Check here for assignments, resources, clarifications, comments. Use the comment box for your responses. Come here often. Oh, and remember, when someone asks you what AP English Language and Composition is about tell them "argument" and "rhetoric".
Remember to read and take notes from where we left off in class to the end of 4.7 in Hamlet. If you missed class yesterday you'll be reading from the beginning of 4.5 to the end of 4.7.
Also remember to do the 4.4 soliloquy assignment outlined in the previous post.
Here's the Ophelia Speaks assignment for those interested in getting a head start over Thanksgiving break.
Ophelia Speaks
Role: You are a playwright commissioned by a theatrical troupe
to create a soliloquy (or monologue or text written by Ophelia) that will be
inserted into Hamlet.
Audience: Readers and viewers of Hamlet who want to understand Ophelia
more deeply.
Format: 1.
a soliloquy (or monologue)
2. 14+ lines*
3.
The lines conclude with a rhyming couple in iambic pentameter. See 3.1
monologue blog post for notes on iambic pentamenter. (*The other 12 lines may
be in prose or in iambic pentameter (blank verse).
4.
State where in the play you would insert the soliloquy (or monologue). (Would
you create a 4.8? Would you place it somewhere in 4.5? Where? Be precise: act,
scene, line. You could even, I suppose, create a 4.8 in which she returns as a
ghost; or perhaps someone finds a letter she has written or a diary.)
5.
Refer to song lyrics and flower imagery (from 4.5).
6.
Show Ophelia’s mind puzzling out and wrestling with her dramatic situation and
inner consciousness.
Topic: What Ophelia is thinking and feeling at the moment in
the play into which you decide to insert her soliloquy?
Due Wednesday, November 30.
4.5 (Ophelia's songs) Kate Winslet as Ophelia, directed by Kenneth Branagh
4.5 (Ophelia's flowers and final song) Kate Winslet as Ophelia, directed by Kenneth Branagh
4.5 (Ophelia's songs) Mariah Gale as Ophelia, directed by Gregory Doran
4.5 (Ophelia's flowers and final song) Mariah Gale as Ophelia, directed by Gregory Doran
4.5 (sort of...) (two different selections) Helena Bonham-Carter as Ophelia, directed by Franco Zeffirelli
This video is a montage edited (by someone using the name Call Me Isolde) of images of Julia Stiles as Ophelia, directed by Michael Almereyda, accompanied by Cat Power (Chan Marshall) covering Velvet Underground's song "I Found a Reason"
4.7 Eileen Herlie as Gertrude (Jean Simmons as Ophelia), directed by Laurence Olivier. The imagery in the scene is based on this famous painting of Ophelia (1851-2) by John Everett Millais now located in the Tate Museum in London.
[Source: http://shakespeare.about.com/od/studentresources/a/allinform.htm Amanda Mabillard, B.A. (Honors) is a
freelance writer specializing in Shakespeare, Renaissance political theory,
theatre history, comparative literary history, and linguistic topics in
Renaissance literature.]
inform against ] Accuse me.
market ] Employment.
discourse ] The power of reason. God gave human beings the
ability to reflect on life's events.
Looking before and after ] Our intelligence allows us to
analyze past experiences and make rational judgments about the future.
fust ] Grow mouldy. Hamlet is saying that God did not give us
the power of reason for it to go unused.
Bestial oblivion ] The forgetfulness of an animal. Our
capability to remember separates mankind from other animals or
"beasts". But Hamlet forgetting Claudius's deeds is clearly not why
he delays the murder.
craven scruple ] Cowardly feelings.
of ] From.
event ] Outcome.
quarter'd ] Meticulously analyzed (literally, divided into
four).
Sith ] Since.
gross ] Obvious.
mass and charge ] Size and cost. Hamlet is referring to the
army led by Fortinbras, prince of Norway. Hamlet wishes he had
Fortinbras's courage.
puff'd ] Inflated.
Makes mouths at the invisible event ] Shows contempt for (or
cares not about) the uncertain outcome of battle.
