We finished reading the text itself a two weeks ago. I was not there on the last day so I missed Andrew's dramatic reading of Hamlet's character, but I read it separate so I think I got the just of it. I really liked reading the original version because it allowed me to visualize the play myself rather than watching interpretations. But, at the same time, the text had basically no stage directions so for all I know I was not even visualizing it in the first place.
After we finished reading the text, we watched various versions of film. The first was the David Tennant banana version and I probably liked it the least. This was because I didn't like how they mixed up the order of some scenes and had every scene in the same room. I think that the movie was supposed to reflect acting it out on a stage, but really the story itself is suppose to take place in many different rooms in a castle, and they lost that aspect by filming in one giant marble room. Making a play into a movie is a great opportunity to make use of settings that you can't provide in a theater. I liked the other versions for the same reason, they made use of placing the play into the real world. My favorite was probably the black and white version, and I plan to watch the entire thing soon. My favorite Hamlet was also from the black and white version. I can't really pin point why, but I sort of got the best feel for the character from that actor, where I felt that the other actors were trying too hard.
Now for the discussion of the play itself. There really is so much to consider about Hamlet, I would really like to interpret it in the most extreme sense, where Hamlet was hot for Horatio and Ophelia was knocked up by Laeretes. I also think that Fortinbras is the most underrated character in the entire play. He was Hamlet's foil in the sense that he listened and respected his Uncle after he took the throne prior to his fathers death. I think this also supports the conclusion that if Hamlet had been confronted by the same situation in a setting other than Elsinore, he would have turned out much differently. Fortinbras was the control of Shakespeare experiment. His experiment basically exemplifies how everything goes down the drain when you lock a bunch of social-maniacal people with no sense of logic or moral judgment withing close proximity of each other.
Over all I think that these last few weeks before brake have be tortuous and I cannot wait until Christmas. Thank god for AP lit for actually allowing me to have a bit of fun at the end of my day!
I also did not like the Tennant version very much. It was disappointing, because I thought that I would, since David Tennant is one of my favorite actors. I also liked the black and white version, but my favorite was probably the Branagh film. I really liked how intense it was.
ReplyDeleteI think your comment about Hamlet being like an experiment is interesting. I'd never really thought about it like that, but it makes sense.
My favorite version of the movie was also the Olivier version, although I felt they could have done a better job at casting it. The reason I liked the Olivier version was because Hamlet was more serious, and I really didn’t like how Branagh played Hamlet so violently. What parts of Hamlet in the Olivier did you like the most, and what parts of the other Hamlet’s did you not like? I like your extreme interpretation of Hamlet although I don’t really see any evidence behind a relationship between Laertes and Ophelia. Also Fortinbras’s Uncle took the throne after his father’s death, not prior, and Fortinbras’s father was killed in a duel with old Hamlet not by Fortinbras’s Uncle. We really have no way of knowing how Fortinbras’s would have reacted to finding out his uncle had killed his father. From the way he wanted to go and invade Denmark and then Poland I feel it wouldn’t have ended well for his Uncle. Although your theory of Hamlet being an experiment is interesting. Also I’d like to know your views on the forum posts that we did?
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