Shakespeares Hamlet Essay Example for Free

Shakespeares Hamlet Essay One of the challenging aspects about transforming a play like Shakespeares Hamlet into a film which preserves the brilliance and depth of the play as it is written is the issue of the plays minor characters. For example, in Franco Zeffirellis Hamlet (1990) which starts Mel Gibson in the lead-role, s direct emphasis on the character of Hamlet is pursued by the director and facilitated by the script. Many of the contemporary reviews of the film also focused on the lead-actor with the inference that Gibsons performance in the role of Hamlet would either make or break him as a serious actor. Reviewers were also quick to point out that Zeffirellis version of Hamlet was clearly made for a mass audience (Erskine, Welsh, Tibbetts, and Williams 142) and, as such, the movie is therefore understood to have created lowered expectations on its original release. The verdict on Gibsons portrayal of Hamlet was mostly-positive with reviewers more or less agreeing that Gibson was quite good as the prince and is certainly capable of doing justice to the lines (Erskine, Welsh, Tibbetts, and Williams 142). Also of note was the fact that Gibsons performance [was] energetic and well modulated (Erskine, Welsh, Tibbetts, and Williams 142). The end-result of promoting the central character of Hamlet and lowering expectations for the film was that the film was by and large accepted by reviewers as a success. The problem with this appraisal of the film is that it leaves out certain very important points regarding the films neglect of the sub-plots and minor characters of Shakespeares original play. Even though Hamlet is widely loved for the lines of its main character, the play offers minor characters who play crucial roles not only in terms of the plot and thematic development of the play but with regard to the plays dramatic structure and technical structure. For example, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern help to forward crucial plot developments, but they also enable the plays ironic ending. In most cases, with film-versions of Hamlet, the issue of the minor characters, and particularly the portrayal of the character, Horatio, is very difficult because both Hamlet and Horatio are characters who were conspicuously written for the stage and each functions in Shakespeares play not only as characters but as theatrical and narrative devices which may not be translatable to film. In order to more fully understand these qualities which are missing from the Mel Gibson Hamlet, it is useful to revisit the role of Horatio in the original play. Keeping in mind that Zeffirellis method was to close in rather than open up the play, (Erskine, Welsh, Tibbetts, and Williams 141) and that he makes no attempt to conceal the fact that this is a film of a play and lets the play speak for itself (Erskine, Welsh, Tibbetts, and Williams 141), the missing elements of the plays supporting cast is a huge negative for the final film. The formality of Hamlets technical structure is an important element of the play and Horatio, who is described as Friend to Hamlet, functions, essentially, the plays narrator, interpreting conflict and action for the audience. Horatios role is obvious in plays beginning when he remarks to Marcellus: A piece of him. This remark is Horatios ironic confession that he functions not only as a person in the play, but as a technical device. Horatios line is followed by Marcellus statement that Horatio .. says tis but our fantasy,/ And will not let belief take hold of him (Act I, Scene 1). This line elevates Horatios credibility with the audience who, also, are likely to be initially skeptical of the presence of the ghost of Hamlets father. From the beginning of the play it is clear that Horatio is meant to serve as the plays interpreter and his relationship with the audience is established quickly. Horatios role as narrator continues through the whole play. An example of Horatios versatility (from a technical point of view) is his role in Hamlets Dram of Eale speech in Act 1, Scene 4. Here, Horatio speaks few lines, but helps to give a rhetorical provocation for Hamlets intricate and poetically dense speech. He functions as a target for Hamlets speech which is meant, obviously, to be directed at Claudius and perhaps to Hamlet himself, and to the world. Not only is Horatios role as a narrative device enhanced in this famous scene, but a subtle elevation of his character development is evident in the way Shakespeare tacitly demonstrates Horatios friendship with and devotion to Hamlet. The example of Horatio is meant to show just a glimpse of the subtlety of expression which was lost in the Mel Gibson Hamlet, precisely because so much emphasis was placed on the lead-role. In fact, Hamlet, the character as written by Shakespeare can only be fully understood by his relationship top the minor characters and the film is totally lacking in this respect. The movie, by placing far too much emphasis on the lead actor and the plays lead character becomes one-dimensional despite fine performances from the cast. Although Mel Gibson is a strong, believable, and passionate Hamlet, the play is not granted the same depth and detail as is evident ion the original work by Shakespeare. Another example of a film-version of Hamlet which misses the brilliance and depth of the original play, but which is till a very well-made film, is Kenneth Branaghs Hamlet which as one critic mentioned, is far too long and abstract. Most film-goers would probably be put off by the critic who said Maybe if moviegoers got free T-shirts saying Ive survived Hamlet, it would boost the box office (JUST BARD TIMING? THAT 5) but this charge is a good charge against the movie because rather than embracing the intense, always-moving-forward sense of energy which is in Shakespeares Hamlet, Branagh chooses to create a more meandering, epic feeling to the story. Just as the lapse in the portrayal of the minor characters in the Mel Gibson Hamlet detracted from the cohesiveness of the film, the off-pace of Branaghs movie helps to impede the experience of Shakespeares masterpiece rather than facilitate it. Because a sense of time rushing by fast, furious, chaotic, and lethal pervades the play, Hamlet, and because events in the play as written by Shakespeare have an urgent (if fated) energy about them, the slow pace of Branaghs film is a bad-match for the central themes and emotion of Hamlet the play. This sense that the Branagh version completely missed the sense of pace for the story is evident in critical reviews which remarked that If only they could have kept the proceedings to two and a half hours, this would have been a must-see masterpiece (JUST BARD TIMING? THAT 5). That opinion is a shame because in many ways Branagh did seem to capture the spirit and themes of Hamlet very well. Despite the well-meaning and very creative approaches of both of the directors discussed above, I would agree with the critical responses which praise the actors involved in the films but slight the directors and screenwriters a little for not managing to successfully capture the wholeness of Hamlet. In one case, the director seemed too preoccupied with delivering a slid lead-performance and elevating the performances of the actors at the expense of the emotional and dynamic interrelationships between the characters in the original plat. In the second film, Branaghs version, a misplaced sense of plot-pace and mood helped to disrupt the essential emotional flow of the original play. In the latter case, the mistake is far more devastating, I think, because the whole emotional energy of the original play Hamlet rests on the feeling that life and events speed out of control, in chaos, and go by so fast one cant grasp them. A slow pace doesnt fit. In the case of Mel Gibson, his performance in Hamlet is so strong that the film is a success even if it does not actually preserve the depth and originality of the play, which was, of course, drawn itself from other versions of Hamlet and caused some degree of controversy when Shakespeare originally produced it for the Elizabethans. Works Cited Erskine, Thomas L. , James M. Welsh, John C. Tibbetts, and Tony Williams, eds. Video Versions: Film Adaptations of Plays on Video. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000. JUST BARD TIMING? THAT IS THE QUESTION; Hamlet. The Mirror (London, England) 13 Feb. 1997: 5.

