Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Hamlet Act 1 Scene 4-5



Kenneth Branagh's Hamlet (1996)

You have until Feb 27th @ noon to complete this assignment.

It is worth 100 points and will be graded with the APE Rubric.

Objective: Watch the performance above of a potion of Act 1 Scene 5 and crtique the director's interpretation of the scene.

Your critique of the video must be based on your knowledge and understanding of the passage, so you must provide textual evidence from Hamlet as well as provide descriptions of the video. I can't watch the video and read your post at the same time, so you need to make me see what you see with your words. It will also help you to take notes on the video while you watch it. Pay attention to what you captures your attention. Notice what you notice! (Hint: Watch the video more than once.)

Pay attention to:

  • delivery of the lines
  • imagery the setting / scenery
  • the portrayal of the actor (characterization)
  • lighting & camera effects
  • sound effects or music
  • etc--the list could keep going

You should make sure to develop a sophisticated thesis. Post in the comment stream of the video you choose below. It should be about 1,000 words (use your best judgement in either direction--this is a recommendation, not a requirement. It should be as long as it takes to develop your thesis.)

Edit and put spaces between paragraphs before you post please!

9 comments:

Berlineda P.6 said...

Hamlet as became creepy character toward the movie version. It hasn’t had the real point toward the reason why the director shows why exactly he/she has done it like this. The scene that was in the play doesn’t really correspond to the point of the play.

As the play is being delivered, the words don’t go with the count of the way the words sounds because; it has been that, the play shows more vivid action toward the point of when it needs to be. The lines are a bit distractive, toward the end of the act. The hamlet character in the play just makes me laugh instead of being afraid and scared. It was like after reading the book version of the play, the movie just seems to me like a comedy version, the way the characters react toward a certain appearances in the scene. Like when Hamlet just appears on the movie, it didn’t shows the audience why would what the effecting the ghost really have toward the facts that there is a ghost which just come and that there should some kind of feelings toward it, that could tell either he was afraid or not.

The way the director shows his strong approval is when; he/she is showing the part on the play when the put the fact the incident started to be the more that he can actually. The bubbling water and the forest and the way that people use to worry on how much, or things will be happening toward the fact that he well have to be things is being the wise one. Hamlet eyes looks like someone who drink too much pills to stay awake for the whole play. The thing that looks like smoke coming from the back ground literally looks like someone who is literally doing it because some things are just the unable process that is being working on. Ground wasn’t the way it should have been because there were so many things wrong with that. The water look so cheesy, because first of all they did not even show if Hamlet was floating in the air or not because it was mad dark or should I say it way bleu toward my point of view. The hair color and the way they say and not say things takes the fun out of it because of the way things needs to be done correctly or it will be automatically.

The characters did not fit the role, they looks like they are reading their lines from papers and all this other things that they were doing was also disturbing.
The way they smile while or the way their face looks like. Their face looks like two people who were trying to read their lines from each other’s face. On 5 minute or so when Hamlet was talking and you automatically see blood from his ears while he was alive was pretty interesting. He looked like not a ghost but of a blind man who is trying to find where he should put his hand so that he could walk safely to the wood at that night. The more talking he does the funnier it gets, he was speaking as though he was being told word for word what to say and what not to say. A person face expression could usually tell a lot about a person. For example take the imagery that you get when you are reading this scene from the book. The imagery that you have in your mind then doesn’t have anything to do with what is being showing to you right now. The tree looks dead like they were face or something. If Kenneth Branagh is making a movie he have to either go beyond or he shouldn’t be doing anything at all. Because having to do or create a movie needs lots and lots of help. Because you want who ever wants to by or watch your movie to have some kind of comedy gone bad.

The creation of light that is being used to the play seems to be like a sad point that needs to be saying or being heard of. The bleu just adds sadness to a scene, which supposedly is a scary image of everything. The bleu makes things dead and as a return points, it tells that most of my interest and for most things that the key in the movie looks like he was enjoying all he as or wanted today. The light of the camera shows that, it reflects that more of the things that area being for the it makes the people look weird in a way that is inapplicable toward the fact that the light should have probably be at the end or far away from ones face as the movie starters always be saying to someone who is the process in making a movie. It take back to American next top model, when they are taking pictures of the girls they were always being told to look away from the light because if you do look at it you will look the shape or the way style that you wanted to be in.

