William Shakespeare 's Hamlet And Franco Zeffireli 's Film Version Of The Story

The ghost of the king appears in act 1 scene 5 to tell Hamlet that he had been murdered. What he seeks is justice for his death and to see his beloved son safe. The ghost appeared time and time before to others but waited to speak until Hamlet came to see him. "...leave her to heaven... (Act 1 Sn. 5 ln. 86)" The Ghost asks Hamlet for justice and tells him to leave his mother be for she has already been corrupted by the traitor Claudius. Hamlet goes on with trying to figure out how to achieve his father's wishes but could not bring himself to kill his uncle. This eventually drove him a bit mad, even to the point of

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.

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.

The first experience of the King’s ghost is on act one scene four when Hamlet first encounter’s the King’s ghost for the first time. Hamlet makes a statement that he is cold in the night which led to Horatio agreeing with him. This gives off a hint that that there is something eerie that is lurking around at night. Once the King’s ghost reveals himself to Hamlet, that gave the Hamlet and the other two, Horatio and Marcellus a fright. What is also added is the moonlight that shines upon the ghost, that gives it a more uncomfortable aura in the air. In one part of the play, Hamlet says, “With thoughts beyond the reaches of our souls?/ Say why is this? Wherefore? What should we do?” Hamlet seems to be confused and terrified why that the ghost of his father appeared in front of him and to the other people (I.IV.53). Not only that the ghost appears out of nowhere, the feeling of uneaisess appears towards Hamlet as the ghost of his father

The play Hamlet by William Shakespeare is about a king that was murdered by his brother and the main character Hamlet, who is the prince and also the king’s son was told by the ghost of his father to avenge his murder. In the play Hamlet, there are many differences compared to the movie “Hamlet 2000” directed by Michael Almereyda. The reason to these differences is to show a modern setting in the movie “Hamlet 2000”, to show the audience a better understanding of the characters, and the difference in the way the movie ends compared to the original play by Shakespeare.

In Act I, Scene i of the play, a supernatural being assuming the shape of the late king is seen by Marcellus, Bernardo and Horatio. They tell Hamlet of their peculiar sighting and in Act I, scene iv of the play the ghost reappears to Hamlet and reveals Claudius 's sinful secret. Claudius heinously murders his own brother by pouring a poisonous liquid into the king 's ear during his nap in the orchard. This toxin curdles the blood of the king causing a short but painful death. This information sets vengeance in the mind of Hamlet to murder his uncle and bestow tranquility among his family.

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’s Hamlet has countlessly been formatted into film depictions of the play. Each film seemed to be on one end of the spectrum of either being closely interpreted or completely remodeled a different idea of what Hamlet is. The film version of Hamlet released in 2000 seems to follow closely to the play in some aspects, yet at the same time having its own unique identity Despite there being many differences with the play Hamlet and the film adaptation of Hamlet (2000) by Michael Almereyda there are three categories that really stand out, those are the character portrayal, interrelationship between the characters, and some of the essential themes differ as well. Although there are many differences, one aspect that remains the same is the dialogue of the characters which stays true to the Shakespearean dialect.

In Zeffirelli’s version of Hamlet, the first ghost confrontation scene is less intense and bland. The ghost confrontation scene is important because it creates the foundation behind the revenge plot. The frightening tone in Branagh’s version of Hamlet establishes a stronger reason and motivation for Hamlet to avenge his father. If the ghost scene was less intense like in Zeffirelli’s version of Hamlet, the audience would question Hamlet’s desire to avenge his father's

Franco Zeffirelli's 1990 filmic translation of William Shakespeare's Hamlet is a dramatic telling of the classic story which is as well acted as it is entertaining. Aside from these points, Zeffirelli's (and co-scripter Christopher Devore's) screenplay is an edited, and re-mixed version of the original which has many lines cut, as well as the entire sub plot concerning Fortenbras, completely removed. Franco Zefirelli's private interpretation of Hamlet, although divergent in some ways from Shakespeare's version, still remains a superior rendering, due to the continuity of the screenplay.

In the opening scene of the play, a ghost identified as Hamlet’s late father appears before Hamlet, Horatio and Marcellus. To the audience, this can be seen as the first sign

Shakespeare is a name recognized by all to be that of one of the greatest playwrights of all time. There is no surprise that many of Shakespeare’s works are later turned into a movie. Director Franco Zeffirelli and Kenneth Branagh both have a distinct interpretation of Hamlet Act V. Franco Zeffirelli's adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy was much darker than Brangan’s version. The settings, costumes and the props were all medieval. It was set in a dark castle with stony gray bricks, the characters wore dirty clothes, and the props were mostly wooden or made out of metal. The physical elements in Zeffirelli show that it took place in 15 century during the dark ages. In Franco Zeffirelli’s version the characters didn’t use a lot of emotions

 From the beginning of the play Hamlet, death is introduced to the audience as we are informed of the death of King Hamlet, the former king of Denmark. King Hamlet's ghost appears before Horatio, Bernardo, Marcellus, and Hamlet. The presence of the king's ghost displays an ominous feel to the scene. Especially,

The attention-grabbing first scene of act one from Shakespeare’s famous tragedy is all about the Old King Hamlet’s ghost’s appearance. This scene starts off with Barnardo and Francisco, two sentinels who have seen the ghost of the dead king for the last two nights. Francisco leaves as soon as Marcellus and Horatio enter the scene. Marcellus explains that he has brought

   What would Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet, be like without the character of the Ghost? The drama simple wouldn’t BE! The Ghost, though not a human character in most senses of the word, is crucial for the development of the play. This essay will analyze this interesting character.