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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 6 page paper which compares and contrasts Laurence Olivier's 1948 film version of William Shakespeare's most famous play, Hamlet, with Kenneth Branagh's 1996 interpretation, specifically considering the soliloquies, and their importance to the dramatic action. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Page Count:
6 pages (~225 words per page)
File: TG15_TGolibra.doc
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
monologue form of today, when a character (usually the protagonist) is alone and articulates his innermost thoughts aloud ("Soliloquy" LTSoliloquy.html). This enables the audience to better understand the characters
emotional state, his intentions and motivations ("Soliloquy" LTSoliloquy.html). William Shakespeare has been widely acknowledged as the master of the literary form, with soliloquies showcased most effectively in his tragedies.
In Hamlet, it is the title character, the young Prince of Denmark, who utters the memorable soliloquies, of which there are four, in Acts I-IV. As the soliloquies provide
dramatic climaxes throughout Shakespeares play, they are also featured prominently Laurence Oliviers 1948 film version and in Kenneth Branaghs 1996 interpretation. The Irish-born Branagh is regarded by many critics
as the cinematic successor to Olivier, directing, starring and adapting several of Shakespeares plays for the big screen. Nevertheless, their cinematic visions of how Shakespeare should be presented were
as different "as night and day," in the opinion of one film scholar (Stoner sks4.htm). The first basic difference can be found in the time setting of the play.
Hamlet, as conceived by Shakespeare, was set in the late-sixteenth or early-seventeenth century, in which it was written. Olivier adhered to this timeline, but Branagh believed the tragedy
should take place in the nineteenth century, a time characterized by scandalous behavior, which he believed would make 400-year-old play more titillating for both American and European audiences (Stoner sks4.htm).
The staging for Hamlet was also approached differently by Olivier and Branagh. Olivier regarded Hamlet as, primarily, a mood piece, and his choice of black-and-white cinematography and Spartan
set design reflected this. He believed that the most faithful interpretation of Shakespeares play was as a psychological drama, where everything and everyone reflected Hamlets inner torment. Olivier
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