Click on this link for the five clips of Hamlet's 1.2 soliloquy.
Take careful notes on the acting and directorial choices made in each soliloquy.
Then address the prompt in the comment box below:
Make
an argument: which performance of the 1.2 soliloquy best conveys
the richness found in the language of the soliloquy and in the context
of the dramatic situation Shakespeare has created? Be insightful. Be
specific. Be persuasive. Additional requirement: make sure that while supporting your position that you discuss all
of the performances (by comparing superior acting and directing choices
to inferior ones--or ones that are, perhaps, successful and interesting
but simply not as rich).
(Use your first name and last initial to identify your comment.)
I believe that the fourth clip, with David Tennant playing Hamlet, is the most effective for me. Gregory Doran directed this scene in such a way that allowed the audience to see clearly Hamlet’s emotion. His transitions between emotions were extremely smooth, and powerful. You could see clearly his emotionally side when Hamlet broke down and sobbed in the middle of the floor, while others showed his sadness, this clip made it more severe. A great transition was when Hamlet began to pace, I thought this was an amazing way to show the build of anger towards his mother and uncle. A lot of the clips failed to capture both emotions, most focused on just one. One thing I was unsure of at first was his eye connection into the camera. I was definitely a bit scared at first, but it wasn’t until after that I realized I was supposed to feel this way. I came to see that I too was feeling the emotions that Hamlet was feeling, and the eye contact made me feel like I was part of Shakespeare’s story, while in the other clips, I just remained an outsider looking in.
ReplyDeleteTennant also has a grasp of the sentence structure that allows the listener to really understand what he is saying. Hawking also possesses this talent, but in narrating with his thoughts rather than directly with his voice he loses connection with the audience, the same way Olivier does. I did enjoy how in Gibson's version you got to see hamlet's mother and father-uncle walk out from their wedding, but I do not believe the actor put enough emotion into the soliloquy Hamlet is enraged during this time, and deeply frustrated.
Although some of the other adaptations of this soliloquy adequately expressed Hamlet’s emotions, I felt that they did not live up to Tennant’s performance. The Branagh version adequately conveyed Hamlet’s emotions of anger to his mother’s marriage, but lacked the grief and despair over his father’s death. The Gibson, Hawke, and Olivier versions lacked any emotion at all.
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ReplyDeleteIn the fourth clip, David Tenant effectively delivers Hamlet’s intense and deep sorrow. You can visibly point out the director’s decisions in filming this soliloquy. Specifically at the beginning of this black and white scene, the audience is able to indicate a division amongst Hamlet and the rest of the town. Right from the start, Hamlet is alone weeping in a room and the director simultaneously films Hamlet’s entire body. As the clip continues, a close up of Tenant’s face expresses the anger in his eyes. That is to say, Tennant successfully demonstrates this mix of despair and anger he feels towards his mother and uncle by expressing individual words with full frenzy. Words such as “God” and “month” are explicitly stated in order to establish this angry atmosphere. Tennant made certain pauses after “a little over a month” and “my father’s brother” as if to make sure that this message is suitably being delivered to the audience. Furthermore, “Let me not think on’t” creates a transition from his weeping sadness to complete anger. He stands up and starts to face the audience and brings out the look in his eyes. As Hamlet, Tennant successfully demonstrates Hamlet’s attempt at detaining his sadness by simply expressing anger.
ReplyDeleteFor the most part, the other clips delivered more conventional soliloquys. Mel Gibson, Hawke, and Oliver are merely missing the furious and desolate emotions that Hamlet was feeling at the time. They would either have full sadness or sometimes just focused on delivering the soliloquy. However, Branagh strongly expressed anger and explicitly said words such as “tears,” “she,” and “God.” He certainly did pause at “month” similar to Tennant. Though, he focused more on anger and not so much on sadness. The Mel Gibson clip did show the isolation amongst his mother and uncle at the beginning while he looked outside his window. Overall, David Tennant successfully delivered Hamlet’s physical and mental attitude.
