Explore the similarities and differences Essay

Shakespeare’s original Hamlet was written in text, however Kenneth Branagh created a film version of the play as did Franco Zeffirelli. Firstly there are many advantages that film productions have over plays written in text only. For example, Shakespeare’s Hamlet cannot portray certain visual elements that can be vital in the understanding of a play – but film has that advantage and therefore can add such details as settings, characters and their costumes and body language. Even the way that a line is spoken can make a big difference in its portrayal to the audience. For example in Branagh’s version of Hamlet, whilst talking about the ghost he pauses before he says the word, â€Å"apparition,† which gives the impression he is confused as to how he will describe the spirit seen of King Hamlet. Film can use music in the background to suit the mood of the particular scene. For example in the opening scene of Hamlet by Branagh there is much imagery created even before any dialogue is used. There is an imposing view of the Kings castle at night whilst ghostly bells toll the midnight hour and you hear the crunching footsteps of Francisco guarding the gates. Just these few devices mixed together instantly create an atmosphere that cannot be recognised so easily in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Instead, â€Å"Who’s there? † Barnado says. Starting off with a question like this immediately sets a mood of apprehension that Branagh captures when Barnado jumps on top of Francisco whilst shouting â€Å"Who’s there? † Also Shakespeare’s broken and short dialogue creates unease and confusion adding to the dark atmosphere. For example the first six lines are short and seem anxious and nervous – â€Å"Who’s there? / Nay, answer me. Stand and unfold yourself. / Long live the King! / Barnado? / He. / You come most carefully upon your hour. † Both Shakespeare’s and Branagh’s Hamlet are different in the way Branagh’s is in the format of film and Shakespeare’s is only text. However they are very similar in the way they both create a dark, corrupt atmosphere – Branagh with his dramatic imagery and Shakespeare with his broken, short dialogue. Also with Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Francisco says, â€Å"‘Tis bitter cold, and I am sick at heart,† just this single sentence adds to the atmosphere that something is seriously wrong in a very evil way. Another way in which Branagh used dramatic imagery – when the ghost appears for the first time in front of the men. The ghost is the image of the King in full battle armour floating towards them with dramatic music in the background. This imagery is clearly something that cannot easily be drawn from Shakespeare’s text on its own. A similarity between both Shakespeare’s and Branagh’s Hamlet is that Branagh’s version stays extremely faithful to the text in the original Hamlet by Shakespeare. For example, just after Horatio sees the ghost of old Hamlet he goes on at great detail about the ghost’s appearance as an omen of trouble brewing for Denmark – quite a long section of dialogue. However, Branagh’s film doesn’t cut out a single word and keeps the dialogue identical to the original text by Shakespeare. Zeffirelli’s Hamlet cuts out the whole of the original ghost scene completely substituting it with the funeral of old King Hamlet with emphasis on the King’s death rather than the ghost appearing. In this respect it loses a lot of the atmospheric effect that Branagh’s version creates. Hamlet should be portrayed in a dark, evil way to start off the play that Branagh’s does successfully. However, with Zeffirelli’s version there is no way of knowing that an evil deed has been done or that there is any corruption, guilt or suspicion of any kind. All you note is the negativity of the Kings funeral. Although both films’ opening scenes are very different in many ways they are both similar in another way. They both start with a negative theme. Branagh’s version shows the dead King Hamlet’s ghost haunting the troubled minds of the guards and this reinforces the sense of evil captured that night. Zeffirelli’s version shows the great castle and all the knights wearing black for the King’s funeral while Hamlet’s mother hysterically weeps over the still body of the King. Therefore in this way they are very similar. Another big difference is the running time of both films. Branagh’s film’s running time is 232 minutes, which is a long time compared to just 130 minutes of Zeffirelli’s version of Hamlet. This difference accounts for the fact that Zeffirelli cut out a great deal of the original Shakespearean text whereas Branagh included almost all of it in the entire film.