Nishtha Makwana

      THINKING  ACTIVITY 

                       In the 14th of August  we had a screening of movie Hamlet, play  by Shakespeare. And for the part of thinking activity we have a task given by Dr. Pro. Dilip Barad - the head of the English department, Bhavnagar. 

                  Hamlet

             

                     Hamlet is one of Shakespeare's most famous dramas. And it is filmised by many director. But Kenneth Branagh made an amazing movie of Hamlet and it is appropriate to the play.

        

    

  ● How faithful is the movie to the original play?

                The movie Hamlet is much faithful to the original play by Shakespeare. The movie  is appropriate to the play. He used every dialogues of the play so one can relate the play. And specially who studied literature or Hamlet it it very useful  for them to understand the concept and theme of the play.

● After watching the movie, have your perception about play, characters or situations changed?

                    
                     After watching  the movie  my perception about  play and character is that there is no largely changes in the movie. But the play is too old and movie is not so old, so we can find that changes. In the play Hamlet is not very old but in the movie Kenneth presents an old Hamlet. And some scenes are also added like the falling of King Hamlet's statue.


●   Do you feel ‘aesthetic delight’ while watching the movie? If yes, exactly when did it happen? If no, can you explain with reasons?


              Yes, in the movie I feel the aesthetic delight. This is a tragic play and there are some scene which provides us aesthetic delight. Some scenes like when Hamlet and Ophelia met and when Hamlet saw his father's ghost and also talked with him.


●  Do you feel ‘catharsis’ while or after watching movie? If yes, exactly when did it happen? If no, can you explain with reasons?

                    Yes, I felt Catharsis when Hamlet came to know that his father is dead. And when he saw his mother happy with his uncle. When his father's ghost came and told him to take revenge because his uncle killed his father. And also when his mother married to his uncle suddenly. 



●  Does screening of movie help you in better understanding of the play?

                Yes, the screening of the movie is very helpful to understanding  the play in a better way. Kenneth Branagh is very faithful to the play and took every dialogues, so one can easily connect the play with movie. 


●  Was there any particular scene or moment in the movie that you will cherish lifetime?

                  Every scenes are beautifully designed by the director. One scene I will cherish lifetime the character of Ophelia and Hamlet. And the one scene when Hanlet talked with his father. 



●  If you are director, what changes would you like to make in the remaking of movie on Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’?


                     If I am a director,  I make one change, and it is that at the end of the movie Hamlet will forgive his uncle and will give a moral lesson that...

   "Forgiveness is better than revenge "

                       There is nothing left after revenge.  Everybody lost their lives. So better human lives forgiveness is higher than anything. 


●  In the beginning of the movie, camera rolls over the statue of King Hamlet out side the Elsinore castle. The movie ends with the similar sequence wherein the statue of the King Hamlet is hammered down to the dust. What sort of symbolism do you read in this?


                     The movie ends with the similar sequence wherein the statue of the King Hamlet is hammered down to the dust. It shows that after revenge nothing will remain. Everything and everybody will burning in the fire of revenge. 

   
                       Falling is also a symbol of taking revenge. 


●  While studying the play through movie, which approach do you find more applicable to the play? Why? Give reasons with illustrations.

                         While studying the play Hanlet through the movie the psychological and philosophical approaches I find more in the character of Hamlet. He saw his father's ghost and also talked with him. And when he wanted to take revenge  he his confusion and very famous dialogue delivered by him

                  " To be or not to be
                   that is the question "

                          We can find Cultural studies approach when two characters of the play

                     Rosencrantz 
                     Guildenstern 

                                 Are dead but no one noticed his death. The power conflict and center periphery concept we can find here.
          

Nishtha Makwana

Think and write

Hey guys, so here we have again a task by our H.O.D Dilip Barad sir. He suggests us to think in a different way. And it's really useful for all students of literature.

Doctor Faustus

      
        Doctor Faustus is a tragedy written by Christopher Marlowe, who was the greatest dramatist among Elizabethan Era.The tragedy is based on German stories. The tragic story of a renaissance man.

1. The play directed by Matthew Dunster for Globe theatre ends with this scene (see the image of Lucifer). What does it signify?

             This picture significant the end of the play directed by Mathew Dunster for globe theatre. The last scene is looking horrible and terrible. It's also shows the harsh reality of human nature. The framing character is Lucifer, who was the prince of hell. And this is also a myth but through this element of hell and devil Marlow criticised the human nature.

