Hamlet (III. i. 64-96)
To be or not to be – that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles
And, by opposing, end them. To die, to sleep –
No more – and by a sleep to say we end
The heartache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to – `tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wished. To die, to sleep –
To sleep, perchance to dream. Ay, there's the rub,
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come,
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There's the respect
That makes calamity of so long life.
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of th' unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscovered country from whose bourn
No traveler returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have,
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all,
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pitch and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry
And lose the name of action.
1) 1948 - The timeless performance by Laurence Olivier.
2) 2000 - Ethan Hawke's Hamlet drifts into a Blockbuster video. Notice which section he walks
through.
3) 1996 - Kenneth Brannah's Hamlet speaking a mirror image of himself (Note: Hamlet's Uncle Claudius and Polonius are hiding behind the glass).
4) 1990 - Mel Gibson's Hamlet - Notice the choice of location and the intensity of the performance.
2) 2000 - Ethan Hawke's Hamlet drifts into a Blockbuster video. Notice which section he walks
through.
3) 1996 - Kenneth Brannah's Hamlet speaking a mirror image of himself (Note: Hamlet's Uncle Claudius and Polonius are hiding behind the glass).
I think number four is the least effective, merely because they skip over too many details.
ReplyDeleteThe first one, on the other hand, conveys Hamlet's sense of foreboding the best. The spiral staircases in the shadows have a very film noir/German Expressionist/Burtonesque look about them. I like that.
DeletePersonally, out of all 4 of the clips shown, I thought the 3rd one by Kenneth Brannah was the most interesting, while the other hamlets were having internal dialogue with themselves, with the mirror in this version, it seemed as if he was arguing with another person. It was less of an internal struggle and more of hamlet trying to figure out why he's feeling this way and what he should do. It also keeps the impression of him being crazy which we see throughout the movie. with this performance, even the audience is unsure if he truly is acting crazy.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the one that is the most effective scene is the one from Mel Gibson. I feel that it shows the right amount of emotion for the scene and he actually looks like he is debating killing himself. The version from Kenith Branagh felt like Hamlet was giving more of a performance rather than actually debating taking his life, but the worst one is the version with Ethan Hawke. The worst thing about this version is the setting of the scene. I feel for a scene this dramatic the character should not be in a movie rental store. The setting makes the scene seem more like a comedy rather than an intense scene. -CJ
ReplyDeleteI think the fourth one with Mel Gibson is the most effective one due to how Hamlet speaks. For me, he uses pauses and changes the speed at which he talks incredibly effectively, adding more emotion into his words. His change of tone in his words really do seem to emphasize his meaning sends his feelings to the audience. In some of the other versions of the soliloquy, it kind of feels like the person is just reciting lines since they lack the emphasis of lines and emotion in the words that is present in Mel Gibsons. They all just say the words in a flat tone. For me, the least effective one the first one. Hamlet just kind of sits there and recites his lines and walks away. In most of the other versions, there was some additional part of the soliloquy that made it unique and special. I felt like this version was kind of general, there wasn't any extra element, like the background in the second one, or the situation in the third one (that he is looking in the mirror is perhaps sending the message that he is trying look deep into himself and ascertain his identity), or the tone of the fourth one.
ReplyDeletePersonally I like the setting the best in # 4 because it fits the context of the soliloquy the best- the theme of death is in the air. I dislike number 2 due to the fact that it just seemed too off the mark and not serious enough for the particular scene. I just couldn't see number 2 being the most proper way to portray this.
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ReplyDeleteI think that number 3 is the most effective because I liked the way Kenneth Brannah delivered the speech through his expressions and the tone of his voice. I also liked that the director included Polonius and King Claudius spying on Hamlet behind the mirror where Hamlet was performing his speech. I disliked number 2 because I didn't understand the place where Hamlet was reciting his speech. I also didn't feel any emotion from Ethan Hawke's performance.
DeleteI think that the most effective one is the third one with Kenneth Brannah talking to the mirror. I feel like it had more emotions shown than all the other ones because he was actually talking out loud to himself in the mirror. When he talked to himself in the mirror it had a bigger impact on the way the audience sees it. Also having King Claudius and Polonius watching him further emphasizes the fact that they think he is actually crazy. He does not mean for them to see him but us knowing that makes us wonder if he is or not.