Rightly to be great...stake ] Truly great men refrain from
fighting over insignificant things, but they will fight without hesitation over
something trivial when their honour is at risk. "True nobility of soul is
to restrain one's self unless there is a great cause for resentment, but nobly
to recognize even a trifle as such as cause when honour is involved"
(Kittredge 121). Ironically, "Hamlet never learns from the Captain or
attempts to clarify what the specific issue of honor is that motivates the
Prince of Norway. In fact, there is none, for the play has made it clear that
Fortinbras's uncle, after discovering and stopping his nephew's secret and
illegal revenge campaign against Claudius, encouraged him to use newly levied
forces to fight in Poland...Since no issue of honor is to be found in
Fortinbras's cause, Hamlet, through his excessive desire to emulate the
Norwegian leader, ironically calls into question whether there is any honour in
his own cause" (Newell 143). [Mr. Cook adds: or, perhaps, Hamlet’s mind
has once again moved from the particular (Fortinbras and his army) to the
abstract (consideration of what defines greatness). It seems Fortinbras and his
army are not important in and of themselves but in how they “inform against”
(indict, critique, etc.) Hamlet’s inaction.]
twenty thousand men ] In line 25, it was 20000 ducats and only
2000 men. It is undecided whether this confusion is Hamlet's or Shakespeare's.
blood ] Passions.
trick of fame ] Trifle of reputation. But is not Hamlet jealous
of Fortinbras and his ability to fight in defense of his honour?
"Fortinbras is enticed by a dream, and thousands must die for it. Hamlet's
common sense about the absurdity of Fortinbras's venture shows the
pointlessness of his envy" (Edwards 193).
Whereon...slain ] The cause is not significant enough to
consume the thousands of men fighting over it, and the tombs and coffins are
not plentiful enough to hold those who are killed (continent = container).
1.(Make connections!) In a paragraph compare what Hamlet
says in lines 36-49 of this soliloquy to what he says in lines 91-96 of his “To
be or not to be” soliloquy (below).
2.(Make connections!) In a paragraph explain how this
soliloquy is similar to the “O What a rogue and peasant slave” (2.2.576)
soliloquy. (Think about the role that Fortinbras plays in this speech and that
the First Player plays in the earlier speech: “What would he do, / Had he the motive and the cue for passion / That I have?”)
3.(What’s your opinion?) Hamlet contrasts his own
cowardly thought with the actions of Fortinbras. Do you think Fortinbras is a
good role model for Hamlet? In other words, should Hamlet be more like
Fortinbras or not? Explain your answer in a paragraph. Use evidence from the
play and this soliloquy to develop your answer. (Like Hamlet, you might be able
to argue both “yes” and “no”.)
**********
4.4 soliloquy, directed by Kenneth Branagh, Hamlet played by Kenneth Branagh (1996)
4.4 soliloquy, directed by Gregory Doran, Hamlet played by David Tennant (2009)
After watching the interpretations of the 4.4 soliloquy in Hamlet below decide which film best
conveys the full meaning of the text.
Begin with the text: the meaning of the text and the language
in the text. Then, consider how the director’s and actor’s choices influence
the meaning and the effectiveness of the speech. Consider the actor’s portrayal
of Hamlet. Consider his movements and the delivery of the lines. Consider the
director’s choices of props, setting and images, lighting, editing, music and
other sounds.
To be, or not to be: that is the question (3.1.64-98).
To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer (65)
The slings and
arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them?
To die: to sleep;
No more; and by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks (70)
That flesh is heir to, 'tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep;
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, (75)
Must give us pause: there's the respect
That makes calamity of so long
life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,
The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, (80)
The insolence of office and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his
quietus make
With a bare bodkin?
who would fardels
bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life, (85)
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn No traveller returns,
puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of? (90)
Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of
resolution
Is sicklied o'er with the pale
cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pitch
and moment With this regard their
currents turn awry, (95)
And lose the name of action.-- Soft
you now!
The fair Ophelia! Nymph,
in thy orisons
Be all my sins remember'd.
NOTES: [Source: http://shakespeare.about.com/od/studentresources/a/tobeornot.htm Amanda Mabillard, B.A. (Honors) is a
freelance writer specializing in Shakespeare, Renaissance political theory,
theatre history, comparative literary history, and linguistic topics in
Renaissance literature.]
slings ] Some argue that "slings" is a misprint of
the intended word, "stings". "The stings of fortune" was a
common saying in the Renaissance. But in the context of the soliloquy,
"slings" likely means "sling-shot" or "missile".
This seems in keeping with the reference to "arrows" - both can do
great harm.
outrageous fortune ] Fortune is "outrageous" in that
it is brazenly defiant.