The sound was so off!! I did not even understand why this author pick those songs because most of them has being the way they should have being and the, the sounds does go with what they were saying it was offbeat and wasn’t so attractive as they were supportively to be. . But though they were a pretty funny things to be hearing though I couldn’t hold in the laughing or stop thinking of how funny Hamlet eyes were in the scene. All I have to say is that the outfit did not look like a ghost of an angel it was like a fisherman outfit. I mean the hat and all the color; it looks like he was doing some fishing and all the sudden decided to give his son a visited, but he forget one thing: the fish.

Jared R 6 said...

In Act 1 Scene 4 and 5, Shakespeare brings a sort of horror into the play by bringing Hamlets fathers ghost into the play. The ghost’s voice has a powerful and scary sound to it. After watching the video I think it’s purpose was to show exactly what happened to Hamlets father, and think about what is going to happen in the future of the play. Also Hamlet seems to be scared but also very interested in what his father has to say, and he will do anything revenge his father.
In the beginning of the video Hamlet is introduced to his father’s ghost. The music stirs up a lot of suspense and horror, and you can hear strong gusts of wind blowing. Shakespeare did this to stir up conflict, and also bring intensity to the play. Also it takes place in the middle of the woods were it is very foggy in the air, this gives the scene a scary look to it. In the actual book Shakespeare uses imagery and try’s to put a picture in the readers head to realize what exactly is going on between Hamlet and his father’s ghost. In the video you can see that Hamlet is somewhat petrified to see his father’s ghost there. The ghost speaks in a whisper while the suspenseful music is playing in the background which makes it seem like a horror scene. Also in this video it shows flashbacks of Hamlets father was alive. It shows the scene when Hamlets father is killed. Hamlets father is lying down asleep, while Claudius pores poison in his ear and his father seems to have something like a heart attack. Hamlets Ghost is portrayed as a scary man, his eyes are very intimidating, and deep.
The ghost is asking Hamlet to revenge him and kill Claudius and make sure he is no longer king. As for Hamlet’s mother he tells him to leave her to heaven. He doesn’t want Hamlet to harm his mother, because ghost Hamlet loves her and she did nothing wrong. At the end of the conversation between them ghost Hamlet tells Hamlet to “remember me” as he puts his hand out. As Hamlet goes for his hand he grabs it and the ghost disappears. After the ghost disappears Hamlet drops to the floor, and begins to poor his heart out. I think it was a lot for him to hear at once, and it is a shock to him at first. After being on the floor he jumps to his feet and begins to speak with anger. It seems like his fathers words mean a lot to him and he wants to do anything he can to revenge him and make him proud. As this is going on the music changes from high intensity and horror like to soft, slow, and sorrow. At the end of the video Hamlet says “I do, I do,… Remember me.” I think he is accepting that he has to kill his uncle Claudius in order to help his father. He seems determines in wanting to do what is right by making sure that Claudius is killed and is no longer king. As he stands and speaks after the ghost has left, he stands tall and strong and seems very confident in being able to kill King Claudius.
I now look at Hamlet differently, before I thought he was just an innocent prince who would never kill. After watching the video it is apparent that he has a dark side to him. I think the director did this to really reveal Hamlet’s character and let everybody know that he is more than just an innocent prince. He will be dark and viscous if he has to and that is exactly how he is portrayed at the end of the video. Everything seems to make more sense after watching the video. You get the full picture of what is going on, and you can actually see the facial expressions, and hear the music the director chose to set the scene. Before the video I thought Hamlet agreed with ghost Hamlet hesitantly and didn’t really want anything to do with the situation. But now I understand that Hamlet is all for the death of his uncle Claudius because of his betrayal towards his father King Hamlet.
There was also a part in the play were it seemed to get sad. When King Hamlet disappeared prince hamlet became sad for a few moments, lying on the ground as the music slows down and the lighting seems to get slightly brighter. I think prince Hamlet is accepting everything, and needed a moment to take it all in, and the director shows that with the change in music, and lighting of the scene.
The thing that I did not like about the video was the voice of ghost Hamlet. It was very over emphasized, and at some points in the video you can barley understand what he is saying. Also the attire that ghost Hamlet had on was not very “ghost like” he was dressed sort of how Hamlet was. I was expecting to see the soul of king Hamlet floating around, or even just his voice and no figure. I thought the director did a good job in making ghost Hamlets eyes look as scary as possible. The whole scenery was a bit unrealistic the fog in the background was so thick and the sounds of the wind were intense, I thought if the fog was as heavy and the sounds of wind were not as loud the scene would be much better.
Overall, I think the director did a good job with the scene. It is a lot easier to understand than the book. The actual acting out made me realize a lot more about the situation of the whole thing, and now I have a better understanding of Hamlet’s character. Therefore, the video was at times not very appealing, but it also did explain the scene in a good way.

tiffany h7 said...

