Saturday, June 30, 2018
Directorial Part One
Hamlet
My
adaptation will tackle the classic Hamlet
by William Shakespeare. There are elements of change within my
interpretation, but my ultimate goal will be to portray Shakespeare’s story honestly.
My version will implement a modern take on the literary classic, translating
the setting, character development, and a few plot points to modern times. This
will hold my audience’s attention, making the characters and story more
relatable. This adaptation will hopefully do the original Hamlet justice while incorporating my creative voice and personal
interpretation.
World-building
I will be taking
Shakespeare’s Hamlet and transporting
it into modern times. I don’t want to choose a specific location for the
setting, but just have the world be more contemporary and universal. This will
create a more relatable story for the modern audience while still holding true
to Hamlet’s core.
Though
the play will be set in modern times, I want to keep technology out of the
picture. This will maintain the focus on the characters and story line instead
of more contemporary distractions. The characters will speak in modern English,
including slang and some sparse cursing, much like would be found on today’s
television program or movie.
The
play’s sets will be fairly simple as well. I’d like to create different set
pieces to show changes in location, including Hamlet’s household, his room that
we will visit in his slumber and the confrontation with Ophelia, and an outdoor
location. I would implement backdrops that serve as scenery and views of a horizon
when outdoors, accompanied by set pieces of walls and rooms inside. There will
also be a view furniture pieces on stage when the characters are indoors. These
will be modern in design while also portraying Claudius’s wealth and status.
The
actor’s costumes will be simple, casual clothing you could find presently.
Jeans and T shirts for the men and casual dresses for the women will tie in the
modern gender roles as well, an important aspect of the women’s character
developments.
My
play won’t call for many special effects. The scenes are primarily straight
forward, not requiring any fancy technical achievements. Sound effects will
also not be highly prevalent in my adaptation. Dialogue is the main focus in
driving the plot forward, and no scenes contain diegetic sounds or narration.
Characters
I would try my
best to keep the characters’ representations fairly true to the original text. Though
many characters will be nearly identical, there are a few minor changes I’d
like to implement. These alterations will help translate the play into a more
modern setting, making the characters more powerful and relatable to the
audience.
Regarding
Ophelia, I’d like to give her a bit more of a voice. I would keep her obedience
and submission to authority, but she’ll be more visibly upset about her role in
this. Like most modern women, she will feel compelled to obey the men in her
life (Polonius, Laertes, Hamlet), but will struggle with her sense of autonomy
and finding her own voice. I would see her being the most comfortable standing
up to Hamlet since he isn’t a member of her family. This causes a more equal
confrontation with Hamlet, opposing the original scene where she is verbally
attacked with no rebuttal.
Hamlet
will remain broody and sensitive. His outlook at the beginning of the play is
rather hopeless, grieving his father’s loss and his mother’s quick turnaround. Once
he sees his late father, he gets a bit more motivated. However, his mental
state quickly becomes muddled with his act of madness. Hamlet’s family and
friends, in addition to the audience, seriously question and begin to doubt his
stability. A parallel between his actions and Ophelia’s spiral suggest even
more concretely that his mind has unhinged. His decisions become messy and
impulsive by the end of the play, where he takes no time to weigh any
consequences and is unwavering in having revenge. Though he ends up succeeding
in his revenge, it ultimately ends in his demise. I’d like to maintain the
portrayal of his satisfaction in the ‘success,’ though the consequence to his
actions may not have been worth the triumph to an audience who began to root
for him.
Claudius
would still be portrayed as malicious and devious. His reasons for killing his
brother betray the other characters’ strong familial loyalty. He has no trouble
murdering him for monetary gain, and even shows no respect for the king’s
marriage. He later kills Hamlet with no hesitation or remorse. He sees him as a
threat to the crown, therefore disposing of the risk. The man’s nonexistent allegiance
to his family contrasts the other characters’ morals, as they are overwhelmingly
prepared to kill for the honor of their household. I’d like to maintain the
strong difference among the characters in my version of this play as I see it
as an important aspect of their character identities.
