Compare two or more screen versions of a scene from one of the plays on the course - You may consider the relevance of editing, additions, casting, mise-en-scene, etc.
Compare two or more screen versions of a scene from one of the plays on the course. You may consider the relevance of editing, additions, casting, mise-en-scene, etc. Hamlet, one of the most discussed plays from the Shakespearean canon, has generated more film adaptations than any other Shakespeare play. The two film productions under discussion are those of Laurence Olivier (1948) and Franco Zeffirelli (1990). It is important to note that all of Shakespeare's plays were created especially for the stage. Laurence Olivier states that, ...allowing for the distinction between the two media, the same problems remain, of reducing the length, elucidating the plot, unravelling irrelevancies, and relating the result to the audience.1 These problems are evident when adapting a text from the stage to the screen. In addition, there are further discrepancies as film language adds its own dimension by offering wider interpretations to the audience. It can be argued that the 'original' meaning of the text is diminished, as no text can be a 'copy' of the 'original'. Olivier's version of Hamlet is kept down to 155 minutes, and in the process of reducing the length of the play it also loses more than half of Shakespeare's lines.2 In stating this, it is significant that in his intentions, Olivier concludes that his version Hamlet should be regarded as "an essay in Hamlet."3 Like Olivier,
Compare and Contrast two of Hamlet's Soliloquies.
Compare/Contrast 2 of Hamlet's Soliloquies In Shakespeare's Hamlet, the first and last soliloquies delivered by Hamlet are both dramatically significant to the play, and despite their contrasts in terms of imagery, language, and dramatic devices, are similarly used by Shakespeare in their respective parts of the play. Although they are delivered at far different situations in the play, Shakespeare uses each monologue of philosophical analysis as part of the "introduction" to a very significant section of the play. In this way they are both crucial to the audience's understanding of the events that will follow. In the first soliloquy, delivered very soon after Hamlet has taken the stage and the major past events have been established, Hamlet's strong thoughts about the death of his father and more so the remarriage of his mother are revealed. Through this soliloquy, Shakespeare adds great depth to the character of Hamlet as well as the other central characters. In the fourth act of the play, Hamlet's last soliloquy serves to give the audience clues to Hamlet's motivations, which result in the final events of the play. This last soliloquy is delivered just after the audience has learned of Claudius' plan to kill Hamlet in England, and is used by Shakespeare to illustrate how Hamlet's intentions and reasoning have changed. One important change in Hamlet's character
Elizebethan/Jacobean Drama Assignment One
ELIZEBETHAN/JACOBEAN DRAMA ASSIGNMENT ONE CONTEXT QUESTION ON HAMLET Read and analyse Act III sc ii, lines 127-245 and comment on the following: Characterisation Themes and preoccupations Imagery Action/plot significance and Language. For the purposes of this assignment I aim through exploring characterisation and language, themes and imagery to consider the significance of the selected extract to the overall action of the play. The lines included in the chosen extract are taken from Act III sc ii. and form part of the play within a play. The main protagonists are assembled to watch the play; it is Hamlet's plan that the performance will provoke Claudius into revealing his guilt. 'The play's the thing/ wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King' (II, ii lines 557-8) The character of the player queen can be compared and contrasted with that of Gertrude. Within the extract we see the player queen swearing that she will not remarry should her husband die. She proclaims that whilst she is married to him in life so shall she be in death 'both here and hence pursue me lasting strife/ If once a widow ever I be wife.'(223-224). The player queen's lines provide us with a direct comparison to Gertrude's actions. These lines can be seen to belittle Gertrude and make her actions in remarrying after her husbands death seem heartless and rash. Hamlets line 225 'If she
