Today, we gather to honor the memory of the fair young maiden, Ophelia. She was a beautiful young girl whose heart was struck with grief over the death of her father. Many claim that her death was by her own hand, but we here hope that it was not. Gertrude, with all her heart, only hoped that she could have done something to save the poor girl. Though her death will be forever shrouded with mystery, we wish only the best for her. May her spirit, full of grace and beauty, live on in us all and let us pray that she may ascend into heaven so that she may see her father once again. Now, as we place her in her final resting place, let us pray that God accepts her in to his eternal kingdom.
Before her passing, Ophelia took many personal loses. She was adored by many of the kingdom, but young Hamlet loved her the most. Their love grew like that of a raging forest fire, but it was a love that would tampered with. Ophelia was forbidden by her father, Polonius, to have this relationship. She obeyed him to the letter, but in turn she lost the true love of her life. She was left filled with heart ache and sadness. However, it was the death of her dear father that brought he to madness. After his passing, she would not cease in her ranting of how cruel life was as she fell deeper into her madness with each passing moment. Such a sweet and innocent girl did not deserve to have such hardships brought upon her. She who had brought great joy to everyone she met was now lost in an ever lasting sorrow with no escape. She did not deserve this and neither does anyone so young and caring of others.
She was a young woman who enjoyed putting smiles on the face of those that she passed by and she could do no wrong. Now she's gone and it pains me to think that I will never be able to see that smile that brought such happiness to my life ever again, but such is life. I just can't help but wonder was there a chance she could have lived. Gertrude was in fact able to give such a precise description of the scene, so could she have done anything. I would like to think that if she could she would have, because she loved Ophelia. She would have done anything if Gertrude had asked and without a single complaint. So I hope that she would have done something given the chance. It just goes to show that we must all live our lives with those we care about because you never know if you'll ever see them again. Now as we draw this service to an end, I would like to say that it was a pleasure to have been able to know Ophelia and I truly hope that she now rests in the safety of heaven.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Hamlet's Dilemma
I honestly found Hamlet's choice to be well thought out due to his current circumstances. Ever since he met with his fathers apparition, he knew that would have to kill Claudius to avenge his father, but what is the purpose of killing him when he I s cleansing his soul. He knew that if he acted now, Claudius would not receive the damnation that was bestowed upon his father. Claudius would ascend to heaven and the justice that Hamlet so desperately craved for would never come to be. There was also the matter of public opinion. Those that lived within the castle walls had already grown aware of Hamlet's odd behavior and he gave them quite the show during his scheme to make Claudius' guilt clear. If he had followed through with his plan to end Claudius' life, Hamlet would have been left in left in chains for killing an innocent man. Who would have believed him if he told them the truth behind his actions especially after his rather wild display at the theater. His revenge would be incomplete and he would be written off as the prince who fell into madness over his grief.
I was however surprised by Claudius' reaction after the play. He seemed to truly feel a great pain in his heart over what he had done to his own brother. He took his leave to the church confessional where we saw his inner torment of his actions. His words were sincere, his emotion was true, and he went to the length of asking for forgiveness. As he have his prayers so that he may be clean, we see Hamlet waiting on the other side of the confessional waiting to strike his dagger at Claudius. However, he pauses to see what may come from his actions and we see that even with Hamlet's thirst for vengeance was strong, he could restrain himself from finishing his uncle. He truly wants to see his fathers death avenged, but he knows that in order for his plan to successful, his uncle's soul must be tainted by sin. So now lies in wait for the perfect moment to reveal itself.
I was however surprised by Claudius' reaction after the play. He seemed to truly feel a great pain in his heart over what he had done to his own brother. He took his leave to the church confessional where we saw his inner torment of his actions. His words were sincere, his emotion was true, and he went to the length of asking for forgiveness. As he have his prayers so that he may be clean, we see Hamlet waiting on the other side of the confessional waiting to strike his dagger at Claudius. However, he pauses to see what may come from his actions and we see that even with Hamlet's thirst for vengeance was strong, he could restrain himself from finishing his uncle. He truly wants to see his fathers death avenged, but he knows that in order for his plan to successful, his uncle's soul must be tainted by sin. So now lies in wait for the perfect moment to reveal itself.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
To be or Not to be...