Plot
The central scenes
will be those in which Hamlet schemes to find the truth about his uncle. I
found this plot line to be key to Hamlet’s character development, and it
suggests a few of the play’s larger themes. One theme would be Claudius’s fault,
introducing the idea of murder for the sake of revenge. Could Hamlet kill his
uncle just because his passed father told him to? So much energy is spent
proving that Claudius is truly at fault, and I believe this is just Hamlet
stalling because he is following through with something he does not fully agree
with. The focus on these scenes will deepen Hamlet’s character arc while also
bringing a familiar struggle to the audience: do you do what you feel is right
or what you have been trained to believe is the only option?
Looking
at elements of story line, Hamlet’s family will not be royals, but rather the
owners of a multimillion dollar company. This will help the story translate to
a more American audience, while still giving Claudius motive and setting the
stakes high.
In
terms of plot, I would implement a few changes in my version of Hamlet. Instead
of Hamlet seeing a physical ghost while walking at night, he would see the
vision of his father nightly in his dreams. Here, the ‘ghost’ of his late
father would explain his murder and ask for revenge, much like the original
play. The consistency of the dreams every night and the existing suspicion
surrounding his uncle would be enough to bring Hamlet to uncover the truth. This
would also bring about more reason for Hamlet to need evidence of Claudius’s
guilt, as dreams stem from one’s own imagination.
Hamlet
would then confide in Horatio, explaining his suspicion about the new king.
Together the two would devise the Craziness Plan, in which Hamlet feigns
madness to uncover the truth. I want there to be more visible debate as to
whether Hamlet is merely acting unstable, or has lost his senses. There will be
a scene or two where Horatio confronts Hamlet, more or less to say, “Either
you’re an amazing actor, or you’re seriously unhinged. Which is it?” Hamlet
would go in and out of his madness and his normal speech, halfway trying to
reassure his friend but not doing a very thorough job. The scene will leave
Horatio even more confused about Hamlet’s true mental state, and it will leave
the audience to assume something more is going on inside his head.
With Ophelia
having a more powerful voice, her scenes will be altered slightly from the
original text. In one scene, she will obviously take note of Hamlet’s mad
behavior and try to ask him about it. When he doesn’t give her a straight
answer, she becomes angry, since they are supposed to trust and confide in each
other. Hamlet would not take kindly to Ophelia standing up to him, which is
where the “I loved you not” dispute from Act 3 Scene 1 would appear.
The
acting troop will be a similar scene compared to the original text: a
performance group hired for party entertainment for Claudius. Hamlet will still
write up a scene for the group to perform, with the intent of watching his
uncle’s reaction. Claudius will react in the same way, leading Hamlet to
conclude his fault. Even though he decides his uncle is responsible, he still
cannot kill him right away. His internal battle with revenge continues on as
the story progresses.
Much
of the rest of the play will remain true to the original plot. Hamlet will
confront his mother, and he will kill Polonius, somewhat by accident. This
murder reinforces the idea that Hamlet is mentally unstable, keeping the
audience and his mother suspicious. Laertes will want revenge as well, but plan
a sort of street fight instead of a formal duel. Ophelia will unhinge in a
similar way, speaking madness as Hamlet had been, drawing a parallel between
her behavior and Hamlet’s. With her instability ending in her passive suicide,
it further suggests Hamlet may be at risk of the same fate.
I
am choosing to eliminate the scene at Ophelia’s funeral. Characters would
discuss how her death may have been a suicide, but it won’t be set at the
graveyard. This will maintain the play’s pacing while keeping the scene’s
importance.
Instead of
traveling to London to taint Hamlet’s reputation, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
will remain around Hamlet’s household. When Hamlet discovers they have been
spying on him per Claudius’s orders, he concludes their actions are a betrayal.
He would then have two higher-ups in Claudius’s business to take out the young
men.
At
Laertes and Hamlet’s confrontation, I will have the murders occur from poison.
Though this isn’t a very common way to kill someone in modern times, I
appreciate how it draws parallels to the king’s death. I would consider this
fact a bit of tragic irony. Hamlet debated for so long about committing the act
of revenge, ultimately deciding he must follow through. Perhaps because the
process was so drawn out, Claudius is able to kill him as well. He dies the
same way as his father did while attempting to avenge his very death.
The
most pivotal moments in this production would be Hamlet dreaming of his father,
the acting scene that confirms Claudius is guilty, and the final death scene.
These are the most important plot points and would be the most impactful to the
audience.
