Film Studies Daily Log

Tuesday, September 13

We watched part of Hamlet, Act I, scene i, in the classic 1948 Olivier film and all of the scene in the most recent film version with David Tennant as Hamlet and Patrick Stewart as Claudius, and briefly discussed differences between them. We looked at ways in which any Hamlet -- even a scholarly edition of the text, let alone a stage or film production is of necessity an interpretation and a modernization.

Students were given a handout of Hamlet's first soliloquy ("O, that this too, too sullied/soid/sallied flesh would melt"), and asked to annotate the text in preparation for a "Socratic seminar" to be held in class Wednesday.

HW due Wednesday:
Please write numerous notes on the handout, explaining what it means and what you think precisely has Hamlet so upset.