Interpretations of "Emma"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how Jane Austin's "Emma" is, in some ways, a drama and, in some ways, a comedy and how the story definitely has instances of high drama, such as powerful confrontations and arguments between characters, as well as comedic instances, such as Mr. Woodhouse's obsession with health. It attempts to show the differences in the two movie versions based on the fact that the Kate Beckinsale version is dramatic, while the Gwyneth Paltrow version is comedy. It expounds on these differences by showing how the themes of the movies affected the casting choices, along with the way in which key scenes are portrayed.

From the Paper:

"Kate Beckinsale's version is, as most dramas are, very dark and serious and I feel this horribly marred the mood by not allowing nearly enough comedic material into the performances of these characters. My first and main problem is what this shift toward the dramatic did to the character of Mr. Knightly. He was transformed from the likeable, witty, gentleman I read in the novel to a character I had an extremely hard time liking. This is not because in every instance he acted more dramatically than he should have, but rather the overwhelming way in which he kills all of the supposed humor and enjoyment his character creates. At times when I know the words he is saying are meant to be taken humorously, either they are delivered contrary to that wish, or are so out of context with the prevailing mood that they do not fit."

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