Shakespeare is, without a doubt, the hardest acting to conquer. However, all five of these actors and directors put together a very good representation of Hamlet’s grief and isolation. The setting in the version in which Branagh played Hamlet is very strong; snow carries a strong connotation of loneliness and the feeling of cold. Hamlet being alone in the snow really sectioned him away, as if in his own little world. The stone staircase behind him and the fancy house also cuts Hamlet away; these are unwelcoming surroundings that Hamlet is stuck in. Branagh’s acting was very strong as well. He was furious in the soliloquy, but he still carried the grief along with him. However, many times Branagh would look and yell to the side, making the audience wonder if he is talking to someone. Glancing to the side can increase the actor’s representation of depression, but in this case Branagh yelling and moving his hands made it seem like he was venting to someone. And the most important part of the soliloquy is the fact that Hamlet has no one to confide in.
ReplyDeleteIn Gibson’s version the setting was, again, a very strong representation of Hamlet’s grief. Hamlet choosing to sit alone in his room and watch the wedding from his window shows that he is feeling lonely and that he is watching his life carry on, separate from everyone he is close to. There is a wall, or a window rather, between him and everyone else, growing larger the more everyone else moves past Hamlet’s death and seems to forget it. At the end of the soliloquy, Hamlet watches his mother and uncle ride away on horseback. This is showing us that they are moving farther and farther from Hamlet. But Gibson’s emotions did not match the scene. His best line was his last line, when we actually heard and saw anger. Watching from a higher spot, it seems more fitting of him to be spiteful towards the wedding.
Tennant carries a lot of emotion with his choice of crying out and crouching, and many of his facial expressions also portray a lot of anger and sorrow. Crouching represents not only Hamlet’s sorrow but his feeling of wanting to give up. “Oh that this too too solid flesh would melt”. Dying is giving up. Crouching is resorting to the fetal position; as if all Hamlet wants is to be cared for in his time of need. He needs and wants his mother’s care right now, yet he cannot have it. The decision of keeping the camera zoomed out emphasized that Hamlet is alone, that he is small in this seemingly emotionless world. looking directly at the camera, however, was a bit uncomfortable and subtracted from the meaning of the monologue. It seemed too much like a confrontation, and again, the key to this soliloquy is that Hamlet cannot confide or confront with anyone, he can only watch.
Hawke’s version of the soliloquy was very unique, being the only one involving a definitely modern setting. Everything about this version was great; the music and the film clips that Hamlet was watching were a great background. The film brought a lot more grief to the soliloquy than any of the others for it actually showed Hamlet’s father. It showed Hamlet stuck thinking only of his father’s memory. How he wished or a time that could never be. And the soliloquy made the most sense when Hamlet was thinking it inside his head. Of course he would be too sad to speak, and that the grief caught his throat. Hawke’s facial expressions were really great as well, fitting perfectly with the rest of the scene. On the contrary, Hawke’s tone and voice did not match his expressions. In the fisrt half, the words lacked emotion and this made it very hard to then follow the rest of the monologue. Shakspeare is so hard to follow that it is crucial that the author is able to carry the audience from the beginning. It was also very distracting that as we watched the clips and Hawke’s face, his words were at a different pace.
Olivier was definitely the strongest version of the soliloquy. He, too, was not speaking, emphasizing his grief and the fact that he was watching his friends and family carry on without him. From the very beginning, we could see him feeling alone as he watched the last of the wedding-goers leave, perhaps being his mother and uncle. This is, like in Gibson’s version, a great representation of everyone else moving on but him. Olivier did say “yet within a month” outloud, and this strengthened his grief even more. It brought so much emphasis on his sorrowful disbelief that only a month passed before his mother remarried. While thinking about all of this, “within a month” is that strong idea of his that he is compelled to say out loud. Olivier wandering around was also a reinforcement of his depression. Possibly revisiting wher his father would have sat, or where he watched his mother happily sitting with her new husband. Hamlet could be revisiting moments of the past as he wanders or he could be visiting place where he watched his life go on without him. And then, circling back in the end to the chair that he started in, like there is nowhere to turn to. “Oh that this too too solid flesh would melt”. Oh, if he could shake his depression, his current life. But he cannot. He is alone, and he can speak to no one. Olivier was the only one who appeared to be trying to get over it, like he was trying to shake his depression, though in the end we see that he cannot.
