Marriage has shaped human society over millennia. Despite its perpetual evolution, deep-rooted societal norms continue to dictate the moral aspect of the institution. The original text as well as Branagh’s modern interpretation of Hamlet’s soliloquy “O, that this too too solid flesh would melt”, both effectively highlight the controversy surrounding Gertrude’s new marriage, which resonates with audiences of all time periods, through the characterization of a shameless Gertrude, a theme of immorality in a sudden marriage and Kenneth Branagh’s use of a victimized tone.
Both the play and the film are able to use this soliloquy to paint Gertrude in a bad light to undermine her new marriage. In grief and anger, Hamlet states, “Frailty, thy name
…show more content…
is woman” (1.2.146), he believes his mother is so weak for even considering remarrying, let alone a man like Claudius. Who is an animal compared to King Hamlet (1.2.140). Hamlet would go on to call his mother less than an animal and dubbing her marriage as incestuous (1.2.150-157). These harsh words allow the audiences of both time periods to relate to Hamlet’s despair, for he successfully antagonises Gertrude. Planting words like incestuous in the minds of the audience. Incest has always been frowned upon, people of both periods share a disdain for such unions. In fact, during King Henry VIII’s reign, Anne Boleyn was executed for incest among other charges (Alchin). The audience cannot help but question Gertrude’s actions, and consider the possibility that she conspired to kill her husband or seduced Claudius to remain the queen. Hamlet’s speech leads to theories which cause the audience to doubt her character and condemn her sudden marriage. Along with questioning Gertrude’s character, the soliloquy leads the audience see the immorality in her abrupt marriage.
Hamlet recalls the affection his father gave Gertrude, “so loving to my mother, that he might not beteem the winds of heaven Visit her face too roughly” (1.2.140-142). Despite the past, “she married, O most wicked speed” (1.2.156). Hamlet effectively contrasts the behaviours of his parents, leaving the audience to conclude Gertrude’s remarriage was in deed too quick. Remarrying within two months of your spouse’s death is quite uncommon. More so in modern times where dating is involved in a relationship. People of both eras are quick to judge a women moving from husband to husband, Hamlet effectively taps into that double standard. Coupled with Hamlet’s grief and his father’s lovingness, Gertrude seems cruel to have moved on so quickly, that she wedded so hastily her “most unrighteous tears” have yet to dry (1.2.154). The audience will no doubt begin to wonder why Claudius was not married already, why he suddenly killed the king, possibly to legitimize an affair. They will continue to ponder the past between Gertrude and her new husband. In closing, Hamlet’s first soliloquy demonstrates the suspiciousness of his mother sudden …show more content…
marriage. In the 1996 film, Kenneth Branagh’s use of tone was able to capture Hamlet’s anger and vulnerability in this scene, ensuring modern audiences see the main character as the victim despite the language barrier.
The audience views a range of emotions through the Branagh’s tone, he begins sounding tired, completely drained from daily life, as he sees the world as an unweeded garden (1.2.135). He is in conflict with himself, he wants to commit suicide, but his religion forbids it (1.2.131-132). Branagh’s tone then suddenly changes, he is in disbelief of his mother’s new marriage. This disbelief transforms into resentment, then anger as he screams into the empty hall, disgusted with Gertrude’s disloyalty (1.2.140-161). Branagh’s emotions make the viewers sympathize with Hamlet’s situation, as audiences in the Elizabethan Era did while watching the play. People from all eras can relate to losing a loved one. But modern viewers can especially to relate to broken families, many people in this age have divorced parents and step parents. They have felt the confusion and sadness that comes from the breakdown of a family unit, as well as the disappointment in discovering their parents soon move on to others. Feeling like a victim is nothing new, during the Elizabethan Era, lower class people were often victims of the nobility, as their wars and politics disrupted the commoner’s lives. People sometimes cannot cope with change whether it’d be new family dynamics or oppression from a higher
class, and often leads to rebellion. Branagh plays the victim perfectly, channelling an emotion everyone has felt through his tone. By portraying Gertrude as an awful wife, use of the theme of sinfulness in a sudden remarriage, and the range of tones expressed in the film version, both Shakespeare’s original and Branagh’s modern remake of Hamlet’s first soliloquy effectively convey the controversy of Gertrude’s latest marriage to audiences of the Elizabethan Era and the modern age. Regardless of the time period, the institution of marriage always seems to find its way to into our lives for better and for worse.
During class we have reviewed many versions of the play Hamlet. The two movie versions that I chose to compare on the play Hamlet are the David Tennant version and the Kenneth Branagh version. I chose these two versions because these were the two that most interested me. I believe that some scenes from each movie were better than the other, but overall I liked these two versions just as equally. The three main scenes that stood out to me that I will be comparing are ‘Ophelia’s Mad Scene’, the ‘Hamlet Kills Polonius’ scene, and Hamlet’s ‘To be or not to be’ scene.
