Film Comparison Hamlet is supposed to avenge his father's death, but things get in his way and prevent him from doing so, causing further stress to his life . Hamlet's problems lead him to argue about his existence. During the soliloquy, Hamlet is debating whether to kill himself, but ultimately determines that people are too cowardly to kill themselves because they are unsure of life after death. The soliloquy "To be or not to be..." in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet has been successfully represented through film adaptations by Kenneth Branagh and Ethan Hawke, through linguistic elements such as emphasized lines, physical elements such as setting and camera elements. plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Probably the most famous line in the play begins with Hamlet's second soliloquy, "To be or not to be: that is the question, whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer." Here Hamlet touches on the unidentified afterlife and recognizes the medieval religious ideas of the time that people go to heaven or hell when they die Shakespeare used the techniques of repetition, metaphors and soliloquy to show the skill and exceptionality of the use of his mind. , as well as his intellectual thoughts, the soliloquy is well represented with linguistic elements. In Kenneth Branagh's version, Hamlet expresses his emotions through voice problem:" (3.1.64) in Branagh's version, his voice is very sincere and brings out the emotion behind what he is feeling. Hamlet's soft tone makes the audience feel all the emotions of him contemplating his life . In Hawke's version, when Hamlet says "To die, to sleep -- No more -- and with sleep say we put an end to anguish and a thousand natural shocks..." (3.1.68-70). The pain and scratchiness in his voice helps the portrayal of the soliloquy because he is discussing his own life and what it would be like to die, and Hamlet is nonchalantly considering the possibility of ending his life. Physical elements are important in representing "To be or not to be". Be...” soliloquy. In Hawke's version, Hamlet is simply walking through a video store. The fact that it is set in such a random place shows the uncertainty of what is happening in Hamlet's life. In Branagh's version, Hamlet looks at himself in the mirror and takes a hard look at himself, trying to see if he can see in himself the madness that everyone else sees. It's also that at the beginning of the play he talks about how appearance isn't everything and how it doesn't make a person, yet he looks in the mirror as he contemplates his own life and death. The physical elements in films help portray the central message of the soliloquy. The camera elements portray the messages you are trying to say in the soliloquy. In Branagh's version, the camera focuses on Hamlet's reflection in the mirror. The camera focused on the reflection shows the other side of Hamlet. This shows his inner pain, it is as if the viewer sees Hamlet's true feelings. Since Hamlet is contemplating death at this point, once he takes out the dagger and approaches the mirror, it shows how close he is to killing himself but then realizes that he must avenge his father's death and suicide is not the solution . In Hawke's version, the camera follows Hamlet around the video store as he contemplates his life. It shows the uncertainty he feels about suicide. The soliloquy "To be or not to be..." in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet was performed with)