Hamlet confronts Queen Gertrude:
Hamlet and Ophelia:
Mel Gibson (1990)
Kenneth Branagh (1996)
Andrew Scott (BBC)
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Due Wednesday, October 16th - Hamlet Comparison Activity - Your Turn!
Overview and Directions: We engaged in an activity where we analyzed the characterization, blocking, and tone of scenes from Romeo and Juliet. I would like you to do the same with the following scenes from Hamlet.
Hamlet confronts Queen Gertrude:
Hamlet confronts Queen Gertrude:
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The Confrontation Scene
ReplyDeleteDuring the scene where Hamlet confronts his mother, the Kennith Branagh version seems kind of like all of his other line deliveries, he just seems really angry, but he doesn't seem like his character is really developing because in the beginning of the movie he was upset and now it seems he is just still upset. In the Mel Gibson version he actually seems like he’s going crazy. In the beginning of that movie, Mel Gibson's Hamlet seems upset but also sad, and when he confronts his mother, he seems crazy. He gets slapped by his mom and he then lets out a phycotic scream and it just shows that his character is changing and going crazy. Also comparing the BBC Hamlet there just seems like there is more emotion than Kennith Branagh version, but I still like Mel Gibson’s version the best.
Hamlet and Ophelia Scene
With the Mel Gibson version it does not seem as interesting as the Kennith Branagh version. In Branagh’s performance it seems like he’s going crazy, he throws Ophelia around looking like a madman. It actually seems like he’s going insane and looks truly hurt that Ophelia has “snitched” on him to the king. Also the staging is better in the Branagh version. In Mel Gibson’s version he seems upset but there is not much feeling. The BBC version, Hamlet just seems very sad there is no anger in him which I feel is not as entertaining to watch as the other performances.
-CJ
These scenes show Hamlet's frustration very convincingly. Kenneth Brannagh just reads the lines without really expressing any particular emotions, unlike Andrew Scott and Mel Gibson. Even between the latter two, Andrew Scott is the most off-his-rocker Hamlet.
ReplyDeleteClass is nearly over. I will say more later.
DeleteIn both of these scenes, the scores are the same.
Delete1st place: Andrew Scott. He plays a very agitated and out-of-control Hamlet.
2nd place: Mel Gibson. He makes Hamlet look slightly laid back, but cross nonetheless.
3rd place: Kenneth Brannagh. He's just reading the lines without displaying any emotion whatsoever. The staging, on the other hand, is very good in all of these.
Hamlet confronts Queen Gertrude 一
ReplyDeleteHamlet (1996): When Hamlet enters the room, it starts off as a conversation between him and his mother where Hamlet is trying to act very wisely. The conversation then escalates to an argument where Hamlet has to hold down Queen Gertrude to the chair with his hands. When Gertrude screams for help and Polonius screams too, Hamlet stabs the curtain multiple times. Believing it is the King, Hamlet acts as if though he has accomplished greatness but after uncovering Polonius, he is just disappointed. Not even mad at himself for killing an innocent man, but just disappointed it wasn’t his father.
Hamlet (1990): When Hamlet confronts the Queen, it is as if he as the intent of true violence. He is very aggressive straight from the get go using his sword to move his mother where he wants her to be. When she screams “What will thoust’ do murder me?” and “Help!” it is as if she actually meant it and she feared for her life. Hamlet then hears Polonius behind the curtain and stabs him. When he realizes it is Polonius he is very mad but because of the fact that he killed the wrong man. He does not feel guilty for killing someone, he feels as if though Polonius dying is his own fault for being there. Lastly, the way Queen Gertrude looks at him after the incident is as if she can no longer see her son in that body.
Hamlet (BBC): When Hamlet confronts Queen Gertrude, he does it by throwing her to a chair and then pointing his gun at her. Queen Gertrude screams for help and Polonius moves behind the curtain in which Hamlet shoots the curtain. When Hamlet realizes that it is Polonius, he is mad that he has killed the wrong man but does not care that he killed someone in general. He quickly moves on forgetting about killing Polonius to his obsession with his mother marrying King Claudius.