1. In this specific version of Hamlet there are various characters that demonstrate an exaggerative and dramatic persona; Brain Blessed chose to interpret the role of the ghost in the traditional eerie, spooky, and mysterious manner. He does this by being portrayed as a reoccurring pale figure that is only visible to certain people (the traditional characteristics for a ghost). Also he does this by deepening his voice to sound more frightening. In my opinion, I do not think that the performance of the apparition was believable in any scenes in which it appeared simply because I do not think that something that does not exist in reality can be displayed realistically. Moreover and in contrast, I believe
Immediately after her husband’s murder, Gertrude marries his brother in order to maintain her status as Queen of Denmark. If she were truly in love with King Hamlet, and was not with him to gain some sort of societal power, she would not have attempted to maintain said power by immediately marrying Claudius. Though one can argue that she married Claudius to appease the public, as her late husband was beloved by the populous, this claim simply does not hold up when one considers the hunger for power that plagues every character in Hamlet. Additionally, Gertrude’s attitudes regarding Hamlet’s grief arouse suspicion as to her true motives. As she tells him, “…/Do not forever with thy vailed lids/” (I.ii. 69-71.) She later continues, ”Seek for thy noble father in the dust/Thou know 'st 'tis common; all that lives must die,/Passing through nature to eternity” (I.ii. 72-74.) Though this can be written off as a mother simply being worried for her son’s well being, it seems as if there is some sort of deeper meaning to these words. As long as Hamlet is in mourning, the people of Denmark will hold the late King Hamlet in their memory, and may start to get suspicious as to why Gertrude “moved on” so quickly. Furthermore, her attempts to squander Hamlet’s grief are an obvious effort to conceal her true motives from the citizens of Denmark, and to maintain her current position of power. Through her
After the death of Old Hamlet and Gertrude’s remarriage to Claudius, Hamlet feels extremely angry and bitter. “How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable / Seem to me all the uses of this world!” (1.2.133-134). Due to the death of his father, he is already in a state of despair and the lack of sympathy that his mother has towards his sorrow does not aid him in recovering from this stage of grief. “Good Hamlet, cast thy knighted colour off, / And let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark” (1.2.68-69). Hamlet is struggling to accept the fashion in which Gertrude is responding to the death of Old Hamlet; she seems quite content with her new life with Claudius, which is a difficult concept for him to accept as after the d...
Branagh’s view on the mother-son relationship in the closet scene is a more practical portrayal in comparison to Gregory Dovan and Campbell Scott’s versions. Firstly, in the film directed by Kenneth Branagh, the relationship between Hamlet and Gertrude is portrayed with emotional intensity, as they both struggle to come to terms with reality. When Hamlet says “I must be cruel only to be kind” (Ham. III.iv.180), he and Gertrude place their foreheads together, as they both repent on the conflict apparent within their relationship. At this point in their conversation, Hamlet has lowered his vocal tone, speaking to Gertrude in a calm manner (Branagh 1996). This action proves that Branagh believes Hamlet and Gertrude have a close connection as mother and son. Although Branagh allows for Hamlet’s emotions to get the better of him earlier in this scene, Hamlet’s true anxiety is portrayed as a result of h...
In the beginning of the book, Hamlet behaves as any normal person would when he mourns the untimely death of his father, the King. He is dreary and depressed and also contemplates suicide. On the other hand, Gertrude behaves as though her husband’s death did not even occur, not in such a way that she is denying it happened, but as if it was insignificant and trivial. She marries her husband’s brother a month after his death. She continues to live on in a blissful world, while Hamlet is repulsed by his mother’s decision to remarry so quickly. Hamlet refers to it as an incestuous marriage. “She married:--O most wicked speed, to post With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!” (Act 1, Scene 2, lines 156-157, page 33). He appears to be the only one in the entire kingdom affected by the death of his father and it makes him feel more alone.
In the beginning of Hamlet, the Prince behaves as any normal person would following the death of a loved one. Not only is this a loved one, but an extra special someone; it is his loving father whom he adored. Hamlet is grief stricken, depressed, and even angry that his mother remarried so soon after his father’s death. Having witnessed how his father had treated his mother with great love and respect, Hamlet cannot understand how his mother could shorten the grieving period so greatly to marry someone like Uncle Claudius. He is incapable of rationalizing her deeds and he is obsessed by her actions.
