For all the cynicism that the world contains, people are a little more open to those things that maybe are to do with returning you to some kind of simpler, happier state. Kenneth Branagh littles people world When I'm acting, I'm in the director's hands. I'm very happy to be. I like to be focused on what I'm doing. Kenneth Branagh acting directors hands I think the best actors are the most generous, the kindest, the greatest people and at their worst they are vain, greedy and insecure. Kenneth Branagh insecure people thinking Adults are just children who earn money. Kenneth Branagh adults family children It's quite hard for people to just accept that they're very contradictory. Kenneth Branagh contradictory accepting people I don't feel one could even remotely touch the idea of intimidating others, but because I've understood the other side of the experience, I will occasionally, if I smell that could even be in the air for a few minutes, say to the director, "Please, you must tell me anything you want. Please say all the things you think might be terribly hurtful like, 'That was boring.'" Kenneth Branagh air ideas thinking
