William Shakespeare's Hamlet touches on the theme of fate and revenge as he explains the situations Hamlet goes through to avenge his father's death. The play was written during the Elizabethan era to convey the social norms of the time. Michael Almereyda's 2000 version of Hamlet offers drastic changes to the play in hopes of appealing to a more modern audience, while still representing the play's plot. While there are obvious changes between the two scripts, Almereyda's attempts to include Elizabethan English in the 21st century add authenticity to this film. In this modern interpretation of Hamlet, we see the story unfold in crowded New York City, where the atmosphere and beliefs of the characters are taken into account allowing the audience to better relate to Shakespeare's original play. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay During the Elizabethan period, women were despised and men controlled their lives. William portrays Gertrude and Ophelia as weak in the play to reflect their role in the society of the time as they were expected to obey the opposite sex. While there are some similarities, this is not the case in the film as there were scenes where Ophelia ignored both Polonius and Laertes' command to stop seeing Hamlet. Furthermore, while Polonius tries to spy on Hamlet through Ophelia by placing a wire on her, Ophelia cries but does not stop him. Her resistance shows how women now have more control over their lives and don't need their parents' blessing; however, it still highlights that he is not in full control. Likewise, women continue to fight for equal rights today. To illustrate Shakespeare's story correctly, the director chooses his resistance as one of the reasons why he breaks down and ultimately commits suicide, apart from the death of his father. Gertrude plays the role of Claudius' "perfect" wife in the film, they portray her as a powerful and intelligent woman which are not words that typically describe women during the Elizabethan era. It is after Polonius' death that she turns to drinking, letting us know a new side of her. This perhaps shows how women in our society are constantly pressured into taking on this role of being “strong” to ensure we don't see them as weak or emotional. Gertrude, however, could not bear this image. Almereyda's portrayal of Gertrude and Ophelia not only creates characters that female audiences can identify with, but also offers a realistic interpretation of women in the year 2000. Michael incorporated technology into the film to show the effect it has on society today; however, in doing so, the audience may perceive Hamlet differently. In Shakespeare's play we identify Hamlet as mad; however, his lack of initiative in seeking revenge in the film portrays a more depressed character. Hamlet often isolates himself and turns to his video diaries where he can reflect on his thoughts and keep himself sane. This makes it clear that he finds comfort in his videos, but it also makes the audience wonder if he will ever commit to his plans. To further appeal to audiences, the film explains how our access to technology can make us feel isolated even though its purpose is to facilitate connection with others. Rather than confront someone face to face, Hamlet prefers to call or email the person who can be seen as weak as they depend on technology to avoid personal connection. I believe this allows the audience to truly sympathize with Hamlet since they cannot see his own.