And by opposing end them ] If you cannot suffer the
"slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" then you must end your
troubles with suicide. [Mr. Cook’s note: other critics read this phrase more
broadly.]
consummation ] Final settlement of all matters.
rub ] Impediment. The term comes from bowling, where the
"rub" is any obstacle the pushes the ball off course.
shuffled off this mortal coil ] To separate from one's body
(mortal coil = body).
respect ] Consideration.
of so long life ] So long-lived.
time ] Time = temporal life.
his quietus make ] Settle his own account.
bare bodkin ] A "mere dagger". Bodkin was a Renaissance
term used to describe many different sharp instruments, but it makes the most
sense here to assume Shakespeare means a dagger.
fardels ] Burdens.
No traveller returns ] Since Hamlet has already encountered his
father's ghost, and thus proof of the afterlife, this line has raised much
debate. There are four major current theories regarding this line: 1)
Shakespeare made an egregious error and simply failed to reconcile the
appearance of the ghost and Hamlet's belief that human beings do not return; 2)
Hamlet has earlier revealed that he doubts the authenticity of the ghost and,
therefore, he does not believe his father has truly returned; 3) Hamlet is
referring only to human beings returning in the flesh and not as mere shadows
of their former selves; 4) the entire soliloquy is misplaced and rightfully
belongs before Hamlet has met his father's ghost. In my estimation, theory #4
seems the most plausible.
bourn ] Limit or boundary.
native hue of resolution ] Natural. Here Hamlet refers to the
"natural color of courage".
pale cast of thought ] Sickly tinge of contemplation.
great pitch and moment ] Of momentous significance. The
"pitch" was the name given to the highest point in a falcon's flight
before it dives down to catch its prey.
With this regard their currents turn awry ] A reference to the
sea and its tides: "Because of their thoughts, their currents become
unstable".
Soft you now ] "But hush!". Hamlet hears Ophelia
begin to pray and he must cut short his private ponderances.
Nymph ] See commentary below.
orisons ] Prayers.
1.Explication (Do this in the comment box.)
Write an explication of this soliloquy. Pay special
attention to Hamlet’s use of metaphorical imagery—“slings and arrows of
outrageous fortune,” “a sea of
troubles,” “this mortal coil,” “the whips and scorns of time,” “the undiscovered country from whose bourn /
No traveler returns,” “the native hue of
resolution / Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought,” “enterprises of
great pitch and moment / With this regard their currents turn awry, / And lose
the name of action,” etc.
2.Pronouns (Read this and be prepare to discuss this in class.)
Hamlet uses “I” more than a dozen times in his “O, what a
rogue and peasant slave am I!” soliloquy, but no first person singular pronouns
are found in this soliloquy. Instead, he uses “we” three times and “us” once. Think
a bit about his pronoun use. How does the change of pronouns help explain the
change in tone between the two speeches? (Think about which speech is
angrier—both towards himself and others—and which speech is more thoughtful and
philosophical. Explain how the tone shift is related to the shift in pronouns.)
How might the change in pronouns also help explain why this soliloquy is the
most remembered of Hamlet’s speeches? (Think about which speech is more
particular to Hamlet’s circumstance. Think about which speech is more universal
and more applicable to others, including us.) The shift in pronouns helps
explain both the shift in tone between the two soliloquies and why the second soliloquy
is the more famous of the two. Explain.
3. Blank Verse (Read this and be prepared to ask questions and discuss this in class.)
Much of Hamlet is written in blank verse meaning most
lines do not rhyme but they do follow a particular meter (a pattern of
unstressed and stressed syllables). The meter is called iambic pentameter.
“Iambic” means unstressed syllables are followed by stressed syllables: “And makes us rather bear those ills we have”. Pentameter means there are five iambs.
a. Practice yourself. Use “/ ” to mark stressed syllables
and an elongated “u” to mark unstressed syllables
“…And
makes us rather bear those ills we have,
than
fly to others that we know not of?
Thus
conscience does make cowards of us all…”
***
But notice the meter can often be ambiguous. Actors have
delivered the first line of this famous soliloquy by with varying rhythms:
“To be,
or notto be, thatis the question” or “To be, or notto be,thatis the question”
But it is also possible without doing any violence to English
language to read the line iambically:
“To be,
or not to be, that is the question.”