Hamlet and Ophelia ─
Hamlet (1996): The scene starts off very calmly and soft where Hamlet and Ophelia meet with each other and talk. Everything seems normal until Ophelia tells Hamlet she cannot give him any love back. At this point Hamlet’s rage starts to rise and he is furious with Ophelia and why she can’t love him back. Hamlet comes to the conclusion that Polonius is behind the reason why Ophelia does not love Hamlet and the next few scenes we see Hamlet enraged searching for Polonius. It is as if he has lost his mind.
Hamlet (1990): When Hamlet enters and talks to Ophelia, it is a very normal setting. Nothing is out of the ordinary until Ophelia returns a necklace that Hamlet once gave her. When this happened Hamlet is confused, and mad. His face says it all, the question of “Why?”. He later realizes that this was all because of Polonius and when he does, he runs away.
Hamlet (BBC): This scene starts off with both Ophelia and Hamlet already crying creating a sad atmosphere. In addition this scene is none like the others. Hamlet is screaming angrily in the others and mad but in this scene, they are not yelling at all. Just expressing their “true” feelings in a normal conversation.
In Kenneth Branagh's scene with Gertrude, It had a lot of emotion and showed a lot of expression in both the character's faces. Branagh was angry at his mother but I believe he overdid the acting by the way he grabbed Gertrude and was hurting her as well as the screaming throughout the scene. I liked the tone of Gertrude because you could tell that she was very upset at Hamlet and worried about him. In Mel Gibson's scene, I liked the tone, and the expressions of him and Gertrude. Gibson showed his anger but still was gentle. Gertrude also was upset yet gentle. You could see the respect that Hamlet had for his mother in this scene better than the Branagh's one. In the Scott's scene, I liked the acting and the tone of him and Gertrude as well. In this scene, you could see that they both were upset yet cared for each other as well. Gertrude had the most sympathy in this scene than the others. She was worried about Hamlet and the way she held him and spoke to him expressed that.
ReplyDeleteIn the Branagh's scene with Ophelia, you see a lot of emotion between the two characters as well. Hamlet was angry at Ophelia and had a lot of changes in his tone. In Mel Gibson's scene with Ophelia, I liked the emotion and the expression between the two characters. I did not really think that Ophelia showed much expression. I felt a better connection with Branagh and Ophelia. In the Scott's scene, I there was no anger from Hamlet to Ophelia. No change in tone. The scene with Branagh was the best act out of all three actors.
In terms of the Branagh scene of Hamlet confronting Gertrude, Hamlet seems to be just shouting out his lines the entire time. Therefore we the readers can get only one kind of tone from that particular scene. That tone seems to be a very negative one on Hamlet’s behalf. Andrew Scott seems to get fairly violent towards his mother in the BBC scene. So there was a violent facet to it, but I like how he pouts his mother’s hand in the fake hand of the ghost (His father.) That is something that the others did not do. The Mel Gibson one overall has a more peaceful tone to it overall.
ReplyDeleteHamlet treats Ophelia pretty harshly in the Branagh depiction of the scene. It could be that he just delivered to be or not to be, and his father witnessed the whole thing, or it may be something else. In the Mel Gibson interpretation, the interaction seems to be going on a conversation until Hamlet pushed Ophelie towards the wall making the interaction physically more violent and once thereafter starting to shout. So far there are obvious connections between the two impressions of the Hamlet-Ophelia scenes I have mentioned. Then we get to the BBC one, and that's the one that feels to be more genuine in terms of Hamlet actually having loved Ophelia. There is limited violence in this one compared to the others and overall this doing of the scene presents a very genuine tone overall.
