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Regarding this movie, Roger Ebert, from the Chicago Sun-Times, said that "at the end of this ``Hamlet,'' I felt at last as if I was getting a handle on the play". He accredits this to Branagh's skill in enriching the roles of characters beyond Hamlet; his ability to stage familiar scenes in new ways, his portrayal of Hamlet as an active participant in royal politics which makes "him less a subject for pity"; and his inclusion of scenes that are often left out in movie productions. One of the ways he enriches the roles of other characters is seen in his depiction of Claudius, played by Derek Jacobi. As Ebert notes, "in shorter versions, he is the scowling usurper who functions only as villain. Here, with lines and scenes restored, he seems more balanced and powerful". This rendition seems more like Shakespeare's productions would have been because the complexity of the characters is honored. Additionally, this version shows the importance of the play within the play that many other versions leave out. Here, "we listen to the actual lines of his play (which shorter versions often relegate to dumb-show at the back of the stage). We see how ingeniously and cleverly they tweak the conscience of the king, and we see Claudius' pained reactions". Branagh's gives credit to the intricacies of plot, like the play, the intricacies of character in his version of "Hamlet".