While
my adaptation implemets modern changes, it attempts to portray Hamlet in the same light. The characters
hold contrasting and important attributes that are relatable and understandable
to the audience, while explaining motivation and furthering the plot. The sets,
costumes, and other mise en scene elements will introduce a modern atmosphere,
transporting the story to the present day. While some specifics of this classic
are different, the heart of the story will hold true.
Friday, June 29, 2018
Wednesday, June 27, 2018
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Textual Analysis: Hamlet
Hamlet
Shakespeare
uses Hamlet to show that revenge is
not as noble as it seems. The inner turmoil Hamlet faces throughout the play
takes a toll on the young prince, questioning his sanity. While his morals were
tested and strained, the framework of his sanity took a toll as he sought after
expectant revenge.
Young
Hamlet has been rightfully troubled by his father’s death. His uncle questions
how “the clouds still hang on [him],” and he remarks how he is covered with the
“trappings and the suits of woe” (1.2). The king’s sudden death seems to be
affecting Hamlet much more than it affects his mother and uncle. He admits to
wishing his “flesh would melt,” while his mother was able to remarry nearly
instantly after the funeral (1.2).
When
the ghost of Hamlet’s father appears to him, he explains the truth about his
death. Hamlet learns that the King did not die from a venomous bite, but rather
was poisoned by Claudius in his sleep (1.5). Upon hearing this, Hamlet is eager
to avenge his father’s death. He responds at once of his willingness for “swift
revenge” (1.5). He is conditioned to believe that to honor his father, he must
murder who murdered him. This is the only way he knows how to reconcile his
death, though it proves to not be the most effective plan.
Hamlet
has now decided he must kill his murderous uncle. He finds him alone, praying,
and sees this as an opportunity to act out his revenge. However, he deduces
that Claudius’s soul will ascend directly to heaven if he is killed mid-prayer,
and ultimately decides his revenge can wait another day (3.3). Hamlet cannot
reason to kill Claudius with the probability of him going to heaven. He needs
for his uncle to suffer in purgatory as equal payment for his father’s death.
Though
at first he was eager to avenge his father, Hamlet begins questioning the
ghost’s reliability. He wonders whether the ghost might be fooling him, and
decides he needs more substantial evidence that Claudius killed the king. This
stutter in motivation could shed light on Hamlet’s wavering stability. In Act
One, Shakespeare establishes Hamlet’s eagerness for death. The historical view
on mental health at this point in time was much different than the view society
holds now. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume Shakespeare is suggesting
Hamlet’s mentality is unreliable in itself. His recurring exclamations of
worthlessness and suicide would suggest to the audience that his mentality
cannot be trusted in the first place. This degradation of character sets up
Hamlet himself for fatal flaws, including how easily he can succumb to the idea
of honorable revenge.
In
theme, Hamlet questions his own sanity in regards to his despair. He wonders
whether the ghost has taken note of his “weakness and melancholy” and chosen to
manipulate him, that the ghost might “abuse [him] to damn [him]” (2.2). Here,
Hamlet has acknowledged his own “weakness” in the form of sadness. He can agree
that he is in a compromised state of mind after his father’s recent death. He
understands that something malevolent might leech onto this weakness and abuse
his vulnerability. To ensure his revenge is rightful, Hamlet seeks to find proof
of his uncle’s actions. This way, he can know for sure whether or not his
despair had been taken advantage of.
To
uncover more evidence about his uncle, Hamlet seeks to stage a scene that will
allow him to judge Claudius’s conscience. A troop of actors has arrived at the
castle to entertain the king and his family. Hamlet reaches out to one actor
and asks him to recite a scene in which a son seeks revenge for his father by
killing a king. The actor becomes so emotional within the scene that he begins
to cry (2.2). This fact disturbs Hamlet. He cannot fathom how an actor could
feel so emotionally involved with a fictional death, when he himself cannot
avenge his own father. He exclaims that the actor’s tears were “all for
nothing!” and that his own situation is far more deserving of emotion, though
he is yet unable to follow through (2.2). This marks Hamlet’s struggle within
himself – whether or not he truly believes in blind vengeance to prove familial
honor.
