Hamlet was written in 1609 by William Shakespeare; Shakespeare is one of the greatest poets and playwrights. Since the original performance of Hamlet, there have been many movie adaptations. Some of the many well-known film directors for these movies are Kenneth Branagh, Franco Zeffirelli and Sir Laurence Olivier. From the above film directors, I will compare and contrast Zeffirelli’s production of Hamlet to the original Shakespeare’s play Hamlet.
Zeffirelli’s version of Hamlet is one of the sound versions of Hamlet. It was produced and starred Mel Gibson in the late 1900s. Comparing the film version of Hamlet to the play, Zeffirelli has made noticeable changes in the movie including some clothing choices and characters’ reactions. He also altered and cut lines from the original Shakespeare play.
Shakespeare centralized the theme of revenge in the ghost scene in Act 1 Scene 5 with the use of literary devices. In the movie adaptation, Zeffirelli used a different approach to portray the theme, without the use of any literary devices. He instead used costume choices, characters’ reactions and different word choices.
Zeffirelli used a creative way to portray Hamlet’s father wearing a white shirt with black pants instead of Shakespeare’s choice of armour. He used this to show how Hamlet’s father would look in 90’s society. He made Hamlet wear black clothing throughout the movie to show that Hamlet was the only one who cared and grieved throughout his mother’s marriage and until his own death.
Zeffirelli changed the characters’ reactions throughout the scenes. One of the character changes is during Hamlet’s father’s ghost soliloquy. Instead of his father being projected as angry towards his wife and his brother in the movie, he uses a calm tone. In the movie while Hamlet was listening to his father, he should have looked angry and upset. Instead he had no emotions while listening to his father. In the movie, he should have an angry tone and should be eager to plot revenge on who killed his father, instead he did not talk throughout his father’s death story. Zeffirelli chose this so that the audience will wait and anticipate when Hamlet’s anger will grow and his reaction during the scene.
With the removal and addition of certain lines from modern English, Zeffirelli tried to make the audience understand the scene entirely, as he was aware that Shakespeare’s language was difficult to comprehend for some people. With cutting some lines written by Shakespeare; Shakespeare’s fans will miss the metaphor which introduces of the lack of ghost’s death: “I could a tale unfold whose lightest word Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood,/ Make thy two eyes, like stars, start from their /spheres.” (1.5.15-18)
The audience missed the description of the Hamlet’s father’s death in the movie which was shown in the play using imagery: “‘The natural gates and alleys of the body/And with a sudden vigor doth poss’et/And curd, like eager droppings into milk, / The thin and wholesome blood. So did it mine.” (1.5.67-69) Zeffirelli’s movie does not use an angry tone when the ghost describes how his brother killed him. Those people who haven’t read Hamlet will not know the diction and have only watched Zeffirelli’s adaptation, would not see Claudius’s eagerness with simile in this quote: “And curd, like eager droppings into milk.” (1.5.69) The audience would miss the details of Hamlet’s father death when Claudius is excited while the poison passes through his brother’s ear. Those who have not read Hamlet will not know the diction used such as incestuous, beast, shameful, traitorous and queen of incest which shows Hamlet’s father negativity towards his wife and brother in the soliloquy.
The fans did not have the chance to hear the metaphor of Hamlet’s vengeance: “Yea, from the table of my memory/I’ll wipe away all trivial fond records, /All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past,” (1.5.98-100) in the movie when Hamlet wants to only concentrate on killing Claudius. Zeffirelli, did, however, appeal the audience relating to the cultural and social perspective of the play.
In conclusion, in Zeffirelli’s movie adaptation of Hamlet, he used different sentences, he changed the characters’ reactions and he changed the costume choices while keeping the Elizabethan style of clothing. Overall, Zeffirelli’s interpretation of the movie, is well done and would be enjoyed and engaged for many years and is suitable for all ages. Those who haven’t read Hamlet, would still experience the play as Shakespeare intended.