The actors speak Shakespeare’s dialogue eloquently and beautifully which I can personally deem as poetry in motion. Having Macbeth interpreted this way; I believe that it makes it much more relatable and easier to understand. Often times, people have trouble when it comes to Shakespeare’s choice of words and how he lays out the discourse of his plays. In this film, that dilemma seems to be thrown out the window and the words paired with the actions, actors, and setting in the film, make it effortless to follow along. The acting is spot-on in this film.
Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” is a story of two lovers that ends in tragedy. It is well known for being a romantic piece with an inherited conflict and a macabre ending. Many uses of figurative language enhance the experience of reading the play. Whether it is providing a new perception of the story, creating a scene in the reader’s head, or making the entire play sound in the poetic tone, the devices used by Shakespeare heighten the senses while reading the story. With the use of light and dark images and the themes of love and death, Shakespeare paints a vivid picture in the reader’s head that helps them to better understand it.
Hamlet Movie Comparison From the two versions of Hamlet that we watched, Mel Gibson/Glenn Close and Kenneth Branagh; despite the fact they have the same plot but there are few differences between the both versions. Hamlet acting is really different in both versions of the movie. In Kenneth Branagh version we see the movie is done with strong emotions but Hamlet overacts in most of the scenes. We also see that Hamlet is not a calm thinker by watching how Hamlet amplifies his manners throughout the movie. In Mel Gibson’s version of Hamlet, Hamlet’s acting is outstanding because while watching the play we can see the effort and talent Gibson has put in the movie.
‘The Tragedy of King Richard the 3rd’ was a revolutionary play of its time due to its appeal of all classes ranging from the noblest Queen to the street pheasant. King Richard also explores the concept of what it means to be evil; Pacino’s film reflects this giving an insight on the faces, motives and free will of Richard. Shakespeare’s integrity lies in his accessibility to an audience and his ability to explore values within his plays. King Richard is a man who presents copious ideological characteristics and also throws into confusion many traditional values set into the mindsets of the Elizabethan and post-Elizabethan peoples. The opening lines of the play have Richard speak directly to the audience in the form of a soliloquy ‘Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious by this son of York,’ this metaphor is a direct link to the character of Richard, a man who is discontent.
BMadness is a state of mind that is often explored in William Shakespeare’s dramas in order to evoke a reaction—often of sympathy or pity—from the audience. While this madness often ends in an undesirable manner, none is more tragic and appealing than Hamlet’s Ophelia. While her lines are set in Shakespeare’s original script, her actions must be directed to achieve the appropriate response from the audience; in the 1996 version of Hamlet, directed by Kenneth Branagh, Ophelia’s deranged state of mind is portrayed in such a way that entices the audience and brings them to tears. The slightly modern nineteenth century setting acts as a common ground between Shakespeare’s Elizabethan era and today’s modern world. Branagh’s decision to leave the script exactly as Shakespeare wrote it highlights to complexity of the story and adds to the appeal.
Finally I will be coming up with a conclusion to what I think makes shakespeares plays popular and why they are still famous and read often. An interesting scene in Romeo and Juliet is act 1 scene 1 when the montagues and capulets fight in the street. This scene is interesting because it sets the scene and shows the audience how much the two families hate each other. The strong feelings Shakespeare uses to make the scene interesting are hatred, anger and honour. For example when Benvilio says “I do but keep the peace.” To which tybalt replies “…peace?
In this report, I will be comparing to different styles of acting: presentational and representational. Presentational acting is when the actor pretends to be the character and then presents the character to the audience. Representational acting is when the actors actually do pretend and want to make the audience believe that they are the character. After watching the first version of the scene, I feel as though the version of Hamlet, done by Lawrence Olivier, is presentational. It is not immediately apparent because of how he is engaged with his fellow actor in the scene, but he often looks up and out into the direction of the audience knowing they are there.
Hamlet Essay Shakespeare uses many different scenarios to set the mood and feel of the play. He uses spying in Hamlet to control how Hamlet changes his personality and thoughts towards others because of spying. For example when Hamlet tells Horatio “thou art e’en as just a man as e’er my conversation coped withal” (III.ii.56-57). This shows how Hamlet is grateful and truly likes his best friend Horatio for not spying on him. Although Hamlet’s thoughts and moods only got better with Horatio for other characters such as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Ophelia, and for Polonius and Gertrude, Hamlet’s mood and thoughts were drastically changed due to their spying.
It is interesting that a story may contain two foiled characters existing in such a bleak contrast to each other and yet sharing similar events. In William Shakespeare’s tragic masterpiece of Hamlet, the foils are played by Hamlet and Laertes. Hamlet is the contemplative one, and would often think rather than act; Laertes is quite the contrary, having his inhibitions guide him to acting rather than thinking, the impulse buyer of Shakespearean literature. While these characters may differ significantly, their actions and reactions to the death of their fathers, their ultimate downfall, and their alternative methods of action and contemplation prove that while different, much of their character is parallel. The simplest comparison to make is
“Double, double, toil and trouble” (Shakespeare 75), what is the perfect recipe for an amazing play? Some may say romance, drama, and a happy ending. But then there is Shakespeare’s play, Macbeth. What makes this play amazing is the blood, the fates of immortal instruments, and light vs. darkness. It may be hard to read Shakespeare for some, but for others who can take the time and understand the “ingredients” that it took to create this amazing play, love it and bask in it.