DeleteAll five actors had an interesting and unique take on Hamlet’s first soliloquy, but David Tennant’s version best conveyed Shakespeare’s intentions. Hamlet is experiencing a whirlwind of emotions; from devastating sadness to intense anger, all the while mixed with hopeless confusion. Tennant displayed this better than the other actors did. In Gibson’s, Hawke’s, and Olivier’s versions, there wasn’t as much emotion put into their performances. Gibson and Hawke both had lines cut out of the soliloquy, which significantly reduced the power of the language. Olivier’s soliloquy was not spoken aloud, which took away from Hamlet’s turmoil and descent into madness. Branagh had a good performance, but his emotions weren't as strong as Tennant’s were, and the back-and-forth struggle between sadness and anger wasn't as compelling. Tennant’s performance was further strengthened by his body language (curling up on the floor, pacing, and using hand gestures, for example), and the way that he stared at the camera to connect with the audience in the same way that the actors on stage would have done in Shakespeare’s time. David Tennant stayed true to Hamlet’s character throughout the soliloquy.
ReplyDeleteWhile all five clips are very different from each other, and all have aspects about them that make them rich in conveying the text in Hamlet’s first soliloquy, the best one would have to be the fourth one. With David Tennant playing Hamlet. This one best conveyed the richness of the text in that it showed the most emotion while Hamlet was giving his soliloquy. Hawke conveys Hamlet by acting very angry, and upset about the present situations about his life. Although it was not authentic in the costuming, it did show the emotions Hamlet must be possessing about his situation, and it makes it easier for the audience, who is watching this soliloquy, to feel a sense of empathy towards Hamlet. The rest of the clips did a poor job at conveying this emotional aspect that added to the richness of this text. The first clip was merely a man walking around, and by him walking around the whole time, he seemed more confused, than angry or upset. He also did not look like who an audience would picture as Hamlet. He did not convey the richness of the text in his emotions either, he had little to no emotion and it conveyed this powerful soliloquy poorly. The second one did not show the serious of the matter that Hamlet is trying to convey in his soliloquy. It shows scenes other than Hamlet, which take away from the actors emotions, and take away from the dramatic effect of a soliloquy. While the Actor did seem like a Hamlet-esque kind of person, the scenes of the New king, and Hamlet’s mother take away from it, and it is not conveyed as powerfully as the fourth clip was. This clip also did not finish the soliloquy it skipped a very important part at the end that helps a lot to show Hamlets emotions. The third clip was confusing to me. I do not like or appreciate when movies change the era the story is from, and this clip was based in a modern era. You also could see no emotion from Hamlet in this one, and it is easy to question, is Hamlet even in this clip, or is Hamlet just voicing over a man on a computer? At times the voice also seemed monotone and there wasn’t much acting to appreciate, just a man intrigued by something. The fifth clip was alright ,compared to the rest, it did convey more emotion than the rest, and did show the richness of the text more so than the first second or third, but not as well as the fourth. I wish we could actually see Hamlet speaking, instead of the illusion it is just Hamlet’s thoughts, it is not as effective. Overall each clip of the act 1 scene 2 soliloquy given by Hamlet conveyed how Hamlet felt, but one, the fourth one, conveyed the true richness of the text.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion Branagh was the most effective Hamlet. He captured the personality and emotions that (for me) were mirrored to the text that Shakespeare wrote. The others also portrayed the soliloquy well, but Kenneth Branagh’s acting stood out. He used impressive gestures, volume and controlled his voice to fit the scene. Hawke’s performance seemed monotone and showed little emotion and variation with his tone. Although the scene is supposed to have a depressed attitude and atmosphere, the excitement is what makes it interesting and different. His accent also adds to the tone that Shakespeare was trying express. Hawke’s and Oliver’s performances were both over voices, unlike Branagh’s. When the actor actually speaks Shakespeare’s or Hamlet’s words, it makes it that much more believable. Presentation and tone are incorporated in the making of an effective, well-done act.
ReplyDeleteThe performance that I think best conveys the richness found in the language of the 1.2 soliloquy and the context of the dramatic situation that Shakespeare has created would be the Tennant version. Although his version was not my favorite I think he best conveyed what Shakespeare was trying to get across. He was very dramatic in his acting and in the tone he used while talking. Also he stressed certain words to draw in the attention and give them extra emphasis. Even though Tennant’s version was the overall best the others were very good as well. In the Branagh version the actor chose to dramatically change his tone of voice to convey the situation Shakespeare had created. By doing that he was pulling in the attention of the audience and showing them the emotion Hamlet was supposed to have been feeling at this point. The Gibson version, which was my personal favorite, did many things well. The actor used a tone that sounded more like an everyday conversation voice which I liked but did not fully convey the dramatic situation that needed to be created. Also the director had him go from sitting to looking out a window which was a nice touch. It made it seem like he was looking out at something while he thought. The last version was the Olivier one. An interesting thing that this version did that the others didn’t was the voice being in the actors head instead of actually spoken. It was a different approach that seems like it would work nicely but it lacked in some parts. It was hard for the actor to really convey the drama of the situation without speaking. In the end although all of the versions of the soliloquy had good parts, the overall best was the Tennant version because it best conveyed the drama in the scene that Shakespeare created and the richness of the language.