How Dickens Creates Sympathy for the Characters in Great Expectations E

How Dickens Creates Sympathy for the Characters in Great Expectations Published initially as a weekly contribution in a local newspaper, Dickens’ Great Expectations developed to be a great success. Great Expectations was a story for all classes, both rich and poor appreciated his efforts. Great Expectations is the tale of Phillip Pirrip who has no family except an older sister, he feels insecure in the world around him. Having no parents to give him a sense of identity, he wanders in the wilderness that is the graveyard to search for answers. Dickens’ own life was very much along the lines of Pip, his father a well paid clerk went to jail for unpaid debts. Dickens himself was a weak and feeble child who was not cared for. He moulds his family history in to the character of Pip, who also suffers in a way that Dickens had. This essay focuses on which writing techniques Dickens uses to help the reader empathize with the characters of Pip and Magwich. The techniques in particular to be examined are setting, characterization, narrative voice and dialogue. The chapter opens in the desolate setting of a marshy graveyard. Already an ambience of anxiety and uncertainty has been created. The marsh is a symbol of wilderness, amid which stands a lonely Pip. Pip is physically and mentally alone in his surroundings; he has no sense of belonging. This helps the reader empathize Pip’s helplessness and isolation. The wet and marshy scenery resemble a distorted nature, which reflects the events happening in Pip’s life. The graveyard symbolizes death and terror. It is in the graveyard that Pip realizes the death of his parents and encounters Magwich. Pip’s innocent mind hallucinates about the appearance of his parent... ... in the reader as he describes in his own words, his misfortune and abandoned past. Alternatively, Dickens use of dialogue with Magwich creates a negative impression for him in the reader. Magwich is very aggressive in his mannerism and dialogue, for instance, `Hold your noise'. The sudden contrast of dialogues (from courteous to offensive) creates confusion in the passage, similar to the one that runs between Magwich and Pip throughout the chapter. However, Magwich’s character is revealed through his dialogue and the reader starts comprehending his reason for acting hostile manner towards Pip. Like Pip, Magwich is also vulnerable as seen with `I wish I was a frog. Or a eel!’ This piece of dialogue shows Magwich as a man who is infuriated with his poor standard of life. The similarity between Magwich and Pip is made more apparent with their dialogue. How Dickens Creates Sympathy for the Characters in Great Expectations E How Dickens Creates Sympathy for the Characters in Great Expectations Published initially as a weekly contribution in a local newspaper, Dickens’ Great Expectations developed to be a great success. Great Expectations was a story for all classes, both rich and poor appreciated his efforts. Great Expectations is the tale of Phillip Pirrip who has no family except an older sister, he feels insecure in the world around him. Having no parents to give him a sense of identity, he wanders in the wilderness that is the graveyard to search for answers. Dickens’ own life was very much along the lines of Pip, his father a well paid clerk went to jail for unpaid debts. Dickens himself was a weak and feeble child who was not cared for. He moulds his family history in to the character of Pip, who also suffers in a way that Dickens had. This essay focuses on which writing techniques Dickens uses to help the reader empathize with the characters of Pip and Magwich. The techniques in particular to be examined are setting, characterization, narrative voice and dialogue. The chapter opens in the desolate setting of a marshy graveyard. Already an ambience of anxiety and uncertainty has been created. The marsh is a symbol of wilderness, amid which stands a lonely Pip. Pip is physically and mentally alone in his surroundings; he has no sense of belonging. This helps the reader empathize Pip’s helplessness and isolation. The wet and marshy scenery resemble a distorted nature, which reflects the events happening in Pip’s life. The graveyard symbolizes death and terror. It is in the graveyard that Pip realizes the death of his parents and encounters Magwich. Pip’s innocent mind hallucinates about the appearance of his parent... ... in the reader as he describes in his own words, his misfortune and abandoned past. Alternatively, Dickens use of dialogue with Magwich creates a negative impression for him in the reader. Magwich is very aggressive in his mannerism and dialogue, for instance, `Hold your noise'. The sudden contrast of dialogues (from courteous to offensive) creates confusion in the passage, similar to the one that runs between Magwich and Pip throughout the chapter. However, Magwich’s character is revealed through his dialogue and the reader starts comprehending his reason for acting hostile manner towards Pip. Like Pip, Magwich is also vulnerable as seen with `I wish I was a frog. Or a eel!’ This piece of dialogue shows Magwich as a man who is infuriated with his poor standard of life. The similarity between Magwich and Pip is made more apparent with their dialogue.

