Hamlet
has to be the only Shakespeare play that I have actually enjoyed reading.
Unlike his other plays, I was actually able to follow along and understand what
was happening, when usually I would have been lost. As Mrs. Watkins said “Shakespeare’s
plays were meant to be performed not read.” Watching the movie while we read, allowed
us to visualize the play in the way it was meant to be seen. This along with
discussing what we watched helped a lot. It personally helped me to appreciate
the story instead of spending hours carelessly reading words I couldn’t comprehend.
In the
movie, I liked the characters, but I felt as though Hamlet was a little too
emotional. Even in his soliloquies, he seemed to over dramatize everything and
would talk so fast that sometimes you couldn’t even tell what he was talking
about. I don’t know if that was Kenneth Branagh’s interpretation of Hamlet or
if he just really got into his acting. Either way, it kind of annoyed me and
had me laughing when he was trying to give a serious speech. However, I did
like this interpretation of the play.The story had twists that surprised me and kept me interested. The best scene was definitely the fencing match where everyone died. Throughout the whole movie, I couldn’t stand Claudius and couldn’t wait for Hamlet to finally kill him. I was really mad at the scene when Hamlet could have killed Claudius but he didn’t. From the beginning I couldn’t stand Claudius and for Hamlet to let him live drove me crazy. Not only did he allow his father’s murderer to live, but also doomed himself (along with everyone else). The only good thing that came from the waiting to kill Claudius is the death of Polonius, who was clueless and almost as bad as Claudius.
After watching Hamlet, I definitely appreciate Shakespeare’s ability to capture human characteristics. Though the characters of his play are placed in situations which we cannot relate to, they are given qualities that relate them to people in our lives. Through most of his plays I’ve read the story just wanting to get it over with, but in this story I can actually this. Overall, I liked Hamlet both the book and movie.
4 comments:
I agree with your statement that it was easier to comprehend and how all the characters chosen in the movie kind of fit the characters from the play EXCEPT Hamlet. He was too old and was too whinny. Even though that is how he is portrayed in the play I feel the acting in the movie wasn't done well. He was too dramatic and when he was dramatic his acting sucked. Sorry to be blunt but thats how I felt. I felt like laughing at alot of his soliloquies because they seemed over done.
Well although I think you had a better opinion on Hamlet I agree that watching it was good. "Carelessly reading words" is a perfect description of what my experience would have been without the movie. The only part I disagree with you is the fact that I did't think Hamlet was too emotional. Had we not had the movie that is how I would have imagined it happening.
I agree with you that Hamlet was always to emotional, and even acted like a baby sometimes. Also when he had his soliloquies he did talk really fast and it was hard to understand him. I bellieve that it is not just Kennneth Branagh's version. I think he is supposed to be portrayed as a little bit of a baby
Dan, I am (finally) grading your blogs and I am glad to hear that you enjoyed Shakespeare a little bit better. I hope that you will continue to like him in the future! (And I agree that the final scene is the best!)
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