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Postmodern Pop Culture

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Postmodern societies love to obsess over pop-culture references. We thrive on nostalgia, constantly looking at pictures of childhood memories, rewatching old saturday morning cartoons on streaming sites, and constantly rebooting old tv shows and movies for modern audiences. This resurgence of nostalgia most prominently rears its head in the movie industry. The “superhero” genre exploded in popularity recently, adapting comic book characters for the big screen in attempts to please old comic book fans. In fact 20th Century Fox’s most popular X-men, Deadpool, makes pop-culture references all throughout his record-shattering film of the same name. Shakespeare is no exception to Hollywood’s obsession with reboots. Directors constantly take Shakespeare’s …show more content…

No one in our modern society speaks the way they did in Elizabethan times, so modern audiences watching play productions of Shakespeare’s work will most likely not comprehend or enjoy the actual play because the language acts as a barrier. But the many aspects of film can help break down that barrier. With the help of cinematography and special effects, directors like Baz Luhrmann can provide modern audiences with an easy and in-depth understanding of the play that they may not have cared about learning in high school. Additionally, appropriations can help introduce modern audiences to Shakespeare’s original plays. Some audiences may enjoy movies like Warm Bodies and feel inclined to read Romeo and Juliet after. Although technically these audience members may not have a scholarly interest in Shakespeare’s works, the continual revival of Shakespeare’s tropes keep him relevant amongst populations other than just scholars. In fact some scholars believe that these constant reproductions of Shakespeare are necessary for keeping his name alive. Film and English professor at the University of Southampton, Shelly Cobb, believes that “Shakespeare and other classical authors are ‘literary ghosts [who] need spokespersons to articulate and perform their lost secrets’”(Cobb). Every modern film and piece of artwork that adapts and appropriates Shakespeare reinvigorates audiences to continually interpret the meaning of Shakespeare’s works. Sure, many appropriations like Warm Bodies and Disney’s The Lion King, significantly dumb down Shakespeare, but they keep modern audiences interested. And films like Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, offer those that disliked reading the play, a separate medium to enjoy Shakespeare’s masterpieces. With every new interpretation of an artist’s work, we keep that

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2119 Words | 9 Pages

Every Film Adaptation is Not Necessarily Faithful Throughout history, philosophers wrote thoughtful poems and sophisticated plays; plays sought to challenge the intellectual minds of those who would read them. Inevitably, as time progressed, people found ways to stage the plays for entertainment. When staging the play, whether it would be literal actors reciting lines on a stage or a movie with the reenactment of the play, the director always faces the problem of fidelity of the adaptation and how true their adaptation has to be to the original source. Fidelity in the terms of film refers to the authenticity and familiar similarities an adaptation has to its original source.

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542 Words | 3 Pages

People have been reading Shakespeare for a very long time, why stop now? Michael Mack presented a speech to college freshmen explaining how reading Shakespeare is important. Reading Shakespeare can provide insight to the real world, preparing you for what is bound to happen. Mack developed an effective argument that clarifies the purpose of reading Shakespeare and how it helps us through his use of rhetorical devices, and evidence. Shakespeare uses many analogies to real life in his plays, which provides readers with an understanding.

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1041 Words | 5 Pages

Known for producing one of the most renowned and successful depictions of Hamlet, director Kenneth Branagh has transformed the world of Shakespearean films. Within his film, Branagh placed a fair amount of

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The movie ties in more brutality and violence to appeal to a modern audience that demands intense appeal to the senses. The play uses the simplicity of setting elements such as the balcony and common acting techniques to communicate Shakespear’s original message. Given the time period of the text, Shakepear’s use of these strategies are as modern as those unique techniques used in the movie. The movie and the play attract their audiences based on what appeals to them. Most importantly, both deliver the message to the audience that “For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her

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336 Words | 2 Pages

William Shakespeare is regarded as one of the greatest English writers, playwrites, and poets of all time.   In his speech to college freshmen titled "Why Read Shakespeare," Michael Mack offers insight as to why students should envelop themselves in Shakespearean literature. Mack cites key reasons that exemplify the relevance of Shakespeare's works to our daily lives. Because of the clear connections to daily life and emotional appeals he makes, Michael Mack is indeed effective in persuading his audience to read Shakespeare.

