Staging and stage directions

Shakespeare famously did not offer his actors many stage directions. Costumes and props were both pretty minimal, and actors were often asked to present a representation of events on stage and demonstrate the meaning, rather than seek realism. Additionally, it is important to consider the time frame in which Shakespeare’s plays were performed. Hamlet obviously does not take place in real time. Instead, the scene and/or stage are manipulated to emulate the idea of time. For example, Act 1 Scene 1 is supposed to go from midnight to dawn, but this is not possible. Instead, it only takes a matter of fifteen minutes on stage. In a metatheatrical sense, this time elasticity reminds the audience that they are watching a play and not observing real life.