Don Quixote Response

Michael B Reader Response (Don Quixote) Don Quixote is an alias taken up by a middle aged man in La Mancha Spain who has driven himself mad through the reading of old chivalrous stories that tell of knights and great battles. He soon decides to become a knight and after finding and fixes his old family armor sets off for adventures and glory. Obviously these books have had profound effects on him as he loses his grip on reality. The first incident happens when he comes upon an inn that he believes to be a castle where he insists that the innkeeper, who he believes to be a king, knight him.He spends the entire night there until he gets into a fight with some men who try to take his armor out of their mule’s trough and he attacks them. Soon after the innkeeper pronounces him a knight simply to be rid of him. Cervantes draws the reader in with his use of Don Quixote’s perspective. Quixote sees what his imagination creates from these stories he’s read and not what is actually there or happening. Later after he leaves the inn Don Quixote hears crying and comes across a boy being flogged by a farmer.When questioned the farmer explains that the boy has been failing in his duties but the boy tells Quixote that the farmer has not been paying him. Don Quixote hearing this thinks that the farmer is a knight and tells the man to pay the boy. When the boy tries to explain that the farmer is not a knight Quixote ignores him and asks the farmer to swear on his knighthood that he will pay the boy and once Quixote leaves the farmer continues to beat the boy but this time more severely.Cervantes here gives us a perfect example of why the modern term Quixotism was coined from the novel Don Quixote. The definition of quixotism is when someone has succumbed to misguided idealism. In this scene Don Quixote because of his misplaced faith in the old stories of chivalry intervenes in a situation and only succeeds in making things worse for the boy he had originally tried to help.Another example of this Quixotism in the novel is when Don Quixote attacks a windmill believing it to be giants and ends up making himself look foolish in front of his squire who for some reason tries to ignore the fact that his master is clearly unhinged mentally. This brings to mind that although Quixote’s actions are admirable they are doomed to fail because he is out of touch with the world he lives in. Both of these situations show that our intentions however admirable may succumb to failure if the onsequences of our actions are not considered. Opposingly it was G. K. Chesterton a British journalist of the time that claims that by writing from this perspective it made it difficult for â€Å"modern† men and women (of their time) to take the values of chivalry seriously. Don Quixote can be looked at from many different angles whether they be as a commentary on chivalry, a comedy, or even a more philosophical way considering the idealism Don Quixote is so known for.

The Various Internal and External Factors That Affect IMAX Free Essay Example, 2000 words

The biggest buyers of Imax are Regal Entertainment and APS. Hence Imax buyer s are not directly the consumers. There is a correlation between the direct buyers and the consumers which is reflected in the price of the tickets. The bargaining power of buyers is less since there are very few companies offering 3D large-format movie experience. A person who is passionate about movies is ready to watch it in different formats. It is reflected in the fact that the price of tickets has gone up by 26% depending on the theatre (Schuker Smith-b, 2010). Regal plans to set up 52 Regal Imax theatres by 2010.AMC has entered into an agreement with Imax in 2007 to develop 100 Imax theatres. The supplier s of Imax are the ones who provide the hardware required for Imax technology. Imax is well equipped with technological capabilities. It has entered into long term commitments with suppliers who provide the hardware. Americans have various ways of entertaining themselves. In a Media, Internet, Comm unications and Entertainment (MICE) survey, it was found that Americans perceive watching the movie as a low value-added activity and hence its popularity was decreasing (Ronkonkoma, 2010). We will write a custom essay sample on The Various Internal and External Factors That Affect IMAX or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page