Notice that the beginning of the line (before the caesura or
pause) follows the iambic pattern: unstressed syllable then stressed syllable.
Then many actors change the rhythm for emphasis.
b. Are slight differences in meaning conveyed by the
variations? Explain.
***
Further notes about rhythm.
·A few more points: Notice that Hamlet’s
soliloquy ends with the line:
“Be all my sins remembered.”
Then notice that Ophelia’s first words are indented.
“Be all my sins remembered.
Good my lord.”
Her line is indented to indicate that her words complete the
iambic pentameter.
If you combine Hamlet’s last line and Ophelia’s first line
you’ll find a perfect iambic line:
“Be all my sins remembered. Good my lord.”
You’ll notice this throughout the play!
·Finally flip back to act two scene two.
Notice that the writing changes from blank verse poetry to
prose (regular writing) and then back again. Not all of Hamlet is written as
blank verse poetry.
As you read on look for both prose and blank verse.
4.Three Hamlets and three Hamlets (*Do this in the comment box.*)
After watching the interpretations of the 3.1 soliloquy in Hamlet below decide which film best
conveys the full meaning of the text.
Begin with the text: the meaning of the text and the language
in the text. Then, consider how the director’s and actor’s choices influence
the meaning and the effectiveness of the speech. Consider the actor’s portrayal
of Hamlet. Consider his movements and the delivery of the lines. Consider the
director’s choices of props, setting and images, lighting, editing, music and
other sounds.
(Think, for example, about Branagh’s hall of mirrors (which
creates double meanings and makes the speech not a soliloquy), Zeffirelli’s
catacombs (which seem to emphasize Hamlet’s meditations on death), Olivier's water imagery, Doran's emphasis on Hamlet's face, and
Almereyda’s Blockbuster video store (which emphasizes--or overemphasizes--Hamlet’s obsession with
action.). Which depictions are most effective? Be specific. Be thorough. Be thoughtful. I'm curious to discover what choices you notice and what you think about them.)
Make sure you provide support using both textual details and
visual details. Convince me and your peers that you are right.
Here are five versions of the 3.1 speech.
First clip: 3.1 monologue, directed by Kenneth Branagh, Hamlet played by Kenneth Branagh (1996)
[I know what you're going to ask. The answer is one-way mirror.]
Second clip: 3.1 soliloquy, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, Hamlet played by Mel Gibson (1990)
[Here the monologue is lifted out of its context in 3.1 and delivered on its own. Hamlet walks down into the catacombs where his father and others are buried.]
Third clip: 3.1 soliloquy, directed by Michael Almereyda, Hamlet played by Ethan Hawke (2000)
[Here again the soliloquy is lifted out of its context in 3.1 and delivered on its own, but this time Hamlet is in a Blockbuster video store. Why?, you ask. Because in this version Hamlet creates the Mousetrap by editing clips of film into a montage depicting something like the murder of his father. He's in Blockbuster looking for film clips to include in his montage.]
Fourth clip: 3.1 soliloquy, directed by Gregory Doran, Hamlet played by David Tennant (2009)
[In context again...]
Fifth clip: 2.2 soliloquy, directed by Laurence Olivier, Hamlet played by Laurence Olivier (1948)
[Out of the 3.1. again but with suggestive water imagery that plays off of lines in the speech and elsewhere in the play.]
**********************
The Murder of Gonzago a.k.a. The Mousetrap
Watch Act
III, Scene ii (The Mousetrap). You’ll watch, read along, and take notes on
three different film versions of the Mousetrap.
·The first
version, which is unabridged, is directed by Kenneth Branagh. Branagh plays
Hamlet and Kate Winslet plays Ophelia. This version is set during the Victorian
period (19th century).
·The second
version is directed by Franco Zeffirelli (who also directed the older version
of Romeo and Juliet that some of you
may have seen). Mel Gibson plays Hamlet and Helena Bonham Carter (who plays Elizabeth in Branagh’s Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein) plays
Ophelia. This abridged version is set during the late medieval or early
renaissance period.
·The third
version, also abridged, is directed by Michael Almereyda. Ethan Hawke plays
Hamlet and Julia Stiles plays Ophelia. Almereyda sets his Hamlet in mid-1990s Manhattan.