ReplyDeleteThe scene by Gibson would have been my favorite if it had been the complete soliloquy, but I feel like it cut such a huge chunk out it missed a big part of Hamlet’s meaning. Branagh’s was my favorite because it was the completely soliloquy and the actor was walking around and making it more of a scene then a man just talking at a camera. I like it better then Hawke’s because Hawke’s was too modern for this play and I didn’t like how he was thinking the words instead of saying them outright it was as if he was doing something that didn’t go along with his thought process at all. Tennant’s, though it was a complete version, was extremely over dramatic and he seemed to be putting more work into the crying than to the words that were coming out of his mouth. This version was also too modern what I think Hamlet should be. Olivier’s was also complete, but like Hawke’s it was not spoken. This film made is too bland his voice was very monotone and the scene was extremely boring to watch. Brangh’s version was complete, showed the right level of emotions, and also it was set in an appropriate time.
ReplyDelete-HannahEllis
Kirsten S.
ReplyDeleteDavid Tennant's version of Hamelt's soliloquy was more effective in my opinion. In the analysis and evaluation portion of this assignment, I said for question number three, that Hamlet's attitude on his life in this soliloquy was rather dramatic, and Tennant's version definitely got that across. For starters, it opened up with him bawling his eyes out on his knees for a long time. If that doesn't say dramatic, I don't know what else does. And further on it, he looks at the camera and speaks to the audience, and you can really see his emotion in his eyes and through stiff body movements as well. The other performances were slightly boring. Hawke and Olivier's versions didn't quite make sense to me, for they were talking to us through their thoughts. Now, my thoughts are more complex than what I say out loud, but it's nothing close to what to this soliloquy. It just doesn't seem to fit together. And while they are speaking in their heads, their actions are quite dull. Hawke is staring at video footage, though suggestive, it isn't that entertaining, and Olivier is walking around a room, occasionally shouting out a phrase. The other two versions were close, but no cigar. Branagh's version was just so old fashioned and that doesn't really appeal to me, and Gibson's version was just mediocre.
Out of all five, I have to name the third rendition of Hamlet's soliloquy as my personal favorite. The tone and volume used by the actor in the version is perfect. Even though he is indeed angry, I pictured Hamlet as far more distraught and hopeless than mad. The films with David Tennant and Kenneth Branagh portray Hamlet as a loud and brash character. It is hard to feel for him while he sits there yelling in your face. Ethan Hawke's gentle and often broken voice fits the roll of a mourning Hamlet perfectly. The manner he uses while speaking of his mother contains bitterness, but also a fond remembrance of his father. I also like how Hamlet is watching old tapes of his father while he speaks. While reading the play, I imagined that Hamlet would be reminiscing during his speech. These old family films that Hamlet is watching are a great visual representation of Hamlet looking back and remembering his father. The only thing that bothered me ever so slightly with this rendition is the fact that it takes place in modern time. However, due to the superb portrayal of Hamlet, I found myself noticing far less than I have in other modern renditions of classics, such a Leonardo DiCaprio's Romeo and Juliet (which I found highly irritating.) I also found that the age of the Hamlet in the third film best fit my mental image of him. In the fifth clip, both Hamlet's act as if the speech was going on in their mind. They do not speak the words out loud, rather their mouth stay closed while we hear the speech in their minds. I really like this twist, but the age of the actor in the fourth film was a bit off from what I had imagined. Because of this, and the aspect of the family videos in the third clip, I like the third clip better than this. If I had to choose a second place, Mel Gibson's version would be my choice. Like with Hawke, he portrays Hamlet as a more sorrowful and bitter character, rather than right out mad with rage. I also really liked how the camera showed a view of the mother interacting with Claudius from the window from which Hamlet was watching. By showing the mother's joyous attitude and brazen affection towards her new husband, it makes one sympathize with Hamlet and more clearly understand his emotions. Each of these versions had their highlights, but because of its casting, tone, volume, and added elements of film within the film, I thought Michael Almereyda did the best job of revising Hamlet for the big screen.
