Words, words, words...

"All that lives must die, 
Passing through nature to eternity."
- William Shakespeare, Hamlet, 1.2

I love this quote for it is very true and applies to everyone no matter what religion, race, sex, age or gender a person is. This line is universal and will not die over time. From a beggar roaming the streets to a millionaire living in a mansion, everyone has to die. Here Shakespeare shows the people how nobody can escape death. He mentions how people pass “through nature into eternity.” This is to say that people return to where they come from. Even if you shock the world like Alexander the Great, in the end you will still turn to dust and return to the nature. Nature is the course that keeps going without an end.

I also liked the fact that ironically this quote was said by Gertrude to Hamlet. Instead of being a mother who comforts her child, Gertrude is basically saying ‘your father died but now you need to move on.’ This quote is used to emphasize how quickly Gertrude moved on from the death of Hamlet Senior to Claudius. Hamlet takes this line as a symbol of betrayal from his own mother.

Something is rotten in the state of BHS!

        I loved Franco Zefferelli' version of Hamlet the best out of the three we saw. To me the actors in this film bring out the true characters from Hamlet. The depth of their feelings, emotions and hidden intension are portrayed vividly. Starting with Gertrude, she is just as I imagined.  The first scene shows her crying over Hamlet Sr.’s body. This lets the viewer know that she is mourning for her husband’s death. However, then we see Claudius in an inky cloak and half covered with shadow. The shadow is used to show that Claudius may be hiding an important fact and it adds to the suspensful mood of the play. Claudius goes over where Gertrude is weeping and stands over her. There is a message that passes between their eyes that may suggest that Gertrude may have known how Hamlet Sr. died or she could be already moving on. The mood and the suspense is beautifully conved through camera angles and use of light. Such as when Hamlet talks about how everything in the world is wrong, the camera shows Gertrude running towards Claudius. Lots of important facts are demonstrated this way. I loved this version the best because of the acting and the way the movie shows hidden facts.