HAMLET 1000
In the book "Hamlet" act 1, scene 2, Hamlet is so PISSED about his mother Gertrude is marrying Hamlet's uncle king Claudius, king Claudius is the new found king Claudius.After two months of his fathers passing his mother Gertrude and his uncle King Claudius became the new married couple. For one thing he's of course furious at the fact that his mother Gertrude and his uncle King Claudius became the new married couple but he is also furious that his mother Gertrude got married to his uncle king Claudius in such WICKED SPEED(in Hamlets words)and that even at the funeral Hamlets mother Gertrude didn't seem to have any type of emotion towards her husband what so ever, Hamlet even said that a beasts would've gave more emotions than her at the funeral "O God! a beast that wants discourse of reason,Would have mourn’d longer,—married with mine uncle,My father’s brother; but no more like my father Than I to Hercules: within a month; Ere yet the salt of most unrighteous tears Had left the flushing in her galled eyes, She married:— O, most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets"!
He wished that his body would just melt, turn to water and become like the dew. Or that the Almighty hadn't made a law forbidding suicide. How weary, stale, flat and useless everything about life seemed! He moaned. It was terrible. The whole world was like an unweeded garden that had gone to seed - only ugly disgusting things thrived. He couldn't believe what had happened. Only two months dead; no, not even two. Such an excellent king he had been, compared with this one. It was like Hyperion, the sun god, compared to a lecherous satyr. He'd been so loving to his mother that he wouldn't even allow the gentle breeze of heaven to blow too roughly on her face. He lifted his hands and blocked his ears as though to shut his father's memory out. She had loved him so much, adored him, as though the more she had of him the more she wanted him. And yet, within a month! He couldn't bear to think about it. Women were so inconsistent! Only a month, even before the shoes with which she had followed his father's body were old, all flowing with tears, she, even she... Oh God! Even an animal that doesn't have reason, would have mourned longer - ..she married his uncle! His father's brother, but no more like his father than he was like Hercules. Even before the salt of those hypocritical tears had left her swollen eyes, she married. Oh, most wicked speed, to hurry so enthusiastically to incestuous sheets! It couldn't end happily. But he would just have to break his heart, because he had to hold his tongue.Perhaps everyone else is dressed as for a wedding, because the first thing that the new King does is justify his marriage to Gertrude, his brother's widow and Hamlet's mother. The marriage needs some justification because it has taken place less the two months after the death of old Hamlet, and also because it might be incestuous. The King tells the court he is sad, and everyone should be sad, at his brother's death, but it's best to think of the dead king with "wisest sorrow." That is, life goes on, and doesn't stop for a single person's death. Therefore, the King has married Gertrude. This is one of the many paradoxes in this paradoxical play, but the King doesn't mean it as a paradox. He wants everybody to be happy and calm. They have all, he reminds them, In other words, no one has offered any objections to the marriage, and now is not the time to rock the boat. The definition of madness is ‘to be with disordered mind, insane; frenzied; wildly foolish.’ Throughout the play, Shakespeare invites the audience to make sense of Hamlet’s state of mind – is his mind without order or is his madness part of an overall strategy? Hamlet’s first soliloquy takes place in Act 1 Scene 2, after Hamlet’s meeting with his mother, the Queen, and Claudius. In this soliloquy, the audience sees his depression and grief over the death of his father coupled with his incredulity at the ‘most wicked speed’ with which his mother has remarried. Here, Shakespeare is already showing the audience what is going on in Hamlet’s mind. He is already preoccupied with grief and suicide.The actor in the movie Hamlet(Kenneth Brenagh) has very good acting skills he made me believe that he is Hamlet because I really got into it. The way he said those words about his mother Gerturde and about his uncle King Claudius had so much emotion in it, he made you believe that that situation really happen to him.The tone of his voice had so much pain and anger and disapointment and shame towards the two of them his mother and his uncle king Claudias. In the film the lights where dim and the room was very spacious, I believe that for the room being dark symbolizes the way he is feeling. He probaly feels that his life is getting darker. And for the spacious room he's probaly is feeling empty inside about his mother Gertrude and his uncle King Claudius becoming husband and wife .And in the video Hamlet also wears black to his mother's and his uncle king Claudius wedding the definition of black is: gloomy; pessimistic; dismal,deliberately; harmful; inexcusable, boding ill; sullen or hostile; threatening, without any moral quality or goodness; evil; wicked, indicating censure, disgrace, or liability to punishment, marked by disaster or misfortune, wearing black or dark clothing or armor, based on the grotesque, morbid, or unpleasant aspects of life, done or written in black to indicate, as on a list, that which is undesirable, sub-standard, potentially dangerous, etc.