ReplyDeleteI believe that David Tennant’s portrayal of the act one scene two soliloquy was the best in terms of displaying the richness of the text. Tennant delivered and emotional and intense reading of the monologue punctuated by dramatic pauses and expressive movement. I feel the directing was also superior in The Tennant version of the play the slow pan outs as the action lessens and close ups at the height of the drama, the setting was also nice (empty throne room). I feel that the Branagh version was delivered very meekly by the actor and the light sett detracted from the richness of the text. Mel Gibson’s version of the soliloquy was at times very quiet and hard to hear. I also did not like the pan out of the court yard in the Gibson film I felt it distracted from the richness of the text by interrupting the drama. The Hawke and Oliver versions had the same problems each delivered the soliloquy in a very monotonous fashion. Also each actor did very little during the soliloquy, Oliver did not even say the words he just slowly walked around and Hawke just stared at a T.V. screen. Both the monotonous tones and non-actions of the actors detracted from the richness of the text by not engaging the audience. Overall the Tennant was in my mind the far superior representation of the text’s richness, it was more interesting, more expressive, and just better articulated.
ReplyDeleteZach S
ReplyDeleteIn comparison, all performances of the soliloquy had their strong points and their weak points. The best of all, however, was the performance of Laurence Olivier. The acting was precise and well carried out and the blocking was well done in order to purvey the message of Hamlet's rage. Kevin Branagh had poor acting, yelling and being over-dramatic at the absolute wrong points. He created stress and focus on parts of the soliloquy that didn't need it as well as brushing past the more important parts. Mel Gibson seemed distant and off from the world his character lives in, something a proper actor shouldn't do. Ethan Hawke's version was very bizarre per director's choice and I feel it detracted from the story and the true and unconstrained emotion that must be carried across when performing this deep soliloquy. In general, I did not like the David Tennant version. This version also had a modern and odd setting that, like the Hawke version, distracted the viewer from the language and power behind this theatrical speech. In addition, there was poor blocking and body positioning involved, the first few lines lost into the actor's knee. These shortcomings in acting and directing were all things that added up to the superiority of Lawrence Olivier's performance of "Hamlet."
Ivy G.
ReplyDeleteOut of all performances, Gibson was the most convincing with the “richness found in the language of the soliloquy and in the context of the dramatic situation Shakespeare has created.” The movement Gibson employs in his soliloquy captures the audience far more than the stationary, balled-up position Tennant occupies for the majority of his soliloquy performance. Gibson had a variety of facial expressions that expressed Hamlet’s feelings straightforwardly, where as Tennant cupped his hands over his face and didn’t express as many of Hamlet’s conflicting moods in the soliloquy- he only showed a desperately and lonely emotion by staying balled-up on the floor when Hamlet should have been experiencing several other moods like pride when he talked about his father.
It wasn’t engaging when Olivier and Hawke were directed to narrate their soliloquy over the performance as if it were in their heads. I think this limited the variety of tactics the actors could have used to illustrate the dramatic language in Hamlet’s soliloquy. Though, the modern aspect of Hawke’s performance was intriguing and relatable to what a present day soliloquy would be like (in front of a computer screen). The tie breaker between Branagh and Gibson was that Gibson’s use of his stage enabled him to start off small and escalate the tension in his soliloquy by going from a head shot to a full view of him looking out a windowsill. The director showed Hamlet’s isolation from Claudius and his mother and his attitude toward them from his stand point of looking out a window down at his mother and the new king being adored by the rest of the kingdom. This image created a sense of superiority for Hamlet, heightening the impact of his soliloquy.