After
the short recitation, Hamlet stages a scene for the actors to perform that
should prove whether or not Claudius is guilty. In this play, the performers
will reenact the King’s murder as told to Hamlet by his father’s ghost. Hamlet
hopes to gauge Claudius’s reaction to the scene to determine his blame. As the
murder scene unfolds, Claudius exits the theatre in a rage (3.2). This is all
the proof Hamlet needs, and is now convinced that his uncle murdered his
father. Though he still doesn’t take any action to avenge the late king, Hamlet
has put his wariness at rest for the time being.
Hamlet
is astonished to see an army of men marching off to their deaths for nothing
but territory; he remarks his shame of seeing “the imminent death of twenty
thousand men” before him (4.4). He finds their cause futile, believing these
men are willingly walking into their graves like beds (4.4). Contrastingly,
Hamlet believes that their sacrifice would be worthwhile if their honor was at
stake. In his case, his life is worth surrendering in order to avenge his
father, and he cannot believe himself for standing on the sidelines while his
uncle continues to live freely. At Hamlet’s core, he believes revenge to be a
perfectly valid reason to surrender yourself, if not the only valid reason. While
he can’t imagine why the soldiers would willingly die for a piece of land, he
surrenders his life to avenging his father’s memory. This commitment costs him
much of his sanity and, ultimately, his life. However, the young prince shows
that honoring your family holds the highest amounts of respect and dignity
within the culture.
In
the first half of the play, Hamlet cannot get himself to commit to Claudius’s
murder. He spends days contemplating the ghost’s true identity, whether
Claudius was truly guilty, and the timing for the murder to take place. This
hesitation is caused by Hamlet’s unwillingness to murder his own uncle. Part of
him knows that by killing the new king, he would be a murderer, even if his
intent was to honor his father. However, society has taught him that he must
avenge his father, and killing Claudius is how he must achieve it. Shakespeare
highlights Hamlet’s reluctance to demonstrate the unrest revenge introduces. Revenge
cannot be executed seamlessly, nor does it create peace within the individual. Hamlet’s
internal struggle in coming to terms with his quest reestablishes the idea of discontent
through revenge.
In
Act 5, Hamlet has his two childhood friends killed and feels no remorse. He
tells Horatio that the men brought their deaths upon themselves by “making love
to [the king’s] employment,” and that “they are not near [his] conscience”
(5.2). This statement shows a distinction in Hamlet’s character. At the
graveyard, he mourns the death of an old jester from his childhood. But here,
Hamlet does not show any sorrow for his old friends. He is able to
compartmentalize his feelings towards the men who worked closely with his uncle
and kill them without much of a second thought. Shakespeare uses this
distinction to show what the act of revenge can change in a person. A man who
was otherwise empathetic and held value for human life was easily able to
arrange his friend’s murders. Though Hamlet has gotten one step closer to
avenging his father, it comes with the cost of lost values and blurred morals.
In
addition to Hamlet’s value of honor and vengeance, Claudius also demonstrates
the cultural need for revenge. After Hamlet has killed Polonius, Claudius speaks
to Laertes about how he plans to retaliate. Laertes remarks that he plans to
cut Hamlet’s throat in the church, to which the king replies, “Revenge should
have no bounds” (4.7). Claudius doesn’t have a problem with Laertes committing
murder in a place so sacred as the church. In part, he is placing the need for
revenge about his religion, declaring it should not be bound by even the
holiness that exists in the church building. His view of revenge is so lofty
that it shadows even that of his religious systems. Shakespeare is able to
highlight the societal emphasis on revenge and honor by reiterating the idea
among many different characters. Claudius becomes more similar to Hamlet in
that they both want the other dead in the name of familial revenge.
Hamlet’s
sanity is questioned from the beginning of the play. The historical opinion on
a melancholy mind does not hold it at the highest standard. A person suffering
as Hamlet suffered after his father’s death is seen as unhinged and unpredictable.
Hamlet, seizing an opportunity, uses insanity as a ploy to uncover the truth
about Claudius’s actions. Shakespeare shows a bit of Hamlet’s internal struggle
to demonstrate how the longing for revenge can destroy a person even further.
He lost hold of his morals and chased after an ending that he might not have
fully agreed with. Murder as revenge is valued in this society, as Shakespeare demonstrated
through the values of his characters. Though Hamlet was already disheveled
after his father’s death, the effects of a demanding plot for revenge created a
disaster out of his young life.
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