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Hamlet Diary Entries

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Recommended: An approach to hamlet

Entry #1: Modern Hamlet
Since my last entry, we made the transition to studying Hamlet, a play I had never read before. I did not have any background information beyond the famous phrase "To be or not to be." Nonetheless, I enjoyed this story significantly and felt like I followed it along fairly well. I found an intriguing production on YouTube that I couldn't resist watching in addition to reading an online copy of the play. It made a big impression on me, so I wanted to share my thoughts.
The version I discovered starred Andrew Scott as Hamlet, and what made it so fascinating was that it maintained the original dialogue while using a contemporary setting in Denmark. With new interpretations of the play's scenes and characters, this modern …show more content…

In this production, the ghost was first seen by the guards through a security camera. It was an ingenious twist that incorporated technology into the supernatural encounter, adding an intriguing layer to the scene.
Additionally, The play's tragic character Ophelia was portrayed in a particularly striking way. Her transformation was visually stunning in this play. She appeared on stage in a wheelchair, dressed in a hospital gown, and with a scruffy appearance. It made the transition from her normal state to her eventual descent into madness starkly contrasted. Her confinement and vulnerability were highlighted by the wheelchair and hospital gown, which also highlighted the mental and emotional anguish she went through.
Overall, the modern setting combined with the original script offered a novel and thought-provoking angle on Hamlet. If you have not viewed this performance, it was recorded by the British Broadcasting Corporation.
Entry #2: Amleth vs. Hamlet
Today, I delved into the fascinating world of Hamlet’s roots and sources, particularly exploring the connections between Shakespeare's play and the legend of Amleth as recounted by Saxo Grammaticus in his work Historiae …show more content…

This work was quite unique for it used Hamlet to tell the story of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two side characters. The play effectively captured Shakespeare's tone, exploring themes of identity, free will, and the absurdity of life. It was interesting how the play mostly retained the dialogue of the original scenes from Hamlet while adding additional scenes around them. I found it fascinating how Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, in a constant state of confusion, simply went with the flow of events because they did not know what else to do. This perspective captured the tumultuous and bizarre nature of

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780 Words | 4 Pages

This article is split into eight different sections. Each section is related to a different misconception about the play Hamlet. For example one of the misconceptions she list is about how Hamlet as a character is inconsistent. In this article she describes the character of Hamlet to be a “speaker and a thinker”. The author also tells us how his character seems to be a tad bit flawed in his role.

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851 Words | 4 Pages

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.

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254 Words | 2 Pages

In viewing these multiple performances of Hamlet’s “to be or not to be” soliloquy, arguably one of Shakespeare’s most famous and well-regarded pieces of work, we are more quickly permitted to think or feel differently towards the exact nature of Hamlet’s ambiguous state of mind, whether feigned or real. These differences, however great or small they may be, affect our own greater understanding of Hamlet’s character arc, in addition to his overall effectiveness as the protagonist. David Tennant gives what many would be all too quick to call the definitive performance of this timeliness monologue, notably characterized by his comparatively quieter manner of speech. Rather than lashing out in overblown bitterness or exaggerated despair, Tennant’s

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769 Words | 4 Pages

In the ever changing world of literature, one play stands the test and that is William Shakespeare's Hamlet. This dramatic, thrilling, tragic play tells the story of a “young prince of Denmark, Hamlet, who is seeking vengeance for his father’s murder.” () The storyline itself is able to grasp the reader, and take them alongside Hamlet as he slowly takes down his enemies and uncovers the secrets, betrayal, and scheming nature of his family. Aside from the storyline, what makes this play great is the monologues, as well as dialogues between characters. Shakespeare incorporates an array of vivid imagery, metaphors, and exquisite vocabulary to make known the passion and heart behind every single character.

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855 Words | 4 Pages

Out With The Old, In With The New Many of us have heard the line, “To be or not to be,” from one of Hamlet’s famous soliloquies, but what is the meaning behind it? There is no right answer; the line can be interpreted in many ways by the reader. Similarly, directors and actors can interpret “Hamlet” and lines in “Hamlet” in many different ways. This has led to many productions of “Hamlet”, such as Franco Zeffirelli’s version and Kenneth Branagh’s version. Although these two particular versions were shot in the 1900’s, they are very distinct in their own ways due to sequencing, setting, costumes, and character portrayals in the movie.

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785 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet's constant skepticism highlights the deceptive nature of appearances and the struggle to discern what is genuine in a world filled with deceit and illusion. Both works invite readers to question the surface-level perceptions of reality and explore the deeper layers of truth hidden beneath the façade of

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800 Words | 4 Pages

Although Zeffirelli’s abridgment may prevent a few yawns out of his audience, his shortened version comes at a definite price; various omissions in the film take away from Shakespeare’s masterwork, leaving viewers with a watered down experience. Yet, this change definitively makes both the film and plot more engaging. In contrast, the much longer version by Branagh builds stronger character development and enables Branagh to follow closer to the text of Shakespeare. Perhaps one of the largest differences between these films is also the most passive; the setting. Branagh’s adaptation is set sometime in the 19th century and portrays a more modern Hamlet, which is best illustrated by the gorgeous palace of Elsinore; mirrored doors, decorative white trim, elaborate staircase and bright lighting all share dramatic contrast to the palace in Zeffirelli’s film.

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1102 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout the Zeffirelli and Branagh adaptations of Hamlet and the actual text itself, a variety of different views can be

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1457 Words | 6 Pages

The question of whether or not Hamlet was insane is of a never-ending debate. Was he always crazy? Was he always faking it? Or was he somewhere in between? In this paper I will share three different views and provide my own interpretation of Hamlet’s sanity.

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1406 Words | 6 Pages

Despite the plays popularity, there are still many questions surrounding the authenticity of the three main versions of Hamlet. Many scholars, readers and performers question which text is the “real” Hamlet or the

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599 Words | 3 Pages

Hamlet is crazy. Hey Mr. Howard are you going to read my essay or is the computer going to be the only thing. Well, either way I have to write it anyway so here it is.

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567 Words | 3 Pages

Hamlet is a powerful story of love, life, revenge, and death. The themes within the play are written to live on for eternity. It is difficult to fully and accurately represent a play as great as this one. The movie that we watched in class did not wholly represent the wonders and the magnitude of the themes within Shakespeare’s work.

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897 Words | 4 Pages

Hamlet, written by famous playwright and poet, William Shakespeare, is frequently referred to as the “Mona Lisa” of literature. The true purpose and complete understanding of the play is, up to this day, not remotely knowledgeable by scholars and the audience alike. The play has led to much conversation about what Shakespeare was ultimately trying to accomplish with it. One vexed and widely referred critique was that made by T.S. Eliot, in which he described, “The ‘madness’ of Hamlet lay to Shakespeare’s hand…a deliberate dissimulation, but a form of emotional relief” (Eliot 93). In creating Hamlet, Shakespeare achieved perplexity in the scheme that created for misinterpretation of an unexplained Hamlet.

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1262 Words | 6 Pages

The reader completes their examination of the Hamlet tragedy, and we agree that Hamlet is a significant text, as it encourages us to think again about our values and

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782 Words | 4 Pages

Jan-Erik Aavik IB English HL B. Raid 04.11.2016 Written Task 2 Outline: Part of the course to which the task refers: Part 3 Literature - text and context Title of the text for analysis: Hamlet, William Shakespeare 1599

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