Hamlet Paper Essay Example

an insane state. The film's opening features Aphelia singing softly to Gertrude according to the original text. Her rigid body language and melancholic melody suggest she is suppressing her emotions, until she abruptly changes tone and angrily declares her father's death. Aphelia then runs around the room wildly, flailing her body and screaming, showing the extent of her madness. The director successfully uses her body language as a tool to convey the character's mental state.Aphelia whispers to Claudia, quoting "we know what we are, but know not what we may be" (Ham 4.5.42), demonstrating her bewilderment regarding her identity. While lowering her voice, she offers a grave warning about the ease of falling into this madness. Her sad eyes show the compassion she feels for Claudia. It's worth noting that this statement portrays her as being serious and not just another remark made from madness. This moment is Aphelia's turning point. She reaches a state of extreme madness, portrayed through her unruly physical appearance and screams while running around the room. She throws her clothes off and sings out loud, emphasizing on "Young men will do't, if they come to't; By Cock, they are to blame. Before you tumbled me, You promised me to wed" (Ham 4..59-61). The director highlights this scene focusing on Aphelia's appearance and louder tone when saying these lines. Undressing symbolizes the betrayal she experienced from Hamlet. It confirms her innocence, clarifying the importance of her speech. The scene's ending underlines Aphelia's current state.Leaving all the other characters in shock and confusion, Aphelion grabs her clothes and exits the room in a hurry, a scene intentionally crafted to allow viewers to

identify with the other characters. The Tenant film and 1996 Branch film revolve around Aphelion's psychological breakdown triggered by her fractured relationship with Hamlet and explore this theme uniquely and similarly. Despite one script's use of the original text while the other only gives Aphelia lines until her song about Hamlet's sexual betrayal, both build up to this scene's climax using Aphelion's voice tone and pitch to create suspense. In both films, camera angles become crucial in highlighting certain moments when Aphelia is the sole focus, such as in the Tenant film when she utters "we know what we are, but know not what we may be" (Ham 4.5.42) or in the Branch film when she sings her song beginning with "Tomorrow is Saint Valentine's Day" (Ham 4..47).The significance of certain lines in these movies is highlighted by the directors, with one delving into the root of Aphelion's insanity and the other revealing the pain behind the relationship between Hamlet and Aphelion. Both films utilize Aphelion's body language to convey her instability, portraying her erratic movements with no discernible pattern. While both directors ultimately convey similar opinions, they employ different tactics to achieve their desired effect. In Tenant, Aphelia screams the lines "Young men will dot, if they come toot; By Coco, they are to blame. Before you tumbled me, You promised me to wed" (Ham 4.5.59-61) as she undresses, while in Branch, she sings the same lines during a flashback of her and Hamlet's sexual encounter. The directors aim to demonstrate that Aphelia is not as innocent as some may believe, and that her relationship with Hamlet was more complicated than it appears. Despite

similarities in their approach, the directors differ in their interpretation of how best to promote this idea, resulting in distinct climactic moments in each film.Both the Tenant and Branch films employ visual techniques to suggest a romantic bond between Aphelia and Hamlet. However, while the Tenant film relies on subtle allusions, the Branch film takes a more explicit approach by using a mysterious flashback to fully reveal their intimate connection.