Blog 12

I must admit that I was completely oblivious to "blogging" prior to taking this class. I knew what blogs were but I had never created or written one on my own, so I was immediately introduced to something new. That is a positive thing. It was difficult learning the format for the blogs at first but it didn't take long to get familiar with the program. For me, it was not difficult to write the blogs or meet the 250 word requirement.
It was fun to voice my opinion on the plays since Shakespeare's writings have so many moral, ethical, and social elements surrounding every scene in every play. Another cool aspect of the blogs was commenting on classmates entries as well as reading their responses to mine. Since Shakespeare is often difficult to decipher , I was interested to see if I was completely lost at times, or if people actually shared my views toward certain topics in the plays. The blogs also forced me to analyze the stories and characters a little deeper which lead to a better understanding of the plays. They also gave insight into events that may have influenced Shakespeare's work.
I like the creative aspect of blogging in that I can voice my opinion freely. However, I'm not sure i will continue to blog For two reasons:
1) I don't have anything to blog about.
2) Who is going to read my blogs?
If the opportunity to blog again arises in the future, I will embrace it.

Blog 11: Sleeepwalking scene

The sleepwalking scene in act five is a significant scene in the play because it finally exposes the vulnerability, or "human" side of Lady Macbeth. Throughout the play, she seems "ice cold" showing no remorse and little concern for her actions. The sleepwalking scene finally reveals that Lady Macbeth is in fact troubled by the events that have taken place regarding Duncan, Lady Macduff, and Banquo's deaths.
For me, an actresses portrayal of Lady Macbeth must include signs of guilt, paranoia and insecurity. Of the three scenes on Youtube, I think Judi Dench was the best.
Shirley Verrett can obviously sing. However, Their was a limit to what I could decipher from her character through song. Jane Lapotaire and Judi Dench had many similarities in their scenes. The gentlewoman and the doctor were very effective in their supporting roles and the settings presented a dark and mysterious mood. The constant rubbing of the hands was popular in both scenes as well. Clearly, both performances captured the emotions of Lady Macbeth, showing how heavily murder was weighing on her conscience.
In the end, I just felt like Judi Dench went the extra yard. She came across as a little more disturbed and hysterical. Her scream after "This Little Hand" was pretty intense and I also felt that she incorporated the candle into the scene a little better. The candle is a significant part of the scene in that it is symbolic of life, as it was in Othello also.
I must admit that Lapotaire's performance was how I envisioned Lady Macbeth and I did appreciate her passion, but Judi Dench is an Academy Award winning actress so maybe I'm a little bias.

Blog 10: What is a man?

What is a man? Many people have different answers to this question. Some believe you become a man when you reach a certain age or when you move out of your parent's house. Some believe a man is defined by the amount of money he makes, or females he "associates" with.
For me, to be considered a man, you must be: responsible, courageous, honest, proud, confident, loyal, adventurous, a provider for your family, and mentally and physically tough. A real man looks to better himself and and invests in his success. He learns how to lead rather than follow. Males are born but men are made.
The exterior of Macbeth shows several "manly" qualities. Early in the play, He is praised by King Duncan for his bravery and loyalty for his role as general of the Scottish army. Macbeth possesses many titles in the play. He is a general, Thane of Cawdor, a husband, and eventually King of Scotland. However, his journey to the throne is not very admirable. In fact, it is Lady Macbeth who convinces Macbeth to kill Duncan. (Act 1, Scene 5; Lady Macbeth says;"I may pour my spirits in thine ear, and chastise with the valour of my tongue all that impedes thee from the golden round.") She feels that Macbeth is not ambitious and must find a way to convince him to kill Duncan in order for her to gain power through her husband. Macbeth is easily convinced by his wife to carry out this deed, proving that she wears the pants in the relationship.
After the murder of Duncan, Macbeth becomes very paranoid, hearing voices (Act 2 Scene2; "Sleep no more, Macbeth does murder sleep") and hallucinating. After believing in the predictions by the witches and the diabolical plan of his wife, the once strong, confident Macbeth proves that he is weak. He is not a true leader and not worthy of being called a man.

