-Imagery in reference to the uncertainty of 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?"(3.1.79-82)
"And thus the native hue of resolution/ Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought"(3.1.84-85)
-Imagery referring to negative life experiences:
"The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune"(3.1.58)
"The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks / That flesh is heir to..."(3.1.62-63)
"When we have shuffled off this mortal coil"(3.1.67)
"For who would bear the whips and scorns of time"(3.1.70)
"who would fardels bear, / To grunt and sweat under a weary life"(3.1.76-77)
-Appeals:
Pathos:
"To be, or not to be: that is the question: / Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, / And by opposing end them?"(3.1. 56-60)
"Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, / The pangs of despis'd love, the law's delay"(3.1.71-72)
Ethos:
"Thus conscience does make cowards of us all"(3.1.83)
Logos:
"The undiscovered country from whose bourn / No traveller returns, puzzles the will"(3.1.80)
-Literary Devices:
Paradox:
"To grunt and sweat under a weary life, / 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 not know of? / Thus conscience does make cowards of us all"(3.1.77-83)
The paradox presented in this soliloquy is one between life and death. Is it better to end one's life knowing that it could be worse on the other side? The fear of the unknown is what keeps us all in our current suffering. In an attempt to put an end to our horrible lives, we could end up pushing ourselves into a darker world. There is no way to know.
Parallelism:
"To be, or not to be"(3.1.56)
The essential question of the soliloquy.
"To die: to sleep; / No more; and by a sleep to say we end / The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks / 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"(3.1.60-65)
Infinitive:
"To be, or not to be"(3.1.56)
"Devoutly to be wish'd. To die, to sleep; / To sleep: perchance to dream..."(3.1.64-65)
The start of the soliloquy is very heavy with infinitives in comparison to the end. They help to provide Hamlet's view of life, the infinitives such as "to suffer", "to be", "to die", are ongoing and are not just specific to Hamlet, not just specific to his time, but apply to everyone, at any time. By generalizing with these infinitives it allows Hamlet to ask a monumental question about life.
Synecdoche:
"The insolence of office and the spurns"(3.1.73)
Tone:
Throughout the soliloquy there are tones of despair and uncertainty. The main topic of death and trying to escape the cruelties of life are weighing on Hamlet and he expresses this as he says asks at the beginning with the opening line, is it better to live or to die? That essential question lends itself to the tone of despair. Towards the end we see the uncertainty, is it worth ending ones life not knowing if it could just get worse?
Diction:
The diction enhances the tone and mood of the soliloquy as it is very dark and depressing, gothic at parts. He uses words such as "suffer", "heart-ache", "calamity", "despair'd", "sicklied", and "pale" to lend to feeling of despair brought on by the soliloquy.
Metaphor:
One of the main metaphors expressed here is the comparing the journey of life, to a journey across the sea. In the beginning he says, "...to take arms against a sea of troubles"(3.1.59) comparing a rough sea to the hardships of life. He goes on to say at the end in reference to death, "The undiscover'd country from whose bourn / No traveller returns..."(3.1.79-80) using the word "traveller" to further the metaphor, and comparing the realm of death, with a new country that one may not return from. Another metaphor is the comparison of sleep to death. He says, "To die: to sleep; / Nor more; and by a sleep to say we end / The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks / 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"(3.1.60-65) Towards the end of this he talks about how sleep can sometimes bring about dreams, and this goes along with uncertainty of death. To dream is to escape the hazards of ones daily life, and that is ultimately what Hamlet wishes to seek in death.
-Evidence of Comparisons:
Life on Earth:
"When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, / Must give us pause: there's the respect / That makes calamity of so long life"(3.1.67-69)
Afterlife:
"The undiscover'd country from whose bourn / No traveller returns, puzzles the will"(3.1.79-80)
Death:
"To die: to sleep; / Nor more; and by a sleep to say we end / The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks / 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"(3.1.60-65)
Humans:
"For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, / Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely"(3.1.70-71)
Thinking:
"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"(3.1.83-86)
-Oppositions:
1. "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, / And by opposing end them?"(3.1. 57-60)
2. "For who would bare the whips and scorns of time, / Th'e oppressor' wrong, the proud man's contumely, / The pangs of depis'd love, the law's delay, / The insolence of office and the spurns / That patient merit of th' unworthy takes, / When he himself might his quietus make / With a bare bodkin?"(3.1.70-76)
3. "To grunt and sweat under a weary life, / But that the dread of something after death, / The undiscover'd country from whose bourn / No traveller returns, puzzles the will"(3.1.77-80)
-Eternal Philosophical Questions
The main question Hamlet asks is, is better to suffer through life, or end the suffering by taking your own life. He goes on to elaborate on this question by wondering why anyone would chose to live through such cruel circumstances as he himself is in, if they could chose to end it at any moment. Further down, he answers that question with yet another one, is it worth it to take your life, when you are unsure of what would come as an effect, what if it were to get worse?
