Hamlet is one of the most remarkable tragedy plays in the world, thus there are many reproductions to create same sensation. Films of Hamlet are the most famous versions of these and there are so several films created. These include Branagh’s version released in 1996 and Tennant’s version released in 2009. Branagh 's film is four hours long movie trying to create the exact version of story Hamlet on the screen and Tennant’s is three hours long television film, famous because it is a modernized version of Hamlet. Although Branagh’s and Tennant’s versions films have vast differences, they are both be able to convey the play’s theme of madness in their films. This can be proved by Elizabethan idea, film techniques and their actress’ portrayal. Branagh’s and Tennant’s Hamlet use the idea of Elizabethan era to create the …show more content…
In Branagh’s film, the director uses the techniques to create madness directly. For example, from the moment Ophelia asks that “Where is the beauteous majesty of Denmark?” (4.5.21) until she leaves her room after saying “good night, good night” (4.5.73), she is in the straitjacket clothes which are for mentally ill people. Also the audience can observe that she is trapped in the compact room with protection surrounding when Gertrude says that she “[…][would] not speak with her.” The film is using the symbols directly related to madness to persuade the audience that she is in the state of mental illness. However, in the Tennant’s film, the director uses the conventions ambiguously to infer Ophelia’s madness. For instance, the lighting in the scene is very dimmed and is being used to give attention to the Ophelia, thus it helps the audience to focus on the madness of her. Ultimately, both films use the film techniques to create the madness either directly or indirectly. These conventions are more effective with the extraordinary acting of the
By verbally harassing Ophelia and estranging himself from her, Hamlet provides the apparent image of losing his prior care without a great amount of consideration. Additionally, Hamlet further displays his anger for his father’s death through this display. By dissolving his relationship with Ophelia, Hamlet furthers his image of insanity to further illustrate himself as incapable within Claudius’s eyes while still communicating distaste for his loss of his father. With Hamlet’s intentionally swift change of heart for Ophelia, Hamlet’s procedure warrants a certain level of sanity. Regardless of the sudden nature, Hamlet’s continual barring from Ophelia possesses procedure which causes further doubt of Hamlet’s mental instability from the audience of the
Cinematic interpretation allows for a wider audience, in that the general public is much more likely to see film version of Hamlet than to attend it as a play. There are also elements of the story, such as the ghost, which can become much more believable for modern audiences through the use of special effects which plays cannot employ, such as a singular perspective and visual editing. Lastly, the way that film is captured and edited is an art in and of itself. Things like lighting and set design add meaning that can simplify the story or make it more intricate. This simply cannot be done with plays to the extent which it is done in film.
There are many productions of Hamlet, but the two most popular are the 2009 film featuring David Tennant and the 1996 film featuring Kenneth Branagh. Overall, I believe that Hamlet was portrayed better in the movie with Kenneth Branagh, rather than the movie featuring David Tennant. One of the most significant scenes of the play is Act V Scene 2, where Claudius dies. In the Kenneth Branagh film, the costumes in this scene are very fitting of the time period of when Hamlet was alive. The men were mostly wearing tight pants with trousers and patterned jackets, while the women were all wearing colorful, poofy dresses.
Ophelia’s madness is caused by the actions of others in the story. “Madness becomes Ophelia’s last resort, her unconscious revolt. Indeed what else is left for her to do? Offering her an escape, madness provides her with the ability to finally speak her anger and desire” (Dane,412).Her father tells her to stay away from Hamlet, who she has fallen in love with. Hamlet has warned her earlier that whatever he tells her in the future will not be true but, when he tells her he does not intent to be with her it starts the beginning of her madness.
Madness was a reoccurring theme throughout the play and these were the two characters which portrayed it more than others. In Act 3 Scene 1 Hamlet encounters Ophelia and calls her “fair”, creating a calm atmosphere. Later Hamlet rapidly changes his attitude, raging towards Ophelia and telling her “Get thee to a nunnery” implying he loved her once but now denies her love. Hamlet was acting mad in front of her in an aggressive manner and says “God hath given you one face and you make yourselves another”, Hamlet is suggesting that all women are two faced. Hamlet finds out that this was a setup of Claudius and Polonius to spy on him, so they can find out if he is truly mad.