Hamlet and Gertrude
ReplyDeleteIn the Brannagh version of this scene, there is very little tone shift, with Hamlet’s main emotion being static anger at his mother. Even when Polonius dies, he shows no remorse and continues to yell at Gertrude. He does, however, still seem in control, unrattled by the events that occurred, and singularly focused on his anger at his mother. The lines are simply shouted, with little emotion behind them. This is very much unlike the Mel Gibson scene, where there is plenty of tone shift and emotion. He begins the scene by yelling at his mother, but there is sadness and grief present as Gibson threatens Gertrude. When Hamlet kills Polonius by accident, it seems as if he is genuinely upset and sorry for his actions. His seems to be gone and his next line is said almost cautiously. Andrew Scott’s depiction of this scene also has a lot of emotion and tone shift, with an added air of real madness, and more physicality than either the Branagh or the Gibson scenes. He seems like he is actually going to kill Gertrude, and speaks as if he is losing his mind.
Hamlet and Ophelia
In this scene, Branagh seems to show more emotion. In the beginning he seems affectionate towards Ophelia and pleased to see her. As she tries to return the letters though, his anger grows. He seems more volatile and upset, as if her return of the letters puts him over the edge. In the Gibson version, there is a notable difference in both tone and interpretation. The scene begins with Hamlet ignoring Ophelia and feigning disinterest. In turn, this version of Ophelia seems to be less meek, and more assertive. Hamlet is also less physical in this version, seemingly more upset and heartbroken than actually angry at her. The Andrew Scott version makes Hamlet seems more sad and withdrawn than anything else. He looks like he is disappointed and sad that Ophelia is returning the letters. Ophelia in this version is also different, as she seems sad, but not scared or meek as the other two versions.
Queen Gertrude:
ReplyDeleteAll three Hamlet reacted very differently in this situation. Each of their unique characterization was especially highlighted immediately after the murder of Polonius. Firstly, the one with Kenneth Branagh kinda made Hamlet a real jerk. His murder of Polonius was almost like an aside scene. He just kills Polonius and then goes back and keeps on yelling at his mother. In addition, he uses a very aggressive tone towards his mother, making it seem like the entire situation was her fault. The BBC one seemed to be the complete opposite. This Hamlet was very sad and clearly regretted his hasty action of killing Polonius. After the murder, he seemed to be very distraught, almost on the brink of tears, and is practically begging Queen Gertrude to help him. The tone of Hamlet after the murder felt like he was starting to sink into depression. Finally, the one with Mel Gibson seems to be the middle ground between the BBC adaptation and the Kenneth Branagh adaptation. Here, Hamlet does seem to be slightly disturbed by his actions, but doesn’t seem to be as emotional as the BBC adaptation. At the same time, it is obviously no where near as crazy as Kenneth Branagh who literally doesn’t stop screaming and shouting.
Ophelia:
Again, in this scene, we could see three completely different adaptations of Hamlet, each showing very different characters. The BBC adaptation seemed to be very sad, like the Hamlet is still heartbroken from their short-lived relationship. He obviously did not want to be seeing Ophelia at that moment. Yet, in something of a polite fashion, he seems to be genuinely trying to give her good advice when he tells her to go to a nunnery. In the other two adaptations, the Hamlet seemed to be using that as an insult. In the Kenneth Branagh adaptation, there certainly seems to be some sort of love connection that lives on between them, despite their sudden break up. Then, of course, Kenneth Branagh resorts back to yelling after he realizes that Polonius may be listening to their conversation. Finally, in the Mel Gibson adaptation, Hamlet acts cold and distant to Ophelia. He doesn’t seem to be showing even a trace of affection for her suggesting that there wasn’t much deep love between them.