-Conclusions
The conclusions that Hamlet draws are not much for conclusions at all, he seems to leave himself, as well as the readers, with more questions than he has answers. The main conclusion he comes to though is that thinking, which he does quiet a lot of, is what hinders us. It is what has pushed him away from ending his life, and from killing Claudius.
2. Acting Analysis
In the first clip by Kenneth Branagh the camera angles create a great effect as we see Hamlet looking at himself in the mirror. Hamlet is struggling internally with these issues and they are in constant debate, so it is helpful to see Hamlet almost discussing the problems he faces with himself. The sound at the beginning is nothing more than his voice, until towards the middle a soft music is introduced and grows toward the end of the scene. It adds a greater sense of drama to the speech, heightening the effect of one of the props he uses, the knife. The knife serves to further enhance what Hamlet is saying in the speech and show his true conflict between life and death. The makeup used makes him look pale, allowing him to mirror the "pale cast" he mentions in his speech. The setting is fitting, him alone in a large space, as far as he knows, all alone with his thoughts. The mirrors surrounding and the one he is facing are effective in showing his internal debate. The editing allows for us to only not see Hamlet once during his soliloquy when it cuts to Claudius' reaction when the knife is pulled out, again, heightening that moment. His clothes are black, a striking contrast to the rest of the room, portraying his mood in comparison to what he believes to be everyone else's.
In the second clip by Laurence Olivier the setting is very different. Hamlet is outside on the edge of a castle overlooking the harsh waves and surrounded by fog. This gives the scene an eerie effect, adding to the overall mood of the speech. This is further enhanced by the diegetic sounds of the waves crashing and the low rumble of thunder in the background, as well as the non-diegetic sound of the faster paced, higher intensity music that is playing. We also see Hamlet pull out a knife in this scene, although here he more directly points it at himself while his voice becomes a voice over and he questions whether to live or die. The knife is eventually thrown off the side into the water, and the camera angles allow us to see it fall all the way into the water from Hamlet's perspective. The make up and costume, as well as his posture, show us that he, even though discussing a very serious topic, in a relaxed and pondering state. The editing shows us the scene completely at the beginning so we immediately experience the mood, and at the end allows us to see Hamlet fading into the fog as he walks away having reached his conclusion.
In the third clip by Mel Gibson we again see a very different setting. This time we see Hamlet in a dark and stone walled tomb, entering you can only hear his footsteps, enhancing the emptiness of it. It is an appropriate place considering the question of life vs death that Hamlet is asking. You only hear Hamlet's voice during the play as he walks around, allowing the mood to be mainly influenced by the actors tone of voice. His costume is dark and at points blends in with the darkness of the setting, enhancing the dark mood and despairing topic. The camera angles move with Hamlet so we are always watching him as he wanders about, looking at all the tombs. The editing allows for the scene to be very dark, again showcasing the mood, and at the end of scene, as Hamlet retreats back up the stairs we see him fade into black, sticking with the dark color scheme to end the dramatic moment.
In the fourth clip by Ethan Hawke the scene is dramatically different from the others. It is a modern setting, specifically a Blockbuster, and Hamlet proceeds through, first through the action aisle, as he ponders the question first, whether to live or die. As he walks you can see a sign hanging behind him that says "Go Home Happy" which is quiet ironic considering home is the place where Hamlet is the least happy. As he walks down the action aisle he comes face to face with a screen showing violence, with sparks and bodies flying. In the scene he is wearing a blazer paired with a ridiculous looking winter cap sitting on top of his head, he looks a little disheveled which is symbolic of the internal debate he is having. What we hear beyond his voice is slow and depressing music, making this scene in particular seem like the saddest. We also hear the sound effects from the television screen. The scene ends with Hamlet looking back at the screen to see and hear the fire crackling on it and a man standing behind the flames. Both times we see Hamlet looking at the screen we see it from his point of view, giving the viewer further insight into what Hamlet is feeling at this time.
The perspective that I find to be most effective is the first clip by Branagh. It is here that Hamlet's feeling are truly captured. It is so obvious that he is struggling internally and by showing him looking into his own eyes in the mirror is very effective to enhance the feelings he has and the war he is at with himself. It is there as is closes in on his face, especially when he has the knife, that we seem his madness. He starts to get lost in himself, as the music plays the drama heightens and it is obvious my dear Hamlet is struggling. His blacks clothing is so opposite of the whites and light colors of the room where he stands and it strikes me how horrible he must be feeling, how far gone he has truly become.
-Ophelia
Personally, I would've not added background music to any of them. I like that in the Mel Gibson one there was no music and that the actor held the responsibility for creating the mood with his tone of voice and his actions. When solely hearing the actors voice we are only focused on the words Hamlet is saying, and truly experience what it is that he is feeling. I would not have gone with the modern setting being a blockbuster. Not knowing the context of the entire film, it seemed like an odd place for such a pivotal speech to be shown. I sometimes like the modern approach but it has to be done right, and I don't think the setting, or the costume, were very effective. For the non modern scene that didn't employ the knife I would have added it. I think it enhances the feelings Hamlet is having about killing himself, it furthers the internal debate he is having by physically showing how close he could be to ending it all.
