Watch: An unforgettable version of Hamlet in Klingon

The Klingon language is one of the hardest to learn

Maybe this is just my take on it, but learning Klingon isn’t easy. I’ve tried because Duolingo offers the chance to learn for free. I didn’t make it past two lessons so needless to say, I envy these people who share their fluency in Lt. Commander Worf’s native language. Brian Rivera is one of those people, especially with his rendition of Klingon Hamlet: taH Pagh taHbe’, (To be or not to be).

The video is twelve years old and only a little short of three and a half minutes, but it’s an amazing production by Still Picture Production. Set against a backdrop of night, Rivera quotes the to be, or not to be—that is the question” speech written by William Shakespeare, and if you’re a fan of the English playwright’s works as well as a fan of the Klingon language, you’re going to want to see this production.

Hamlet in Klingon is something that stays with you

Rivera doesn’t just read the words that many of us had to learn in school; he imbues them with emotion. Not only is he dressed as one of the great warriors, but his face prosthetics and make-up is so on point that he could have walked onto any Star Trek production and fit right in. And his viewers agree. As one commenter said, “You have not experienced Shakespeare until you have read him in the original Klingon.”

Unfortunately, Rivera hasn’t uploaded any more videos that showcase his amazing grasp of this difficult language as well as his love of Star Trek. I can only imagine what he could do with Marc Antony’s speech, “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” from Julius Caesar or Macbeth’s “Tomorrow, tomorrow, and tomorrow,” speech. Hopefully, he’ll return to share more of his talent in the future. Until then, enjoy Hamlet, courtesy of the Klingon Empire.