I believe that Gibson’s interpretation of Hamlets first was the best due to its superior tone and ability to most accurately project what Hamlet was thinking. Gibson soliloquy really captured the emotions I would imagine Hamlet was feeling and how he would act when he shared them. David and Branagh over emphasized their character and because of this it was hard to believe take their characters seriously. Besides that David gave a very long look that caused a little discomfort. Hawke and Oliver both used a technique that I found very annoying. This being not actual saying their lines and just having them as a narrative. While I do understand what they are doing they seem to ignore the fact that it was written as a play and the soliloquy just does not feel as direct if not spoken. Gibson’s performance was believable and well done the only thing I would have changed would be the setting.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion the David Tennant’s scene of Hamlet's soliloquy was better in the way that it showed intense emotion. Breaking down on the floor really showed the pain that his character, Hamlet feels. The soliloquy starts by expressing pain but as it progresses, the pain is overpowered by anger, and I think Tennant conveyed that very well. In addition, Tennant was able to effectively transition between Hamlet’s emotions, while the other video’s the actors act out all the soliloquy as if one type of emotions is expressed. Olivier and Gibson and Hawke sounded depressing throughout and worse, it was as if they were reading a story, as if they were speaking Hamlet’s thoughts, not showing feelings. Unlike Tennant, the actors of other videos basically just walked around not physically showing the anger they should be feeling. The point of the soliloquy was to express how Hamlet feels and David Tennant, I think, effectively expressed how Hamlet feels.
ReplyDeleteout of all of the scenes and different inturpertations i believe that Mel Gibson's version was by far the best and most convicing. I believe that this is true because in his version he draws in the audience using jestures and different voice variations, the complete opposite of Tennants version. Gibson did not over due it on the acting like David and Branagh who made the soliliquy ver fake and scripted. this scriptedness was heavily used in both the Oliver and Hawke versions as well, it did not eem like Hamlet but more like just an actor doing his job, and not really into the story and not engaging at all. Gibson really engaged the audience through all of the different emotions tha Hamlet feels in this soliloquy.
ReplyDeleteDiana D.
ReplyDeleteOut of all five versions of the soliloquy, the one that was the most effective for me was the one performed by David Tennant. What I liked most about this version was the variety of movements and poses Tennant used to convey Hamlet’s emotions. Throughout the soliloquy we literally saw Tennant go through Hamlet’s ups and downs, the crouching and standing acting as a visual queue for his emotions. There was also a shift in the assertiveness of Tennant’s words as he faced to and away from the camera. Another thing I noticed was the closer Tennant was to the camera, the closer what he was saying was to the main point of the soliloquy. I liked the little touch at the end when he paused before delivering the final line before wiping tears from his eyes. For me it really highlighted how this entire ordeal had affected Hamlet. In the other versions, we never really got a good look at our protagonist sobbing. With Branagh we got some pure emotion, though we never got a good look at his face and the yelling made my ears hurt. Branagh was just a bit too dramatic for my taste, reason he was better as Professor Lockhart. I thought the Mel Gibson version was well done, though I felt it completely changed the mood of the scene by ending on an enraged “Frailty, thy name it woman!” I did like how both the Hawke version and the Gibson version showed us Hamlet reacting directly to Gertrude and Claudius. Olivier and Hawke were both too calm for my tastes; the emotions were either too weak or too infrequent. Considering these factors, I decided that kicked-puppy Hamlet (David Tennant) created the most effective version of the soliloquy.
My favorite was definitely Hawke. His voice held the emotion. Tired, sad, angry, quick. His pitch fluctuates; he’s whispering, sneering, cracking. You can sense the disgust in his voice and how his mind is racing. He sounds like he’s trying to bring the actual character of Hamlet across, not Shakespeare. It seems, to me, that the other four are letting the fact it’s a Shakespeare play override the fact they’re Hamlet. They’re trying to be too dramatic, while Hawke is focusing on the character and his emotions more than the “this is a big deal because it’s Shakespeare, you have to do it justice as an actor” aspect. It’s hard for me to explain, but I hope I got the point I’m trying to make across, haha.
ReplyDeleteOliver is too bland, and monotone. He sounds like he’s telling a story, not venting his feelings. Tennant is too dramatic, falling on the floor and pausing to sob. It breaks the rhythm of the lines, and just makes Hamlet seem more pathetic than angry. Gibson is so calm when delivering his line. Hamlet seems to come across as angrier to me, and he doesn’t fully flesh out the feelings, though he’s getting there. Branagh, I can’t even listen to it! He’s so whiny and ridiculous.
Kacie Q.
