Question

Voltimand: . . . On Fortinbras; which he, in brief, obeys,
Receives rebuke from Norway, and, in fine,
Makes vow before his uncle never more
To give the assay of arms against your majesty.
Whereon old Norway, overcome with joy,
Gives him three thousand crowns in annual fee,
And his commission to employ those soldiers,
So levied as before, against the Polack;
With an entreaty, herein further shown, [Giving a paper.]

If this excerpt were made into a movie, which adaptation would best allow the director to comment on current politics?

updating the setting to a modern city
changing the costumes to modern fashion
replacing the outdated terms with slang
using actors with different ethnicities

Answer 1

Updating the setting to a modern city.

Why: the passage is about statecraft, military mobilization and diplomatic bargaining — relocating it to a contemporary urban/political landscape makes parallels to current geopolitics, nationalism, military policy, and public response immediate and obvious. Costume or slang changes are mostly cosmetic, and diverse casting can highlight race- and identity-based politics but is narrower in scope than a full modern political setting.