A Comparison Of Mel Gibson's To Be Or Not To Be

While both did their job of acting out the scene I believe Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 film does a much better job. Kenneth choose to act the scene in a very grand ballroom, which I think was appropriate due to the grandness of soliloquy itself. In the BBC version of the scene Hamlet is shown leaning against a pillar with such low-key lighting you can not tell what sort of room he is in. When Hamlet first enters the grand ballroom in the older movie he takes his time to begin speaking which is crucial between the transition between the last scene and the current scene. The length in speech gives the audience the chance to settle in for what they are about to hear. In David Tennant's version he quickly jumps into his speech not leaving much room for transition. The common audience does not understand every word of the Shakespearean language hamlet speaks and may lose interest while Hamlet continues to ramble on. The continued camera movement throughout Kenneth Branagh’s movies helps the audience to stay focussed on the movie even if they do not fully understand every word Hamlet speaks. During Gregory Doran’s movie, throughout the entire scene there are only two transitions and the camera never moves in either position. This adds to the viewer losing interest, not only are they bored by having nothing in the background to look at, due to the low-key lighting, they are bored by the complex English language Hamlet speaks and given only two transitions and no movements to maintain their interest. The first representation of the “To be or not to be” speech creates multiple plots to further add in maintaining the viewers interest. By placing the king and Polonius behind the two way mirror and having Hamlet walk to the exact mirror creates a sense of urgency that is non-existent in the BBC version. Having this extra story allows

In On the First Soliloquy Stanley Wells’ discusses how powerful Shakespeare wrote the play and character Hamlet. Wells’ starts out by discussing how every actor and even actresses enjoy performing the role of Hamlet. He states, “The performer has the opportunity to demonstrate a wide range of ability.” (Brinkley 985). The character Hamlet goes through many emotions throughout the play which is why there is such a “wide range of ability” and actor can show when playing the character. It is through the many soliloquies throughout the play that Hamlet releases his emotions. Wells’ claims that Shakespeare’s play’s use of soliloquies “is one of the most brilliant features”, but the challenge they propose is “How to let Hamlet reveal himself without

Death is a major theme in Hamlet and through Shakespeare’s astonishing words in his “To be, or not to be,” soliloquy; it is obvious that Hamlet is conveyed as a troubled character. He is unsure about death. “To be, or not to be, that is the question:” (line 1), proves that Hamlet is troubled because the use of a colon is a sign that he is not only answering his own question, but he is

To be, or not to be, is Shakespeare’s most famous soliloquy and arguable the most famous soliloquy ever written. The passage provides readers with an understanding of Hamlets personal fight with suicide. Here Hamlet weighs the positive and negative effects of committing suicide. Although Shakespeare inserted the passage to explain Hamlet’s thoughts it also has significance to the target audience of the Elizabethan/Jacobean Era. As through the passage Shakespeare discusses the controversial action of suicide. In the 17th Century society cared about the honour and respect of their family name. If one was to commit the sinful action of suicide they would be seen as dishonourable. Therefore suicide victims were not provided respectful burials and

Mel Gibson’s version of the “to be or not to be” soliloquy was the clear winner for me. I represented what I thought the actual scene would look like. Firstly, the setting of Gibson’s soliloquy was most fitting. Rather than atop a large rock, in a extravagant castle, or just in a Blockbuster, Gibson’s setting was in a dreary catacomb. The setting matched the emotions of the soliloquy, which was an important factor to establish the feelings that Shakespeare and Hamlet wished to portray. The setting was also important in displaying Hamlet’s comfort in committing suicide: he was where he would lay to rest regardless if he would kill himself then or die later. This painted the picture of Hamlet’s closeness to the line between life and death. Finally,

In 3:1:59-92, Hamlet delivers his “To be or not to be” soliloquy where he contemplates suicide and ponders in melancholy as he questions his identity and his place in society. David Tennant, in Gregory Doran’s 2009 film adaptation of Hamlet, portrays Hamlet’s soliloquy as a moment of bitterness, melancholy, and a lack of desire to live. In this scene, Doran places Tennant alone with no background movement or sound. Doran blurs the background and darkens it with the lack of lighting suggesting that the atmosphere is dark and moody. The camera zooms into Tennant’s face to draw attention to Tennant’s facial expressions.