Through out the four versions of Hamlet's to be or not to be soliloquy, each director tried to express the soliloquy's true meaning throughout the scene in subtle ways. In the first version of the soliloquy, the director places us at the top of one of the castle towers bordering the coast of the land. The lighting is harsh due to the movie being made in the times of black and white cinema, but it allows the viewer to realize the seriousness of the scene. The music that occasionally enters throughout the scene gives the feeling of eternal sorrow and sadness. Not to mention the scene's setting complimenting the soliloquy's line "Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them." by placing him at the edge of the tower right over the sea as it crashes into the coast as he contemplate his suicide. As he comes closer to edge, he brandishes his dagger and closes his eyes pointing its tip at his chest. The actors plays his role perfectly, embodying the very feeling of hopelessness in his cruel life. Overall, this version is my favorite of the four.
In the second version, by Zeffirelli, we open to what seems to be the castles catacombs where those who have passed now rest ineternal slumber. Since the scene, through its entirety, took place in the catacombs, the lighting was dark to represent the ominous feeling of death in the room. Something that caught me off guard however was the scene lack of music. Throughout the scene not a single note is heard and for many films this would be a fatal mistake, however it gives the scene a subtle sense of emptiness as Hamlet walks among the dead all alone. The scene's placement also bring in a sway of emotions by making Hamlet express how he continues to fall in to madness. As he moves from sadness to anger and finally to hopelessness, Gibson captures Hamlet's emotion in the best off ways.
In the third version, by Branagh, we are placed inside what seems to be the grand hall of castle Elsinore with Hamlet staring at his reflection in a mirror. Throughout the scene, the lighting is bright enough to clearly see the expression in Hamlet's face as he slowly walks to the mirror and speaks to himself. As he speaks the music slowly begins to rise and gives a bit of an aggressive and ominous tone to the scene. As for the location, him being infront of a mirror would come off as him going mad, but it's ironic how the mirror is actually a one sided mirror where on the other end, Polonius and Claudius spy on him. The suspense grows greatly when suddenly Hamlet pulls out his dagger which in turn startles both Polonius and Claudius and it only grows as he comes closer to mirror until he comes within reach to tap the glass. Branagh's acting could only further the suspense because he speaks with such a deranged tone, similar to that of a serial killer. It's this same form of speech that captures the madness that is building up with in his mind. That is why I see Branagh as person to portray Hamlet.
Finally we see the final version of this famous scene directed by Almereyda. This version being my least favorite of the four due to it being portrayed in modern times. Thoughts aside on the film aside, we are placed in a video store with our young Hamlet as he ponders whether he should live through the pain or to end it all. As he walks down aisle after aisle, you may notice that he continuously walks through the aisle completely full of action films. This probably relates to the final line his struggle in choice and the final line of the soliloquy,"with this regard their currents turn awry and lose the name of action." This inference is easily made because throughout the scene he never once chooses a film to take with him. One can also notice that in the background there are gunshots and explosions adding to the overall feeling of the scene, but the acting is just so stale. I can't help but feel that Ethan Hawk's portrayl was just too emotionless to fit the true feeling behind Hamlet.
Thanks for reading. There's a link below to my favorite interpretation of Hamlet.
To be or not to be... Not to be www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQnozHl2_kA
In the second version, by Zeffirelli, we open to what seems to be the castles catacombs where those who have passed now rest ineternal slumber. Since the scene, through its entirety, took place in the catacombs, the lighting was dark to represent the ominous feeling of death in the room. Something that caught me off guard however was the scene lack of music. Throughout the scene not a single note is heard and for many films this would be a fatal mistake, however it gives the scene a subtle sense of emptiness as Hamlet walks among the dead all alone. The scene's placement also bring in a sway of emotions by making Hamlet express how he continues to fall in to madness. As he moves from sadness to anger and finally to hopelessness, Gibson captures Hamlet's emotion in the best off ways.
