Kenneth Branagh Essays
The Dichotomy of Power and Humility in "Thor" 11th Grade
Thor (2011 Film)
The 2011 film Thor examines the dichotomy of power and humility through its protagonist, Thor (Chris Hemsworth). As such, the film weaves themes of arrogance, redemption, and growth as Thor transitions from a brash warrior to a selfless hero. This...
Comics, Magic, and the Bard: Shifting Genres in Kenneth Branagh’s Thor College
Thor (2011 Film)
At once a superhero action film, a fantasy, and a Shakespearean family drama, 2011’s Thor (dir. Kenneth Branagh) explores the malleability of film genre. While the film’s archetypal narrative, a tale of a young man who must learn to grow up in...
“A Little Touch of Harry”: Intimacy and “Twin-Born” Kings
Henry V (Film)
Though in the beginning of Kenneth Branagh’s screen adaptation of Henry V Derek Jacobi implores that we try to “think” when the players speak of Agincourt that we “see” the commotion (Prologue. 27), we soon realize that pretending is not...
Whether Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Deserve Sympathy: Hamlet and Its Film Adaptations 12th Grade
Hamlet (1996 Film)
To some extent, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are two figures who are manipulated unfairly by both Claudius in the scheming, and Hamlet in his tricks, and one can therefore see them sympathetically as victims to more powerful people; nonetheless,...
A Comedy Without a Resolution: Character Fates in 'Twelfth Night' and Its 1988 Version 11th Grade
Twelfth Night (1988 Film)
In the resolution of most of Shakespeare’s comedies, the main characters, almost without exception, find love and happiness. However, this is certainly not the case in Twelfth Night. Whilst the marriages of Olivia and Sebastian, and Orsino and...