            In the picture we also see that the devil expression of Lucifer.The attitude to defeat the God. Wings also shows here the victory as flying up side and also the myth of Daedalus and Icarus.

2. Is God present in the play? If yes, where and how? If No, why?

            As we know that this is an Elizabethan Tragedy. Sometime between 1589 or 1592. In this time Religion has a strong existence, but although we can't find the presence of God. Doctor Faustus was a German scholar and he has too much knowledge about everything. And the quest for knowledge made him crazy and took him to the downfall. He believes that there is God but where is he and Faustus also wants to be like him. But in any scene we are Anable to find the presence of God. James Sims remarks that….

         "Dr. Faustus even becomes a kind of perverted Christ who sheds his blood not to save the souls of others but to damn his own soul and then appreciates the death cry of the biblical Christ to emphasize his own blasphemy"

          We can't find the element of God even in the end of the play when Doctor Faustus begd him for his life.

3. What reading and interpretation can be given to this image (see the image of Daedalus and Icarus) with reference to central theme of the play Dr. Faustus?

           Daedalus and Icarus is a most famous Greek mythology. And we can compare it with the central theme of Doctor Faustus. As we know that Doctor Faustus was a German scholar and has to much knowledge and on the other side Daedalus was a skillful craftsman and artist and was seen as a symbol of wisdom, knowledge and power. He is the father of Icarus. Now he and his son made a plan to escape by using wings made of wax that Daedalus has invented.

           

            Icarus felt that now he has a power and can fly higher and anywhere. But his father warn him to not fly close to the sun because the wings made of wax. But sadly Icarus didn't heard his father's warning and flew to close to the sun. The wax Melted and Icarus fell to his death.

          And as like this Doctor Faustus represents the character of Icarus. For the quest of knowledge and wisdom he met to his downfall. And here the old man and the Good angle represent the character of Daedalus. They told him to not go on that path but Faustus refused their warning and at the end his overness of knowledge led him to his downfall.        

     

              So can say that the myth Daedalus and Icarus and Doctor Faustus has similarity in the theme.

            

4. How do you interpret this painting ?

   

            

            When one first see this painting, one can say that this is a natural painting. But if we see the  painting in the literary way we can find the Main theme of the painting. The painting is about the famous Greek myth Daedalus and Icarus. But the painting is not follow the original theme. The painting is about modern time, where people don't care about anyone or anything around them. They just live their lives in their own way. In the modern time no one has time or care about anything except him or her self. The world became more selfish than before. Everyone is busy in their work.

5. Read this article by Bhagat Singh. In light of the arguments made by Bhagat Singh(Bhagat Singh article) this article, can you re-write last monologue of Doctor Faustus?

             Bhagat Singh and Doctor Faustus these two characters are totally different from each other.on the one side Bhagat Singh is a legend and a brave character in the history and never afraid from death. And he was atheist. But on the other side Doctor Faustus is a German scholar. He wanted to gain power and wisdom but at the end he begs to the god for his life.

         If there was Bhagat Singh on the place of Doctor Faustus he never prayed to God for his life. Bhagat Singh says in his article that

    "Religion is the outcome of          

    human weakness or the

    limitation of human knowledge"

         If there was his death he warmly welcomed it. And felt every last moment of life.

6. Summarise articles discussed in the class:

         We have discussed two articles in our class. The one is….

Marlow and God : Tragic Theology of Dr. Faustus

          This article Marlowe and God : Tragic Theology of Doctor Faustus is written by Robert Ornstain. In this article he talks about Marlowe's style of writing. Marlowe was an anti God writer. The experiment of black magic and sells Faustus soul are his disaster. His plays as in source the hero's defiant is his final moment of dread.

Myth, Psychology and Marlowe's Doctor Faustus

             This article Myth, psychology and Marlowe's doctor Faustus is written by Kenneth L. Golden. An article on mentality of human mind and mythology. The article is based on a theory which include a human fall by his desire or over smartness. This theory also related with the myth of Daedalus and Icarus. In Doctor Faustus for gain more power and knowledge doctor Faustus at the end himself invite his downfall.

            

Nishtha Makwana

Thinking Activity

           Here I'm sharing my presentation or task given by our Sir Dilip Barad.

Doctor Faustus

              Doctor Faustus is a tragedy written by Christopher Marlowe, who was the greatest dramatist among Elizabethan Era.The tragedy is based on German stories. The tragic story of a renaissance man.

