AHSU+ASSIGNMENT+3


 * ASSIGNMENT 3 **

A playwright may physically write the play, but a play is not written with strict standards. A playwright writes a play so that it will be performed, but how it is performed and presented is up to how the director interprets the piece. Yet, interpretation is not the only factor that makes a show unique. Resources and social influences are some examples of what influences the decisions a director makes in a production. The same play, __Henry V__ was written by the same playwright, William Shakespeare, but the interpretations of two different directors, Olivier and Branaugh, have created two unique productions.

Olivier directed this play in 1944, a time near the end of WWII, and clearly to relight the exhausted spirits of the English people. The enemy is first depicted as loud and gaudy, shouting meaningless phrases and running about ridiculously. The image given off can be thought of like a circus full of clowns. The English are depicted in a serious, and determined light. They band together and listen to what their king has to say. His speech is very inspiring and fills his soldiers with courage. As the Act continues, scenes switch between the French and the English as they both prepare for battle. The French seem to take the war too lightly. Although they demand respect physically by making people bow in their presence, they don’t seem to command any respect. They go into battle by drinking wine but have trouble mounting and controlling their horses. In contrast, the Englishmen are working hard in the fields. The repeated shifts between the French and English emphasize what the English should be proud of.

Branaugh’s interpretation of the play is very different from Olivier’s. Directed in 1989 during a war between Britain and Argentina, Branaugh trades a light mood for a more realistic approach to war. Instead of a light, sunny day, Branaugh’s production is set on a cloudy, downcast autumn or winter day. The mood of the play is very cold and serious. The enemy is depicted as sinister and daunting and the English seem more defeated. Yet, the low morale within the English army makes the King’s speech to seem even more inspiring and grand than Olivier’s interpretation. In addition, when the messenger arrives Olivier depicts King Henry on his horse talking down to him while Branaugh places King Henry on foot among his people. This difference in the position of the king greatly affected the image of the king. By placing King Henry on a horse, the King’s status and authority over his people is emphasized in Olivier’s interpretation. The king in Branaugh’s version seemed to identify more with his people. By placing the King with his people, Braunaugh fortifies the strength of the bond between the king and his people.