In conclusion the attitudes towards women in the plays Hamlet, Troilus and Cressida and As You Like It are that women are weak. This weakness is shown in different ways
Discuss the attitudes towards women in two or more of the plays studied. There are in fact only two female characters in the play Hamlet. These are the characters of Queen Gertrude of Denmark and the character of Ophelia who is Prince Hamlet's love interest. It seems as though the character of Ophelia is always being told what to do, both by her father and her brother. An example of this would be when her farther Polonius tells her to stop seeing Hamlet: I would not in plain terms from this forth Have you so slander any moment leisure As to give worlds of talk with the Lord Hamlet1 Here Ophelia is told that she is not allowed to continue seeing Hamlet because her father sees it as inappropriate. There is no argument against her father's orders; 'I shall obey, my lord.'2Ophelia replies that she will obey her father's instructions, even though it seems to us that she loves Hamlet. Her doings are based on what other people say. In Act one, in the third scene Laertes (Ophelia's brother) is leaving for France. Before he leaves he tells Ophelia that the 'best safety lies in fear'3 Ophelia is expected to follow Laertes judgment on safety and fear. Orphelia is motherless giving her more male dominance in her life, her character relies on others as 'her whole education is geared on relying on other people's judgments'4 and due to this 'Ophelia has no chance to develop an
Portrayal of women in 'Hamlet'
Sophie Ryle 12JDM An exploration of Shakespeare's portrayal of women in 'Hamlet' Although not as fully realised as the main male characters, the female characters in 'Hamlet' play an absolutely crucial part in developing the deep running themes in the play, and prompting fundamental questions about human psychology for the audience. Hamlet's relationships with the two women in the play are complicated and turbulent. The cold rejection of Hamlet by his childhood love, Ophelia, and the disloyalty and gross, publicised sexual activity of his over-sensual mother, conspire to produce misogynous feeling in Hamlet. Hamlet often expresses his thoughts and feelings, conscious and unconscious, through imagery. In Act II scene ii, he describes fortune as a "strumpet", or whore. This comment hints at his misogyny, but these feelings can perhaps be best illustrated by his exasperated cry, "Frailty, thy name is woman". The female characters in the play can be interpreted as either manipulative, using those around them to gain for themselves, or manipulated, being pushed around by those in more powerful positions. Certainly in a patriarchal society like the one described in Hamlet, (or indeed the society in which Shakespeare lived), women had very little independent power, and therefore had no choice but to use the men around them if they wanted any influence whatsoever. Perhaps
Several modern dramas have had a strong social impact shortly after production and/or publication. Discuss the reasons for this in TWO cases.
Several modern dramas have had a strong social impact shortly after production and/or publication. Discuss the reasons for this in TWO cases. November 2003 Submitted by: - 0163330/1 Submitted to: - Keverne Smith Word Count: - 2000 Words Several modern dramas have had a strong social impact shortly after production and/or publication. Discuss the reasons for this in TWO cases. In this essay I am going to study what social impact both Look Back in Anger by John Osborne and Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett had shortly after their production and publication. I will consider what theatrical conventions are or are not in each play, which could explain why people were drawn to the plays; as well as considering why the plays may be seen as controversial by some. Look Back in Anger and Waiting for Godot are unarguably placed at the beginning of a revolution in the British theatre. Both plays introduced new ideas and concepts into the world of drama. However they were both influenced by playwright Bertolt Brecht. Brecht's plays used a bare stage, placards to indicate location and non-atmospheric lighting. In Brecht's plays he is keen for his audience to think about what is happening and question things, which are happening rather than switching off. John Osborne's Look Back in Anger represented not a revolution in form but instead a revolution in content. The Brechtian
Discussing conflict in Hamlet.