·Write a response to
the three versions of the Mousetrap.Choose (or create) your own analytical argument question then develop an answer. Here are some ideas. Which “Mousetrap” is most
powerful? Most effective? Which is most faithful to Shakespeare’s Hamlet? Explain.Which version do you
prefer? Which version do you abhor? Why? How do the different versions each suit the settings the directors have chosen? Be specific and insightful. Be opinionated. To develop your position you might need to show an awareness of
what lines are cut out of the abridged versions. (Is it okay to cut the lines? Is meaning adequately conveyed without the lines? If something is lost what?) You'll certainly need to show an awareness of the
different ways the three directors stage the “Mousetrap”. You might need to think about the ways
that each version is faithful to the time period in which it is set. Think
about the behavior and reactions of each character, especially the three
Claudiuses and the three Hamlets but differences in the Ophelias and the
Gertrudes are significant too.
***
Make sure you've written (1) an explication of the "to be or not to be" monologue, (2) a response to different stagings of the "to be or not to be", (3) a response to different stagings of the Murder of Gonzago (also called The Mousetrap).
Now I am alone. O, what a rogue and peasant slave am I! (555)
Is it not monstrous that this
player here,
But in a fiction, in a dream of passion,
Could force his soul so to his own conceit
That from her working all his visage wann'd,
Tears in his eyes, distraction in's aspect, (560)
A broken voice, and his whole function suiting
With forms to his conceit? and all for nothing!
For Hecuba!
What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,
That he should weep for her? What would he do, (565)
Had he the motive and the cue for
passion
That I have? He would drown the stage with tears
And cleave the general ear with horrid speech, Make mad the guilty
and appall the free,
Confound the ignorant, and amaze
indeed (570)
The very faculties of eyes and ears. Yet I,
A dull and muddy-mettled
rascal, peak,
Like John-a-dreams, unpregnant of my cause,
And can say nothing; no, not for a king,
Upon whose property and most dear life (575)
A damn'd defeat was made. Am I a coward?
Who calls me villain? breaks my pate
across?
Plucks off my beard, and blows it in my face?
Tweaks me by the nose? gives me the lie i' the throat,
As deep as to the lungs? who does me this? (580)
Ha! 'Swounds, I should
take it: for it cannot be
But I am pigeon-liver'd
and lack gall
To make oppression bitter, or ere this
I should have fatted all the region
kites (585)
With this slave's offal: bloody, bawdy villain!
Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!
O, vengeance!
Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave,
That I, the son of a dear father murder'd, (590)
Prompted to my revenge by heaven and hell,
Must, like a whore, unpack my heart with words,
And fall a-cursing, like a very drab,
A scullion!
Fie upon't! foh! About, my brain! I have heard (595)
That guilty creatures sitting at a play
Have by the very cunning of the scene
Been struck so to the soul that presently
They have proclaim'd their
malefactions;
For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak (600)
With most miraculous organ. I'll have these players
Play something like the murder of my father
Before mine uncle: I'll observe his looks;
I'll tent him to the quick: if he but blench,
I know my course. The spirit that I have seen (605)
May be the devil: and the devil hath power
To assume a pleasing shape; yea, and perhaps
Out of my weakness and my melancholy,
As he is very potent with such spirits,
Abuses me to damn me: I'll have grounds (610)
More relative than this: the play 's the thing
Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king.
rogue ] Useless vagrant.
peasant ] A person of little integrity (see The Taming of the Shrew 4.1.113).
player...Hecuba ] This passage is often very difficult for
students, and standard annotations leave them wanting. So it is best
paraphrased:
Is it not horribly unfair
that this actor, pretending to feel great passion, could, based on what he has
conceived in his own mind, force his own soul to believe the part that he is
playing, so much so that all the powers of his body adapt themselves to suit
his acting needs, so that he grows agitated ("distraction in's
aspect"), weeps, and turns pale ("wann'd")? And why does he
carry on so? Why does he pretend until he truly makes himself weep? For Hecuba! But why? What
are they to each other?
Hamlet wishes he could arouse his passions so.
Hecuba ] Trojan queen and heroine of classical mythology.
Earlier in 2.2 Hamlet asks the First Player to recite a monologue retelling
Hecuba's response to the death of her husband, King Priam. The Player tells us
that Hecuba's grief was profound and "Would have made milch the burning
eyes of heaven/And passion in the gods" (505-6). The contrast between
Gertrude and Hecuba should be noted. To Hamlet, Hecuba has responded
appropriately to her husband's death, while Gertrude has not.
cue for passion ] The reason for strong feelings.