Blog #9 "So Guildenstern and Rosencrantz Go To It"

I am not surprised, nor am I angry with Hamlet's decision to have his "friends" , Rosencrantz and Guildenstern killed without remorse due to their alliance with Claudius. At a time when Hamlet was most confused, angry, and in need of companionship, to discover that his friends were informants for Claudius must have really pushed him over the edge in what was already a mad state of mind.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are by no means innocent victims here. Their purpose was to subconsciously help Claudius kill Hamlet. Also, Rosencrantz ans Guildenstern should have denied Claudius and Gertrudes request to spy on Hamlet in the first place. If they were loyal friends to Hamlet, they would have made him aware of what they were really doing... spying!
Hamlet's real motive for the demise of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, however, was mainly to spite Claudius. Throughout the play, Hamlet develops a disgust for not only Claudius, but everything associated with him. Hamlets decision to send R and G to their deaths shows me that he will stop at no cost to achieve vengeance on behalf of the ghost.
Hamlet finally comes to terms with the belief that destiny controlls everyones life. After returning from exile in act five, he overcomes his anxiety and becomes calm, rational, and less afraid of death. In act 5, scene 2, Hamlet says to Horatio, "Sir, in my heart their was a kind of fighting that would not let me sleep" and "Our indescretion sometimes serves us well when our deep plots do pall, and that should learn us there's a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will". This new "enlightened" Hamlet suggests to me that Rosencrantz and Guildensterns' fate have already been decided by God and that Hamlet must carry out his plans for Claudius and let no one stand in his way.

Blog # 8: Justice?

Hamlet's way of taking justice into his own hands bares many similarities to Othello, as well as many differences.
The first similarity is that the violent nature of Othello and Hamlet is persuaded and controlled by others. it is the ghost's guidance of Hamlet and Iago's manipulation of Othello that lead these characters to commit theses savage acts.
Another similarity between the two is that both Othello and Hamlet feel they are doing a great justice in murdering their victims. According to Othello, he does a great service for all mankind in killing Desdemona. If she's dead, she can't cheat.(Act 5, Scene 2: Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men.)
Hamlet's angle is that he is avenging the death of his father. Clearly, Hamlet and the ghost believe in an eye for an eye justice system. If that were the case back in the day, Othello would seem ten times as harsh as he already does.
Finally, the largest difference that I saw between Hamlet and Othello is their views toward the souls of their prey. Othello was thoughtful in making sure that Desdemona made her peace with god before he smothered her. What a good guy. Hamlet, however, delays in killing Claudius because he is praying at the time of Hamlet's attempt to kill him. Hamlet wants to send him straight to hell. This leads me to believe that the ghost is acting through Hamlet, a servant of heaven sending a sinner (Claudius) to hell.
I wonder where Othello and Hamlet went when they died. If I were the judge, I would send Othello to hell. Desdemona was innocent and the symbol of all that is good and pure. Killing her is like flipping god the bird. Hamlet, however, would go to heaven. He saw the evil in Claudius and believed that incest is wrong when others did not. Justice was served more in Hamlet and not so much in Othello.

Blog #7 Hamlet's soliloquy

1) Kenneth Branagh: I enjoyed Branagh's performance. Early in the soliloquy he shows frustration when hinting at the idea of suicide and the torture of living a life with no redeemable qualities. He becomes most enraged when touching on the issue of his mother's marital habits. Depression, frustration, and confusion best describe Branagh's performance.
2) Kevin Kline: Like Branagh, Kline seemed angered most at his mother's marriage to his uncle and her ability to quickly put aside her feelings for Hamlet's father. Kline, for the most part, kept a level tone throughout the soliloquy. Falling to his knees added some drama but the zooming camera angles and background music gave his performance a corny soap opera feel.
3) Tony Richardson: In this adaptation, Nicol Williamson seems to be the most stable Hamlet of all the Hamlet portrayals. He is annoyed but does not show much emotion. The mood that I got from him was that everyone else in the play is crazy for not seeing the bizarreness that is incest in regards to gertrude and Claudius.
4) Mel Gibson: Mel Gibson's portrayal of Hamlet was weak! I expected to see a fiery "William Wallace/ Braveheart" like performance but he left me depressed and let down, much like his depiction of Hamlet.
When reading the soliloquy and Hamlet's thoughts about suicide, his fathers death, and his mother's incest, it is understandable that countless emotions would run through his head. That is why I feel Branagh's performance best illustrated Hamlet. He ranged from frustration to anger to disgust ( basically every adjective listed on blackboard), which is how I view Hamlet- confused and unstable, but sure of why he is angry.

