Ophelia's Eulogy

We stand here today to honor the death of Ophelia. A young, beautiful woman who felt the aftereffects of a tragedy. She would be no one without Hamlet, but her life had a much greater meaning than most believe. She was a woman who just got stuck and I believe she deserves a proper Christian burial, despite the method she used to cope with her reality. 

You may suggest that Ophelia had an indifferent role in our society, but I disagree. Ophelia had a lot of weight resting on her shoulders; between the profound relationship problems with Hamlet and the death of her father, I am not surprised she went mad. Her madness is to be expected after all that happened, for what she had to deal would be an agonizing pain for anyone. She should not be subjected to harsh remarks from people, especially those who believe she should not have a Christian burial. They obviously do not understand the root of her misery, what she had to go through, and why she did what she did. 

If anyone should be exposed to harsh remarks, it should be Gertrude. FIE UPON GERTRUDE for she was around when Ophelia was drowning, yet she did nothing to save her. I think it strange to let someone just die. If I were around and saw her in the midst of drowning, I would save her. She was in desperate times and maybe thought that suicide was the right decision, but it wasn't. How could she have known any better when she was been blinded by her life crumbling around her. She lost two great people in her life and did not really have anyone to turn to for help.  

Ophelia was a gentle flower that was burdened by heavy situations. I feel sorry for her because she did not have the chance to live up to her full potential, nor did she have the chance to make amends with Hamlet. Ophelia was very dear to me and she will continue to be for as along as I walk this earth. She is now with her father in heaven and maybe, perchance Hamlet will see her too in the future. Her heart was set in the right place even though her strength was limited. As she reaches heaven, for she does deserve it, she will be welcomed and given the strength to prosper. We will always remember you Ophelia.  

The Great Dilemma~

If you can equally be a man of thought as well as action, I think that would solve most predicaments. I think being a man of thought allows you to think before you hastily act, but also having the guts to act is important. Hamlet became a man of thought when he drew back his sword from the screen dividing him and Claudius. 

It is obvious that Claudius killed King Hamlet because he blatantly confesses it after watching the play. Hamlet had the chance to murder Claudius as he slid his sword through the screen, but what good would it do? Claudius just confessed and would be sent to heaven if Hamlet murdered him. King Hamlet never had the chance to confess, therefore he is stuck roaming in purgatory. Revenge for Hamlet is not just about killing Claudius, it's about making sure he suffers in hell, therefore Hamlet will wait until Claudius is sinning in order to kill him. If he goes through with murdering Claudius, I believe his chances of ever inheriting the throne would become 0-none. 

If I were Hamlet. I would've done the same thing. I would want Claudius to suffer after what he did to my father, but I would want him to suffer in hell, therefore I would wait until he is sinning. I'd wait for Claudius to get drunk or lustful and then I would take my chance to kill him. I think waiting and possibly improving his impression among the people is important because a crazed madman killing King Claudius doesn't sound like a cup of tea. 

Everyone is assuming Hamlet is mentally distraught (therefore he DEFINITELY wouldn't get away with killing Claudius), and not to mention the fact that Hamlet just murdered Polonius. Even though it was an accident because Hamlet thought it was Claudius, there was no reason to kill him. So, no matter how you look at it, Hamlet is in a pickle. 

To Be or Not To Be

There is a whole collection of versions when it comes to Hamlet. Everyone has a different way of interpreting the scenes, such as the director of the modern version of Hamlet, Almereyda. The main focus for today would be Hamlet's soliloquy, 'To Be or Not To Be'. 

The beginning of Oliver's version started with a menacing rumble  alongside a black and white setting which helped create a distressing aura. Hamlet starts out sitting at the top of the castle holding a dagger, contemplating whether to commit suicide or not. Almost a minute into the soliloquy, Hamlet closed his eyes and mouth, raised the dagger, and juggled between the ideas of death and eternal sleep. He sat on the edge, almost as if he is ready to jump, before the music intensified. As he drifted off in various thoughts, the dagger slipped from his hand and fell into the crashing waves. He walked away, making up his mind that living through the pain is worth it. This actor portrays the scene perfectly and you can plainly hear the helplessness in his voice.  

Zeffirelli's version took place in the dark and abandoned catacombs of the castle. He strolled around the room and questioned his existence as he observed the dead. This version wasn't so bad, but it did lack music. The catacombs and the darkness allowed for an amazing set but the lack of music felt odd. It was almost too quiet.  

Branagh set a different mood in the third version opposed to the previous two versions. This version was illuminated and took place in one of the castle hallways. Soft music slowly intensified and played in the background as Hamlet spoke to himself in the mirror. Unaware that he was being spied upon by Polonius and Claudius, Hamlet steadily walked towards the mirror and spoke to himself. You would think he was a mad man by the way he drew a dagger out and rested it on his head. I enjoyed this version of the soliloquy, even though it wasn't as suspenseful as the first version by Oliver. Branagh brought something new to the table and he introduced a calmer interpretation that was still extremely powerful. It showed Hamlet starting to express his madness which I thought was fascinating. 

The last version by Almereyda was a little disappointing because of how modern it was. Hamlet seemed to be in a Blockbuster, roaming down the action isles with a dazed look painted on his face. The orchestral music went along well with Hamlet contemplating death but there still felt like there was an emptiness in the scene. Action movies with gunshots playing on the televisions added to what Hamlet was contemplating but the actor did not seem fit for this role. He didn't show the pain and confusion like the other actors did in previous versions which was kind of a setback.

Analysis: The Ghost Scene

Personally, I preferred the second version of the Ghost Scene because I believe that Branagh portrayed the scene in a very intriguing manor. Branagh made sure that Hamlet was filled with rage in the beginning once he entered the woods. He was like a madman, screaming and shouting through the eerie, dark forest as he tried to find the ghost. The ghost was cold as ice, his eyes seemingly white, and a quiet muffled voice. Special effects such as fire spewing and fog rolling over the ground added to the slow orchestral music in the background. It created a beautiful, harsh setting that left me fascinated. The flashbacks were glaring, it was morning and a layer of snow was resting on the ground as the Claudius was poured poison into King Hamlet's ear. An interesting part of this version was the regret in the uncle’s eyes as he realized what he had done. Prince Hamlet’s face was saddened, possibly for the father. I enjoyed this version immensely compared to the other two which I felt did not reach their full potential. 

The third version was a bit too modern for my liking. Almereyda made the scene too uplifting and he made the ghost look like a normal guy. He had a warm face compared to the ghost that Brangh portrayed and the modern version that Almereyada represented lacked the intense drama. I feel like Almereyda could have added more effects and more emotion when it came to that scene. 

In the first version, Zeffirelli made the setting dark with an ominous wind that echoed in the background. Hamlet, played by Gibson, had crazy eyes that bulged in disbelief. You could tell that the ghost was mourning and frantic to give out two messages; 1) That he was murdered. 2) For Hamlet to avenge his death. Gibson characterized Hamlet as a frightened and shocked man who progressively gets angrier when he realizes what Claudius has done. As he plots his revenge on Claudius, you can almost feel the hatred emitting from him. 

I think perfecting the setting is extremely important. Having a mediocre setting would leave the reader feeling unfulfilled, therefore having something intense (like a dark, smoky, dreary forest) would help the reader settle in. I would want the flashback to be a vivid scene, leaving the reader feeling angry towards Claudius as well as feeling saddened for the helpless King Hamlet. I would want there to be a sense of despair on Claudius's face as he slips the poison into his brother's ear, but I would also want the reader to recognize how manipulative and selfish Claudius is.