1.The play directed by Matthew Dunster for Globe theatre ends with this scene (see the image of Lucifer). What does it signify?

                 

             This picture significantly the end of the play directed by Mathew Dunster for globe theatre. The last scene is looking horrible and terrible. It's also shows the harsh reality of human nature. The framing character is Lucifer, who was the prince of hell. And this is also a myth but through this element of hell and devil Marlow criticised the human nature.

            In the picture we also see that the devil expression of Lucifer.The attitude to defeat the God. Wings also shows here the victory as flying up side and also the myth of Daedalus and Icarus.

2. Is God present in the play? If yes, where and how? If No, why?

            As we know that this is an Elizabethan Tragedy. Sometime between 1589 or 1592. In this time Religion has a strong existence, but although we can't find the presence of God. Doctor Faustus was a German scholar and he has too much knowledge about everything. And the quest for knowledge made him crazy and took him to the downfall. He believes that there is God but where is he and Faustus also wants to be like him. But in any scene we are Anable to find the presence of God. James Sims remarks that….

         "Dr. Faustus even becomes a kind of perverted Christ who sheds his blood not to save the souls of others but to damn his own soul and then appreciates the death cry of the biblical Christ to emphasize his own blasphemy"

          We can't find the element of God even in the end of the play when Doctor Faustus begd him for his life.

3. What reading and interpretation can be given to this image (see the image of Daedalus and Icarus) with reference to central theme of the play Dr. Faustus?

           Daedalus and Icarus is a most famous Greek mythology. And we can compare it with the central theme of Doctor Faustus. As we know that Doctor Faustus was a German scholar and has to much knowledge and on the other side Daedalus was a skillful craftsman and artist and was seen as a symbol of wisdom, knowledge and power. He is the father of Icarus. Now he and his son made a plan to escape by using wings made of wax that Daedalus has invented.

          

            Icarus felt that now he has a power and can fly higher and anywhere. But his father warn him to not fly close to the sun because the wings made of wax. But sadly Icarus didn't heard his father's warning and flew to close to the sun. The wax Melted and Icarus fell to his death.

          And as like this Doctor Faustus represents the character of Icarus. For the quest of knowledge and wisdom he met to his downfall. And here the old man and the Good angle represent the character of Daedalus. They told him to not go on that path but Faustus refused their warning and at the end his overness of knowledge led him to his downfall.        

     

              So can say that the myth Daedalus and Icarus and Doctor Faustus has similarity in the theme.

            

4. How do you interpret this painting ?

   

            

            When one first see this painting, one can say that this is a natural painting. But if we see the  painting in the literary way we can find the Main theme of the painting. The painting is about the famous Greek myth Daedalus and Icarus. But the painting is not follow the original theme. The painting is about modern time, where people don't care about anyone or anything around them. They just live their lives in their own way. In the modern time no one has time or care about anything except him or her self. The world became more selfish than before. Everyone is busy in their work.

5. Read this article by Bhagat Singh. In light of the arguments made by Bhagat Singh(Bhagat Singh article) this article, can you re-write last monologue of Doctor Faustus?

             Bhagat Singh and Doctor Faustus these two characters are totally different from each other.on the one side Bhagat Singh is a legend and a brave character in the history and never afraid from death. And he was atheist. But on the other side Doctor Faustus is a German scholar. He wanted to gain power and wisdom but at the end he begs to the god for his life.

         If there was Bhagat Singh on the place of Doctor Faustus he never prayed to God for his life. Bhagat Singh says in his article that

    "Religion is the outcome of          

    human weakness or the

    limitation of human knowledge"

         If there was his death he warmly welcomed it. And felt every last moment of life.

6. Summarise articles discussed in the class:

         We have discussed two articles in our class. The one is….

Marlow and God : Tragic Theology of Dr. Faustus

          This article Marlowe and God : Tragic Theology of Doctor Faustus is written by Robert Ornstain. In this article he talks about Marlowe's style of writing. Marlowe was an anti God writer. The experiment of black magic and sells Faustus soul are his disaster. His plays as in source the hero's defiant is his final moment of dread.

Myth, Psychology and Marlowe's Doctor Faustus

             This article Myth, psychology and Marlowe's doctor Faustus is written by Kenneth L. Golden. An article on mentality of human mind and mythology. The article is based on a theory which include a human fall by his desire or over smartness. This theory also related with the myth of Daedalus and Icarus. In Doctor Faustus for gain more power and knowledge doctor Faustus at the end himself invite his downfall.