Most important scene in Hamlet?

Question:When the Franco Zeffirelli/Mel Gibson version of Hamlet came out, I remember a professor of mine claiming they had left out the most important part of the play... the scene where Hamlet coaches the Actors before their performance to the king. To this day I can't figure out why that scene was so important. Was it the speech the Player gives as the king from (I don't remember the piece he quotes), or something Hamlet sees in these moments?

Any thoughts?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: When the Franco Zeffirelli/Mel Gibson version of Hamlet came out, I remember a professor of mine claiming they had left out the most important part of the play... the scene where Hamlet coaches the Actors before their performance to the king. To this day I can't figure out why that scene was so important. Was it the speech the Player gives as the king from (I don't remember the piece he quotes), or something Hamlet sees in these moments?

Any thoughts?

This scene encompasses Shakespeare's views on acting. Hamlet tells the performers how to act. Shakespeare is giving direct advice, through Hamlet, to every aspiring performer.
For this reason, not for the dramatic content of the scene, it is considered one of the most important scenes in Hamlet.

No its how Hamlet set the whole play up with the actors, so the new king would blurt out (or show through a reaction) that he did kill the king. You see if the king did not do anything and just watched the play, then hamlet would not go insane with revenge.

This scene is where he describes in detail exactly how is father was killed. He is explaining it in detail to the actors so that they will perform it just as it happened in real life. If the king reacts to this he will know that the ghost of his father was telling the truth about his uncle putting the poison in his ear.

" --the play's the thing
Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King."

His uncle, the King reacts and Hamlet has his answer. The ghost of his father was real and told the truth. He was murdered by the hands of his own brother.