Ophelia was also represented as crazy later in the movie. Yes, Ophelia did go crazy after the death of her father, but from reading the play, I did not picture her going to that extreme. I noticed the craziness especially when she was singing in the movie. There were also many
Her use of scenic imagery helps to contrast Ophelia’s actions with the beauty around her while also distracting the reader from the somber events taking place. The “willow [that] grows askaunt the brook,/ That shows his hoary leaves in the glassy stream” portrays an almost dream-like reality, tinting everything with a touch of fantasy while minimizing the harsh pain of the real world (166-167). The willows drooping branches creates an image of demure sadness and, paired with the glassy stream, helps to create the physical embodiment of Ophelia’s sorrow. Gertrude’s use of excessive detail and imagery depicts Ophelia in a positive light despite her madness. This continues as Gertrude describes the flowers Ophelia picked for the “fantastic garlands” she made for her father’s funeral (168).
In Branagh’s version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the ‘To be, or not to be’ speech is interpreted differently than other actors’. Branagh’s character, Hamlet, knows he is being watched by Claudius and Polonius. His disclosure about not committing suicide for fear of the afterlife is part of his plan to keep Claudius at bay until he can convince himself that Claudius is the assassin and find a way to get revenge. The set of this scene includes mirrors and mirrored doors but it is difficult to tell them apart. These are used very intriguingly by Branagh.
Branagh’s version was true to the plot and was based in a modern period of time, while Zeffirelli 's skewed away from the original text and set his film in the medieval times. However, while those dislike the medieval setting of Zeffirelli 's film, the way the director has his character roam throughout the kingdom, allows his viewers to observe the society during the period in which the play was set. Unlike in Branagh’s film, where characters were usually restricted to certain rooms in the castle. When comparing the overall quality of the two films, one can observe the amount of effort Branagh placed upon ensuring his portrayal of Hamlet was true to the script. Nevertheless, the greatest differentiation between the two films was how they portrayed the characters.
Have you ever been so scared to do something but you know that you have to do it? I’ll tell you what in the book Hamlet by William Shakespeare it sure does! The Kenneth Branagh is the most effective film because they actually show the correct emotion. Without this emotion it would be a pretty vague film.
There is something refreshing and new in the Hamlet play that is directed by Simon Godwin. In this play the text has not been radically altered but it is clear from the beginning of the play that something is different. The one noticeable new thing in the play directed by Simon Godwin is the opening image of Hamlet getting a degree at the University. Additionally, it is the dilemma that awaits him at home weather to confront the familiar murder, a ghost of his father or to revenge. The production by Simon does more in the definition of the Claudius’s regime who was known to be a military tyrant and from the production it is difficult to know if he was a western puppet or a dangerous despot.
Ophelia goes mad throughout the story. She is overwhelmed by the loss of her father and the rejection of Hamlet. Her character is seen spiraling down a dark path that also ends in death. Ophelia is depicted as not having control over her actions; speaking and acting erratically. While Hamlet is speaking erratically and behaving oddly, he still maintains control over his actions and movement throughout the story.
Thus, Ophelia’s “madness” is determined by the extent to which she subverts female gender expectations. The more she exhibits traits traditionally associated with men, the more “mad” she becomes. In this context, Ophelia serves as both a caricature and a warning against female enlightenment as told through a patriarchal lense. She is ultimately ostracized from society, implying that women who seek freedom will receive the same fate as
Emily Dickinson once said “Much madness is divinest Sense— To a discerning Eye—“. This type of madness can be found in the play “Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Though many characters show madness throughout the play, Ophelia’s madness is the most prevalent. Ophelia has good reason for this irrational behavior because of the trauma she has gone through. First, her boyfriend dumps her, then he calls her vulgar names, and lastly, he kills her father.
Now is the winter of our discontent. In the Post Dramatic Production, The Tragedy of King Richard III by The La Boite theatre company, the same statement is posed. Using the famous first line of the original playwright by Shakespeare named Richard III the production questions the audience as to whether the meaning of the original play is still relevant for a 21st century audience and questions if something bad were to happen in front of us now what we would do about it. The show looks at how a psychopath is made, sitting in between the shakespearean representation of King Richard III, and who King Richard III really was. Taking a four-hundred-year old story, the La Boite theatre company effectively illustrated to the audience their understanding and thoughts on the original playwright and then expressed their modern interpretation through a discerning execution of characterisation, manipulation of tension and dramatic design in which aimed to engage the modern audience.