2. Acting Analysis
In the first clip by Kenneth Branagh the camera angles create a great effect as we see Hamlet looking at himself in the mirror. Hamlet is struggling internally with these issues and they are in constant debate, so it is helpful to see Hamlet almost discussing the problems he faces with himself. The sound at the beginning is nothing more than his voice, until towards the middle a soft music is introduced and grows toward the end of the scene. It adds a greater sense of drama to the speech, heightening the effect of one of the props he uses, the knife. The knife serves to further enhance what Hamlet is saying in the speech and show his true conflict between life and death. The makeup used makes him look pale, allowing him to mirror the "pale cast" he mentions in his speech. The setting is fitting, him alone in a large space, as far as he knows, all alone with his thoughts. The mirrors surrounding and the one he is facing are effective in showing his internal debate. The editing allows for us to only not see Hamlet once during his soliloquy when it cuts to Claudius' reaction when the knife is pulled out, again, heightening that moment. His clothes are black, a striking contrast to the rest of the room, portraying his mood in comparison to what he believes to be everyone else's.
In the second clip by Laurence Olivier the setting is very different. Hamlet is outside on the edge of a castle overlooking the harsh waves and surrounded by fog. This gives the scene an eerie effect, adding to the overall mood of the speech. This is further enhanced by the diegetic sounds of the waves crashing and the low rumble of thunder in the background, as well as the non-diegetic sound of the faster paced, higher intensity music that is playing. We also see Hamlet pull out a knife in this scene, although here he more directly points it at himself while his voice becomes a voice over and he questions whether to live or die. The knife is eventually thrown off the side into the water, and the camera angles allow us to see it fall all the way into the water from Hamlet's perspective. The make up and costume, as well as his posture, show us that he, even though discussing a very serious topic, in a relaxed and pondering state. The editing shows us the scene completely at the beginning so we immediately experience the mood, and at the end allows us to see Hamlet fading into the fog as he walks away having reached his conclusion.
In the third clip by Mel Gibson we again see a very different setting. This time we see Hamlet in a dark and stone walled tomb, entering you can only hear his footsteps, enhancing the emptiness of it. It is an appropriate place considering the question of life vs death that Hamlet is asking. You only hear Hamlet's voice during the play as he walks around, allowing the mood to be mainly influenced by the actors tone of voice. His costume is dark and at points blends in with the darkness of the setting, enhancing the dark mood and despairing topic. The camera angles move with Hamlet so we are always watching him as he wanders about, looking at all the tombs. The editing allows for the scene to be very dark, again showcasing the mood, and at the end of scene, as Hamlet retreats back up the stairs we see him fade into black, sticking with the dark color scheme to end the dramatic moment.
In the fourth clip by Ethan Hawke the scene is dramatically different from the others. It is a modern setting, specifically a Blockbuster, and Hamlet proceeds through, first through the action aisle, as he ponders the question first, whether to live or die. As he walks you can see a sign hanging behind him that says "Go Home Happy" which is quiet ironic considering home is the place where Hamlet is the least happy. As he walks down the action aisle he comes face to face with a screen showing violence, with sparks and bodies flying. In the scene he is wearing a blazer paired with a ridiculous looking winter cap sitting on top of his head, he looks a little disheveled which is symbolic of the internal debate he is having. What we hear beyond his voice is slow and depressing music, making this scene in particular seem like the saddest. We also hear the sound effects from the television screen. The scene ends with Hamlet looking back at the screen to see and hear the fire crackling on it and a man standing behind the flames. Both times we see Hamlet looking at the screen we see it from his point of view, giving the viewer further insight into what Hamlet is feeling at this time.
The perspective that I find to be most effective is the first clip by Branagh. It is here that Hamlet's feeling are truly captured. It is so obvious that he is struggling internally and by showing him looking into his own eyes in the mirror is very effective to enhance the feelings he has and the war he is at with himself. It is there as is closes in on his face, especially when he has the knife, that we seem his madness. He starts to get lost in himself, as the music plays the drama heightens and it is obvious my dear Hamlet is struggling. His blacks clothing is so opposite of the whites and light colors of the room where he stands and it strikes me how horrible he must be feeling, how far gone he has truly become.
-Ophelia
Personally, I would've not added background music to any of them. I like that in the Mel Gibson one there was no music and that the actor held the responsibility for creating the mood with his tone of voice and his actions. When solely hearing the actors voice we are only focused on the words Hamlet is saying, and truly experience what it is that he is feeling. I would not have gone with the modern setting being a blockbuster. Not knowing the context of the entire film, it seemed like an odd place for such a pivotal speech to be shown. I sometimes like the modern approach but it has to be done right, and I don't think the setting, or the costume, were very effective. For the non modern scene that didn't employ the knife I would have added it. I think it enhances the feelings Hamlet is having about killing himself, it furthers the internal debate he is having by physically showing how close he could be to ending it all.
No comments:
Post a Comment