Aggnes Z. 6 said...

The video of Act 1 Scenes 4 and 5 begins with the camera focusing on a voice of the Prince Hamlet. His voice sounds like he is in despair, running away from the ghost of his dead father, King Hamlet. However the ghost’s voice has a powerful and scary sound too, obviously because ghosts has to be scary. The music that the author used at the beginning of the play helped to make the scene more suspense. Shakespeare tried to make us see this scene at the book, but it was not so realistic like at the play. Hamlet runs quickly between trees, maybe he is in the forest, but it has night, so it makes the scene with more horror. The sound of the wind and the smoke over the ground, and many things occur in which give the audience something to think about before the Hamlet’s father enter in the scene. The camera angle moves away from the voice recorder, that we know is the main character Hamlet, and shows all the background like Hamlet says “the hell” with maybe hot bubbly water. In the video you can see that Hamlet is somewhat petrified to see his father’s ghost there. After viewing the main character Hamlet, the scene changes to where he is with his father. The camera changes back to the face of his dead father the King Hamlet that appears with something covering his face. Also in the play shows flashbacks of Hamlets father when he still alive. It shows the when Claudius, his bother, put poison in his ear and his father seems to have something like a heart attack, that killed him. I just did not get it, why the author of the play used this way to show how King Hamlet was killed. After this, Hamlet’s father is lying down asleep, dead and Hamlet closes his eyes. After King Hamlet dead, he portrayed as a scary man, his eyes are very intimidating, and deep, maybe to transmit a mad and angry ghost. The king ghost is asking Hamlet to revenge him and kill Claudius, and make sure he does not stay for much time being a king. And the revenge for Hamlet’s mother, Hamlet king tells to his son to leave her suffering. He doesn’t want Hamlet to kill his mother, because ghost Hamlet loves, but her did not care about him after time later of his dead, and quickly married with his brother Claudius. I could see something that make me to think about it, Claudius had a close relationship with his brother, the king, but only to get closer of his wife, Queen Gertrude. And killed him to be the new king and to marry with his sister in law. The king had a long conversation with his son Hamlet, and it causes a lot of pain for everyone including himself. The author of the play used lines that sometimes I could not understand. At the end of the conversation between them ghost Hamlet tells Hamlet to “remember me” as he puts his hand out. As Hamlet goes for his hand he grabs it and the ghost disappears. After the ghost disappears Hamlet drops to the floor, and begins to cry. I believe that socked himself a lot at first. After being on the floor he jumps to his feet and begins to speak with anger. It seems like his fathers words mean a lot to him and he wants to do anything he can to revenge him and make him proud. After the music changes from high intensity and horror, like to soft, slow and sorrow. At the end of the video Hamlet says “I do, I do,… Remember me.” I think he is accepting that he has to kill his uncle Claudius in order to help the revenge of his father. He is determined in wanting to do what is right by making sure that Claudius is killed and do not be the king for much time. Now I look different at Hamlet character. Before I thought he was just a crazy prince, that who would never think in kill someone, but after what his father King Hamlet told to him, it makes a lot of difference in his character. Maybe he has a dark side that did not appear at first to me. I think the director did this to really reveal Hamlet’s character and let everybody know that he is more than just an innocent prince. Everything seems to make more sense after watching the video. You get the full picture of what is going on, and you can actually see the facial expressions, and hear the music the director chose to set the scene. Before the video I thought Hamlet agreed with ghost Hamlet hesitantly and didn’t really want anything to do with the situation. But now I understand that Hamlet is all for the death of his uncle Claudius, because he wants to revenge of his father King Hamlet. There was also a part in the play were it seemed to get sad. When King Hamlet disappeared prince hamlet became sad for a few moments, accepting everything, and needed a moment to take it all in, and the director shows that with the change in music, and lighting of the scene. The thing that I did not like about the video was the voice of the characters. I could not understand much, they spoke so quickly. Also the attire that ghost Hamlet had on was not very “ghost like” he was dressed sort of how Hamlet was. I was expecting to see the soul of king Hamlet floating around, or even just his voice and no figure. I thought the director did a good job in making ghost Hamlets eyes look as scary as possible. Overall, I think the director did a good job with the play. It is a lot easier to understand than the book. The actual acting out made me realize a lot more about the situation of the whole thing, and now I have a better understanding of Hamlet’s character. I think we can have more videos of the scene, to understand what is really happening. (But only to watch, not to do a video critique!)

