Week 13 or 14 or something: BBC's Hamlet

What did I think of BBC's Hamlet? I liked it quite a lot! For one thing, it starred David Tennant! (Do you really need another reason?) As expected, he was one of the better "Consumed by madness" Hamlets. He also lent to the movie's semi-modern setting quite nicely. A very important element in this movie is that of cameras. The first shot in the movie is filmed by one of many surveillance cameras (Presumably set by Claudius) throughout the "castle", and a particularly memorable moment ensues when Hamlet rips one down in anger. Hamlet has a small video camera of his own he sometimes uses to film important events (such as Claudius' reaction to the play), or his soliloquies. In any case, the BBC (or David Tennant) version of the play is a fine one, and quite possibly my favorite.

Can Anyone Help?

I was trying to figure out what to answer for thought question three in lesson three of Hamlet,

"Hamlet tells Horatio that he prefers a man who is 'not a pipe for fortune's finger to sound what stop she please' (3.2.76-77). Looking at the context of this remark, what does Hamlet mean by this? Is Hamlet such a man? Is Horatio?"

but while context seems pretty important here, I couldn't find a mention of said quote anywhere! Can anyone help me?

 -McKinley :D

Hamlet: Lesson III: Review Question III (Week... Eleven, I think.)

As Hamlet steps on to the stage (Act III, Scene I) he utters one of the most famous lines in the history of literature: "To be, or not to be? that is the question-". The soliloquy that follows is literally a matter of life and death. Hamlet says over, and over again that the sufferings in this world are many and terrible, and to die is to be free of them. Hamlet then asks why people don't just choose this freedom, and commit suicide. This being a soliloquy, he oddly (but not unexpectedly) answers the question himself; "To sleep, perchance to dream—ay, there’s the rub, For in that sleep of death what dreams may come When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause. There’s the respect That makes calamity of so long life.". What Hamlet is basically saying, is that if we are to shed our earthly trials and tribulations, then who knows what might be placed upon us then? I have long upheld my belief that above all other phobias, man fears the unknown. Hamlet reinforces this idea by saying that man fears the greatest unknown of all- life after death.

 -McKinley :D

My Julius Caesar Descriptive Essay: First Draft

Hey, everybody! This is the first draft of my Julius Caesar paper. Mrs. Flickner said we could put it on our blogs, but it wasn't required. Likewise, it would be helpful if you gave me your thoughts on it, but it's not required. Thanks.

 

 

McKinley Warrick

Julius Caesar

 

Descriptive Essay

11/2/12

Charlton Heston's Julius Caesar:

A Descriptive Essay

Several silver screen adaptations of William Shakespeare's famous play Julius Caesar have

been produced. This paper, however, is regarding the one known as "The Charlton Heston Version" (but is officially called Julius Caesar, of course). The paper will be split into three paragraphs, in which I will discuss the costuming, analyze the scenery, and compare Shakespeare's work to actual history.

　

　

      The Patricians and the Pleabians are opposites in many ways, and costuming just so happens to be one of them. In the movie's beginning (Act I, Scene I), two figures stand out from the crowd: Flavius and Murellus. This is largely because of costuming. The two Patricians are clothed in resplendent and immaculate robes, while the unwashed masses clothe themselves in simple, shabby, and worn tunics. The difference between the two are merely status symbols in the ancient Roman world, but they are there to show the watchers the monumentous cultural differences between them; an idea that would later become a reoccurring theme for this play. Naturally, these aren't the only things worn by the actors during the course of the movie, nor is this the only example of symbolism seen in the costuming. Clothes reflecting the wearer's character can be seen throughout the movie, from the dark cloaks worn by conspirators plotting dark deeds, to perhaps the most famous and recognizable garment of the play, Julius Caesar's bloodied toga. An example that I found particularly outstanding are the lions (symbolizing strength, courage, and heroism) adorning the armor of Mark Antony in the last act. Symbolism, however is seen in more than just the costuming.

　

　

        Scenery is what sets the mood of a scene, and often foreshadows its events. The entire first half of the movie remains in Rome itself, and the scenery there often supports this idea. The huge and
magnificent Senate Building fills the viewer with a sweeping sense of scale and grandeur, and the
Patrician's houses look lavish and expensive, echoing the lifestyles and self-regard of the inhabitants. By stark contrast, the Pleabians are only seen in the dirt streets and back alleys of crowded and dirty areas. Halfway through, the movie changes direction and so does the scenery, for we now find ourselves on the battlefield. The terrain of said battlefield is rocky and perilous, something the horses were painfully aware of. The tent of Brutus had moody and dark candlelight, setting the scene for a quarrel between two friends quickly followed by the plotting of warfare. Costuming and scenery are just fine for telling a story, but be ready to watch the historical fiction unravel and the solid fact remain as I administer a cold dose of truth surrounding the events of the Julius Caesar.

　

　

      So, just how does Shakespeare's version of history line up with the real deal? Well, to answer that
question we will first take a look at the conspiracy against Caesar. "Beware the Ides of March": a
famous and remembered line to be sure, and historians generally agree that the assassination of
Julius Caesar really did take place on March fifteenth. It wasn't the first assassination though, in fact Julius Caesar was involved in one himself during his younger days. The next topic I would like to address regarding historical accuracy is Mark Antony. After Caesar's murder, Antony actually fled, and was only lured back by Brutus' promise of safety (against Cassius' wishes, of course). It is popularly believed that it was Mark Antony's speech that moved the crowd (as seen in the play and it's movie adaptations) and although he gave a speech, it has been recorded it was actually Caesar's brutally murdered body that stirred the crowd into such violent actions. Regardless of when the assassination took place, or what spurred the angry mob on, Shakespeare generally stayed pretty close to history.

