Was the Choice of Actor a Good One?

Yes, the choice of Mel Gibson to play Hamlet was a good one. He is (at the time of the film) the right age the right age to be believed as being a young prince just returned from university in Germany. Gibson is not too thin or too well built and has the sort of light footed energetic quality one might imagine in Hamlet (as opposed to say Macbeth in which the audience imagines an older more weathered and experienced warrior). He is also able to show the varying emotional states which are adopted by the character in the play. He shows jubilation when he sees his uncle's reaction to the travelling performer's play and a witty, maddening (teasing, to the audience who knows he's only faking madness) display toward Polonius in the library to name a few examples. Gibson also handles Hamlet's frequent soliloquies very well, often shouting and showing anger and despair to illustrate the character's internal conflicts, struggles and thoughts. Mel Gibson was therefore, a very good choice for the part of Hamlet. His build, age, energy and emotion (especially the use of facial expressions) capture the character perfectly and help to portray his personality.