Hamlet
Here I am
sharing my blog response of activity.
1. How faithful is the movie to the original play?
Movie ‘Hamlet’ by Kenneth Branagh, as I marked out, each and every dialogue is there in movie as per the original play only. It becomes difficult for director to remain faithful with that. Another aspect is the plot construction. Movie is also faithful as plot construction is concerned. Each and every scene is there according to text. For that it takes longer time to run.
There are several changes also which was done by director. It is as thus-
• The movie opens up with a statue of King Hamlet and it ends with distortion of that statue. Although it is quit symbolical and that symbol stimulates itself with one of hidden meaning/theme of the play.
• The King Hamlet and our protagonist prince Hamlet is shown much older than they are described in the play. Prince Hamlet is mentioned as university student only.
( If we compare the movie ‘Hamlet’ by Kenneth Branagh and ‘Haidar’ by Vishal Bhardwaj, vishal sir have made up character of Haider justifiably. Haider grows up as per the demand of play/script. Perhaps Kenneth have taken mature person as an actor to justify the character but what Vishal have done is really great.)
• Third change done by Kenneth is the setting of play. The setting is very much Victorian rather than Elizabethan while the play is originated in Elizabethan era. Usage and costume is used in movie which is Victorian. i.e., there are glasses shown in movie to observe Hamlet while he was talking with Ophelia. (Act-3,scene-1.) In original play it is not like so.
Ø Reason why I found that thing inappropriate.
Again if we compare the same thing with movie Haider, vishal also have made many changes with setting. But what he have done is, he have changed concept to the Indian context. Contemporary burning issues of Kashmir is shown apt fully. If you are changing the setting, you’ll have to remain faithful with their age’s concept also.
Concluding the answer, director is faithful with play to so many extend till dialogues and plot construction is concerned but if we try to go beyond that, we can find out something which should not be done.
2. After watching the movie, have your perception about the play, character or situation changed?
Yes my perception about character Hamlet changed after watching the movie. While screening was going, I was not able to find Oedipus complex in character.
The visual naturally helped me to understand the play. It was ten times more powerful than reading. Expression, costume, setting we can’t imagine by reading. More senses were engaged while watching the movie (eyes, ear) than reading it (eyes only).
The only minus point I found for me is that, this time I’m going through text after watching the movie. The reading became mere recollection of movie. I am not able to free myself from impact of movie. It is being proven a kind of barrier for reading.
I can take movie to fill up the gaps which is remaining after reading text. But this time it was not possible to me. Still I am a slave of that visual.
-but I’ve my own solution regarding this very problem. I prefer reading text before going through any kind of visuals related it. It was not problematic for Dr. Faustus.
Ultimately, movie helped me a lot specially in case of ‘Hamlet’ because I won’t find time to re-read the text. And it become even more helpful in case of middle-English-language plays.
3. Aesthetic delight.
Yes, I felt Aesthetic Delight while watching while watching the movie/play at a dialogue-
“To be or not to be –
That is the question.”
(Act-3,Scene-1.Line-57)
I felt in my life so many conflict but decision making is great challenging task. Hamlet faces same kind of situation. Although situation and circumstances are all different but to see others facing same kind of problem makes my subconscious mind happier. I consider that moment an Aesthetic Pleasure.
4. Catharsis.
Yes, I felt Catharsis at the end of the movie ‘Hamlet’ not for Hamlet of for Ophelia but for Rosencrantz & Guildenstern. In one or the other way most of the characters’ deaths are reasonable for that all of them are linked by hamartia. But both of them are really innocent. And if we see by other aspect, they both are ordinary person. So that their deaths are not important at all. Why, I am also an ordinary person what if my life is I don’t found worth in front of people who are in power. All the other deaths are cause n effect, we even can consider this one but I felt catharsis for them.
5. Unknowingly, I’ve mentioned the answer of this question, in answer no.2 only.
6. Soliloquies of Hamlet, the dialogue which suggests something like “method of being mad” will remain in my mind for lifetime. Grave digging scene I found interesting.
