The English 311 Blog

Category: Film Diary

  • The construction of Richard in Laurence Olivier’s Richard III(1955)

    Richard The Third is a character of multiple interpretations and theories about his true intentions. In the text, Richard often invites the idea that he is a persecuted man who tries to win over the sympathy of the audience through his monologues, and of the other characters of the play through his interactions. At the same…

  • Hamlet: Act 4 Scene 4 (Paolo Juego, 10110489)

    For my Engl 311 course, I have watched Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 film of Hamlet and read the play in Robert Miola’s Norton edition. This edition includes Branagh’s introduction to the play, where he explains his experience of Hamlet at the New Theatre, Oxford.  He not only watched, but experienced ‘something unique.’  Although he did not completely understand…

  • Chelsea Santucci – Hamlet: Act 4 Scene 7:158-163

    Lines: Hamlet, Miola’s Norton Version 4:7:158-163 And that he calls for drink, I’ll have prepared him A chalice for the nonce, whereon but sipping, If he by chance escape your venomed stuck, Our purpose may hold there. [A noise within] But stay, what noise? Enter QUEEN This line stuck out the most in terms of interpretation…

  • Brianna Morton: Hamlet: Act 5 Scene 1

    HAMLET, Act 5 Scene 1 “Why, e’en so. And now my Lady Worm’s, chapless, and knocked about the mazard with a sexton’s spade. Here’s fine revolution, an we had the trick to see’t. Did these bones cost no more the breeding but to play at loggets with ’em? Mine ache to think on’t.” (5.1.110) From just reading this scene, I thought it was rather morbid. They were talking about death…

  • Film Notes

    In Act 5 Scene 1 I quite enjoyed line “why may not that be the skull of lawyer? Where be his quiddities now, his quillets,his cases, his tenures, and his tricks? why does he suffer this rude knave now to knock him about the sconce with a dirty shovel, and will not tell him of…

  • Andra Sutherland: Act 5, Scene 2

    Over the past week, I watched Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 full-text version of Hamlet twice; the second time reading along in the text and annotating Crowl’s “Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet: From text to screen”. The following are photos of my screen while watching it and a page of my notes on it. A particular passage in Act 5 Scene…

  • Film Diary-Ore Arowobusoye

    Many things cross our minds when we think of Hamlet, the lovely prince of Denmark. He’s dramatic, introspective, and emo (before it was even cool). However, one thing that I usually don’t associate Hamlet with is humor. He’s way too serious for that. He’s the type of person whose jokes make us nervous because we aren’t sure when things will…

  • Act 5 Scene 1 Jennifer Pelham

    In English 311 this semester I have watched Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 Hamlet and read the Robert S. Miola edition of the play while I watched.  In the text, Hamlet watches the Grave-maker treat the skulls of the dead playfully, tossing them about instead of mournfully preparing them for the graves (5.1.87-98). Hamlet talks about one…

  • Film Diary – Act 4 Scene 2 (Famya Virk)

    Surprisingly, I really enjoyed watching Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 film Hamlet. I thought it would be difficult to watch (mainly because it’s four hours long), but I easily became obsessed with the film and thought the acting was superb. It was also great to see Kate Winslet and Robin Williams in the film, and I thought…

  • Act 4 Scene 7 – Maria Servito

    Watching Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet may seem as torturous as running a marathon, but Branagh makes sure it is worth your time. The cinematography of this film is superb– almost every scene in the movie can be a standalone picture. Furthermore, Branagh perfectly captures the multi-faceted Hamlet and even effectively delivers Hamlet’s funny (and punny) one-liners.…