Kenneth Branagh's "Hamlet" based on "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare

  Kenneth Branagh's "Hamlet" based on "Hamlet" by William Shakespeare

  Q.1 How Faithful is the movie to the original play?

                                   As we all know that the original play written in five main five acts and the protagonist of the play is a Hamlet who is the son of a king the Hamlet and her mother name is Gertrude. If we talk about the setting of the play, the setting was changed in the movie. In the original play, the setting is the 11th century Denmark, dark and brooding castle and renaissance spirit. But in the movie set is a change because of this movie belongs to Victorian the or Kenneth Branagh belongs to the Victorian era. So that we can see the big change in the environment of the movie. Nothing has been cut from the original play but in the movie, there is one big change happened at the end of the movie when king hamlet's statue falling. Some other points are good in the movie like soliloquy and dialogue.

        Q.2 After watching the movie, have your perception about the play, characters and situations changed?

                                     Yes, my perception about the play was changed. because when you read something, you create your imagination or ideas about the characters and situations. So that when I read this play, I create my imagination but when I watched a movie my perception was changed. Let me give you one example when I read the first act at that time I thought that he was young in his kingdom but in the movie, Hamlet is portrayed too old then the real prince Hamlet. And many other incidents like the madness of Ophelia, the killing scene of Polonius, the prayer scene and scored fight.

         Q.3 Do you feel "aesthetic delight" while watching the movie? If Yes, exactly when did it happen? If no, can you explain with reason?

                                    Yes, this is tragic play, revenge play and though I felt "aesthetic delight". In the movie there are some comic scenes of Hamlet and the scene of Ophelia and Hamlet when they were happy with each other. In the first scene when Hamlet saw the ghost of his father and had talk with him, I felt aesthetic delight. In the movie, there is one beautiful song, sing by Ophelia in her madness. she is not just singing a song but she represent her pain with some beautiful meaning. and many other scenes.

Ophelia's song              
             

          Q.4 Do you feel 'catharsis ' while or after watching movie? If Yes, exactly when did it happen? If no, can you explain.

                                     Yes, I felt 'Catharsis' after watching movie. In the movie there are many scene. Like when Hamlet First talk with his father's ghost. At that time we can see the pity and as well as fear on the face of Hamlet. When Hamlet misbehaves with Ophelia and says here to go to Nannery at that time she madly behaves and lose her consciousness at that time we feel pity as well as fear.

          Q.5 Does screening of movie helped you in better understanding?

                                    Yes, the screening of movie helped me a lot in better understanding of the play. The movie will helps you, it can power up our imagination to get the setting, situation, and also we can see the mindset of characters in the movie by his/her expression. The most important thing which help me a lot is the audio visuals and scenes, we can easily remember some dialogue.

        Q.6 was there any particular scene or moment in the movie that you will cherish lifetime.

                                       In the movie as well as in the original play, The last act V, scene II, DEATH OF HAMLET. The last dialogue and conversation between Hamlet and Horatio two friend. Here I would like to give one example of Krishna and Sudama. The dialogues are,

               HAMLET: As thou'rt a man, Give me the cup: let go; by heaven,  
                                  I'll have't. Ogood Horatio, what a wounded name,
                                  Things standing thus unknown, shall live behind me!
                                  If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart Absent thee from felicity awhile,
                                 And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain, To tell my story
.
And than Osric come with the news that young Fortinbras come with conquest from Poland. At that time Hamlet told Horatio that
                                   
               HAMLET: O, I die, Horatio; The potent poison quite o'er-crows my spirit:
                                   I cannot live to hear the news from England; But I do prophesy the
                                   election lights.

And finally Horatio told Hamlet that

               HORATIO: Now cracks a noble heart. Good night sweet prince:
                                   And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!
                                                   
So, I never forget this conversation between Hamlet and Horatio and I will cherish lifetime this particular scene or moment.  

          Q.7 If you are director, what change would you like to make in the remarking of movie on shakespeare's Hamlet"?

                        If I am director first of all I make the character of Ophelia strong Female character who knows her rights and who argue against the wrong decision taken by her father and Leartes. And also I Changed the character of Hamlet, A Young prince of Denmark. Second Female character Gertude I make her as a powerful queen.

          Q.8 In the beginning of the movie, camera rolls over the statue of King Hamlet out side the Elsinore castle. The movie ends with the similar sequence wherein the statue of the King Hamlet is hammered down to the dust. What sort of symbolism do you read in this?  

                                 In this two scene, Kenneth Branagh wants to say that "Revenge" is not a good thing or the right thing. In the play, It was King Hamlet who wants his revenge, so fall of statue signifies the fall of an empire as well as the fall of the Hamlet. It also symbolizes the circle of life as Hamlet's dialogue 
                                             "To be or not to be that is the question"

But sometimes downfall is necessary in our life to know the real value of our power. In the movie "Independence Day" [1996] , a great many famous building and landmarks fall to the alien fleet in Independence day. We don't find the statue of Liberthy's initial toasting but later we see her lying face down in the water. so this statue also signifies the fall of America. 

           Q.9 While studying the play through movie, which approach do you find more applicable to the play? Why? Give reasons with illustrations.

 

                             While studying the play thought movie, I found many approaches like Philosophical approach, Psychological approach, Feminist approach and many other. Maybe the Psychological approach is more applicable than other approaches because through out the play Hamlet has suffered a lot, from too much thinking and also internal struggle with himself.

     Q.10 Which of the above mentioned approaches appeals you more than other?Why? Give reasons.
                          I like cultural approach more than other approaches because if we read this approach or go through this approach we come to know that this approach is a mirror to society or reflection of real society. In the play, there are two characters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. This is the excellence of Marginalized character in the play, Rosencrantz gave the wonderful speech, 

ROSENCRANTZ:   The single and peculiar life is bound, With all the strength and armor of the mind, To  keep itself from noyance; but much more That spirit upon whose weal depend and rest The lives of many.  The cease of majesty Dies not alone; but, like a gulf, doth draw What’s  near it with it:  it is a massy wheel, Fix’d on the summit of the highest mount, To  whose huge spokes ten thousand lesser things Are mortised and adjoin’d; which, when it falls, Each small annexment, petty consequence, Attends the boisterous ruin. Never alone Did the king sigh, but with a general groan.

        This lines should have been considered as the best known lines, but they have been Ignored because it was spoken by marginalised character or we can also say that this lines spoken by person who has no power.