Anthony G. 6 said...

The director didn’t do a good job recreating the scene as it was written by Shakespeare. To start there were things in the book that were missing from the video. At the end of the scene when Hamlet was saying “So swear it” his two class mates/companions that were being asked to swear not to talk about what they have said. Hamlet at the end of the play is talking about his mother in rather unpleasant terms. In the book after the ghost vanished there was no talk about Hamlets mother at all. Also the Ghost told him to harbor no ill will toward his mother. The scenery was also off from the book. The director had the ground opening up and smoke coming out of the ground. In the book he was following the ghost through a normal field. The director also failed to capture the ghost as a character. It seemed more like a normal person that lost his voice. Also when King Hamlet was killed in his garden there was snow on the ground. Upon a closer look at king Hamlet it would be realized that with the exception of the blanket on his legs his close is not suited for the weather in the background. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet the king is descried to be grand noble a man amongst men. In the directors view apparently he looks like an overweight old person having a hart attack, old spoiled and useless. He completely misses the characterization from the story. The poor quality to which the visual is done takes away from the audio. Which at tames was difficult to understand. All in all it was a botch job that sucked. The character of the king Hamlet was also poorly done considering how he was portrayed in the book. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet the king is descried to be grand noble a man amongst men. In the directors view apparently he looks like an overweight old person having a hart attack, old spoiled and useless. He completely misses the characterization from the story.

Brian H. 6 said...

In Hamlet act one scenes four and five, the scene starts off as which King Hamlet appears and speak to Prince Hamlet about his murder and asks Prince Hamlet to avenge him. It first begins when Prince Hamlet is chasing the ghost of the king into the woods. He starts speaking a loud tone asking why the spirit appears before him in the shape of his father the king. I thought that the tone was acceptable to use on that part because it seems pretty normal. As normal as it can be to see the ghost of a dead father and wondering why he could be here. The only thing is that he seems angry when addressing to the ghost at first. I think people aren’t angry when they are addressing a dead father. Though it is seems suitable, my opinion on that part is that he should be loud but with more of a not angry tone but a tone in which he could be wondering why on earth you are here still. The settings of the play are in the dark gloomy woods. I thought it was best as it is because first it is during the time of midnight and second is that he alone chases the ghost into the woods. The imagery of the earth cracking apart and scenes switching off quickly makes the scene anticipation for what might be coming up next. It shows that the ghost is coming out of the ground or that could just be what I believe and under the ground people associate that with hell so in other words, the fact that the earth is splitting apart shows that it should be something feared. The flames bursting from the ground also helps contribute to this opinion of mines. The actor who plays Prince Hamlet characterizes him almost like a madman after seeing the ghost of his dead father the king. When the king speaks with him the prince has complete diligence and wants to listen to every word of the ghost to wonder why who kills the king. However his responses for everything the king says are way too cheesy. He is very emotional. I like how the movie makes him act so because that makes the character Prince Hamlet interesting but at the same time it seems way too trite. The king on the other hand is a ghost and should act so. The king was supposedly a respectful and loving king. In the scene, though, he kind of resembles that of Santa Clause. Personally I don’t think kings should be jolly nor that fat. I don’t think that is how people will respect the king so the actor of him is very unsuitable. It might be because my perspective of a king is different but he should look like a brave jacked man with a six pack and ripped muscles. The ghost of the king should speak like a ghost and act like he is in pain and moan a lot. But in this he speaks quickly and clearly, his tone is that of anger and vengeance. I thought it was cool to see that his eyes are like glowing blue eyes. I think it symbolizes that he is not living and it is unnatural to have such a bright blue color in which if that is the true purpose then it has fulfilled itself because the king is suppose to be unnatural since it is a ghost after all and this helps makes him seem more like a ghost non the less. The play seems old because most of the time the director tends to changes things up and include things like modernization or into a different era. However the scene from this shows that this is not the case. Overall I think the characters are a little bit too dramatic and instead of making this scene serious, it’s almost like a joke. The way they speak is so overly dramatic I do not understand why the director would make the play do so. The camera turns to the face of the speaker everytime almost. Also the voices of the characters are extremely clear. There is not enough background music which doesn’t make it seem like he is in the woods. The music only seems to be played before and after the ghost is gone. Before the play the music was intense and made the play filled with energy. After the ghost is gone though the music is peaceful and calming which shows that the nature of prince hamlet is not angry but is in peace of mind. Also I notice a funny thing. The uncle poured the poison into his left ear. Therefore there should be a lot of pain in the right ear, but for some reason after he falls off his chair, he starts holding on to his right ear this time. He also reaches his hand to start to grab something. Now as I read some of the comments someone said that he looked blind. I don’t agree with that however, instead I think that he is reaching out to his uncle who has killed him and wants to try to strangle him but has no will or strength to do so. Instead he comes before Prince Hamlet and intends to make his son finish what he couldn’t do after realizing the uncle’s betrayal on the king. Overall I thought that the play was well acted out and if the audience prefers the drama and over reacting of the actors this is probably the best as because this is pretty corny and cheesy. Personally I thought the lighting was way too dark. I could barely see the what was going on so I had to bring out my glasses to see and my computer screen is close enough to my face as it is so that is kind of bad. I actually do like cheesy dramatic plays because I don’t see them so often anymore so I do like how this is though it does seem like I’m bashing on it.