Blog #6 Desdemona: Submissive Desdemona

Today, no respectable woman would put up with such an abusive, untrusting relationship like that of Othello and Desdemona. If I were a woman, Othello would be dead the second he put his hands on me.
However, I understand that the choice for Desdemona to be submissive to Othello's accusations and accusations was her only option. The fact that Desdemona is so submissive is surprising since she is in the upper class of society and could have had many suitors for her hand in marriage. She also proves to be independent, secretly marrying Othello and standing up to her father when he opposes the marriage. It's understood that women did not have many rights in the 16th an17th centuries and men were dominating figures but where do you draw the line?
I do respect Desdemona's attempt to plea for mercy by putting the white sheets on the bed. She may have had a shot at living if she didn't break down when hearing of Cassio's death. Clearly, that was the straw that broke the camels back in Othello's mind. Watching this relationship deteriorate was very frustrating because it was interesting to see Desdemona break away from traditional values during her time by marrying a black man. Once again, like in Much Ado About Nothing, manipulation leads to the downfall of love between man and woman. What is most frustrating for me is when Desdemona defends Othello to Emilia before she dies. Like Claudio, Othello should have seeked the truth harder and should not have laid a hand on a woman. Desdemona should have exposed him for being a mad man.

Blog 5: Leonato's and Brabantio's similarities

In Act 1, Scene2, Brabantio accuses Othello of stealing Desdemona and using magic to get her to marry him. Brabantio says, "O thou foul thief", and " Damned as thou art, thou has enchanted her, for I'll refer me to all things in sense, if she in chains of magic were not bound". Clearly, Brabantio has an issue with Othello's race above anything else. Throughout the beginning of the play, Othello is presented in a negative way by a few different characters. Iago uses the term,"The Moor", when referring to Othello. In Shakespeare's day, they used this term to describe any African with dark skin. Blacks were viewed as wicked with negative associations. Roderigo shares Iago's views toward Othello, referring to him as "The Black Ram" and making reference to his "thick lips" in act 1, scene 1. This is unfortunate because Othello is a well rounded, powerful man who did seem to have genuine intentions for Desdemona.
The relationship between Desdemona and Othello bothers Brabantio because he does not feel that "The Moor'', who he views as animalistic, is not a suitable match for his daughter. Of course, to Brabantio, Desdemona is "tender, fair and happy"(act 1, scene 2).
This scenario is similar to Much Ado About Nothing. Like Brabantio's perception of Desdemona, Leonato sees Hero as being pure, kind, and gentle. But when he hears of the accusations regarding his daughters sexual conduct, he is distraught. However, unlike Brabantio, Leonato is honored to give his daughter's hand to the admirable Claudio. That is until Claudio's true colors show. Though the story lines are different, the two plays are similar in that they tackle some touchy issues; race, and the purity of women.

Blog #4: Claudio Blew It!

From the beginning of the play, it seems evident that Claudio is enfatuated with Hero. Unfortunately for the two parties, enfatuation and love are two totally different things. One can question Claudio's true feelings for Hero on more than one occasion. For example, his interest in Hero being the only heir to Leonato leads to questions of whether there are other motives that spark Claudio's interests in the young lady. Also, the fact that Claudio is so easily manipulated by Don John, without seeking CONCLUSIVE evidence on two separate occasions, leads me to believe that he does not feel strongly enough for Hero to actually love her. If he did, he would have had Don John prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was the woman having sexual relations with Borachio. He also shouldn't have believed that Don Pedro would make a move on Hero for himself at the masked ball.
It becomes obvious that Claudio is shallow and insincere in Acts 4 and 5. First, at the wedding ceremony in Act 4, Claudio's outburst was out of line. He tells Leonato, "Take her back again. Give not this rotten orange to your friend." Claudio's rejection of Hero is designed to inflict as much pain as possible, and Hero's and Leonato's reaction to it seem to make things worse.
The last straw is in Act 5. After falling into a state of shock and anger, Leonato challenges Claudio to a duel, as an attempt to avenge his daughters death. Claudio mocks this challenge, claiming that Leonato is too old to fight. He then adds fuel to the fire when he tells Benedick of his recent encounter with Leonato (Act 5. Scene 1, Claudio says to Benedick: We had like to have had our two noses snapped off with two old men without teeth).
Perhaps Claudio has become jaded from war, but his suspicious nature and passion for revenge makes him an unsuitable match for the kind, gentle Hero. He does not deserve a second chance.

