I'm not a big fan of graphic novels and the like, but the manga version of Hamlet is acceptable. I'm a visual learner, so I really enjoyed being able to see a depiction of the events as they unfolded. Simply reading the play as Shakespeare wrote it does not appeal to me because I get all the characters mixed up, and I forget who is who in the story. Also, because the language is so archaic, it's hard to figure out what they are saying. This is unhelpful, since the whole play is told through the dialogue--losing track of the dialogue means I lose track of the events in the play. Clearly, I'm a terrible Shakespeare reader. However, getting to read this middle-school-reading-level Manga edition of Hamlet allows me to keep better track of the events and the characters.
The comic book itself is interesting to me. The fine detail in the artwork brought the characters alive, at least in my opinion. The clothes the characters are wearing, for example, are very complete. Robes, capes, belts, hats, jewelry--you can see it all. The characters' facial expressions are so well done that you don't even need to read the lines to tell what emotions the characters are feeling at any time. It's almost like you have a miniature performance right there in your hands (I know that's cheesy, but it's true--I've got Shakespeare's whooole world, in my hands!). The artist is like the director. The stage is set in the way the artist envisioned it--you can see the streets, the lighting that changes with time, buildings, and so forth. The artist also drew the costumes, down to the last detail. He directed what the characters would look like, how they would feel at certain moments, their actions, their words. It's actually a pretty big job to take on when you think about it, but I think the finished product is unique and captivating.
I agree with what Carly said in class--that comic books are for "nerds." I'm a big fan of The Big Bang Theory myself, so I understand that people might judge me for reading comic books, thinking that I"m some stereotypical, socially awkward geek. But you know what? I don't care what people think. If I had a break between classes, or if I was eating lunch, or brushing my teeth, or whatever, I just pulled out my book. My roommate Erma, bless her heart, informed me that I was a "dork." Little does she know, I'm actually a genius. If it's easier for me to read and understand, I'm going to use it. There's nothing wrong with nerds, anyway. REPRESENT!
One aspect of the comic book that really resonated with me is how the speeches were shortened--they got to the point faster. This may just be a little bit of my crazy coming out, but I don't think that Shakespeare's long monologues are very effective. They are beautifully written, but I think that they take so long to get to the point (sometimes going off on random tangents) that we lose the true meaning and purpose of the speech. I know that some people enjoy flowery, roundabout ways of saying things. I don't--it drives me crazy! Probably because I'm too impatient. It's an ungodly flaw in my character. But, the comic book version got the point across without losing any of the emotion. Very effective.
No comments:
Post a Comment