ReplyDeleteOut of the five clips, I found Branagh's to be the strongest. He managed to be the focus of the soliloquy, but still there was a lot to look out in the background, like the confetti and the white walls of the room. I also thought that the background was a good contrast to his own feelings. Throughout the soliloquy, it seems clear that Hamlet feels alone and separated from everyone else, and the contrast between him in his black mourning attire and the white walls are good visual indications of these feelings. I also liked how Branagh acted as if he was speaking to someone else in the room, like he was not alone. It made it seem more conversational, and more realistic. I didn't think the same affect was as well portrayed in the other clips. The Tennant clip had a dark backdrop, and I felt that Hamlet faded in with it too much and it didn't relay his feelings about his separation from everyone else very well. Also, I felt kind of uncomfortable when he was staring directly into the camera. It was unnerving. The Hawke clip shocked me due to the fact that it was in modern times. I didn't feel that the soliloquy translated well to modern times, due to the fact that it's in Old English. The fact that it was a voice over also made the clip weaker, because he wasn't as expressive with his face. The Gibson background didn't give viewers much to look at visually. It was a very bland backdrop, and I didn't feel that the actor was as expressive as the other actors. Finally comes the Oliver clip. While I thought that the fact that it was in black and white strengthened the point of the soliloquy, I didn't like how it was a voice over rather than him actually speaking, for the same reason as the Hawke clip.
Jordan W.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite live portrayal of Hamlet's soliloquy was when David Tenant performed it. He sat the tone at the very beginning by staring off breaking down on the floor. It just made sense because Hamlet was feeling ripped apart by the betrayal of his mother, death of his father, and an sliminess of his uncle. The emotion that Tenant forces through his words make it so that the listener and watcher can actually feel his voice and tone and deep depression. There is actually a visual of Hamlet's inner depression in Tenants version whereas I didn't feel it so heartfelt in the others. At points, however, it could get difficult to understand because of his rough brogue and muffled words. If it was shown live, the emotion and words would have come through.
Cara O.
ReplyDeleteThe video clip that was most effective in portraying the depth of Hamlet's first soliloquy was the one performed by Hawke. At first, I was confused because the setting was modern, and it didn't quite fit with the language, but the modern setting ended up adding to the soliloquy. I personally like the voice over technique because it allows the actor more freedom. The audience feels as if they are hearing the actual thoughts of the actor, and not being talked at. Soliloquies are slightly awkward because the character is alone talking to themselves. By making the speech a series of thought, a director can eliminate this awkwardness. There were so many different emotions in Hawke's voice that really helped represent Hamlet's conflicted feelings about his situation. He managed to make the emotion distinguishable without being overdramatic like some of the actors. The fact that the actor was watching old clips of what appeared to be his mother and father helped reflect Hamlet's attitude towards his father. It strengthened the understanding of their relationship. Hawke did not make any ridiculous facial expressions either. Everything about the scene was natural and believable. The first clip of Branagh was repulsive to me. He was overdramatic in his actions and tone. His pacing and twirling was distracting to me, and I found it difficult to focus on the words he was saying. At times he shouted which was startling, but not effective. I actually was slightly amused by his performance because it was a bit over the top in every aspect. Gibson's performance took second place in my mind. His expressions were thoughtful and believable, and were not distracting. His voice was realistic and matched the expressions on his face. What bothered me was the random scenes of the townspeople. I felt that the soliloquy is too dramatic to have the camera cut away and focus on something like that. Another clip I greatly disliked was Tennant's. There was too much sobbing and screeching to take the actor seriously. Tennant made Hamlet look pathetic and weak, and it was too overdone. The actor kept swinging back and forth from fury to deep sorrow which was confusing as well. What really deterred me was the breaking of the fourth wall. I lost all sense of drama when Tennant started staring at me. At a moment like that, it is not okay to break the fourth wall. You lose the atmosphere created by all other factors in the play. Oliver was similar to Hawke because they both used voice overs, but Oliver's was not as good. The actor's actions were the most realistic, there was no inappropriate twirling or pacing, just natural movement. The tone was almost monotonous though, and it lacked emotion. Therefore, I found the clip to be slightly boring, and that was the biggest reason it was not the most convincing to me.
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ReplyDeleteFirst of all, we have to get the setting right. right? On that basis we can disqualify Olivier, Gibson and Hawke from the competition. So let’s get our facts straight shall we. In Denmark, there lives a prince, his father dies and the mother waits three weeks and marries his brother. Stop there. Hamlet is a PRINCE. Since when did princes out-age their father; when did they start living in a messy cubicle, sitting in front of the computer during free time, and by ‘sblood why does that guy look like he was born in a monastery. And forgive me if I’m wrong but last time I checked people over 40 aren’t allowed (not cool) to write love letters. We could say similar things about Branagh but then it won’t be fun so. We don’t even need a preliminary round. Our finalists are Tennant and Branagh. If we ignore the fact that he’s too old for my tea cup, he speaks excellent well (i.e-nice rhythm, pace) and it’s too bad he’s not young, lest he might’ve earned gold. Can someone tell me why he keeps turning back? Tennant was good, he’s got all the exclamation points, but I think it was unnecessarily drawled. Maybe he gets silver? But in all honesty, I don’t like any of them.
