Siddons ; S Androgynous Rosalind Costume In Shakespeare's Play

Have you ever wondered what people in the Elizabethan Era wore? Fashion was just as important in those days as it is to some people today. What people were wearing mattered to others, and even the government. During the Elizabethan Era clothing, accessories, and cosmetics were all a part of daily life.

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 is an acknowledging Shakespearean play that was later filmed in 1990 by Franco Zeffirelli and in 1996 by Kenneth Branagh. Both these directors interpret the play differently adding unique twists and turns of their own to help focus on one thing than the other. In their contrasting films, these two directors depict the character of Ophelia very differently. Through Zeffirelli’s film, Ophelia, played by Helena Bonham Carter is portrayed as a dreamy, naive, childish character, however in Branagh 's version; Kate Winslet portrays Ophelia as a more mature, sensible and strong willed character. These different portrayals of Ophelia can be further analyzed through cinematography, set and costume designs and through the actor themselves.

The props and costumes the Kenneth Branagh version used are very modern and unique while the Mel Gibson version of Hamlet costumes are more old and traditional. In the Kenneth Branagh version the costumes are very elegant while the costumes worn in the Mel Gibson version is seen more as rags. For instance, Ophelia is seen wearing old rags covering her when she acts insane in Act 4 Scene 5. In the Kenneth Branagh’s film the director uses flashbacks as a way to illustrate scenes like the scene where Gertrude explains Ophelia drowning in the river. Camera techniques in the Kenneth Branagh version of Hamlet were creative as the camera slowly pulls back in Act 4 Scene 4 of Hamlet’s soliloquy. However in the Kenneth Branagh version the scenery and props adapt more to the Shakespeare’s play Hamlet.

When comparing two different Hamlet movies I found that one scene in particular was obviously more different than the others. I compared Columbia pictures 1996 version with Kenneth Branagh playing the role of Hamlet versus BBC’s 2009 Hamlet in which David Tennant played the honorable role of Hamlet. When comparing both movies I found a lot of similarities but there was one major difference when I compared the “To be or not to be” scene. The scenes vary in multiple ways whether it is lighting, focus, camera movements, and even the actors that play Hamlet.

The costumes used in Luhrmann’s film are very modern as using the original Elizabethan style costumes would make the film more historical and therefore would not appeal to a younger audience. Luhrmann has used two distinctive costume styles to help the audience distinguish the difference between the two families. For the Montague family, Luhrmann has put the characters in unbuttoned, bright coloured Hawaiian shirts and given the males short blonde hair to link to these characters beachside lifestyles. For the Capulet family, Luhrmann has used stylish but sinister looking costumes such as vests, and silver heeled boots to show the audience how these men are similar to Mexican drug

When the audience first meets Hamlet, he is dressed in black. He is in mourning over the death of his father. When questioned by Gertrude about his attire and his disposition, Hamlet replies 'But I have that within which passeth show—these are but the trappings and the suits of woe.'; (Act 1,

Whether it is the play or movie there are diverse versions of Shakespeare’s much loved Hamlet. Although some work more to bring out the little details like wardrobe, while others focus on the important aspects such as the acting itself. David Tennant’s interpretation of Hamlet brings out one way he could have chosen to direct it.

Fashion is a big part of many people's lives, but it is constantly changing and growing. In the Elizabethan time fashion was very different than it is today. For example trends and materials used have changed. The colors people wore told a lot about who they were, unlike today. Some parts of fashion have stayed pretty constant throughout the years. For example today and then there are known designers around the world. Also fashion still impacts lives greatly. So when looking at fashion throughout the years it is evident that materials, trends, color usage, designers, and the impact on society has greatly changed and is still changing.

The choice of actors and actresses further contributes to the presentation of gender in both films. As with any artist, their individual performances go on to contribute to an overall body of work that informs the public’s perception of that artist, leading to stars commonly being classified by their typical presentation, for example ‘bad boys’, ‘sweethearts’, and ‘heart throbs’. Zeffirelli selected two epic stars of the time to represent two key characters; Glenn Close as Gertrude and Mel Gibson as Hamlet. Both selections could not have been more apt or brilliant at laying the foundation for deep and memorable characters. In Gertrude, the audience is presented with a woman clearly conforming to a traditional

When transforming any type of literary work into film there are certain areas that have to be manipulated in order to fit into the mold of a film. The play Hamlet, by Shakespeare, is no exception. As Hamlet is Shakespeare’s longest play, made up of more than 4,000 lines, there is no other choice than to have it cut down to fit into the standard parameters of a film. Along with the play being subject to being cut down, certain liberties are given to a director to adapt the work in a way to make it more unique. Almereyda made Hamlet much more modern in relation to scenery and character representations. Many of the

       Hamlet is organized around various pairs of opposing forces. One of these forces is the difference between that what seems and that which actually is, in other words, appearance versus reality. What is, and what merely appears to be? We can discern two principal angles from which this question is approached in Hamlet. First, we have the angle of inward and outward emotions, and the profound distinction that is drawn between them. In other words, the tranquil face that we all show to the world is never the same as the turmoil of our souls. In Hamlet, Shakespeare explores this both explicitly, through the device of the play within the play, and implicitly, through the ways in which he uses

and Gertrude display deceptive illusions to hide the corruptions of their lives. Ophelia shields her

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most produced plays of all time. Written during the height of Shakespeare’s fame—1600—Hamlet has been read, produced, and researched by more individuals now than during Shakespeare’s own lifetime. It is has very few stage directions, because Shakespeare served as the director, even though no such official position existed at the time. Throughout its over 400 years of production history, Hamlet has seen several changes. Several textual cuts have been made, in addition to the liberties taken through each production. In recent years, Hamlet has seen character changes, plot changes, gender role reversals, alternate endings, time period shifts, and thematic alternations, to

“Everyone who lived during the Elizabethan Era knew these laws and failure to follow them resulted in fines, lose of property, title, and life” (Elizabethan Costume). Since in English society clothing was a huge factor it ended up affecting costumes that were used in theatre.