Hamlet confronts Queen Gertrude -
ReplyDeleteIn the 1996 version of Hamlet with Kenneth Branagh, the scene begins with a conversation between Hamlet and his mother. Witty remarks are exchanged before Hamlet’s aggression escalates. Forcefully, Hamlet sits her mother down. He begins to hold her in place while his mother struggles. His mother’s “Thou wilt not murder me?” doesn’t sound as serious as the text makes it out to be. Following her shouts for help, Hamlet stabs the curtain multiple times, killing Polonius. Upon realizing his mistake, Branagh does not show guilt. Although his aggression is better shown in this version, Hamlet did not have any intent of choking or strangling his mother. This differs greatly from the 1990 version of Hamlet with Mel Gibson. In that interpretation, Hamlet holds her mother at sword point throughout the scene. At one point, he even pushes her back with sword. This distinction also reflects the difference in tone. Hamlet intends to kill unlike the 1996 Hamlet and as a result, his mother portrays fear better. There is less aggression and more anger in my opinion. The scene where Hamlet realizes that it was Polonius is more emotional. Mel Gibson is more regretful and guilty. In the BBC version, the scene is a mix of the other two adaptations. Hamlet forces her mother to sit like in the 1996 Hamlet and points a gun a her, prompting her mother to scream for help. The BBC’s Hamlet incorporates aspects from both versions.
Hamlet and Ophelia
The scene begins with Hamlet approaching Ophelia. Differences between the interpretations can be seen immediately. The tone of 1996’s Hamlet is more emotional. Kenneth Branagh portrays Hamlet as having an infatuation with Ophelia. 1990’s Hamlet begins like a normal conversation, unexaggerated. Once Ophelia returns the necklace, Hamlet is angry in confused. Similar to the other scene, the 1996 version has a more aggressive Hamlet while the 1990 version reflects the aggression through the tone of Hamlet’s voice. In BBC’s interpretation of the scene, Hamlet is less angry and more saddened by Ophelia’s decision. It does not portray Hamlet’s madness as well as the others but the performance was done as if it were a real conversation.
Hamlet confronts Queen Gertrude:
ReplyDeleteIn all three versions, Hamlet is incredibly violent and angry. I think the main difference, especially between the Branagh and Gibson versions, is the way Hamlet acts relative to how he acts for the rest of the film. In the Kenneth Branagh version, Hamlet constantly shouts his line so when he does this in the scene where he confronts Queen Gertrude, there is not much of a change in tone. In the Mel Gibson version, however, we see a far more violent side of Hamlet. The BBC version also shows a very angry Hamlet. The three Hamlets react very differently to the accidental murder of Polonius. Kenneth Branagh shows absolutely no remorse and continues to shout at his mother. On the other hand, the BBC Hamlet appears to be incredibly guilty. The Mel Gibson Hamlet is a bot of a mix between the two; he continues his range but also seems somewhat remorseful.
Hamlet and Ophelia:
The Branagh version of this scene is not surprising. Hamlet shouts aggressively at Ophelia just as he does with most of his lines. He acts as if he is mad and shows very little compassion towards Ophelia. In the Mel Gibson version, Hamlet is still clearly upset and angered. This is more conversational and less aggressive, for Hamlet is heartbroken. The BBC version shows Hamlet to be the most upset and genuine about his love for Ophelia. In this situation, he almost victimizes himself more so than when he is visibly enraged.
Hamlet Confronts Gertrude
ReplyDeleteAlthough all three scenes have to same lines, the way they are presented to the audience is very different. In the Kenneth Branagh scene, Hamlet seems to be aggressive in the beginning but then starts to become more understanding with his mother as the ghost of his father appears and tells him to not go off track from what he’s supposed to do. We see how gentle he starts to get with his mother whereas in the BBC version, that version of Hamlet is very aggressive to the point where it looks like that Hamlet is gonna kill his mother and when he does encounter the ghost, he expresses that he’s really emotionally hurt by his mother’s actions and the “sin” she has committed by sleeping with Hamlet’s uncle after her husband’s death. Also, I wanted to mention how in the Mel Gibson reenactment, when Hamlet stabs his lover’s father Polonius, he automatically feels great remorse towards him and even respects the dead body by closing Polonius’ eyes whereas in the other two versions, they don’t seem to care so much about Polonius’ body and tossle it around like a dead animal. This is why I think I like the Mel gibson version better because it shows the various emotions being played out by Mel Gibson’s character rather than him being an actual lunatic and just shouting angrily for the majority of his lines.
