Adaptation or Appropriation Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet can be noted to be one of his most historic play writes of significance. The adaptation of the play into a movie directed by Franco Zefferelli was directly due to the importance of the story. The movie compared to the play write has many similarities and many differences. These differences were not intended to change the plot or the perspective, it was intended to merely intensify what’s going on, shorten the plot and give the viewer an easier understanding of what’s going on. In the beginning of Shakespeare’s play, the ghost of the king had been seen by Horatio and the guards and they intended to let Hamlet speak to whom ever it was because they didn’t know if it was a trick or what it was.. In the movie they are at the king’s funeral and Gertrude and Hamlet are next to the coffin, Hamlet sprinkles some dust on the coffin and Claudius touches his sword against it. The reason for this opening scene to be changed would be due to the fact that in the play it says that Hamlet came after his father’s funeral. Within the context of the movie it is easier to figure out that Hamlet doesn’t just want revenge but he wants justice. Although Hamlet never states that Claudius’ actions must follow with his death, which is actually what happens. In both the play and the film Hamlet waits to try and kill Claudius. However in the film he doesn’t seem to be upset over what he has to do and he doesn’t seem like an assassin. This changes the view we have of Hamlet himself and creates a liking to hamlet more than can be said for the play. There are also many deleted lines from many different characters within the story. Most important would be Ophelia. The lines that are changed and rearranged were meant to make her seem like she is even crazier than she was in Shakespeare’s original version. These changes make it easier to