Rongliang L.6 said...

In the video of the Hamlet Act 1 Scene4-5, the video was very good. I saw many terrible scenes. There were a lot of mists surrounding by the place. The actors had acted so mean. Their eyes always stare on each other and never close. The water was boiling. The trees were withered. It would make the audience nerves. It also exaggerated. We can’t image the action like that before watch the video. The video showed terrible not only the pictures terrible, but also the sounds made us felt tense.

At the beginning of the video, it showed us a lot of picture that made us tense. The announcer spoke fast and hard. The pictures also changed so fast. It was hard to take breathe. It had the other feeling emerge on the brain. We would think that it would come out something terrible. At first, the last king came out. He used his hand pulled on hamlet’s neck. And he made him down on the floor. The book didn’t describe this part. The book only talked hamlet followed his father’s spirit. They started to conversation. On the video, it showed us the last king’s action. We would wonder why he did that. Why he need to treat hamlet so hard when their met? He need hamlet to help him to revenge. On the other hand, it might make us think about how pain he was. Even though the book doesn’t have this, but this action also may help audience clearly what’s going on.

When the last king said” I could a tale unfold whose lightest word would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood,” the surrounding place was rising the water. The place showed us that about something outlaw had happen. We could feel that the earth was angry. We could relate this think something bad on last king. The video was good. We could catch the point of the scene. We could know that’s important. It made us impress. The video always showed us the water that was boiling when last king was talking. We could think his words as if water boils. His story was boiling. We could through the surrounding place and their action to think what the story was going on. We could have the clear scene on our mind.

The scene after the surrounding place, when the last king said” murder”, the video only showed the last king’s mouth. It let us concentrated on his month and what was he talking. The sound of the last king was unclear. It had the sad emotion. And the sounds were lower than normal. We would more focus on the sentence. And we would consider the sentence. The sounds of the murder made the hamlet wondered. Because no body knew the last king was murder. At this time, at this place, the actor acted last king that we would feel very real.

The video showed the action of the queen and hamlet’s uncle when last king was talking about the queen and hamlet’s uncle did badly for him. The queen was very happy played with hamlet’s uncle. But in the last king’s word,”ay, that incestuous, that adulterate beast, with witchcraft of his wit, with traitorous gifts- So to seduce,” that showed the queen and hamlet’s uncle having a good time. The tone of the last king was weightiness. It showed the last king was sad. The speed of the words was also slower than the normal. We could have time to watch more information. We could view the queen and hamlet in the last king’s eyes. We could tell how bad the queen and hamlet’s uncle were. The sentence of the last king always said hamlet’s uncle was bad, but never talked about the queen. This could tell us that the last king still love her. And that also showed the gentleman the last king was. He didn’t want put the guilt on the woman. At this information, the reader also would think about how bad the queen was. It also thinks about how weak the women were.