Hamlet and Ophelia
When it comes to these three scenes, it’s interesting to see how different yet similar they are; of course the plot of each scene is the same but I liked how each director was able to put it into their own twist on it. I found a lot of similarities when it came to the Barnagh and Gibson film, but when looking into the BBC one, it was different from those other two films. For example, when Ophelia is interacting with Hamlet in the Gibson and Branagh version, we see the effects really showing through the actresses performances and that even when Hamlet storms off, the Ophelias are able to keep their composure, making them stronger in their characters by showing the audience that they aren’t the stereotypical damsel-in-distress. But in the BBC one, we see the extent of how Ophelia is vulnerable when she’s around Hamlet by crying in front of him. Also, another thing is that in each version from the BBC version to Branagh's version, the intensity of how Hamlet treats Ophelia increase. In the BBC one, Hamlet is more composed and didn’t touch her to get anything out of her because of what she showed on the outside, Hamlet was able to desifre what Ophelia was doing to him, even if they weren’t for the bad intentions. In the Gibson version, Hamlet had addressed Ophelia in an unpleasant manner once he noticed the shadow of his uncle hidden within the castle walls by grabbing her face and scolding her that she should go be a nun and not commit horrible acts like his mother did. And as for the barnagh one, it went from romantic to abusive, where Hamlet was physically dragging Ophelia in finding her father and his uncle spying on him. Throughout these three different interactions, we see how people interpreted Shakespeare’s work, whether their assumptions were true or not. Also, somethingI might like to add is that in the Gibson version compared to the other two movies, Ophelia uses a necklace than the love letters to symbolize her love with Hamlet.
Hamlet confronts Queen Gertrude::
ReplyDeleteThe Branagh version of this scene has Hamlet running all over the place and is much more forceful and less thoughtful in his actions. He attacks his mother and pushes her around while yelling at her. This is contrasted with the Mel Gibson version where he is more thoughtful and regretful that it has come to this point. He also seems more regretful for killing Polonius but they both soon forget about him and move back to tormenting Gertrude. The BBC version is also more dramatic and emotional with dramatic pauses to increase the effect of some lines.
Hamlet and Ophelia:
This scene was portrayed in similar manners to the above scene for all the versions. In the BBC one, the actors really give the lines more meaning by saying the lines in certain ways. For example, when Hamlet asks where her father is the question seems out of place and aggressive and her answer is very timid and leads him to believe that they are nearby listening. The Branagh version is very harsh and crude like the other one but this scene is a little more emotional than the Gertrude one but he still just resorts to yelling at Ophelia. Mel Gibson’s facial expressions really help his version by portraying more than just the lines can and this shows how they interpreted the play.
Hamlet confronts Queen Gertrude:
ReplyDeleteIn all three adaptations that we watched the scene between Hamlet and the Queen and then Hamlet killing Polonius, the actors are all very angry, shown through their tone. They are all very loud and are yelling most of their lines. The Branagh Hamlet specifically yells all of his and just seems to be shouting at the Queen with no real emotion. The Mel Gibson Hamlet is more passionate in acting his lines, however, he also is screaming at the Queen the majority of the time, but you can tell he cares more than the Branagh Hamlet. Lastly, the BBC Hamlet is the most emotional out of all three of them. You can tell he truly cares and is not just yelling at her but he is having a conversation with her. This does not make him less angry but just also shows how hard the events have hurt him.
Hamlet and Ophelia:
Just like the last scene talked about, when Hamlet is talking to Ophelia he is also just screaming his lines. In this one, he does show a little more emotion to show his true love for Ophelia but he also turns more to violence. The Mel Gibson Hamlet when talking to Ophelia is very heart broken, shown by his softer tone and less violent/aggressive behavior. The BBC Hamlet still seems to be the most emotional out of all them. He seems to care the most for Ophelia and it makes the audience see him as more of a victim.