7. What changes would you like to make in movie Hamlet if you are a director?
Creator’s first duty is to see how it can be relevant in the era in which he/she is about to create, how and till which extend is it still relevant. These are the criteria upon which they can think. Theme and concept might remain the same but what should differ is the things like- 1. Throne as the symbol of power, 2.Thought process from which the main character is passing through, 3 Representation of ghost etc
o What changes I’ll make is thus-
-Language I’d like to choose Hindi,
-I’d omit things like ghost. Instead I would mark it as the last will of person who is dying perhaps I choose letter form to convey the message. And certain evidence I can put to the protagonist.
-Source of power is changed now. My new construction would present political person as King Hamlet.
-Ending and plot construction I would change. I will show lesser dead bodies and I would start play with pleasing atmosphere.
8. How will you see at the statue shown at starting and at the end?
“An eye for an eye,
will make world blind.”
This thing is suggested in almost every religious book, almost every great people like Mahatma Gandhi, Gautam Buddh suggested this. Revenge is something dreadful thing which takes blood not only of them who are responsible in doing bad things, but of the innocent people also. Yes. We can consider the will of King Hamlet as the fall of his own kingdom.
And stories are being told in one or the other way to convince people forget about revenge and live peacefully. There is very prolific Guajarati proverb which means
“better you not test the poison by your own”
Some experiments are not to be done. Result will remain unpleasant only. We are told to learn it from others only.
But, instinct, prime nature of people is something which will not allow these wise talks to be enacted in real life. Going on high position, having power multiplies your responsibility. King Hamlet was in power and position. His ambition dragged others to unwanted death. But every time it does not work properly. These things cannot suppress the desire of having revenge for longer time.
It is significantly portrayed in play. At last the throne is gone into another unknown hand. The statue of King Hamlet and distortion of it is nicely done by director.
9 & 10
- I found 2-5 & 9-10 questions in pair, which resembles each other.
- By reading/watching, I found psychological approach most appropriate.
Movie ‘Hamlet’ by Kenneth Branagh, as I marked out, each and every dialogue is there in movie as per the original play only. It becomes difficult for director to remain faithful with that. Another aspect is the plot construction. Movie is also faithful as plot construction is concerned. Each and every scene is there according to text. For that it takes longer time to run.
There are several changes also which was done by director. It is as thus-
• The movie opens up with a statue of King Hamlet and it ends with distortion of that statue. Although it is quit symbolical and that symbol stimulates itself with one of hidden meaning/theme of the play.
• The King Hamlet and our protagonist prince Hamlet is shown much older than they are described in the play. Prince Hamlet is mentioned as university student only.
( If we compare the movie ‘Hamlet’ by Kenneth Branagh and ‘Haidar’ by Vishal Bhardwaj, vishal sir have made up character of Haider justifiably. Haider grows up as per the demand of play/script. Perhaps Kenneth have taken mature person as an actor to justify the character but what Vishal have done is really great.)
• Third change done by Kenneth is the setting of play. The setting is very much Victorian rather than Elizabethan while the play is originated in Elizabethan era. Usage and costume is used in movie which is Victorian. i.e., there are glasses shown in movie to observe Hamlet while he was talking with Ophelia. (Act-3,scene-1.) In original play it is not like so.
Ø Reason why I found that thing inappropriate.
Again if we compare the same thing with movie Haider, vishal also have made many changes with setting. But what he have done is, he have changed concept to the Indian context. Contemporary burning issues of Kashmir is shown apt fully. If you are changing the setting, you’ll have to remain faithful with their age’s concept also.
Concluding the answer, director is faithful with play to so many extend till dialogues and plot construction is concerned but if we try to go beyond that, we can find out something which should not be done.
2. After watching the movie, have your perception about the play, character or situation changed?
Yes my perception about character Hamlet changed after watching the movie. While screening was going, I was not able to find Oedipus complex in character.
