As one of Shakespeare's most renowned plays, Hamlet has been artistically represented many times. I found some cool representations (below) that added to my perspective of the events that went down in the play.
1) Hamlet and Ophelia by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
This scene depicts the moment in which Ophelia returns Hamlet's gifts. This painting is really cool because its background is more important than Hamlet and Ophelia themselves. If you look closely, the chair on which Hamlet rests his arm houses an engraving of the Tree of Knowledge guarded by two angels with swords. Around the tree lies a serpent that wear a crown which is reminiscenet of the ghost's lines in the play: "But know, thou noble youth, / The serpent that did sting thy father's life / Now wears his crown." Also on the seat is a carving of the Old Testament story of Uzzah. Uzzah was bringing the Ark of the Covenant to King David, and when the oxen carrying the Ark shifted, he held out his arms to steady it. The second he reached out his arms to steady the Ark, God struck him dead. Basically, he was the victim of his good intentions, just like Ophelia. Ophelia left Hamlet because of her father's wishes; she had no malicious intents. The parallel between Uzzah and Ophelia is demonstrated through the similar, flailing position of their arms.
2) The Closet Scene from "Hamlet" by Richard Dadd
As its title reveals, this is from the famous "closet scene." Originally, this painting also incorporated Dadd's version of the apparition; however, it was removed at some point. It's interesting to pay close attention to the facial expressions of both Hamlet and Gertrude. After spotting the ghost, Hamlet is wide-eyed and shocked. In response to his reaction, Gertrude is fearful of her son and shows a almost a look of disappointment towards him.
No comments:
Post a Comment