The Hamlet (1996), directed by Branagh, take place in “Blenheim Palace, in Woodstock, England” (McElhearn, Kirk), was a deluxe version of Shakespeare's tragedy on film. The setting is very extravagant as well as the casts, who were famous actors. In the movie, Kate Winslet is featured as Ophelia. She is portrayed as a strong-willed, polished, mature young lady. Her relationship with Hamlet is more physical and adult compared to Zeffirelli’s version of Hamlet.…
The two versions of Shakespeare's Hamlet that I will be contrasting today are Zeffrelli's Hamlet film from 1990 and Gregory Doran's Hamlet film from 2009. These two films, while the same script couldn't be any more different then they are. While Zeffrelli's Hamlet is set in a historically accurate Denmark, with elaborate costumes, elegant castles, swords and horse drawn carriages; Doran's Hamlet is set in modern 21rst century Denmark, with T-Shirts and jeans, guns, and cameras. Beyond the time era differences you can start to see, even at the very beginning of Zeffrelli's Hamlet, that while he is following the original script, he skips over certain sections or moves them around to suit his narrative. Whereas Doran's seems to stay completely accurate to…
There were a multitude of renditions of Hamlet's soliloquy "To be or not to be" over the years, however the best video was performed by Laurence Olivier. It is the greatest because the setting, costume, and sound are the most optimal to depict the image that Shakespeare was aiming to display. The setting is perfect for this because Hamlet is contemplating whether or not to continue living, so choosing a setting at a high elevation lets him decide his fate most easily. The first line of the soliloquy is "To be, or not to be-- that is the question:", show his consideration of suicide. At the beginning of the video it shows a long winding staircase which eventually leads to where Hamlet is pondering about what he should do.…
Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet is not only the longest version but also the most extravagant version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In the film, Branagh used all of the main texts, rather than editing a specific version. Many Shakespearians have named this film the most comprehensive adaptation as compared to both its predecessors and subsequent versions. The film is based out of Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, England and features a cast of recognizable actors.…
“Sons are the anchors of a mother's life” - Sophocles. Despite the myriad of differences and similarities between the scene in which Hamlet confronts his mother in the film adaptations, this maxim given by Sophocles persist, unchallenged. The physical aspects emphasized and the emotions conveyed through the language, create a unique effect that differentiates each Hamlet film. Olivier’s version conveys an Oedipal relationship between Hamlet and his mother, in addition to being very eerie. While, Branagh’s film strays from this interpretation and the Victorian setting creates a very traditionalist effect.…
In David Tennant’s 2009 film of Hamlet, he is bordering insanity in his first soliloquy, expressing a number of emotions within a small period of time. The scene opens with Hamlet walking into a dark room looking up at the ceiling as if talking to god directly wishing that he could end it all but knowing that he could not do such a thing. He then becomes weak, falling to his knees in the middle of the room crying as if he was a child. The audience can almost feel his emotions off-screen as he makes eye contact with the camera, emphasizing on the lines “but two months dead: nay, not so much, not two.” He is disgusted by his mother's actions and how quickly she married, not only another man but his father's brother, his own uncle.…
Essay on Hamlet To be or not to be (Act 3, scene 1, lines 56-88) Who would have thought that the words "To be or not to be" would stand the test of time? These six words have echoed through thousands of actors' mouths and a myriad of books have recited these famously written words from William Shakespeare's pen. His colourful words paint worlds and his complex characters bring out a broad spectrum of feelings in us - and at times he makes us question our lives.…
Throughout history, Shakespeare’s work has been used as inspiration for various artists. Artists have created their own interpretation of Shakespeare plays which have resulted in many creative works. For example, Romeo and Julie have been used to inspire movies like the modern interpretation Romeo and Juliet by Baz Luhrmann or Gnome and Juliet, which divides the same plot but with an animated twist. The Bad Sleep Well is another example of a movie inspired by Shakespeare ’s play Hamlet.…
Although it is a word that can define people in a number of different ways including being used as a derogatory comments towards somebody else in a way of showing irrational hatred, crazy is a word used to describe an individual whose behaviour has manifested into something that is wild or aggressive. Hamlet, a novel, is an adaptation of the popular William Shakespeare play The Tragedy of Hamlet written by John Marsden. The story tells of a young prince who is struggling to come to terms with the death of his father, the remarriage of his mother to his uncle, Claudius and his confusion for his love towards Ophelia. After discovering that his father’s death was a murder, Hamlet soon seeks revenge upon his uncle at the costs of his loved one’s…
Hamlet experiences the loss of his father, and the betrayal of his uncle and mother, and many other tough situations along the way. The play goes through the many emotions of the main character Hamlet, and how he deals with somber, anger, and eventually goes insane. Hamlet is driven crazy by not knowing the truth of his own father’s death, and once he finds out his uncle is responsible, he is driven more crazy by striving to get revenge. As the play develops, Hamlet starts to feel despair to his own life and to the world, and even contemplates suicide. In Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” soliloquy, he expresses his thoughts of suicide, and despair, suggesting that suicide would be an easy way to end all of his life problems.…
Hamlet is a play written by William Shakespeare in 1601. This tragedy is about Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, morning over the death of his father and extracting revenge on his uncle who murdered his father. This essay is evaluating the iconic scene where Hamlet meets his dead father and his father tells him of his uncle's betrayal. These 2 scenes will be evaluated on the quality of cinematography: music, acting, and camera work.…
Are people able to trust their own eyes? If it is possible, then there is little question as to the existence of the ghost, but human eyes are not always the most trustworthy things. In Shakespeare's Hamlet, it is questionable as to whether the ghost is real and Hamlet is truly just using theatrics or if the ghost is a fictitious result of his insanity. Both sides of this question have some strong information supporting them, nevertheless one side may be more plausible than the other. Various quotations demonstrate the ghost's existence, one of which, “In the same figure, like the king that’s dead”, shows Bernardo describing the ghost appearance, noticing that the figure resembles the previous King.…
“To be or not to be—that is the question” (Shakespeare 3.1.64). Hamlet is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare and was published in 1603. This play is tells the story of Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark. The story begins with Hamlet’s father being murdered, and his uncle, Claudius, marrying his mother. Hamlet formulates a plan to get back at the newly crowned king, which involves acting like a “madman.”…
Parent-child Relationships in Hosseini’s The Kite Runner and Shakespeare’s Hamlet In both texts, Hamlet and The Kite Runner, Hamlet and Amir, each have a relationship with their father, that plays a huge role in their lives. They idolize their fathers and strive to attain their approval; no matter the consequences. Furthermore, their fathers’ past actions and conflicts heavily influence their fates and their identities dramatically.…
Annotated Bibliography Working Thesis: In the complex and intertwined themes of the revenge tragedy, Hamlet, William Shakespeare effectively expresses what it means to be human through Hamlet’s struggle to explore the human conditions of mortality, deception and morality, social expectations, and contemplation versus impulsive actions. MacNamara, Vincent. “The Human Condition.” The Call to be Human: Making Sense of Morality.…