The visual naturally helped me to understand the play. It was ten times more powerful than reading. Expression, costume, setting we can’t imagine by reading. More senses were engaged while watching the movie (eyes, ear) than reading it (eyes only).
The only minus point I found for me is that, this time I’m going through text after watching the movie. The reading became mere recollection of movie. I am not able to free myself from impact of movie. It is being proven a kind of barrier for reading.
I can take movie to fill up the gaps which is remaining after reading text. But this time it was not possible to me. Still I am a slave of that visual.
-but I’ve my own solution regarding this very problem. I prefer reading text before going through any kind of visuals related it. It was not problematic for Dr. Faustus.
Ultimately, movie helped me a lot specially in case of ‘Hamlet’ because I won’t find time to re-read the text. And it become even more helpful in case of middle-English-language plays.
3. Aesthetic delight.
Yes, I felt Aesthetic Delight while watching while watching the movie/play at a dialogue-
“To be or not to be –
That is the question.”
(Act-3,Scene-1.Line-57)
I felt in my life so many conflict but decision making is great challenging task. Hamlet faces same kind of situation. Although situation and circumstances are all different but to see others facing same kind of problem makes my subconscious mind happier. I consider that moment an Aesthetic Pleasure.
4. Catharsis.
Yes, I felt Catharsis at the end of the movie ‘Hamlet’ not for Hamlet of for Ophelia but for Rosencrantz & Guildenstern. In one or the other way most of the characters’ deaths are reasonable for that all of them are linked by hamartia. But both of them are really innocent. And if we see by other aspect, they both are ordinary person. So that their deaths are not important at all. Why, I am also an ordinary person what if my life is I don’t found worth in front of people who are in power. All the other deaths are cause n effect, we even can consider this one but I felt catharsis for them.
5. Unknowingly, I’ve mentioned the answer of this question, in answer no.2 only.
6. Soliloquies of Hamlet, the dialogue which suggests something like “method of being mad” will remain in my mind for lifetime. Grave digging scene I found interesting.
7. What changes would you like to make in movie Hamlet if you are a director?
Creator’s first duty is to see how it can be relevant in the era in which he/she is about to create, how and till which extend is it still relevant. These are the criteria upon which they can think. Theme and concept might remain the same but what should differ is the things like- 1. Throne as the symbol of power, 2.Thought process from which the main character is passing through, 3 Representation of ghost etc
o What changes I’ll make is thus-
-Language I’d like to choose Hindi,
-I’d omit things like ghost. Instead I would mark it as the last will of person who is dying perhaps I choose letter form to convey the message. And certain evidence I can put to the protagonist.
-Source of power is changed now. My new construction would present political person as King Hamlet.
-Ending and plot construction I would change. I will show lesser dead bodies and I would start play with pleasing atmosphere.
8. How will you see at the statue shown at starting and at the end?
“An eye for an eye,
will make world blind.”
This thing is suggested in almost every religious book, almost every great people like Mahatma Gandhi, Gautam Buddh suggested this. Revenge is something dreadful thing which takes blood not only of them who are responsible in doing bad things, but of the innocent people also. Yes. We can consider the will of King Hamlet as the fall of his own kingdom.
And stories are being told in one or the other way to convince people forget about revenge and live peacefully. There is very prolific Guajarati proverb which means
“better you not test the poison by your own”
Some experiments are not to be done. Result will remain unpleasant only. We are told to learn it from others only.
But, instinct, prime nature of people is something which will not allow these wise talks to be enacted in real life. Going on high position, having power multiplies your responsibility. King Hamlet was in power and position. His ambition dragged others to unwanted death. But every time it does not work properly. These things cannot suppress the desire of having revenge for longer time.
It is significantly portrayed in play. At last the throne is gone into another unknown hand. The statue of King Hamlet and distortion of it is nicely done by director.
9 & 10
- I found 2-5 & 9-10 questions in pair, which resembles each other.
- By reading/watching, I found psychological approach most appropriate.
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