　

　

    That pretty much wraps up my thoughts and observations on the costuming, scenery, and historical accuracy of Charlton Heston's Julius Caesar. I hope that you will get to experience this play-accurate film one day, and that my musing will help you delve deeper into it.

What did you think? Let me know through comments.

 -McKinley :D

　

　

Hamlet: Other Question (Week 10)

{Duel of the Hamlets}

 

Kenneth Branagh VS. Mel Gibson

 

 

Let's start with the Branagh version of Hamlet. If I could use only one word to describe it, I would have to choose "Complete". When comparing the original play to Branagh's movie adaptation, nary a word is out of place. That's right, it follows the source material to a "T", something that is rarely seen nowadays. Something else that really stuck out at me was the ghost scene. The camerawork was superb, balancing exploding patches of earth, stone cold close-ups of the ghost's pale facial features, and horrifying flashbacks. Together with the unearthly sound effects and music, this scene's chilling demeanor made it one of my favorites. By contrast, there are a few things I disliked about this version; most notably (in my opinion) is that in trying to fill us with a huge and sweeping sense of magnitude and grandeur, Branagh made his movie just a bit to "Hollywood". To explain what I mean by this, I'll compare the bright and glaring spotlights of the Branagh version to the flickering firelight of the Gibson version: Face it- it's just not as dramatic. While the glamorous Hollywood style worked for some scenes, it fell flat during others.

Next, I discuss the pros and cons of the Gibson version. If I could use only one word to describe it, I would have to choose "Moody". Since the movie mostly took place in a stone castle, the play was literally "Set in stone", which combined with the eerie torchlight, made the it seem very dark. Mel Gibson also made an extremely moody Hamlet, with his sad moments feeling gloomier, his moment of anger being truly filled with rage, and his fear is one that penetrates our own souls. On the other hand, Gibson's version lacked what I liked about Branagh's (and vise-versa). The ghost of King Hamlet, for instance just isn't as spectral as it is the Branagh version. Sure, there was howling wind, and he did stick mostly to the shadows, but he just didn't live up to the expectations set by Branagh.

I could go on and about this version not having what I liked in that version, but that version having less of what I liked in this version, but that's simply because this simple idea echoes my feelings on both plays, and I belive it sums up my thoughts quite nicely.

 -McKinley :D



Hamlet: Lesson II: Thought Questions: Question II

Hamlet's random barging into Ophelia's chambers was not directly shown in the play, but was vividly described by Ophelia.

"Lord Hamlet, with his doublet all unbraced;

No hat upon his head; his stockings fouled,

Ungartered, and down-gyvèd to his ankle;

Pale as his shirt; his knees knocking each other;

And with a look so piteous in purport

As if he had been loosèd out of hell

To speak of horrors—he comes before me."

 

If Hamlet's look was strange, his behavior was even stranger.

 

 

"He took me by the wrist and held me hard.

Then goes he to the length of all his arm,

And, with his other hand thus o'er his brow,

He falls to such perusal of my face

As he would draw it. Long stayed he so.

At last, a little shaking of mine arm

And thrice his head thus waving up and down,

He raised a sigh so piteous and profound

As it did seem to shatter all his bulk

And end his being. That done, he lets me go,

And, with his head over his shoulder turned,

He seemed to find his way without his eyes,

For out o' doors he went without their helps,

And to the last bended their light on me."

 

What would you do if a high-ranking and important figure and *ahem* "close friend" (or anyone for that matter) did this to you? What if you were just minding your own business, sewing (or whatever) and suddenly this madman who looks like he was halfway through getting dressed when Hell itself swallowed him up and had just spat him out and into your room. When this happened to Ophelia she reports that she has "...been so affrighted!". Yeah, that would be pretty freaky. How is the imagery of clothing used in this scene? Well, all that I could really get out of it was that his clothes seemed to mirror the state of his sanity: "unbraced", "fouled", and "ungartered".

 

 

 -McKinley :D

Hamlet: Lesson I: Review Questions: Question X

The Death of King Hamlet

(Week 9)

 

 

King Hamlet (not to be confused with Prince Hamlet, his son) died before the play opens, and it is around his death that the play revolves. How did he die? Well, most everyone in Denmark thought that while sleeping in his orchard, the king was bitten by a serpent. But as it turns out, the whole thing is actually a giant government cover-up (the last thing I'd expect to find in a Shakespeare play)! In the words of the murder victim himself, "The serpent that did sting thy father’s life Now wears his crown." That's right, it was Claudius! "...Upon my secure hour thy uncle stole With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial, And in the porches of my ears did pour The leperous distilment...". Why is this significant? Let's start with the entry of the deadly substance into the body. It is poured in the ear, a comparison to tempting words, a prime tool in Claudius' arsenal. Claudius used his tempting words in a variety of ways, but most notably to seduce Gertrude. This is a powerful analogy, not just because of the entry point, but also because tempting words can be just as deadly as a potent poison, working to kill a victim from the inside out.

 

 

 -McKinley :D