DeleteI believe Lawrence Olivier was the most effective in conveying Hamlet’s soliloquy in act one scene two. All of the other films did excellent jobs with their own adaptations of the soliloquy but none were able to match the brilliance of Lawrence Olivier. Kenneth Branagh decided to deliver it the same way it would delivered on stage during a play. Bringing that aspect to film can be affective at times because it allows the actor more freedom in their movements, actions, and tone. But it can also over dramatize a seen which is good on stage but it’s just not meant to be seen on film at times. Kenneth uses his freedom well and has furious angered tone which is interesting but it overpowers Hamlet other feeling in the soliloquy which is depression. Mel Gibson does a good job of displaying this grief in his scene; his voice and facial expressions give a sad tone. Also it was a great choice to have him up in a tower alone (showing his loneliness) looking down at his mother and Claudius because in his mind they are below him in a moral scene (because they show no sorrow for his father’s death). But Mel Gibson didn’t perform the whole soliloquy which really just ruined it for me because it doesn’t allow viewers to see the full brilliance of Shakespeare’s writing. Ethan Hawke’s performance is one of the most interesting of them all mostly because of its more modern setting with the use of media. Also the director decides to have the soliloquy in a narrative which a great advantage film has over stage. The director uses the media to show Hamlets mourning by having videos of his father. Hawke’s tone was very depressing throughout the whole soliloquy unable to show the anger he had as well towards Claudius and his mother. Tennant gives a very powerful, dramatized performance very much like one you would see in a play almost like Branagh’s; Tennant even looks into the camera almost like a stage actor would look at the audience in order to communicate to them. This technique can be affect but in this case it makes viewers feel like they are with Hamlet which is not what the soliloquy is saying, the soliloquy talks about Hamlet’s loneliness. Olivier like Hawke’s version dos not talk but does a voice over in order to show this is what the character is thinking about. The way he delivers the soliloquy quiet, and numb (music also suggest this dreary tone) show his sorrow but he also says out loud with anger “yet within a month” showing the disgust he feels towards his mother. Other versions had trouble showing both the anger and grief Hamlet was feeling while Olivier conveys it perfectly.
ReplyDeleteOut of all five video clips of Hamlet's soliloquy, I believe the third video was my favorite, and top pick. The character comes off harsh and angry, straight off the bat, and it sets the tone for how the soliloquy should be interpreted as. Hawke's acting suited the role perfectly, and was he did a phenomenal job at taking on the part. When reading the text, I pictured Hamlet as if confused but sad, and weary, yet when Hawke delivers the soliloquy, the way his attitude stays constant and on point, made it extremely easy for me to understand the script even more. The second best soliloquy I enjoyed was the Branagh version. Although his character took on the role quite well, and there was much evidence in the background to add to the scene, it I didn't feel as if he delivered it to me like Hawke did. Hawke's age also fit the part well, and it was easier of me to wrap my hear around. Mel Gibson's version was powerful scene, but he seemed to lack meaning, and not appear as sad as Hawke. The fourth and fifth clip that I didn't find as strong was the Tennant version, and Oliver's version. I felt bored when watching it, and not as interested and intrigued as watching Hawke's.
ReplyDeleteOut of the five clips of the soliloquy from act1 scene 2, the best was the one played by David Tennant. This is because of how in this clip Tennant fleshed out emotions and he would use the movement from being on the ground ashamed and saddened by the wedding and his father's death but then he started to rise almost as goblin to show how he was becoming more and more angry with what was happening. Even though the soliloquy to the longest than any other clip it had the most energy put into it. The other clips especially the one that were longer than others really just droned on and on as if the actors would rather be anywhere else. These actors are acting mournful but none were acting as if something tragic was happening, they were acting as if they had just lost something like a game or did poorly on a test. Tennant was clearly in pain over what had been happening. With Tennant it was clear about what was going on with his words and his actions hence the word actor.
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