ReplyDeleteI think that the least effective one is probably the remake because of the lack of emotion that the character shows.
I prefer the third one with Kenneth Brannah. I enjoyed his performance as well as the interpretation of Claudius and Polonius hiding behind the mirror. The Hamlet's conflict is portrayed as a performance to the two behind the mirror. Not only does the scene intensify Hamlet's character, it also conveys the sense of foreboding. I also enjoyed Mel Gibson's Hamlet because I thought portrayed Hamlet more realistically. However, although it may be more true to the original, I still prefer the third one for its creative interpretation.
ReplyDeleteI think Mel Gibson's rendition of the "To Be Or Not To Be" speech was most effective. Despite the fact that it wasn't done exactly or linearly like the other deliveries were, it was most effective in conveying the emotion of the scene. He paused in the right places, and, as an audience member, I could really feel his despair and exhaustion. It was clear that the idea of life after death gave him pause. And I could feel his anger at the right moments. Gibson's expressions and tone shifts also served to almost simplify the complicated language in na way that other actors could not. His delivery of the famous speech allows viewers to look past the complicated language and understand the piece better due to the emotion with which the speech was delivered.
ReplyDeleteI think that the least effective delivery of the speech was the Kenneth Brannah one. The shift in expression and tone was minimal. While he sounded thoughtful, he did not sound desperate or tired as you would expect someone to be when contemplating suicide. The mirrors conveyed the self analyzing thought process that Hamlet was going through, but the bright nature of the setting, in my opinion, took away from the serious and dark nature of the scene.
I think Mel Gibson’s performance of the speech held the most effective elements. Being in the family tomb makes it seem as if Hamlet is speaking directly to his father. If someone experiences any sort of depression, one usually stays closed off or reaches out to people they trust the most. In this case, Hamlet is both closed off from the outside by being in the tomb, yet he is also able to speak to his father as if he were still alive and listening to his woes. In addition, the camera pans from Hamlet to the open crypt part of the tomb as he says “the undiscover’d country from whose bourn no traveller returns”, which could mean that this undiscovered land is simply that of death or the underworld.
ReplyDeleteThe least effective performance for me was the Blockbuster one. There wasn’t much context behind why Hamlet would be depressed in the action movie isle except that there’s a lot of action around him, in the Blockbuster and at home. It was also a bit weird to see someone using Shakespearean English in the middle of a store I can still remember from my childhood. The delivery of the speech itself was good, but the choices for the surrounding environment didn’t let me take the whole thing seriously.
-Nabilah
I think the third clip, Kenneth Brannah's Hamlet, was most effective. The two-way mirror had an important effect in both parts of the scene. It was a creative way to have Claudius and Polonius spy on Hamlet, and having Hamlet staring into his own soul was equally as beneficial to the scene. The fact that both he and his eavesdroppers could both see and hear his soliloquy made the scene far more dramatic. It also made the performance more genuine when he pulled out his knife and pointed it at the mirror. This was ironic because he was attempting to point it at himself, but he was also pointing it at the King. The least effective clip, in my opinion, was the modern one that took place in Blockbuster. Maybe it was because we have not been viewing the full movie of that version, but I found it difficult to take seriously.
ReplyDeleteOut of the four movies that had the better ‘to be or not to be’ speech is the 1990 Hamlet. Mel Gibson does a great job of portraying how Hamlet would’ve felt and allowed his emotions to speak for themselves. The transition to when he thought about taking his own life and ending to realizing that he has to live up to his father’s wishes and devising a plan to get back at his uncle was very well thought- out and put-together and as viewers, we see the full capacity of how Hamlet would have expressed his emotions, especially since he is in a situation where his father was murdered by his uncle and now married to his mother. However, there was another version of the speech that I didn’t think was effective was the 2000 Hamlet. It had the lines and vibe of what the scene might’ve been portrayed but I wish the actor was doing something else rather than just walking through the action aisle section and looking at a played movie in the blockbuster store, such as looking meticulously through the action movies and moving back and forth. All I’m saying is that if the performance was stronger, then it could’ve conveyed more of how Hamlet was feeling through everything he is going through.