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782 Words | 4 Pages

As the curtain closes, the audience is struck with a newfound love, and because of the excellent use of literary devices, Shakespeare’s writings continue to live to this

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1121 Words | 5 Pages

“Hamlet” Versus. “The lion king” Introduction: As a child I was proposed to watch one of Disney's most famous movies “The lion king”. I didn’t quite think much of the plot, nor did i know that it was with clarity inspired from William Shakespeare’s classic play “Hamlet”.

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Shakespeare was a famous author and poet that wrote extremely well-known texts, such as “Romeo and Juliet” and “Hamlet.” Shakespeare lived during the Renaissance when art and science advanced and he was one of the major contributors to this historical period. “Shakespeare Influences the way we speak now” by Hephzibah Anderson, “William Shakespeare’s Impact on Theatre” by Octane, and “How Outrage Built Over a Shakespearean Depiction of Trump” by Sara Krulwich suggest that Shakespeare had a great influence on many aspects of society, such as the phrases we use, style of theater, and is a figure of inspiration to many people. Shakespeare has contributed to many well-known phrases that are still used to this day, showing his significance in history.

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In Shakespeare’s plays, there are themes people never get tired of as he mainly emphasized on

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In the essay “Shakespeare Meets The 21st Century” (297), Michael Kahn believes that all renditions of Shakespeare’s plays are “interpretations” that reflect the approach to acting and producing at the time of production. In recent times the productions of Shakespeare’s plays have undergone changes to the manner of speaking to be more “conversational” while attempting to retain the rhythm and tone of the play. He explains that Shakespeare’s plays were themselves adapted from those of other playwrights. He marvels at the experience of those who originally witnessed and had no prior knowledge of Shakespeare’s plays must have had. Kahn states “I believe all theater artists who approach these plays envy that encounter and explore strategies to re-create

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976 Words | 4 Pages

Baz Luhrmann is widely acknowledged for his Red Curtain Trilogy which are films aimed at heightening an artificial nature and for engaging the audience. Through an examination of the films Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby, the evolution and adaptation of his techniques become evident. Luhrmann’s belief in a ‘theatrical cinema’ can be observed to varying degrees through the three films and his choice to employ cinematic techniques such as self-reflexivity, pastiche and hyperbolic hyperbole. The cinematic technique of self-reflexivity allows a film to draw attention to itself as ‘not about naturalism’ and asks the audience to suspend their disbelief and believe in the fictional construct of the film.

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738 Words | 3 Pages

In the twenty-first century, the plays of William Shakespeare may at first appear dated and irrelevant: they use archaic language, are set in the age of Kings and Queens, and the Kingdom of England. However, it would be plainly mistaken to construe that Shakespeare’s works do not still remain integral to a twenty-first century society. Shakespeare’s plays gave the words and expressions one uses every day, revolutionized the art of theater as it was known, and forewarned about issues that would unknowingly still apply centuries later. Therefore, Shakespeare has had a profound effect on our lives by enriching our language and culture, as well as providing ideas that would still apply five centuries later, and it would thus behoove us to learn from his works and life.

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1827 Words | 8 Pages

Shakespeare work it appears, was prophetic as he tried, to prepare all for the times to come. The Elizabethan ideology itself became a vehicle that Shakespeare rode on to safety and security convey this message of self-redemption. This itself reveals a man of Shakespeare, deep thought and top-notch

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1777 Words | 8 Pages

Despite being written a long time ago, readers in this day and age can still relate to the themes and characters. Each reader can find something that appeals to them. Shakespeare’s and Jonson’s works are evidence that there is no one definition of great literature. Even though they didn’t have the same approach or use the same techniques, they are both perfect and their works are jewels that need to be cherished in years to

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10293 Words | 42 Pages

Introduction Nowadays it is obvious that America is the most influential country in the world. It dictates us all how to live, what to like and what to admire. It can be said that America somewhat manipulates our everyday behavior, but does it in a subtle way. So that we don’t even pay attention to it. So, how can this country do it so easily?

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