At the mid of the video, the actor show a little fake. Because when the hamlet’s uncle put poison on last king’s ear. The last king was so fast to react. It would let the audience thought the reaction too fast. On the other hand, it showed the poison was very powerful. The last king was sleeping when hamlet’s uncle walked closer, but the last king didn’t wake up. The last king woke up immediately when the poison dropped into his ear. We could see that’s very pain. It would made people felt what he felt. At that time, the music was tense. It also pulled the reader get into the climax.

There was the good scene in the video. The actor acted hamlet’s uncle was real good. He would shake his face when he killed last king. His face also showed us that he very scares. His expression liked he real kill someone. After that, the last king said “horrible”. The first time was hard to hear, because it spoke very low. The second time was clear. We also couldn’t say anything after recall something like that. In the last king’s expression showed painful. The light on his face was very dark. It was hard to see his face. We could see the only thing was his eyes. He never closed his eyes. He always stared on hamlet. And his eyes also showed angry. The actor acted very well in this scene. It would make the audience in impression.

At the end of the video, the hamlet was in storm. He made the audience have the same emotion with his. He said “o all you host of heaven! O earth! What else?” It showed how his feeling was. He said harder and harder. The audience would follow the tone imaging. The video was so good. It used the propriety tone to lead the audience follow the emotion. It also used the propriety setting.

Danny T6 said...

In the this movie version of Hamlet the scene starts off in the dark to set the dark, creepy mood for the ghost when he enters, But Hamlet is the one talking before the ghost enters, yells in a creepy, almost insane and distressed tone. also he is running through the forest with the ground cracking below his feet. The music is also while he is running frantic.

When Hamlet stops and says he wont go on anymore the music also stops and everything comes to a screeching halt. Than a clearly not human voice talks which sounds also like more than once voice talking at the same time. The creepy Ghost who is talking is made to seem sinister or not a good ghost which i think the purpose was to make it clear that he wants his revenge. When he appears he pushes hamlet against a tree and starts talking. The Ghost's eyes are an unnatural blue, again to show that he is not alive. He is also whispering very, very loudly. When he talks about what would happen if he told his tale of what he went through the ground starts breaking apart again and steam comes out of the ground.I think it would have been more effective if the director made the king not really that much more alive, or to show that he was creepy, not even make it look like king Hamlet, because when he talks he clearly gives us the impression that he is not human yet and probably shouldn't be trusted.

the king starts talking about his murder, and emphasizes the word murder, but also the camera gives us a closeup of king hamlets mouth every time he says murder which is three times. Then Hamlet speaks in a whimpering tone, which shows that he is distressed and afraid. I thought he was rather distracting and took away from the effect because every time he talked i could not help but think of a whimpering dog. Then flashbacks start to happen back to some point in which we see hamlet's uncle, in light, having a good time. I think the director does this because he wants to make the ghost look bad and not to be trusted because when the flashbacks occur and we see the "evil" uncle he's simply playing some game and the creepy effect is lessened by the introduction of a lighter scenery.


Then when we see hamlets uncle actually go to murder his father we see him walking through the snow, which looks very fake, only his feet until he goes to poor the poison in his ear. Then while he's pouring the poison into his ear all we see is his hands, and while king hamlet is thrashing about we see the uncle, with a look of fear in his face. all while this is happening the scene goes back to the creepy scene and looks at hamlet, who looks confused, the scene is still dark.

Then when the ghost is talking to hamlet again, he has a lazy eye. also his eyes, still seem unnatural. The music is also creepy still all the way up until the ghost leaves. The camera goes back and forth between hamlet's and the ghosts eyes. The camera also views the ghost always at a upward angle and hamlet at a lower one. all the way up until the ghost leaves. When the ghost leaves he disappears and they try to touch but he just disappears. The music changes into more peaceful when the ghost leaves, and Hamlet sounds a lot more manly instead of being afraid. the music then goes into brave music as he swears to kill his uncle.

Jhon V.6 said...

