The Dilemma of “to Be, or Not to Be, That Is the Question” Shalt Only Remain a Tragedy to Hamlet, Not Students

The dilemma of “to be, or not to be, that is the question” Shalt only remain a tragedy to Hamlet, not students

Introduction
Shakespearean Plays have been praised as one of the most profound literature works in the English language. The plays reflect social/political situation; Shakespeare also brilliantly manipulate techniques such as characterization, plot, language, and genre [Chambers, E. K. (1944). Shakespearean Gleanings. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 35. OCLC 2364570]; Shakespeare was also a pioneer of integrating many literal devices into a play, for instance Soliloquies had been used mainly to convey information about characters or events; but Shakespeare used them to explore characters' minds [Clemen, Wolfgang (1987). Shakespeare's Soliloquies. London: Routledge, 179] his use of language helped shape modern English [Crystal, David (2001). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 55–65, 74] .The plays are therefore included as mandatory studies in English programs. As influential as Shakespearean plays may be, the anachronistic context of his works discourage students from fascinations; therefore more contemporary approaches to his works should be adapted in order to resolve this issue and to engage student’s attention.

Brief Summary
The renowned Shakespearean play - “Hamlet” is selected to illustrate the potential effects in transforming a play into a video and/or computer game. “Hamlet” is a true tragedy in every context: revenge, greed, stupidity. The play, as suggested by the title is related to
Page 1 events surround Hamlet – prince of Denmark, son of the late King Hamlet and Gertrude. The late king of Denmark appears as a spirit before Hamlet and divulges information that his uncle, Claudius is responsible for the late king’s murder. Grieving for both his father’s murder and his mother’s remarriage to Claudius, Hamlet is tormented emotionally and he vows to avenge the death of his father; he becomes melancholic and close relatives become aware of his mental instability. Buried himself in plotting the revenge isolates Hamlet from social life; his admirer, Ophelia commits suicide upon Hamlet declines her affection; her father – Polonius who offered to spy on the Prince on behalf of Claudius is slain by Hamlet because he was mistaken for Claudius. The series of unfortunate events prevail with the queen drinking the poison intended for Hamlet, and the fatal fight between Claudius, Laertes and Hamlet, with Laertes denouncing the current king with his last breath. Hamlet’s close and loyal companion Horatio wishes to consume the poison but Hamlet convinces him otherwise, thus Horatio becomes the surviving witness of this tragedy.

Adaptation involves transforming same events, stories into another medium, and is through contrast of other elements that would illustrate other perspectives to the audience. Examples would include Dracula which includes mediums such as video/computer games, movies and novels; another successful example would be the movie Elizabeth: the golden age. According to the director of this movie, history has always been his unpleasant subject and he wishes to present it in an interesting way to the audience. Needless to say, “Hamlet” has had many types of adaptations being one of the best known pieces of
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literature throughout the world; one of the best would be “Lion King” by Disney, the film has successfully transformed one of the oldest pieces of literature into something that even children would appreciate and embrace.

Brief introduction of the related medium
The adaptation of “Hamlet” into video game is inspired by the all-time famous game Diablo – a game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The game is based on a fictional setting: The power of darkness reigns the world and the player – a lone fighter is to restore the world to its original state by defeating the lord of the underworld.
The two share striking resemblances: the lone fighter represents Hamlet himself, since the secret of his father’s murder is only revealed to him and he feels obligated to revenge for his father’s death. Similarly, the lone hero in the game is the sole survivor in the game and it is his honor as a fighter to defend his country. The Lord of Darkness in Diablo would be equivalent to the villain in “Hamlet” – Claudius. The elements of the play have every potential to become a successful video and/or computer games, and it will be demonstrated in the following paragraph.

Transformation The background of this video game will be placed in England within eighteen to nineteen century, with the murder of the late king of Denmark as prelude to the game.
The murderer is not revealed to the player, however the late king’s facial expression
Page 3 seems surprised, and he tries to utter the murderer’s name with his last breath. Next scene followed by the marriage of Hamlet’s mother, Queen Gertrude to Claudius. After the grand ceremony, Hamlet confines himself to his castle and the ghost of king Hamlet appears. Hamlet is informed by the late king that Claudius is the murder and he should be condemned for the crime. This brief introduction would guide the player into the game smoothly and officially begin first part of the game. As a game in the adventure/role playing genre, player will be interacting with the game in a first person perspective: a list of characters is available for selection after the brief introduction, including Hamlet, Claudius, Laertes, Polonius and Horatio. Brief description of the character and their background will be provided for players who are not familiar with the characters. Choosing different character would allow interaction with different perspective; however sequence of the video game is plotted according to the play to retain originality. The character chosen will begin with a certain level of intellectual power; the power level is to be varied with a correct/incorrect answer chosen by the player. Many tragic events happen in the play and a format of multiple choice questions will be assigned at each of the turning points, determining the character’s intellectual level. For instance, “to name the character eavesdropping on Hamlet and the Queen prior to his death?” or “what is Hamlet’s reaction to Ophelia’s declaration of love?” Correct answer to each question would yield a higher intellectual level, which will served as an asset when player engages in the final combat, deciding the character’s destiny. Given this setting, any characters could be the survivor and proceed onto the next level, competing with Fortinbras for the Page 4 throne to Denmark. The genre of role playing/adventure allows player to have a first person perspective on the play as opposed to the traditional third person view, as well, player is given the opportunity to determine the character’s faith in the game; thereby prompting a more through understanding of the character and his significance to the plot.

Benefit of the proposed adaptation
As discussed earlier in the essay, adaptation from one medium to another is about presenting an issue, a story, a play, an idea etc. In depth study of Shakespearean plays is mandated throughout high school programs and adapting this new form of presentation will definitely kindle student’s interest in earlier literature works. This proposal could be developed as a supplementary material to the learning program; it will enhance students’ knowledge of the overall plot of the play, background and personality of characters, inner conflicts, and role of the character in the play. Computer application has become part of the daily routine; therefore accessing the material through a familiar medium would be motivational and strengthen computer skills. Students could purchase the software with discount or borrow from library; this idea could also be applied to the many other Shakespearean works.

Conclusion
Shakespearean work is distinguished in his era and undoubtedly is one of the most influential productions in the English language; work such as “Hamlet” has splendidly
Page 5 elucidate the complexity of hamlet’s inner struggle between peace of mind and revenge; struggle between his mother’s remarriage to Claudius shortly after his father’s death, and finally the outcome of Hamlet dwelling in his tragic situation. Though influential, these works were productions from a relatively ancient time, and they would not prevail if they were not part of mandatory studies. Therefore measures such as different adaptation should be taken to ensure great literature will not be obliterated.

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Guiding Principle: “The dilemma of “to be, or not to be, that is the question” Shalt only remain a tragedy to Hamlet, not students”

Introduction – why is “Hamlet” chosen to be the subject for this adaptation proposal; what is the issue regarding ancient literature work and what measure should be taken

Body Paragraph:

Brief Summary – Summary of the play “Hamlet”

Brief introduction of the related medium – why is video game is chosen to be the medium for adaptation

Transformation – The process of presenting “Hamlet” in a whole new context

Benefit of the proposed adaptation – discuss the feasibility of the proposal

Conclusion