A Comparison of Olivier and Branagh's Adaptations of Henry V Essays

The purpose of this report is to compare and contrast two movies made about Hamlet. I will present and discuss different aspects of the version directed by Kenneth Branagh to that of Franco Zefirelli. During this paper you will be presented with my opinions in reference to determining which version of Hamlet best reflects the original text by Shakespeare. I will end this paper with my belief and explanation of which movie is true to the original play.

Henry V is a historical play written by William Shakespeare, telling the tale of a battle between England and France. Two Archbishops inform King Henry, that his bloodline has a right to the throne of France. If he were to wage war, he would defeat them in any battle. While the story plays out, the audience is introduced to Princess Katherine of France There are multiple times throughout this play, were the main themes of marriage, gender, and warfare emerges and encompasses Katherine as a main contributor. Despite her two scene existence in the play, she becomes a major player in all three themes.

To play one of Shakespeare’s most complex roles successfully on stage or on screen has been the aspiration of many actors. William Shakespeare’s Hamlet has been the focus on various accounts throughout the 20th Century, each actor attempting to bring something unique and unmarked to the focal character. Franco Zeffirelli and Kenneth Branagh, both film directors, introduce varying levels of success on the screen through downright differences in ways of translation and original ideas. Zeffirelli’s much shorter interpretation of the film is able to convey the importance of Hamlet as a masterwork by using modern approaches to film but still capturing the traditional work behind Shakespeare’s well-known play.

Hamlet, a tragedy by William Shakespeare shows a lot of adaptations to movies. Hamlet by Mel Gibson (1990) and Kenneth Branagh (1996) interpret and portray the play by Shakespeare in different ways. The two film versions of Act IV of Hamlet have many differences and similarities. Kenneth Branagh’s version of Hamlet is seen covering most of the original text of Shakespeare’s play of Hamlet unlike the Mel Gibson version which omits many scenes and dialogues. The film version of Hamlet featuring Kenneth Branagh is a more successful production of Shakespeare’s play of Act IV according to its setting, editing choices and character portrayal.

n Shakespeare's King Henry V, King Henry prepares his troops for battle with a passionate speech about fighting, honor, and kinship. Henry uses strong ethos and pathos to persuade his men to fight the French, though they are outnumbered in the battle. Henry notes that his troops feel unprepared and overwhelmed for battle. This speech marks the moment where the boy Hal transforms into King Henry. For the first time, Henry takes on the role of a valiant king and takes control of the situation. He seizes the moment to prepare them and inspire them. Henry hopes by making an effective speech his men will understand why they need to fight.

In Henry IV Part 1, although Falstaff and King Henry act as father figures in Hal’s life and are both intelligent in their own right, the differences in their tone and diction showcase the major differences in their personalities and relationship with pride.

As well, the mood of darkness and fear in Branagh’s version was often lost with the abundance of information shared between the guards in the first few scenes. Hawke’s version of Hamlet was creative and artistic. His film had a setting and a mood that strongly influenced the ambiance and that created an abundance of thought for a modern audience. Therefore, Hawke’s Hamlet was more appealing to an audience in respects to the setting and the mood.

Oliver Parker’s 1995 interpretation of Shakespeare’s 1600’s timeless classic Othello presents a differing construction of Othello from the original play, achieved through uses of a plethora of film devices. Both the play and the film masterfully spin a tale of romance, tragedy and death telling the fall of glory of Othello due to the acts of his ensign Iago, albeit with several differences in the presentation. Both Shakespeare and Parker explore themes of jealousy, power, and racism through the key characters of Othello and Iago. Parker utilises cutting, close-ups, mise-en-scene, music and a variety of others to bring his own in-depth dissection and construction of Othello.

The direct quotation is used to compare the slight differences that Olivier’s version of Hamlet (1948) had. It is used to illustrate the points that were different.

Over the course of the past fifty years there have been many cinematic productions of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, some of which remain true to the text while others take greater liberties with the original format. Director Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 production of Hamlet was true to Shakespeare’s work in that the film’s dialogue was delivered word or word as it is presented in the text. In contrast, Franco Zeffirelli conducted his 1990 production of Hamlet in a much more liberal direction in which lines, scenes and characters were omitted from the film. I argue that from the perspective of an individual with moderate knowledge in Shakespearian literature, that the best film versions of Hamlet are those that take the most liberties from the text. I

Shakespeare successfully establishes the nature of honour in his historical living production Henry IV Part 1. The play embarks around the subject of honorable rebellion, primarily through the duality of the two characters of Prince Harry (Hal) and King Henry IV as well as Hotspur and Falstaff. Through different concepts of the major universal theme of honour displayed by various protagonists, the interrelated ideas of power and responsibility are also made evident. As this play unfolds, the importance of the soliloquy’s, issues and conflicts are highlighted. Honour is encapsulated from success on the battlefield to dealing with noble and respectable behaviour. Shakespeare captures the essence of a historical tragedy and

Henry V renewed his family’s claim to the French throne after hundred years of war. Shakespeare is telling the audience in England that they are people of bravery.

This was not a major impact on the story but it definitely added character to Sir Henry. In the movie Sir Henry was somewhat timid and in the book that scene showed he was not afraid to stand up for himself.

The earliest of Shakespeare’s plays was Henry V written in 1599. As a whole the play is mostly just a retelling of the battle of Agincourt in the year 1415, featuring the now very famous, “St. Crispin’s Day” speech. However Shakespeare manages to capture the intensity and pure chaos of war while also having a solid undertone about the morality of men and sending a

Often, pieces of literature have been analyzed and made into a motion picture in the hopes of further developing the themes presented in the work. Though the Shakespearian play, Hamlet, has been interpreted and converted into a film numerous times by different directors, Kenneth Branagh’s adaptation particularly captured the essence of Hamlet and helped the audience truly understand the events that transpired in Act Three Scene Two of Hamlet. It is in this act, Hamlet plan to reveal King Claudius’ treachery is played out. Hamlet exposes the king through adding an extra sixteen lines to the play which depicts him killing Hamlet’s father. With the directions Hamlet gave to the actors, Hamlet is able to make the audience recognize the king’s