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This 3 page paper discusses the way director Franco Zeffirelli explores the Oedipal theme in his version of Hamlet. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
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3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: KV32_HV680163.rtf
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in which the theme is explored. In this case, the film is the 1990 version of Hamlet, with Mel Gibson in the title role. Discussion The original play by
Sophocles turns on the fact that the Oracle at Delphi has prophesied that Oedipus will literally kill his father and marry his mother. That is, we are not dealing here
with a psychological condition or an illusion of some sort, but an actual physical fact. Oedipus does kill his father and marry his mother; the play is the gradual and
unbearably tense exploration of Oedipuss reaction to the revelation of the horrible truth about his life. There is a major debate about the play, and specifically, whether or not
Oedipus brings his fate upon himself. It can be argued either way: one theory holds that since Oedipus was the subject of a prophesy and attempted to thwart the will
of Apollo, his fate is his punishment for defying the god. The other side of the coin is that Oedipus is an innocent pawn, helpless in the hands of the
immortals that rule the ancient Greek world. The play will support either interpretation. The film too is ambiguous, but in a different sense. Hamlet is fascinating because he is so
psychologically rich and complex; hes a real person, and no one has quite managed to figure him out. His relationship with his mother is one of the most mysterious and
troubling parts of the play or film. First of all, Hamlet is not a boy of 10; hes a young man, a college student, and yet the idea that his
mother is sexually active is abhorrent to him. His reaction to her sexuality is so extreme that one has to wonder what causes it. One possible explanation is that he
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