In the third version, by Branagh, we are placed inside what seems to be the grand hall of castle Elsinore with Hamlet staring at his reflection in a mirror. Throughout the scene, the lighting is bright enough to clearly see the expression in Hamlet's face as he slowly walks to the mirror and speaks to himself. As he speaks the music slowly begins to rise and gives a bit of an aggressive and ominous tone to the scene. As for the location, him being infront of a mirror would come off as him going mad, but it's ironic how the mirror is actually a one sided mirror where on the other end, Polonius and Claudius spy on him. The suspense grows greatly when suddenly Hamlet pulls out his dagger which in turn startles both Polonius and Claudius and it only grows as he comes closer to mirror until he comes within reach to tap the glass. Branagh's acting could only further the suspense because he speaks with such a deranged tone, similar to that of a serial killer. It's this same form of speech that captures the madness that is building up with in his mind. That is why I see Branagh as person to portray Hamlet.
Finally we see the final version of this famous scene directed by Almereyda. This version being my least favorite of the four due to it being portrayed in modern times. Thoughts aside on the film aside, we are placed in a video store with our young Hamlet as he ponders whether he should live through the pain or to end it all. As he walks down aisle after aisle, you may notice that he continuously walks through the aisle completely full of action films. This probably relates to the final line his struggle in choice and the final line of the soliloquy,"with this regard their currents turn awry and lose the name of action." This inference is easily made because throughout the scene he never once chooses a film to take with him. One can also notice that in the background there are gunshots and explosions adding to the overall feeling of the scene, but the acting is just so stale. I can't help but feel that Ethan Hawk's portrayl was just too emotionless to fit the true feeling behind Hamlet.
Thanks for reading. There's a link below to my favorite interpretation of Hamlet.
To be or not to be... Not to be www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQnozHl2_kA
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
The Ghost Scene
While looking at three different versions of Hamlet, I could clearly tell that each of the directors an actors had their own visions of the story. In Zeffirelli's production, staring Mel Gibson as Hamlet, the scene comes off as the more dark and eerie of the three. Gibson's acting easily depicted Hamlet in the scene as frightened and confused at the sight of the dead king, but also curious. As for the ghost, his actors puts on an excellent performance with his voice matching the eerie setting of the scene. The only thing that some what weakens their performance is the fact that the lighting takes away most of the facial expressions throughout most of the scene.
In the second film adaptation of the famous Shakespearian play, the acting is the slightest bit overwhelmed by the overuse of visuals during the scene. The actors speech is also very different, compared to that of Zeffirelli's film, because it takes on a more intense form of acting. Which included the ghost's voice somewhat being more sinister and bit scary. This however, brought a stronger sense of emotion during the visuals that describing the kings unusual murder. It also provided more when the ghost's actor would raise and lower his voice. However, the down side to this scene was how little of a part Branagh actually played during the scene.
Finally in the third version of the play, we are introduced to a modern version of the play directed by Almereyda where the acting honestly is best supported by the music that plays in the background. Throughout the scene we see the ghost speaking to Hamlet with the same language and same Shakespearian style, but it lack the true emotion that the other film adaptations display. The only thing that actually brought out emotion would be the addition of the sad and heartfelt music playing in the background. However, there was a true spot of emotion by Hamlet, played by Ethan Hawk, when he encounters the specter who appears before him. He truly brought out the feeling of shock and despair that Shakespeare intended for Hamlet to portray.
In the second film adaptation of the famous Shakespearian play, the acting is the slightest bit overwhelmed by the overuse of visuals during the scene. The actors speech is also very different, compared to that of Zeffirelli's film, because it takes on a more intense form of acting. Which included the ghost's voice somewhat being more sinister and bit scary. This however, brought a stronger sense of emotion during the visuals that describing the kings unusual murder. It also provided more when the ghost's actor would raise and lower his voice. However, the down side to this scene was how little of a part Branagh actually played during the scene.
Finally in the third version of the play, we are introduced to a modern version of the play directed by Almereyda where the acting honestly is best supported by the music that plays in the background. Throughout the scene we see the ghost speaking to Hamlet with the same language and same Shakespearian style, but it lack the true emotion that the other film adaptations display. The only thing that actually brought out emotion would be the addition of the sad and heartfelt music playing in the background. However, there was a true spot of emotion by Hamlet, played by Ethan Hawk, when he encounters the specter who appears before him. He truly brought out the feeling of shock and despair that Shakespeare intended for Hamlet to portray.
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