In the scene in which Hamlet confronts his mother, the actors and director choose different tones and blocking which change the audiences interpretation of the scene. Kenneth Brannaugh as usual, chooses a louder tone, and begins angrily. He enters speaking loudly, which quickly becomes yelling, and there is not much change in tone. In Branagh's version the mother is also angry, and yells at her son, as he yells at her. At the start of the conversation, it is blocked so that the mother holds a chair as a kind of shield between her and her son. This shows that though the mother may appear angry, she may be scared of her son, especially as he has become increasingly more mad over the past few weeks. In Mel Gibson's version the mother is upset at the beginning, and is speaking quietly but angrily to Hamlet. Hamlet begins with a slightly mocking tone, acting as though he doesn’t know what his mother is upset about. He does not become upset until the line “your husbands brothers wife”, at which point his mother straight up slaps him. This Gertrude does not fear her son. In Andrew Scotts version, Hamlet pretends to be somewhat friendly towards his mother. Although his mother starts off upset, she acts confused when she asks Hamlet “have you forgot me?”. In the beginning of the scene they speak from across the room. Then Hamlet charges Gertrude and threatens to shoot her. Upon hearing Polonius he shoots Polonius multiple times. By this point he is very visibly upset, but not as angry as Brannaugh, he is upset in a sad and angry way. In Kenneth Brannaughs version he also charges his mother and forces her to sit down, but instead of threatening her with a gun, he tries to choke her with her own hair. He is still yelling. When he hears Polonius, he rushes toward the curtains and stabs him repeatedly while hugging the curtain. . In Mel Gibson’s version after being slapped, he roar/screams with his back to the camera, and his mother is frightened, realising how many of his marbles have been lost. Gibson does not touch his mother, but threatens her with a sword into sitting down, and keeps his voice angry but quiet. When Gibson kills Polonius, he does it with a dramatic flair that seems as though he is making a joke out of the action. He does not seem angry or concerned. In Branagh's version, after killing Polonius, he stops acting toward his mother for a minute while they talk over Polonius’s body. He then becomes even angrier than he was before and throws his mother across the room while yelling. In Mel Gibson's version, Hamlet does not seem to care at all that he has killed Polonius, and instead continues to yell at his mother. His mother is very concerned that polonius is dead and keeps her distance from Hamlet, using the bed as a shield. In Andrew Scotts version, Hamlet seems still not very upset about killing polonius, but still very upset at his mother. He is not as angry as the other versions, but still very upset.
ReplyDeleteFor the first half of Hamlet's confrontation of Ophelia, he seems to be trying to avoid her. He walks past her, and seems sad while talking to her. Then he sees Polonius's shadow, and he gets upset and accuses her of being dishonest. Ophelia acts guilty at first and avoids eye contact with Hamlet until he says he never loved her, at which point she corrects him and says how great their relationship was, and how beautiful his words to her were. When Ophelia lies to him about where her father was he begins yelling to the balcony where he knows he is, and circling Ophelia, yelling loud enough for her father to hear. He grabs her face and shouts angrily He then pushes her into a wall. He ends by running up the stairs, near tears, yelling at the balcony, and throws ophelia's necklace back at her. In Kenneth Brannaughs version he begins by hugging and kissing Ophelia, speaking softly and fondly reminiscing about their relationship, until he hears Polonius. He then begins shouting. He drags her around to all the mirrors while yelling at her. He then presses her against the mirror the king and polonius are behind while seeming teary and upset.
Delete-Solace L
Hamlet confronts Queen Gertrude:
ReplyDeleteIn Branagh's depiction of this scene it is the most frantic due to the chaotic grabbing and screaming coming from Hamlet and Gertrude. Compared to the other scenes Branagh has the most psychotic representation of hamlet. It adds to the chaos when he grabs Poloniou's and squeezes him before stabbing him multiple times. He seems to feel almost no regret after doing this. In Mel Gibson's version of the scene, he seems calm and collected at the beginning of the scene. When he eventually kills Polonious he only stabs him once before letting him have a slow death. Compared to the other scenes he seems Gibson seems to have the most regret for what hes done and appears to feel sorry for accidentally killing Polonious. Finally in the BBC depiction it is obviously much more modern. Besides this this scene appears to me as the most tense interaction from the gun being pointed right at Gertrudes head and heart. It is also frantic like similar to the Branagh scene because of the grabbing and throwing around of Gertrude.