Blog #3: Benedick over Claudio as the stand up guy

Early in the story, Claudio and Benedick seem like polar opposites when it comes to love and women. Claudio is the eager one, falling madly in love with Hero, while Benedick curses love and the idea of giving his heart to only one woman. Claudio has the characteristics of a great protagonist. He is the kind lord of Florence who has won great acclaim for fighting under Don Pedro. His vulnerable nature toward love makes him very likeable.
Although Benedick doesn't share Claudio's passion for love and commitment, he is also a very likeable character. He is constantly performing for the benefit of others. This makes it difficult to realize whether or not he has been in love with Beatrice from the beginning of the play. Nevertheless, it is Benedicks wittiness that makes him a great character.
At the end of the day, Benedick is the true hero. Claudio proves to be disrespectful and unforgiving once he learns of Hero's affairs. Claudio should not believe a known villain like Don John. If he loved hero as much as he led on, then he would have questioned the accusations, instead of writing his love off so easily.
On the other hand, Benedick remains loyal to Beatrice, once he is convinced of her love for him. He even leaves his services to Don Pedro and challenges Claudio to a dual after Hero's disgrace, showing his loyalty to Beatrice and her family. Benedick clearly proves to be the stand up guy in the end.

Beatrice is an excellent wife for Benedick

Throughout the play, Beatrice and Benedick are deceiving themselves into believing they feel nothing for each other. Because the arguments between them are so "witty", the audience is led to believe that their disdain for each other is not sincere. The fact that Beatrice and Benedick are dismissive of the opposite sex and believe that they will stay unattached forever only magnifies their similarities and supports Don Pedro's belief that they are meant to be together. This self deception that they show is becomes even more apparent in act 2, scene 1, the scene at the masked ball. Benedick's desire to find out what Beatrice truly thinks of him is a certain sign of his interest in her. Leonato is also doubtful of Beatrice's commitment to single life. He hopes that she will one day find a husband. Also, throughout the first two scenes, it is evident that Don Pedro and Leonato have Beatrice and Benedick's best interests at heart and would not try to match them up if they didn't feel they were right for each other. Clearly, Leonato does not share Don Pedro's passion when it comes to uniting Beatrice and Benedick ( Leonato says to Don Pedro: "My Lord, I am for you, though it cost me ten nights' watchings". Meaning that Don Pedros plan will keep leonato up for nights.) Still, Leonato is on board with the plan. Finally, at the end of act 2, scene 1, Don Pedro's praise of Benedick upon Hero is a way to enlighten Beatrice of Benedick"s "noble strain", and "approved valor".

Shakespeare's World Life and Death

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Shakespeare's World Life and Death

After reading "Shakespeare's World", it is difficult to imagine how anyone could enjoy the theatre at a time of such hardship, restriction, violence and morbidity. With an average life expectancy under thirty years in the 1500's, how could anyone have any aspirations or dreams? Especially with little hope on the horizon. It's shocking how a world with no antiseptics, limited understanding of disease, food shortages, and a plague could produce history's greatest playwright. I was also surprised to hear of the cruel and unusual punishment that took place during the Shakespeare era. From something as little as a slapping to a beheading or hanging, people clearly had less regard for human life than they do today. What's even more disturbing is that people found these events as a form of entertainment, as nearly twenty to thirty people a day were executed in front of large crowds. Finally, It was shocking to realize how certain social and cultural ideas in the 16th century do not differ much from the present day. For example, Executions of convicts in America today allow for an audience. Families of a murder victim can watch a man or woman die in the electric chair. It may not be as primitive as watching a hanging but the same concept applies. Also, five centuries after the English had divided the population into two groups, "rich" and "poor", we still continue this idea of "groups" in a society consisting of upper, lower and middle class. I don't believe it is a coincidence that Shakespeare's tragedies emerged later in his career. Perhaps he became more aware of the problems existing in his era and knew there would be little to know change regarding health, politics, family values, and other issues during his lifetime. Clearly in history, movies and plays have served as a portal for people to escape the harsh realities of everyday life, enabling them to imagine a worse, or dream of a better life. It is surprising to me that Shakespeare could have such a passion for his craft and deliver his visions so artistically in such a grim world.

Shakespear's World Life and Death