Hamlet Vs. Franco Zeffirelli's Film

William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” vs. Franco Zeffirelli’s Film You may be someone who believes that nothing can exceed the great elements that Shakespeare includes in his works, or do you believe that the plays should be converted to fit modern time? Sometimes you are able to experience both. William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” and Franco Zeffirelli’s film version share the same characters and the same plot. However, while watching the film version, I noticed that some scenes had been added and/or reworked which would serve to allow the audience to feel and form opinions of the characters. Zeffirelli makes significant changes, specifically in act one of the play. Firstly, Zeffirelli inserted the funeral scene to the very beginning of the film in order to get …show more content…
All the characters speak Shakespeare’s words, but he also cuts the dialog greatly. The long speeches were removed; the speech delieverd by Horatio in scene one, the king in scene 2, and Hamlet in scene four. All in all, these changes serve to make the film less dependent on speech and more dependent on the actions and emotions. Zeffirelli’s film techniques are just as important as his narrative techniques. His ghost scenes incorporated subtle yet significant sounds such as footsteps on the roof, soft music, and the wind in order to add to the suspenseful atmosphere. Visually, the roofs are foggy; and the moonlight beams down. The empty sky gives a sense of isolation. The ghost scene begins at night but, as the daylight approaches, the ghost returns to his place. Another visual contrast between the ghost scene and the celebration is the part where the camera angle shows Hamlet and his friends peering down into the dining hall from the earie atmosphere above. The audience sees every detail of Hamlet sweating face as he listens to the ghost’s story of the horror he endured. This creates sympathy for Hamlet as the audiences clearly sees and understands his