In John Everett Millais' "Ophelia" the woman it is clear to see is dead. If I had seen this painting and later asked if it reminded me in anyway of Ophelia I would have said no. Mainly because in this painting the woman looks so at peace and all the green and flowers around her usually represent serenity. They most definitely don't remind me of Ophelia because towards the end of her life she was really losing her mind and not serene at all.
The reasons for Ophelia's madness which led to death are quite evident. First, she finds out that her father, Polonius, was killed. Later to find out that the guy she love sis the one that killed her father in cold blood. Call me crazy, but I would be a little out of it too if my boyfriend up and killed my dad. Especially after when Hamlet basically denied ever loving her. All of that happening to one woman in that short a period of time can really mess with a girls' head and even effect the choices she makes.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Choices, Choices
Hamlet's hesitation makes complete sense to me. He isn't one hundred percent sure if Claudius is the one who killed his father and killing an innocent person no matter what religion or mind set the person is in, isn't right. That's why I think that Hamlet made a wise choice by hesitating and making sure that Claudius was the guilty party before doing anything rash. Besides the ethical reasons Hamlet is the heir to the throne and he has to watch what he does. He can't just go around doing whatever he wants because one day he will be the King of Denmark and how are people supposed to trust him as their leader when he killed the previous King. It was a wise decision to have the Mousetrap play occur at the castle so he could witness with his own eyes whether or not Claudius was guilty.
To be or not to be...
Olivier's
In this version of Hamlet's soliloquy the setting is what really seperates it from the other versions. With Hamlet being on the cliff the scene seems more dramatic than the others. It adds to his predicament and whether he should commit suicide or not. It also adds a bit of suspense because if he doesn't kill himself with the dagger then he could just jump off the cliff and into the water. As for the music in the background everytime that the scene got more serious then the music would get louder.
Zeffirelli's
Making the decision to film this part of the play/movie in the catacombs is a brilliant idea. The whole point of "to be or not to be..." is deciding between life and death and what better place than where a whole bunch of dead corpses are. Throughout the speech Hamlet's tone and speed when he speaks keeps changing. Having him change the speeds when he speaks adds to the drama and intensity of this scene because it has the viewers paying even more attention. There was one point in the end when Hamlet seems to be speaking to other worldly creatures where the director changes the lighting and that also adds to the all around product.
Branaugh's
This version is the one which stays closest to the way in which Shakespeare wrote it. It takes place in the castle and even though this is supposed to be a soliloquy Claudius and Polonius are hiding behind the mirror listening. In this scene it seems as though Hamlet knows they are listening and that adds to the suspense for the audience, especially if they have never read Hamlet. The music in this version matches exactly what Hamlet is going through and feeling, it's both tense and suspenseful.
Almeryda's
Of all the versions I feel that this is the weakest. It must be very difficult changing this scene and modernizing it, but I feel as though they could have done a little more with this scene. He seemed a little too sane in this scene to be contemplating whether or not to kill himself. One of the positives was that his voice was smooth and seemed steady displaying that Hamlet had to sense of what he was to do.
There are so many versions of this play because directors envision different things occurring. Just one thing like the background music could be changed and it would give the movie a whole different feel from others. I think that there are so many versions in the world because different people translate this play differently. This play can be interpreted several ways because of all the ambiguities, like whether or not Hamlet was madly in love with Ophelia before the play began. Of all the versions Zeffirelli's is my favorite. Usually my favorite is by Branaugh, but the main difference for me was the level of suspense and intensity, especially with where the scene was filmed (the catacombs).
In this version of Hamlet's soliloquy the setting is what really seperates it from the other versions. With Hamlet being on the cliff the scene seems more dramatic than the others. It adds to his predicament and whether he should commit suicide or not. It also adds a bit of suspense because if he doesn't kill himself with the dagger then he could just jump off the cliff and into the water. As for the music in the background everytime that the scene got more serious then the music would get louder.
Zeffirelli's
Making the decision to film this part of the play/movie in the catacombs is a brilliant idea. The whole point of "to be or not to be..." is deciding between life and death and what better place than where a whole bunch of dead corpses are. Throughout the speech Hamlet's tone and speed when he speaks keeps changing. Having him change the speeds when he speaks adds to the drama and intensity of this scene because it has the viewers paying even more attention. There was one point in the end when Hamlet seems to be speaking to other worldly creatures where the director changes the lighting and that also adds to the all around product.
Branaugh's
This version is the one which stays closest to the way in which Shakespeare wrote it. It takes place in the castle and even though this is supposed to be a soliloquy Claudius and Polonius are hiding behind the mirror listening. In this scene it seems as though Hamlet knows they are listening and that adds to the suspense for the audience, especially if they have never read Hamlet. The music in this version matches exactly what Hamlet is going through and feeling, it's both tense and suspenseful.
Almeryda's
Of all the versions I feel that this is the weakest. It must be very difficult changing this scene and modernizing it, but I feel as though they could have done a little more with this scene. He seemed a little too sane in this scene to be contemplating whether or not to kill himself. One of the positives was that his voice was smooth and seemed steady displaying that Hamlet had to sense of what he was to do.
There are so many versions of this play because directors envision different things occurring. Just one thing like the background music could be changed and it would give the movie a whole different feel from others. I think that there are so many versions in the world because different people translate this play differently. This play can be interpreted several ways because of all the ambiguities, like whether or not Hamlet was madly in love with Ophelia before the play began. Of all the versions Zeffirelli's is my favorite. Usually my favorite is by Branaugh, but the main difference for me was the level of suspense and intensity, especially with where the scene was filmed (the catacombs).
