William Shakespeare - Hamlet - 7

[StefanY]

Hamlet



It's difficult to critique a work that is widely considered to be the best piece produced by the greatest author who ever lived.

To put it in simple terms, I did enjoy Hamlet for the most part. Once I got used to the language and re-familiarized myself with reading a script, the story flowed very well. My only real complaint was that the format took a bit out of the climactic finale for me. I feel that it would have read much better in a novel format.

Shakespeare has written one of the most compelling tragedies ever in Hamlet, and his plot and character development are topnotch. Hamlet's downward spiral into madness is classically done. All said, a must read.


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[spiphany]

I feel that it would have read much better in a novel format.

Not surprising, seeing that it wasn't written to be read...
Just out of curiosity, have you seen it performed? It always seems to me this is a dilemma of teaching plays (particularly Shakespeare) in literature classes - what you're reading is really just an outline, a set of instructions for the performance. It loses something that way.

Mind you, some playwrights lend themselves to being read as literary works better than others. Goethe's Faust is very successful as a text. But there are some modern plays (Peter Weiss' Marat/Sade, for example) which I can't imagine reading that way. It's just too difficult to imagine how it all fits together.

[StefanY]

No.I haven't seen it performed live, just film adaptations. Good point on the fact that it wasn't written to be read though, I hadn't thought of it that way.

[Mary Russell]

I agree that Shakespeare is meant to be performed; however, with great imaginations, shouldn't that be just a minor issue? When I read some plays that are "meant to be performed," they just come alive and I enjoy them a lot! However, some of Shakespeare's plays are just downright boring. Now, I can't actually say that about Hamlet. That one came alive for me, but some of his others...

Oh, and if you want to watch a really good version of Hamlet, watch the Kenneth Branagh version!

[Evaine]

Agreed - the Kenneth Branagh version is very good (but far too cold - what happened to Ophelia gathering flowers before she died?).
I actually rather like the Mel Gibson version - I think Helena Bonham-Carter was very good as Ophelia, and Mel Gibson was a surprisingly good Hamlet.

[tollbaby]

oooh I loved Kenneth Brannagh's version My English teacher and I cracked up laughing during the soliloquoy, while the rest of the class looked at us as if we'd lost our minds LOL I haven't seen the Mel Gibson version though - I'd like to

[ChoChiyo]

Mel was good as Hamlet--but too old!

I always cry at the end of Hamlet--"Good night, sweet prince..."

[Mary Russell]

Yeah, the soliloquy in Branagh's version WAS funny. All in all, it was the best version I've seen of Hamlet though.