I have never had the greatest relationship with Shakespeare.
Over the past few years when reading his works, I always struggled. His writing
was always quite difficult for me to understand, even with my former teachers’
explanation. So when we began to read Hamlet,
I assumed that my experience would be the same: difficult and boring. Luckily,
my experience was unlike I expected, as I did particularly enjoy Hamlet.
In my opinion, watching Kenneth Branagh’s movie version of Hamlet whilst reading the actual play
was a brilliant idea. Actually being able to visualize the action that was taking
place was enjoyable, and I didn’t have any trouble understanding the characters’
reactions and feelings. Also, having them in conjunction opened it up for me to
actually be able to appreciate Shakespeare’s writing. Without having to ponder
what was taking place in the play, I was able to wonder more about Shakespeare’s
metaphors and similes, and the true meanings behind his words.
Furthermore, I felt that the blogs and mini-projects we did
after the acts did slightly help me to better grasp and question the story. The
first two blog entries we did were the favorites, as it gave me the ability to
take the story in my own hands. I got to create my own reality for the
characters, and also learned a bit more Shakespearean language. I don’t quite
remember the mini-projects that we did, but I do remember not liking the “To be
or not to be” parody, as I’m not the biggest fan of poetry.
To close, Hamlet
was the first Shakespeare play that I wholeheartedly enjoyed. I was bored by Romeo and Juliet, and left confused
throughout Julius Caesar. But this
play left me with different feelings. I thought it was thought-provoking and
full of great twists. But perhaps without watching the play without reading it,
I wouldn’t have felt that way. Whatever the reason for my liking it, my
experience with Hamlet was a positive
one, and makes me curious about Shakespeare’s other works.