Hamlet and Ophelia:
In the Branagh version of Hamlet this scene seems to be extremely dramatic. A conversation between Hamlet and Ophelia about heartbreak turns into a chaotic scene which Hamlet drags Ophelia all over the place. Branagh screams a lot in this scene giving Hamlet a more psychotic character than Branagh has already depicted. In the Mel Gibson version Hamlet and Ophelia seem to be very affectionate and calm when the scene begins. This gradually turns into Hamlet screaming and grabbing Ophelia but is not quite as aggressive as the Branagh scene. Mel Gibson seems to focus on more emotion rather than Branagh who trys to get his point across by screaming most lines. Finally in the BBC depiction this scene is the most calm out of three. Hamlet doesn't have nearly as much fluctuation in tone between his lines as Branagh and Gibson. This BBC scene has the most heartfelt and sad feel rather than the frantic feel of the other two scenes. - Troy Kennedy
Hamlet confronts Queen Gertrude:
ReplyDeleteIn the Kenneth Branagh version it shows Hamlet to be more less insane, and instead more like he is reciting the lines. I personally like the Mel Gibson version the most because Gibson seems like he is truly insane. For example at the part after he has killed Polonious, in the Branagh version he does not seem disturbed by the fact that he just killed someone. In contrast in the Gibson one he seems sad when he kills him, and that he actually cares about him and is not going crazy. In the BBC version it seems that Hamlet is more dramatic and he seems genuinely crazy.
Hamlet and Ophelia:
The acting in these scenes are similar to the ones above. In the brannagh one he seems to be really mad at Ophelia and angry, and shows little compassion for her. He seems to be really mad and not feel bad at all. In the Mel Gibson one he seems to not be as mad, and he feels bad for her and wants to make things right. In the BBC version, there was a lot of emotion but it was not frantic and did not seem to be well acted.
-Bryant
The Confrontation Scene:
ReplyDeleteIn Branagh’s version of this scene, Hamlet is seen as more rowdy and pays less attention to his actions. In this scene he starts throwing his mother around while he yells at her. In the Mel Gibson version of the play he seems to regret what he is doing and he seems to feel bad about his actions. Mel Gibson seems to just have a more sympathetic character than the Branagh Hamlet. He shows more emotion when accidentally killing Polonius whereas Branagh simply blames Polonius for eavesdropping behind the curtains.
Hamlet and Ophelia:
In this scene the Hamlet in the BBC version shows a different kind of emotion and gives the audience a better understanding of what's going on just by the use of his tone and pauses used throughout his dialogue. When he asks Ophelia where her father is you can sense the anger and aggression in his tone as well as his actions. The Branagh interpretation of the scene shows us a similar tone with more emotions as does the scene with Mel Gibson except he adds more emphasis with his emotional facial expressions.
In the scenes of Hamlet confronting Queen Gertrude each performance is a little different. In Kenneth Branaugh’s adaptation he seems a lot more angry and upset rather than insane. He is just screaming at his mother and telling her what she did was wrong and what she should do. In the BBC performance it feels very different because its more modern, and Hamlet is threatening her with a gun rather than a sword. And his Hamlet seems very insane and when the ghost comes it seems like Hamlet is imagining things.
ReplyDeleteIn the scene with Hamlet talking to Ophelia when she is returning his letters I felt the Mel Gibson and Kenneth Branaugh adaptation were a lot more angry and more physical to Ophelia. In those two movies they grab her face and throw her around while screaming at her. In the Kenneth Branaugh one he dragged her around, but he seemed more upset rather than angry. In the Mel Gibson one he seemed mostly mad at her. In the BBC one he never gets physical he just seems a lot more sad and upset.
Christine