Monday, April 18, 2011
The First Ghost Scene
Shakespeare's renowned play Hamlet has been interpreted into various different movies. The movies depict certain things differently. The one major one in which we have gone into depth watching in class was the scene in which Hamlet speaks to the ghost of his father. We watched three different version the first was directed by Franco Zeffirelli. The second version was directed by Kenneth Branagh and the thirds was direct by Michael Almereyda. The directors went about showing different emotions in this scene and the way they go about it is what makes these scenes vary so much.
In the first version of Hamlet directed by Franco Zeffirelli everything is much more dramatic than the other two. The lighting used in the background really added to the drama of the scene. This ghost seems to have a glow to him. When the ghost explains to Hamlet what happened and how he was actually murdered Hamlet's emotions were much more obvious and he looked pained and in disbelief at first. Compared to the other versions this one had a darker setting and seemed more medieval. It had an eerie and dark feeling not only because of the lighting, but also because of where it took place, it seemed as though tit could have been a dungeon cellar or basement. Everything about this version was strong, the lighting as well as Hamlet's reactions and the way in which he portrayed his emotions.
The second version which was directed by Kenneth Branagh, was my favorite. It was my favorite because of the way which the ghost presented what happened to him using flashbacks. The flashbacks really helped understand exactly how everything happened. This version also made me feel compassion compared to the first one which made me feel in a way scared because of Hamlet's reactions and emotions. In this version Hamlet seemed much more confused and like everything was happening at once. The way in which the ghost spoke to Hamlet and explained seemed more hushed and strained as if he were scared of something. I also rather enjoyed the blue lighting and fog. Some might say that it was a bit much or that it ruined the scene, but for me it added to the eeriness and intensity.
The third version which was directed by Michael Almereyda, was my last favorite. For other of Shakespeare's works being interpreted into a modern time was effective, the movie O, for instance was adapted to a modern time based on Othello. This version however did not seem to do the play justice. I feel guilty bashing it in multiple ways, but personally I did not think that the character/actor choices were the best they could be. The only real positive was the way in which the ghost spoke to Hamlet, with aggression and how he had the handkerchief and kept dabbing at his ear where the poison had been put in. This Hamlet did stand out to me in one way specifically, he seemed to be more emotional. In the first version his emotions were strong and aggressive, in the second version he seemed more confused than anything, and in this one he seemed disturbed and really sad at the same time, but he was sad in way that he seemed so vulnerable.
In the first version of Hamlet directed by Franco Zeffirelli everything is much more dramatic than the other two. The lighting used in the background really added to the drama of the scene. This ghost seems to have a glow to him. When the ghost explains to Hamlet what happened and how he was actually murdered Hamlet's emotions were much more obvious and he looked pained and in disbelief at first. Compared to the other versions this one had a darker setting and seemed more medieval. It had an eerie and dark feeling not only because of the lighting, but also because of where it took place, it seemed as though tit could have been a dungeon cellar or basement. Everything about this version was strong, the lighting as well as Hamlet's reactions and the way in which he portrayed his emotions.
The second version which was directed by Kenneth Branagh, was my favorite. It was my favorite because of the way which the ghost presented what happened to him using flashbacks. The flashbacks really helped understand exactly how everything happened. This version also made me feel compassion compared to the first one which made me feel in a way scared because of Hamlet's reactions and emotions. In this version Hamlet seemed much more confused and like everything was happening at once. The way in which the ghost spoke to Hamlet and explained seemed more hushed and strained as if he were scared of something. I also rather enjoyed the blue lighting and fog. Some might say that it was a bit much or that it ruined the scene, but for me it added to the eeriness and intensity.
The third version which was directed by Michael Almereyda, was my last favorite. For other of Shakespeare's works being interpreted into a modern time was effective, the movie O, for instance was adapted to a modern time based on Othello. This version however did not seem to do the play justice. I feel guilty bashing it in multiple ways, but personally I did not think that the character/actor choices were the best they could be. The only real positive was the way in which the ghost spoke to Hamlet, with aggression and how he had the handkerchief and kept dabbing at his ear where the poison had been put in. This Hamlet did stand out to me in one way specifically, he seemed to be more emotional. In the first version his emotions were strong and aggressive, in the second version he seemed more confused than anything, and in this one he seemed disturbed and really sad at the same time, but he was sad in way that he seemed so vulnerable.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Secon Blog Entry
“The psalm! The psalm! She cannot bear to hear the Lord’s name!” –pg. 1247
*said by Mrs. Putnam
-Since now the reader knows Betty is faking her illness for her to be making noises must be part of her plot which she seems to be concocting. Does Betty want everyone thinking that it’s magic which is causing her “illness” and that witches are inflicting this upon her.
-From what I’ve seen she does, especially by causing this reaction from Mrs. Putnam. I really just wish I got to know what Mrs. Putnam had going on through her head. Especially with what is happening and I wonder how she really feels. If whether she believes there are real witches and if she is at all believing what the children are claiming.
-Is it part of Betty’s plan as of now to make her illness and everything witches’ faults? Or is this just happening coincidentally?
*said by Mrs. Putnam
-Since now the reader knows Betty is faking her illness for her to be making noises must be part of her plot which she seems to be concocting. Does Betty want everyone thinking that it’s magic which is causing her “illness” and that witches are inflicting this upon her.
-From what I’ve seen she does, especially by causing this reaction from Mrs. Putnam. I really just wish I got to know what Mrs. Putnam had going on through her head. Especially with what is happening and I wonder how she really feels. If whether she believes there are real witches and if she is at all believing what the children are claiming.
-Is it part of Betty’s plan as of now to make her illness and everything witches’ faults? Or is this just happening coincidentally?
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