On the afternoon of 6.9, all the Pre-DP9 and 10 students gathered together to enjoy the Shakespeare play by DP9 students. As a Pre-DP9 student, I deeply understood how much preparation work we’d done beforehand, everything from memorizing the script, making the props and of course, countless rehearsals. Therefore we were really looking forward to the play.

The lights went dim and the play began. Students from Pre-DP9(1) presented us with an impressing play of Hamlet. What’s more impressive, in order to display the scene of the palace and forest, they made the screen by themselves. The screen was so vivid and majestic that we were really moved by the painting and hard work of students from Pre-DP9(1). As the play went on, we were fully involved and appreciated the actor’s wonderful display of emotions through their facial expression, intonation and acts. To make the play more creative, they inserted dance into the play and Ophelia used the dance to show her sincere love for Hamlet.

Next Pre-DP9(3) students displayed their play-Macbeth. Cao Yujun who starred Macbath was really a talented performer and displayed Macbeth’s violent inner conflict to the full extent.

At last comes Pre-DP9(2), who displayed their Hamlet play in English which kept the original flavor of Shakespeare play and impressed the audience more deeply. Although Hamlet was a tragedy, they added some funny and sarcastic elements into the play, especially the successful demonstration of play within a play. The player king and queen expressed their emotion through their words so accurately that it aroused the king of his guilt. Also, they raised the impact of the play by changing the ending. When Hamlet was bitterly attacking his mother with words, his uncle, the king came up and Hamlet displayed a picture of his father and put it in contrast against the man before him, the king to tell his mother how despicable the king is. The king couldn’t withstand that and Hamlet proposed a battle to end all those conflicts. As a result, Hamlet and the king both died and slept forever. With this adaptation, the tragic elements of the play were displayed to the full extent.

Through the performance of Shakespeare play, we acquired a deeper and more thorough understanding of Shakespeare play as well as its cultural context. At last Clerk offered award to the three acts, Best Cooperation for Class one, Best Original Flavor for Class two and Best Props for Class three. The display was a complete success and we have developed more interest in understanding Shakespeare.

By Xia Yuchen