As read in the play this is a soliloquy spoken by prince Hamlet trying to contemplate death and suicide because of the pain and unfairness in life. This soliloquy in the play is suppose to be dramatic when Hamlet is speaking to himself while Ophelia is over hearing it. Compared to the movie the “to be or not to be” scene is taken in a BlockBuster store. In the movie, Hamlet is walking around the store saying the soliloquy to himself softly. As you can see it wasn't as dramatic as it was expected it to

Branagh’s version was less self-reflective and more like he is talking to his hidden audience (Claudius and Polonius). There wasn’t much emotion to his soliloquy and it sounded much rehearsed instead of laid back. But he does

“To be or not to be— that is the question.” An exceptionally recognized phrase amid many centuries, cultures, places, and people. This short excerpt derives from the Shakespearean play, Hamlet: The Tragedy of the Prince of Denmark. Originally, this passage was displayed in one of the soliloquies of the play. Defined as “an act of speaking one's thoughts aloud when by oneself or regardless of any hearers, especially by a character in a play”, a soliloquy is crucial to furthering the plot and connecting the audience with the speaker. William Shakespeare reveals the true desires and intentions of Hamlet, the main character of Hamlet: The Tragedy of the Prince of Denmark, within the protagonist’s soliloquies. Even Hamlet, one of the most complex characters in literary history, can be simplified through the use of a soliloquy.

“To be or not to be,” that is the question that brit lit students all over the world are asked to analyze. In Hamlet by William Shakespeare, there is a timeless soliloquy in Act III scene I where Hamlet is contemplating if suicide is valid. It is very important to the show overall because it is the reader’s job to decide if Hamlet is being devious or if he really has gone crazy. Since this soliloquy is so popular there have been many interpretations done of it, and Ethan Hawke’s in particular stands out to me. The very famous “to be or not to be” speech asks if suicide is okay, lets the reader decide if Hamlet is crazy or not, and there have been many interpretations of it over the years.

In an interview Ethan Hawke (Hamlet in Hamlet 2000) stated “memorizing Shakespeare's dialogue for the first time, using the natural Iambic Pentameter. It works in a rhythm, and the rhythm perpetuates itself. It's easier than learning a volume of contemporary prose. Also, his ideas are very logical” making it sound as if memorizing his lines had been easy. Shakespeare is known for his rhythmic writing style. When Hamlet speaks it flows and sounds natural. Hawke also said “ the subtext of the characters is all right there in the writing. Everything they're thinking and feeling is presented to you” and you can see that in his acting. Hamlets offbeat manner and eccentrically passive style is what makes believable. The rest of the cast, however, seems to lack the ability to be as convincing.

What character traits of Hamlet are revealed through Shakespeare's use of descriptive imagery in this soliloquy?

The way that Shakespeare portrayed Hamlet’s soliloquy touches on a global issue of suicide. While Hamlet considers his suicidal thoughts it reveals inklings about his character. Hamlet’s soliloquy advances the tone of the play because of

The "To Be or Not To Be" speech in the play, "Hamlet," portrays Hamlet as a very confused man. He is very unsure of himself and his thoughts often waver between two extremes due to his relatively strange personality. In the monologue, he contemplates whether or not he should continue or end his own life. He also considers seeking revenge for his father’s death. Evidence of his uncertainty and over thinking is not only shown in this speech, but it also can be referenced in other important parts of the play.

Shakespeare's main character Hamlet is a victim of both internal and external conflict. His conflict includes a physical nature as he goes about to avenge his father's death. Shakespeare translates further the idea of internal versus external conflict by giving it a physical nature. Shakespeare also uses soliloquies to emphasise Hamlets inner thoughts and conflict. This stands in contrast to the way he acts amongst others; with the intention of highlighting the inner turmoil he is experiencing. The infamous quote, "To be or not to be: that is the question: whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer…." (Act III, scene i, 58-90). It is during this soliloquy that