BLOG ASSIGNMENT #3:
TO BE OR NOT TO BE &
ANALYSIS OF FORM & MIS EN SCENE
1. SOLILOQUY
ANALYSIS:
Imagery that refers
to the uncertainty of death:
"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..."
(3.1.65-69)
Imagery that refers
to the negative experiences of life:
"The slings and
arrows of outrageous fortune" (3.1.58)
"Or to take arms against a sea of troubles" (3.1.59)
"For who would bear the whips and scorns of time," (3.1.70)
Appeals:
Hamlet uses pathos and logos in his soliloquy.
Pathos: Appeal to
the emotions or interest of the audience
"For who would
bear the whips and scorns of time,
Th' oppressor’s
wrong, the proud man’s contumely,
The pangs of despised
love, the law’s delay,
The insolence of
office, and the spurns
That patient merit of
th' unworthy takes,
When he himself might
his quietus make
With a bare
bodkin?" (3.1.70-76)
Logos: Appeal to
logic
"Who would
fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat
under a weary life,
But that the dread of
something after death,
The undiscovered
country from whose bourn
No traveler
returns" (3.1.76-80)
Literary Devices:
Paradox: The main paradox in this soliloquy is the debate between life and death. He weighs life and death equally and considers the consequences of each. In living, a person must suffer through the hardships of life. However, by taking one's own life, there are potential negative consequences in the afterlife.
Parallelism: Hamlet's use of parallelism when describing all of the struggles of life like "The pangs of despis'd love, the law's delay/The insolence of office and the spurns" further emphasizes the suffering that occurs when man is alive (3.1.72-73).
Parallelism: Hamlet's use of parallelism when describing all of the struggles of life like "The pangs of despis'd love, the law's delay/The insolence of office and the spurns" further emphasizes the suffering that occurs when man is alive (3.1.72-73).
Infinitive:
Hamlet compares life and death by repeating the infinitive "to__" like in "To die, to sleep" to emphasize the consequences that each decision (to live or to die) can carry (3.1.64)
Synecdoche: Hamlet
uses synecdoche in his soliloquy to further describe the burden of living.
Tone: Throughout the soliloquy, Hamlet talks in a contemplative tone as he tries to figure out and weigh the consequences and benefits of life and death.
Diction: The diction
used in this soliloquy is very specific and interchangeable. For example, Hamlet often interchanges the words "death" or "to die" with "sleep or "to sleep" which further emphasizes one of the main metaphors described in the soliloquy.
Metaphor: The two
primary metaphors Hamlet articulates in his soliloquy are comparing death to sleep and death to an unknown place.
Evidence of the
following comparisons: life on earth, afterlife, death, humans, thinking.
Life on Earth
"When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin?" (3.1.76-77)
"When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin?" (3.1.76-77)
Afterlife
"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..." (3.1.65-69)
Death
"For in that sleep of death what dreams may come (3.1.66)
Humans
"Thus conscience does make cowards of us all," (3.1.83)
Thinking
"And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought," (3.1.84-85)
Identify at least
three oppositions present in the arguments Hamlet makes.
1. Life and its consequences/benefits vs. death and its consequences/benefits
2. Knowledge vs the fear of the unknown
3. Taking action vs. thinking
What eternal
philosophical questions does Hamlet ponder?
Is it better to live through the sufferings of life or die through suicide?
What is present in the after life?
Does suicide carry on any consequences in the afterlife?
What conclusions does
Hamlet draw?
Hamlet concludes that it is the fear of the unknown of the afterlife and the potential consequences that prevents us from ending the sufferings we face in life.
2. ACTING
ANALYSIS
Lawrence Oliver
In this black and white version of Hamlet’s soliloquy, non-diegetic sounds especially music is the
main component that drives the mis en scene. In the beginning of the scene, the music is
very intense and suspenseful as the camera angle moves up the staircase. Once the camera reaches the top of the staircase, the audience can see Hamlet standing at the edge of the platform leaning over and looking at the foamy sea. As the camera pans out and the audience is given a more complete view of Hamlet, we can see that he is in Old English type clothing that was common during Shakespeare's time. For the majority of Hamlet's soliloquy, the non-diegetic music is not present and Hamlet is soon leaning on a rock. After throwing the knife that he pulls out in the middle of his soliloquy into the sea, he gets up from the rock in quite resolution and walks toward the end of the cliff. He ends the soliloquy with a contemplative expression as the scene fades away mysteriously.
Mel Gibson
In this version of Hamlet's soliloquy, Hamlet is dressed in dark informal clothes as he proceeds down a flight of stairs into a dark cave like room. He looks into the room and the camera pans the room to show the darkness and lifeless morgue with bones from deceased humans. Hamlet's hair is slightly frazzled and he begins the soliloquy in a soft whisper. As the soliloquy progresses, Hamlet speeds up and slows down his words to add to further contribute to metaphors of the soliloquy and to emphasize the parallelism found in the repetition of the infinitive. Through the use of close ups, the audience can see the contemplative emotions that Hamlet is experiencing through the rise and fall of his eyebrows and the lowering of his head and eyes. Being located in the morgue, the setting helps to contribute to the understanding of death as a major theme of the soliloquy and further adds to the debate between death and life.
