Hamlet Becomes Modern Through Technology Essay - 973 Words

Hamlet by William Shakespeare is one play that has intrigued people for over four hundred years. There have been as many productions as there have been days since the original play 1596-1603. Each production has been different from the next one, no matter where performed or by whom. One film reproduction of Hamlet released in the year 2000, was directed by and stared Etahan Hawke as Hamlet and Julia Styles as Ophelia. This essay will refer to this film as Hamlet 2000 and the original play as Hamlet or text. To compare the text to the film Hamlet 2000 will be divided into three groups, language, setting / plot line and lastly the characters. All though the speech is taken only from the text, the film Hamlet 2000 is vastly different,†¦show more content†¦In an interview Ethan Hawke (Hamlet in Hamlet 2000) stated â€Å"memorizing Shakespeares dialogue for the first time, using the natural Iambic Pentameter. It works in a rhythm, and the rhythm perpetuates itself. Its easier than learning a volume of contemporary prose. Also, his ideas are very logical† making it sound as if memorizing his lines had been easy. Shakespeare is known for his rhythmic writing style. When Hamlet speaks it flows and sounds natural. Hawke also said â€Å" the subtext of the characters is all right there in the writing. Everything theyre thinking and feeling is presented to you† and you can see that in his acting. Hamlets offbeat manner and eccentrically passive style is what makes believable. The rest of the cast, however, seems to lack the ability to be as convincing. The biggest change in Hamlet 2000 changes the setting for a modern day city and by doing so the director is able to bring additional help from technology the audience can understand the charechters without the use of words. The use of a video camera that Hamlet is constantly caring and using, helps the audience to understand what Hamlet feels by showing us clips of video. The footage shown in the film appears as if they were his memories. It is through the video images that you see Hamlet’s mother and fathers relationship. This allow the viewerShow MoreRelated The Existentialist Views of Hamlet Essay756 Words   |  4 PagesThe Existentialist Views of Hamlet  Ã‚        Ã‚   Do we matter? Will anything we do endure? These are questions from existentialism. The dictionary defines existentialism as the plight of the individual who must assume ultimate responsibility for his acts of free will without any certain knowledge of what is right or wrong or good or bad (Merriam Webster). In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare, Hamlet struggles with the concept that nothing from our lives last and time grinds everything awayRead MoreMental Illness in Shakespeares Works1371 Words   |  6 Pagesbest, as were the methods of treating it. During the Middle Ages and Elizabethan Era, numerous theories about mental disorders and how to treat them abounded. 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