Hamlet possesses an uncomfortable obsession with his mother’s sexuality. For this reason, Hamlet’s soliloquies provide most of the audience’s information about Gertrude’s sexual activities. In his first soliloquy, Hamlet refers to the relationship between Gertrude and Claudius when he exclaims, “Within a month…She married. O, most wicked speed, to post / With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!” (I, ii, 153-157). In saying this, Hamlet displays how hastily Gertrude has abandoned the late King Hamlet, Hamlet’s father, such that she has already married Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle. In addition, Hamlet acknowledges that Gertrude and Claudius have quickly developed a very sexual relationship. Despite the very recent death of her husband, Gertrude is unable to control her sexual desires, and she remarries less than two months after King Hamlet’s funeral.
Clearly, Hamlet’s concern for the Queen, his mother, is of genuine association to the death of King Hamlet. Within this solitary thought, Hamlet realizes the severity of his mother’s actions while also attempting to rationalize her mentality so that he may understand, and perhaps, cope with the untimely nature of the Queen’s marriage to Claudius. Understandably, Hamlet is disturbed. Gertrude causes such confusion in Hamlet that throughout the play, he constantly wonders how it could be possible that events would turn out the way they did.
Oddly, it appears that Gertrude possess more significance to Hamlet than one first anticipates. Her swift call to matrimony leads Hamlet into a spiraling quarry of depression and grieving. This mirrors the Oedipus complex. Gertrude sexually commits herself to Claudius causing Hamlet to feel a sense of jealousy and disappointment. In retaliation, he expresses his repressed desire of love through his unruly comments. He even goes as far as to say that the love is incestuous. Furthermore, in Act 3 scene 4, Hamlet confronts his mother directly in a closet. Addressing concern over her sexual actions, he exclaims “In the rank sweat of an enseamèd bed, / Stewed in corruption, honeying and making love / Over the nasty sty” (III.iv.104-106). Not only does this quote show that Hamlet disapproves his mother’s marriage, but also that he believes Claudius is a wicked criminal. Aligning with the Oedipus complex, Hamlet strangely obsesses over his mother’s love life while viewing his uncle in
Different adaptations of William Shakespeare’s works have taken various forms. Through the creative license that artists, directors, and actors take, diverse incarnations of his classic works continue to arise. Gregory Doran’s Hamlet and Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet bring William Shakespeare’s work by the same title to the screen. These two film adaptations take different approaches in presenting the turmoil of Hamlet. From the diverging takes on atmosphere to the characterization of the characters themselves, the many possible readings of Hamlet create the ability for the modification of the presentation and the meaning of the play itself. Doran presents David Tenant as Hamlet in a dark, eerie, and minimal setting; his direction highlighting the
When talking to Horatio in Act 1 Scene 2, Hamlet shows his underlying anger at both the new King Claudius and his mother Queen Gertrude, remarking, “I prithee, do not mock me, fellow student I think it was to see my mother’s wedding,” showing his disgust that the wedding between his father’s death and his mother's wedding with Claudius. He goes on to say, “Thrift, thrift, Horatio. The funeral baked meats Did coldly furnish forth the wedding tables,” furthering his disgust and anger at how sudden the wedding between his uncle and his mother was. This anger and disgust is one of Hamlet’s most basic emotions that appear in Act 1. Further into the play, these emotions develop into much more complex emotions that begin to show the range that Hamlet’s emotions occupy. In
To begin, Gertrude is presented in differing manners throughout Hamlet the play versus Hamlet (2000) the film. In Shakespeare’s play, she originally is cast as a woman who has power due to her husband, but sits as a trophy wife. Craving power, safety, and comfort, she depends on men for her position and control. Seeming to have poor judgment, she never expresses self-reflection throughout the play and just seems to be a bit oblivious to everything, ultimately resulting in her death as an unaware victim of a game she ensnared herself
Gertrude's actions of marrying her husband's brother after this king was only "two months dead" (I.ii. 138) causes Hamlet's view on love to change. He noted that when Gertrude was with his father "he was so loving to [her]" and "she would hang on him" (I.ii. 140, 143). This is how Hamlet believed true, stable love was to be. But his mother's ability to marry so quickly after his father's death made Hamlet conclude that a woman's love is fickle and he states "frailty, thy name is woman" (I.ii. 146). By "frailty" Hamlet is not referring to a woman's physical abilities, but rather her emotional frailty and her ability to change so quickly after having, assumingly, loved so deeply. Thus Hamlet feels that Gertrude, not only betrayed his father, but also has betrayed the sanctity of love and marriage.
Research & discuss 3 different cinematic interpretations of Hamlet and how each alters the audience’s perception of a particular character. Thesis: Branagh’s presentation of Hamlet’s madness is seen as explosively spontaneous compared to Olivier’s and Almereyda’s portrayal of Hamlet’s more controlled vengeance. TOPIC 1 FROM THESIS: Branagh / Explosive Madness 1.