Make mad the guilty ] "By his description of the crime he
would drive those spectators mad who had any such sin on their conscience, and
would horrify even the innocent" (Kittredge 68),
amaze ] Plunge into confusion.
muddy-mettled ] Dull-spirited.
peak ] Moping about; languishing, unable to act.
John-a-dreams ] A nickname for a dreamer.
unpregnant ] "Pregnant" here does not mean "with
child", but rather, quick or ready. Thus to be "unpregnant" is
to be unable to act quickly.
pate ] Head.
swounds ] God's wounds.
pigeon-liver'd ] In the Renaissance, the gentle disposition of
the Dove was explained by the argument that it had no gall and thus no capacity
to feel resentment or to seek revenge. The liver also was seen as the body's
storehouse for courage.
region kites ] The birds of prey in the region, circling in the
sky, waiting to feed. If Hamlet were not "pigeon-liver'd" (583) he
would have long ago fed Claudius to the hawks.
kindless ] Unnatural.
drab ] A whore.
scullion ] A kitchen helper, either man or woman but usually a
woman. It was a term used to show contempt. One should note that in the second
quarto, scullion was actually "stallyon", which means a male whore.
Scholars are still undecided on the matter, but scullion is the more generally
accepted of the two.
proclaim'd their malefactions ] Announced their evil deeds.
Write an explication
(one page, 300 words) of this soliloquy. An explications is not a paraphrase or
a summary, but explains and explores a text thoroughly. You will explain what
Hamlet is saying and how he says it. (What the text says and what it does.)
When explaining “what Hamlet is saying,” remember that
the soliloquy is a tool that Shakespeare uses to show Hamlet’s mind at work.
Ask yourself “what does this reveal about Hamlet?” and “how does what he says
fit into the work as a whole?” Deal with the surface and the depths.)
When explaining “how he says it,” pay close attention to
the language (particular word choices, sentence structure, etc.) and imagery
(including figurative language, such as metaphors). Ask yourself “what does how
he speaks and the language that he uses reveal about Hamlet?"
**********************
2.2 Soliloquy Assignment (2)
First clip: 2.2 soliloquy, directed by Kenneth Branagh, Hamlet played by Kenneth Branagh (1996)
Second clip: 2.2 soliloquy, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, Hamlet played by Mel Gibson (1990)
Third clip: 2.2 soliloquy, directed by Michael Almereyda, Hamlet played by Ethan Hawke (2000)
Fourth clip: 2.2 soliloquy, directed by Gregory Doran, Hamlet played by David Tennant (2009)
Fifth clip: 2.2 soliloquy, directed by Laurence Olivier, Hamlet played by Laurence Olivier (1948)
Which performance of the 2.2 soliloquy best jibes with your explication of the soliloquy? Be insightful. Be specific.
Also, make sure that while supporting your position that you discuss all
of the performances (by comparing acting and directing choices that embody your vision of the soliloquy
to ones with ones that do not, or by discussing acting and directing that, although successful and interesting, are simply not as rich and compelling, etc.). I'm looking forward to reading these because
of how passionate and thoughtful you were in class about your act one scene two preferences.
First clip: 1.2 soliloquy, directed by Kenneth Branagh, Hamlet played by Kenneth Branagh (1996)
Second clip: 1.2 soliloquy, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, Hamlet played by Mel Gibson (1990)
Third clip: 1.2 soliloquy, directed by Michael Almereyda, Hamlet played by Ethan Hawke (2000)
Fourth clip: 1.2 soliloquy, directed by Gregory Doran, Hamlet played by David Tennant (2009) [soliloquy ends at 3:32]
Fifth clip: 1.2 soliloquy, directed by Laurence Olivier, Hamlet played by Laurence Olivier (1948)
Make an argument: which performance of the 1.2 soliloquy best conveys the richness found the text (and context)? Be insightful. Be specific. Also, make sure that while supporting your position that you discuss all of the performances (by comparing superior acting and directing choices to inferior ones--or ones that are, perhaps, successful and interesting but simply not as rich). I'm looking forward to reading these because of how passionate and thoughtful you were in class about your preferences.