ReplyDeleteThe most effective speech in my opinion is the speech from video number 3. Compared to the others, this speech was very absorbing to the audience especially when they know that Polonius and Hamlet's uncle are listening on the other side of the mirror. It makes the audience ponder what Polonius and Claudius are thinking of Hamlet and his actions as of now. The next scene that I believe is the most effective is scene number 4. Primarily because the rest of the other scenes are boring and long, scene number 4 accomplished the goal of not boring the audience. I feel like the least effectives are 1 and 2 because they do not captivate the audience at all and are very long speeches.
ReplyDelete-Minh-Quan Bach
The least effective interpretation of the “To Be or Not to Be” was Kenneth Brannaughs interpretation. Kenneth Brannaughs addition of the king behind the mirror was interesting, and gave the characters more information which will add to how the audience views the characters and the plot. Although this is interesting, Kenneth Brannaugh doesn’t change up his delivery, which doesn’t aid the audience the audience in understanding the speech. Had he changed his volume or his emotional delivery it could have been easier to understand what he was saying. Another one that was less effective was Ethan Hawke's blockbuster interpretation. Although they added the action labels in the scenery which accented the action part of the speech, he also gave a slightly flat delivery without a lot of variety. The most effective version was Mel Gibson’s interpretation. He added variety both physically and verbally. Although he didn’t give the exact speech, his speech had clear emotions and having the scene take place in his father's crypt added interest.
ReplyDelete-Solace Lockheardt
I believe the most effective one was the the third one with Kenneth Brannah. I believe this is the most effective way of showing the scene because he is talking to himself in the mirror. I believe it shows the most emotions and we really see what is going on inside of his head. Claudius and Polonius see him talking to himself in the mirror furthering their beliefs that he is crazy without him knowing they were there.
ReplyDeleteThe 3rd one with Kenneth Brannah was my favorite because of how the scene was staged with Hamlet on one side of the mirror and the king on the other side silently listening. This added a new meaning a new meaning to the scene as they know knew what he was thinking and wouldn't be fooled as easily by his craziness. The speech by itself was ver powerful and is a decision point for hamlet on what he should do as he contemplates his course of action.
ReplyDeleteI think that the most effective piece was the third video featuring Kenneth Brannah. In this scene he is standing in front of a mirror giving this speech on suicide, "To be or not to be" which means to live or not. It is unclear who is is talking to during this scene, is he talking to himself? Or is he talking to the King and Polonius that were behind the mirror he is looking at? This adds a sort of mystery to this scene, and makes the audience think about this speech. It also is different from other scenes and the play, because in the play he is speaking to only himself.
ReplyDeleteBryant
I think Kenneth Brannah's soliloquy was very powerful as it reflects the dark, creepiness of the speech. Also the staging shows his uncle watching him as he recites it in the mirror, which correlates his uncle trying to spy on him, as hamlet thinks he is the only one in the room but actually his uncle is watching him. He also ends with him pointing the dagger at the mirror, it points at both him and his uncle. I think the rendition by Laurence Olivier is lame, it is very bland and dry, they tried to show it as Hamlet laying on the edge of a cliff thinking about ending his life but I think that kind of takes away a lot of the emotion of the piece as there is nothing that makes him look visibly distressed.
ReplyDelete-Aidan Foley
ReplyDeleteI think that the Kenneth Branagh performance of Hamlets speech is the most effective. First, this is because the scenery and camera work is very well done. Also the acting is absolutely amazing, as he speaks you can feel his emotion as if he is the real Hamlet which i think the other versions failed to capture. His speech and well as his movement is very captivating and when he pulls out his bare bodkin the viewer is instantly glued to the screen. Other than the elements of film, the idea to put Polonius and the king behind the mirror is genius, Hamlet is essentially speaking to them about his problems. They're reaction adds both a sense of intensity to the scene and a little bit of comedy. I think the least efficient performance of the speech is Ethan Hawkes, after watching i didn't fully understand it. It was odd and off putting to me how he is in present day in a blockbuster store but speaking like hes from the medieval times. - Troy Kennedy
ReplyDeleteI think Kenneth Brannah’s performance of the “To be or not to be speech” was the most effective. I think this because they had Claudius and polonius behind a mirror listening to him. Also I like at the end how Hamlet points the dagger at Claudius through the mirror.
ReplyDeleteChristine R