Born on November 18, 1833 near Bel Air, Maryland, Edwin Thomas Booth was the son of Junius Brutus Booth and Mary Ann Holmes. He was the seventh of ten children, six of whom lived to adulthood. Edwin’s father was an actor, and Edwin used to accompany him on tours to make sure he wasn’t drinking. It was then he was introduced to theater, and it was at fifteen years old when Edwin made his stage debut as Tressel in Richard III. (Giblin, 2-20) From then on, Edwin was captivated. His life was not perfect though, in fact, much of it was darkened by tragedy and sadness. Edwin Booth overcame his tragic personal life to become one of the most accomplished and well-respected American actors of the nineteenth century. Edwin was never without sorrow or regrets. His father, Junius Brutus, caught a severe cold on a ship from New Orleans, up the Mississippi River heading to Cincinnati. It caused him to become very thirsty and parched, and his father drank glasses of contaminated river water. On November 30, 1852, the famous actor died. Edwin was only nineteen years old when he heard the news, and it brought on waves of depression. Edwin developed a drinking habit trying to escape from his depression, much like his father. (Giblin, 27, 31) After his father died, Edwin (who was living in San Francisco at the time) performed with local theater companies. On April 25, 1853 Edwin played Hamlet for the first time. Critics were impressed and forecast an impressive future for the budding actor. “We can even predict a high degree of success for the promising young artist when he shall have overcome a few disagreeable faults in intonation and delivery, and reached a profound conception of the part.” –Ferdinand C. Ewer for the Daily Alta California (G... ... middle of paper ... ...m, but he still went on with his acting. On April 4, 1891, he played Hamlet for his last time on stage. The performance was average, but Edwin’s fans were never disappointed in seeing him act. During some parts of the show, Edwin showed his true brilliance, and critics noticed. “The familiar words seemed to come from Booth’s lips for the first time,” David Belasco, a Broadway producer said, referring to the “To be, or not to be” soliloquy. (Giblin, 216) Edwin Booth suffered much of his life with grief and gloom, but he never let it get in the way of theatre. He always returned to the stage, performing in many tours, breaking records, gaining international admiration, and earning the high opinion of critics. This was more than most actors of his time could say, making Edwin one of the most accomplished and well-respected American actors of the nineteenth century.
...d standing ovations. The cheers and applause helped to restore his confidence as an actor and confirmed his decision to return to the stage” (Giblin171). This quote demonstrates how much the people loved to see Edwin Booth onstage. He had a wonderful presence and he brought a lot of joy to people. When the quotes talks about having his confidence restored as an actor it is referring to when Edwin Booth left the theatre for a period of time. Edwin Booth left the stage after the incident with his brother occurred. Edwin did not want the public to take things out on him for what his brother John Wilkes Booth had done. The two things that Edwin Booth is known for is his brother killing the president and his performance in Hamlet. In conclusion, after reading this paper, there should be an understanding of who Edwin Booth was and how he impacted theatre history.
Bloom, Harold. Introduction. Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986.
..., Kean made no such revolutionary changes. He is credited with being the first to break from the psychological consistency the Hamlet character always seems to have. Kean’s Hamlet reacted calmly, with affection and eagerness upon seeing his father’s ghost. Also, Kean is the first to depict Hamlet as treating Ophelia lovingly, rather than somewhat brutally. Ophelia was portrayed as a significant character in this production, which was a first. In later productions, Ophelia’s character gains incredibly prominence, as women’s rights progress.
Bloom, Harold. "Introduction." Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York City: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 1-10.
Fowler, Alastair. 1987. 'The Plays Within the Play of Hamlet.' In 'Fanned and Winnowed Opinions': Shakespearean Essays Presented to Harold Jenkins, edited by John W. Mahon and Thomas A. Pendleton. London and New York: Methuen.
Levin, Harry. “An Explication of the Player’s Speech.” Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. Rpt. from The Question of Hamlet. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1959.
Mack, Maynard. “The World of Hamlet.” Twentieth Century Interpretations of Hamlet. Ed. David Bevington. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968.
Hamlet was able to play the part very well. He was sarcastic and had witty comments. The
To play one of Shakespeare’s most complex roles successfully on stage or on screen has been the aspiration of many actors. William Shakespeare’s Hamlet has been the focus on various accounts throughout the 20th Century, each actor attempting to bring something unique and unmarked to the focal character. Franco Zeffirelli and Kenneth Branagh, both film directors, introduce varying levels of success on the screen through downright differences in ways of translation and original ideas. Zeffirelli’s much shorter interpretation of the film is able to convey the importance of Hamlet as a masterwork by using modern approaches to film but still capturing the traditional work behind Shakespeare’s well-known play.
Rose, Mark. "Reforming the Role." Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York City: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986. 117-128
Levin, Harry. General Introduction. The Riverside Shakespeare. Ed. G. Blakemore Evans. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1974.
Hamlet passed away young, a mere 30 years of age, and I sincerely regret that I will never be able to see such a fine young man take command of the throne and restore nobility to the state of Denmark. He was the son of the great King Hamlet, one of the best kings this country has ever seen, and Queen Gertrude, our countries finest lady who has also now sadly passed away. I am sure that all of you here today looked up to Hamlet as a fine young prince, but I knew him as much more than that. To me he was the best friend a man could have, loyal, witty, and extremely trustworthy. I remember the days back when we studied together in Wittenberg, we spent a lot of time together and he was always there to support and help me. He was always cheerful but quiet and had a quick wit, which fascinated me. Hamlet delighted in “flashes of merriment that were wont to set the table in a roar.” His ability to read my mind always astounded me, al...
Bloom, Harold. Introduction. Modern Critical Interpretations: Hamlet. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1986.
“To be or not to be?, that is the question.” Many people may be familiar with this particular line because it’s something commonly heard within our lives. Whether it was covered in one’s high school English class or not, it is still well-known to people even if they have never read Hamlet. “His influence goes well beyond literature: he permeates our culture” (Hacht, 2006). William Shakespeare, perhaps one of the greatest playwrights in history, is a man who is known for his unique and powerful writing. The English playwright, poet, and actor is generally acknowledged to be the greatest of English writers and one of the most extraordinary creators in human history. His entire life was committed to the public theater. Nowadays, it seems as if people have really forgotten about the “original art form” of using beautiful words and poetic devices. When I was still in high school, I took a Shakespeare class and I ...
In the late 1500’s the thought of a play or drama was changed forever. This new profound awaking was brought about by one of the most recognizable figures in history. Not much is known about this very person, but his name will forever be great and his legacy even greater. This person is William Shakespeare.