The video that im critique about is act one scene 2, in the video the thing that I know about the video is that both videos and noticed major differences between the two videos. The first video clip consists of Hamlet soliloquy by Kenneth Branagh while the second video clip consists of the same topic but by Laurence Olivier as Hamlet.

What I saw in the first video is that Hamlet is talking, in a room talking about how his uncle and his mother married each other, after his dad death. By, Hamlet body language the way his talking, the word that he said on the clip you can tell his not happy with his mother and also his uncle. Hamlet also think that his mother didn’t love his father that much, the reason why is because after 2 months, that’s when she married to him. I noticed that at the beginning of the clip Hamlet voice was so deep, and the tone of his voice change at the end of the clip. I think the reason, is that at the beginning of the clip his tell how he feel about the whole situation with his mother and his uncle, from his father side. I saw at the beginning of the clip, I also notices that hamlet is talking bout his father, telling how good of a father, he was and how good he was to his mother. I noticed that while Hamlet is talking in the room whiles his walking around the whole room, that the camera is moving difference directions and angles. At the beginning of the clip while he was talking his head was down, it’s show you that how mad in emotion he have going to his mind. While he was talking through out the clip, his actions speak for themselves. In the first scene I saw two chairs the chairs looks like the king chairs. The words he says in the scene, are Hamlet’s first important soliloquy, it occurs in Act 1, scene 2 (129–158). Hamlet says these lines after lasting the unpleasant scene at Claudius and Gertrude’s court, then being asked by his mother and stepfather not to return to his studies at Wittenberg but to remain in Denmark, most likely against his wishes. Here, Hamlet thinks for the first time about suicide (desiring his flesh to “melt,” and wishing that God had not made “self-slaughter” a sin), saying that the world is “weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable.” In other words, suicide seems like a desirable choice to life in a painful world, but Hamlet feels that the option of suicide is an option to him because it is forbidden by religion. Hamlet then goes on to describe the causes of his pain, specifically his powerful disgust at his mother’s marriage to Claudius. He describes the haste of their marriage, noting that the shoes his mother wore to his father’s funeral were not worn out before her marriage to Claudius. He compares Claudius to his father. As he runs through his description of their marriage, he touches upon the important themed of misogyny, crying, “Frailty, thy name is woman”, incest, commenting that his mother moved “with such dexterity to incestuous sheets”; and the ominous omen the marriage represents for Denmark, that “it is not nor it cannot come to good.” Each of these motifs recurs throughout the play.

While the video clip on act.1 scene.2 by Kenneth Branagh as Hamlet is well done there are some major expression problems in this video. For, Example Kenneth doesn’t do a good job of giving a good facial expression when he is talking. Kenneth Branagh in my opinion does a horrible job on making the viewer believe and fall into his actions. When I see Kenneth Branagh video clip it doesn’t bring much emotions into my mind because of the way he acts out and he doesn’t make the viewer realize the pain that he is dealing with. It seems more as a fake act and the face expression that he gives just doesn’t quiet match out perfect with the play. While the face remarks that Laurence Olivier gives in the video clip makes us the viewers feel his pain. The face expression shows it all and if as an actor you’re not able to attract and make the viewer have a fell for the pain your dealing with then it doesn’t make the movie or video clip dramatic. Laurence Olivier does a good job of starting out have the viewer fell his pain and the voice that he has attract and puts a dramatic sound into the story. Another major difference that I noticed between the two clips is the music that’s used in both of the video clips. The first one by Kenneth the music that is being used loud and dramatic. But, the actor Kenneth does a bad job of playing is role in the scene, by playing out his voice with the music that’s being played on the scene is depressed and first perfectly with the way Olivier plays it off. Olivier does a great job of being realistic in the video clip and the music that’s being played fits perfectly with the face expressions and remarks that he makes which is giving out sad looks and desperate actions. Even know both actors in the video clips do a great job of acting out hamlet soliloquy.

The top video act.1 scene 2 by Kenneth Branagh as hamlet deals with hamlet soliloquy and he is talking to himself standing between two red chairs and he is depressed in a black uniform symbolizing himself as a king. Hamlet has just been told by the king that his father brother Claudius to express sorrow to the death of his father. Hamlet has trouble of forgiving himself and his mom of his father’s death. Hamlet is deeply affected by his loss and the actors on the video clips are acting out hamlet, while watching the video clip I noticed that the following he keeps saying “god oh god” the reason why his calling god is to help him out of the misery that his on right now.