Hamlet Throughout Hamlet, there are a number of conflicts that take place that could still take place today. Although Hamlet takes place in the 1400's doesn't change anything, they happened back then, they could happen now. Three main conflicts from Hamlet include relationships, betrayal and selfishness. These three issues not only play an important role in Hamlet, but the story in one way or another revolves around these three issues. When it comes to friends or enemies, selfishness and betrayal tie into these people's lives in the play Hamlet. Relationships are very important today and were very important in the past. Although each relationship is different, some are good and some are bad. But good relationships can last a long time and sometimes forever but bad relationships can end, very quickly. In some cases, relationships determine the direction life will take and they can change everything. Although love and relationships can sometimes be wonderful and happy, they can sometimes lead to things such as madness, suicide and depression. As is the case in Hamlet. A comparison of the love relationship between Ophelia and Hamlet and Gertrude and Claudius, illustrate that betrayal, selfishness and lack of love cause the downfall of these relationships. As Hamlet and Ophelia's relationship ended in a tragedy, partly because of Hamlet, Ophelia became insane and
Michael Almereyda's Hamlet
One of Shakespeare's most famous plays; Hamlet has been adapted to film at least 43 times1. Michael Almereyda's Hamlet is the most recent adaptation; he describes his film as 'an attempt at Hamlet' and 'a patchwork of ideas'. Looking at how this patchwork comes together to form a Hamlet for the modern world is what this essay will concentrate on. In particular, the directors mise-en-scene, textual adjustments and how these affect the overall authenticity of the performance. In the Hamlet play text 1.1, it is unclear what the conflict is or whether there is any conflict at all and Hamlet does not appear until the play's second scene where he is sullen, the reason for this mood only becomes clear at the end of the scene. In Michael Almereyda's film, he uses the introduction to explain that Hamlet is suspicious of his fathers' death, justifying his mood from the outset. The first line of the play, 'who's there?'2 spoken by Bernardo, immediately highlights the theme of mystery in the play. This scene involves three soldiers Francisco, Barnardo and Marcellus and Hamlets close friend, Horatio, all of whom see the ghost of Hamlets father. These first words are prose, spoken by ordinary men which according to Brooke express a theme of 'normality'3 as opposed to 'sick- mindedness'4 quickly followed by the 'abnormal'5 and the 'ominous'6 particularly the movement of the text through
Theme and imagery in Hamlet.
Hamlet Essay Theme and Imagery in Hamlet (Nature, Religious and Sexual) AFRICIUS C.M Tan Mrs. Ley Period: 1 Date: Oct 20th 2002 ENGOAc. 05 In the story Hamlet written by William Shakespeare, the Arthur had used the theme and imagery of Nature, Religious and Sexual to illustrate his poetic sentences and to convey his ideas to his audience. His creativity and imaginative approached charmed his audience by not fully stating the ideas he wants but more to allowing his audience to interpret and understand it in their own mind. To begin with, William Shakespeare had used the theme and imagery of Nature in his story. First, he wrote the phrase Hamlet was saying "I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw." pg 72. Hamlet was in madness of his father's death in the 'north' which he thought the King and the people around him in the 'south' did not seem to understand his madness. Also, he was telling the people in the 'south' that the King was a 'hawk' seeking prey on the weak and vulnerable (his father). The handsaw could also refer to the King having 'a hand made of saws' which he used it to kill. Secondly, Shakespeare wrote when Ophelia was drowned "there on the pendent boughs, her coronet weeds clambering to hang; an envious sliver broke, when down her weedy trophies, and herself fell in the weeping
Women in Hamlet. The only two female characters in Hamlet are Gertrude, Hamlets mother, and Ophelia
The Portrayal of Women in Hamlet By: Fatima Salman Shakespeare's Hamlet is a firmly structured revenge tragedy revolving around Hamlet, the male protagonist. Due to the restrictions of the genre, the other characters must remain peripheral to Hamlet leaving many aspects of their stories and mannerisms underdeveloped and shrouded with ambiguity. This is more so the case with the female roles as they would have been initially played by young boys who would have not been able to communicate the complexities of a woman making it harder to understand their characters. The only two female characters in Hamlet are Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, and Ophelia, his lover where questions of their sexual conduct frequently arise. For Gertrude, it is the question of weather she committed adultery or if Hamlet's accusations are only related to her hasty marriage. At the start we see that Hamlet is troubled by his mother's hasty marriage to his uncle, in his first soliloquy he describes this as "incestuous" and with "wicked speed!" these words hint at a moral wrong-doing to emphasize Hamlet's disapproval. Hamlet also makes the comparison of his father being a "Hyperian" to Claudius as a "Satyr" demonstrating his disgust at his mother's choice. After this, he personifies weakness to be a woman, where he concludes, "frailty thy name is woman!" wherein his mother's conduct has damaged