Essay on "Directors Presentation of the Ghost in Three 3 Films of Hamlet"

Essay 4 pages (1342 words) Sources: 5

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Director's presentation of the Ghost in the three Hamlet films

The adaptation of a Shakespeare play to film is always another director's interpretation of the characters and the text. Numerous Shakespeare plays have been adapted by filmmakers across the globe, who tweak the screenplay slightly or more in accordance to the culture, context and language that they are presenting to. Hamlet is one of the more popular plays of Shakespeare. It has been adapted to film by many directors over the years since it was first enacted (Heroajax, 2008). There are over fifty film adaptations of Hamlet. The full text of Hamlet can run up to four hours in performance. The most important character, after the title character of Hamlet, is that of his father's ghost. Referred to as just "ghost" in the stage play as well as the film adaptations, it is pivotal to the story, and so is its adaptation from stage to screen. The essence of the ghost remains the same in each movie; however, other factors vary from film to film, director to director. The ghost essentially sets the plot into motion by demanding revenge from Hamlet for his murder by Claudius, his brother and Hamlet's uncle (Goldman, 2001). It appears in the play script four times, and is often viewed as a figment of Hamlet's imagination. But it is the appearance of the ghost that leads to Hamlet questioning his sanity. Eventually, Hamlet does manage to avenge his father's death but dies in course of fighting for it. The comparison of different interpretations of the ghost in these films can be made in order to analyze each director's take on the character, as well as the effect that it has on the respective Hamlet character in the given film.

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/>Analysis of Kenneth Branagh's interpretation of the Ghost in Hamlet 1996:

This version of Hamlet is a full text, uncut version of the play. Like the play, the film duration is around over four hours long. This version received much critical acclaim, with Academy Award nominations for Best Original Score, Best Costume Design, Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) and Best Art Direction for the 69th Academy Awards (Ebert, 1997).

The timeline for the play has been updated for this film and the film has been set in the 19th century. The Branagh version of the play is darker and more dramatic than previous versions before it. Hence, the ghost in that version is depicted as just a dark character than it is. The setting in which Hamlet is confronted by the ghost of his father is much more dramatic. The ghost in the Branagh version fetches similarities to that of a devil. The interpretation is that of a demon-like creature manifesting itself in such a form, while taking the identity of Hamlet's father's spirit. The ghost is dressed in armor, and has the appearance of Hamlet's father. His eyes are filled with fury and anger, and it behaves in a ruthless and asserting manner. The ghost speaks in a deep, penetrating voice which sends chills down the spine, and has demon-like qualities to it. Hamlet's encounter with the ghost takes place in a dark, eerie forest, making it more frightening by increasing the drama in the scene, with the ground moving, the winds blowing while the threatening screams of the ghosts echoing through the clearing. The ghost coaxes Hamlet in to swearing that he is not to speak of this encounter to anyone.

The depiction however, is a true to the text as possible. The original text of the play describes the Ghost as a warrior in life, which is why the Ghost appears in the film in the forest clearing, dressed in his armor. The attire of the Ghost changes throughout the film, following the text in each aspect, with the text of the play. The anger and fury that is displayed by the Ghost in the film, is reminiscent of the character in its life, a ruthless warrior that conquered Norway, and was betrayed… READ MORE

Quoted Instructions for "Directors Presentation of the Ghost in Three 3 Films of Hamlet" Assignment:

An***** the directors***** presentation of The Ghost in three (3) films of Hamlet.Please find five (5) relevant academic sources and include them in your response. Your sources should take up no more than 15% of your paper. Please be sure to include aspects of film critique in your answer. the best answers will not simply list a series of scenarios or images, but will build an argument and work articulately towards a conclusion. Please write a MAXIMUM of FOUR pages of A4, 1.5 spaced, 12pt font. The bibliography and filmography should be submitted as Page 5.

the 3 films are:

1-Hamlet (1996 film)

2-Hamlet (2000 film)

3-Hamlet (2009 film)

Please note that english is not may native language, so some relevant or commonly mistakes are welcome. my aim is to get A- in this paper.

I will send the paper to my professor through email, and he will check for plagiarism. please make it as safe as possible

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Directors Presentation of the Ghost in Three 3 Films of Hamlet.” A1-TermPaper.com, 2013, https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/director-presentation-ghost/3719778. Accessed 28 Sep 2024.

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[1] ”Directors Presentation of the Ghost in Three 3 Films of Hamlet”, A1-TermPaper.com, 2013. [Online]. Available: https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/director-presentation-ghost/3719778. [Accessed: 28-Sep-2024].
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1. Directors Presentation of the Ghost in Three 3 Films of Hamlet. A1-TermPaper.com. https://www.a1-termpaper.com/topics/essay/director-presentation-ghost/3719778. Published 2013. Accessed September 28, 2024.

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