Ethan Hawke
In this version of the soliloquy, Hamlet is seen walking through the aisles of a movie rental/gaming store with a woven hat on his head. Unlike the rest of the interpretations, this version seems to be very modernized as Hamlet is seen in a modern day venue. Calm and quiet music (non diegetic sound) plays in the background and does not distract from the main focus of the soliloquy but does help contribute to the contemplative tone that Hamlet conveys. His facial expressions are not as diverse as he seems to maintain the same pensive expression throughout the entire soliloquy as he paces about the store.
Kenneth Branagh
In Branagh's version of Hamlet's soliloquy, Hamlet delivers his soliloquy in a well lit place in the castle. The place contains a mirror in which Hamlet stands in front of. This bright color that the room gives off is in direct contrast with the dark formal outfit that Hamlet is wearing. The camera angle is set on Hamlet and the mirror so the audience can see a reflected version of Hamlet in the mirror. This emphasizes the contemplative and self-reflective tone that Hamlet has while delivering the soliloquy in front of the mirror. Suddenly, Hamlet whips out a knife and soft and suspenseful music (non diegetic sound) starts playing adding to the building thoughts and ideas on life and death that Hamlet continues to present. Then the camera angle changes to a long shot view of the entire room where we can see Ophelia entering the room and making eye contact with Hamlet.
Most/Least Effective Versions
After viewing all four versions of the soliloquy that my son delivers, I believe that the most effective one would be Kenneth Branagh's version. The dark formal clothing that he wears in this version conveys the sense of rank that he holds in Denmark and also the sadness that still lingers within him after his father's death. In addition, the mirror provides a kind of self-reflection and examination that allows Hamlet to contemplate life and death in the midst of his father's death. This portrayal also contains just the right amount of sadness that my son is now experiencing. The other versions seem to understate or over exaggerate this melancholy spirit that prevails within my son.
I personally believe that the Lawrence Oliver portrayal was probably the least effective portrayal of my son's contemplation and sadness. The music at the beginning makes it feel like my son was part of a horror story and not musing over a serious issue like death. In addition, the position that Oliver portrayed my son was so laid back and emotionless that it almost made it appear like my son was fake and superficial even though he was holding a knife! Also, the setting did not contribute to the tone at all. Seriously,who films a serious soliloquy near a beach like backdrop with waves crashing against the shore and scenic views from a cliff?
After viewing all four versions of the soliloquy that my son delivers, I believe that the most effective one would be Kenneth Branagh's version. The dark formal clothing that he wears in this version conveys the sense of rank that he holds in Denmark and also the sadness that still lingers within him after his father's death. In addition, the mirror provides a kind of self-reflection and examination that allows Hamlet to contemplate life and death in the midst of his father's death. This portrayal also contains just the right amount of sadness that my son is now experiencing. The other versions seem to understate or over exaggerate this melancholy spirit that prevails within my son.
I personally believe that the Lawrence Oliver portrayal was probably the least effective portrayal of my son's contemplation and sadness. The music at the beginning makes it feel like my son was part of a horror story and not musing over a serious issue like death. In addition, the position that Oliver portrayed my son was so laid back and emotionless that it almost made it appear like my son was fake and superficial even though he was holding a knife! Also, the setting did not contribute to the tone at all. Seriously,who films a serious soliloquy near a beach like backdrop with waves crashing against the shore and scenic views from a cliff?
Mis En Scene Changes
For the Oliver version of the Hamlet soliloquy, I probably would have had Hamlet walking down the spiraling staircase because of the various camera angles that could be taken of Hamlet at different stages of the staircase. In sad parts of the soliloquy, he could be leaning against the walls of the staircase and in contemplative parts a close up of his face as he is walking down the staircase could be used to show the various facial expressions and emotions that Hamlet would have felt. In addition, I would have replaced the horror/sci-fi music with a more sad tune that started out soft and gradually got louder to emphasize the revelations that Hamlet has about death. I would replace the commoner Old English costume that Hamlet wears with a more dark and royal costume to show the sadness that Hamlet is feeling and the high rank that he has in Denmark. In this portrayal, Hamlet seemed to be talking in a well-lit environment which did not help in the seriousness of the soliloquy. A more gloomy and depressed setting marked by dark clouds and high winds would have fit this mood better. In addition, I would have the staircase fade out to pitch blackness as Hamlet reaches the end to symbolize the uncertainty that Hamlet has about the afterlife.
Mel Gibson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdp6dpiK8Ko
Ethan Hawke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YHMYkUrV7A
Ethan Hawke: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YHMYkUrV7A
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