For Tuesday: Troilus and Cressida, Acts 3 and 4

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: In Act 4, Scene 4, why does Troilus keep advising Cressida to “be true”? How does she respond to this, and how does he clarify his meaning? If he consistent in what he means by this phrase?

Q2: After their night together, Cressida says to Trolius, “Prithee, tarry. You men will never tarry. O foolish Cressid!” (4.2.20-21). Does she regret giving into him and revealing her affections? Does she have cause to doubt his love? Is his language of love less than hers?

Q3: In Act 3, scene 3, Ulysses is trying to rouse Achilles into action and ultimately, get him to return to the Trojan War (which he is sitting out). One of the things he tells him is, “no man is the lord of anything—/Though in and of him there be must consisting—/Till he communicate his part to others;/Nor doth he of himself know them for aught/Till he behold them formed in the applause/Where they’re extended” (3.3.120-124). What do you think he means by this? Do you think he believes this, or is it just something to get Achilles riled up?

Q4: In Act 3, scene 2, we get an echo of the Balcony Scene in Romeo and Juliet. However, the scene is complicated by the presence of Pandarus, who keeps interjecting vulgar terms of business (“Go to, a bargain made. Seal it, seal it”). Besides this, how do the two lovers proclaim their love for the audience? Does it sound ‘authentic’? Do any of the same themes from Romeo and Juliet crop up in their discussion?

For Thursday: Troilus and Cressida, Act Two

NOTE: Just read Act Two for Thursday, since it’s a slightly harder play, and we have time to go slower. We’ll read 3-4 for Tuesday, but feel free to read ahead if you want. The questions below only cover Act Two.

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: The act ends with Agamemnon saying, “Light boats sail swift, though greater hulks draw deep” (107). This echoes an earlier speech by Nestor in Act 1, scene 3 (around page 143-144 in the Folger) using the same boat and ocean metaphors. What does he mean by this? How might this metaphor also echo a similar metaphor (and message) in The Sonnets?

Q2: In the Iliad, Hector is Helen’s protector and advocates keeping her in Troy. In Shakespeare, however, he argues that “she is not worth what she doth cost/The keeping” (179). What is his argument for giving her back, and how might it echo Ulysses’ famous (and long) speech in Act 1, scene 3? What makes him insist, despite the pleas of Trolius and even Paris, that she has to be returned?

Q3: What kind of character is Thersites? Is he a typical Shakespearean fool, like the Fool in Twelfth Night? Or is he more like Mercutio? How does he interact with the great heroes Achilles, Ajax, and Patroclus? Does he help us see the ‘truth’ about them? Or is he just here to make us laugh?

Q4: Throughout the play so far, Shakespeare lets numerous anachronisms (historical inaccuracies) creep into his text. How many can you find? Why are they here? Was he a bad historian? Or is there another reason that he continually knocks us out of the legendary time period?

Helpful Links for the Romeo and Juliet Group(s)

Links to modern productions from MIT’s Global Shakespeares site: 

http://globalshakespeares.mit.edu/#play%5B%5D=Romeo+and+Juliet

Link to the trailer for a recent R&J adaptation, written by Julian Fellowes (of Downton Abbey fame): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTGWNHa1wIQ

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s page for Romeo and Juliet, including clips and links for numerous performance, including the recent 2010 production: http://www.rsc.org.uk/explore/shakespeare/plays/romeo-and-juliet/

Link to every filmed version of the play from IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/find?ref_=nv_sr_fn&q=romeo+and+juliet&s=tt

Link to an Interesting 1997 NYT article about recent stagings of the play and performance practices: https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/29/theater/critic-s-notebook-juliet-of-the-five-o-clock-shadow-and-other-wonders.html

Be sure to check the Shakespeare section of our library (4th floor) for many critical sources on the play. 

Helpful Links for Othello Group(s)

Links to modern productions from MIT’s Global Shakespeare site:

http://globalshakespeares.mit.edu/#play%5B%5D=Othello

Complete version of Branagh’s 1995 Othello (in which he plays Iago as well):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYb30t4PNjUU

Link to every filmed production on the IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/find?ref_=nv_sr_fn&q=Othello&s=tt

Brief Article on Casting Race in Othello: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/theatreblog/2007/apr/05/blackorwhitecastingcanbe

Great live performance of Othello at the Globe Theatre, 2007 (in our library):

 PN1997 .O9009  

Trailer for O, a 2001 film based loosely on Othello, set in an American high school: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz1NIOjkJi0

We also have various books on Othello in our library, including critical essays on the play—check the 4th floor stacks. 

Helpful Links for Twelfth Night Group(s)

Links to modern productions from MIT’s Global Shakespeare site:

http://globalshakespeares.mit.edu/#play%5B%5D=Twelfth+Night

Links to every filmed production on the IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/find?q=Twelfth+Night&s=tt

Link to a production of Twelfth Night directed by Branagh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i3J17Jp0ag

Link to a scene from the 2012 Shakespeare’s Globe All-Male production of Twelfth Night, featuring Stephen Fry as Malvolio (there are other clips on You Tube as well, and this performance is available on DVD):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDPT2e26SgY

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s page on Twelfth Night, with clips, links, and photos from various productions, including a recent 2012 production (not the one above):

http://www.rsc.org.uk/explore/twelfth-night-david-farr-production-photos.aspx

We also have various books on Twelfth Night in our library, including critical essays on the play—check the 4th floor stacks. 

For Thursday: Wells, William Shakespeare, Chs. 6, 7, and 8

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: Othello is one of several tragedies that Shakespeare wrote in the wake of numerous comedies (Twelfth Night, etc.). According to Wells, what themes and ideas unite Othello to some of his fellow protagonists: Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth? How might we read Othello (either the man or the play) in the light of his theatrical experimentation with tragedy in this period?

Q2: Wells writes that “It is unfashionable, indeed it is often regarded as unscholarly, to look for reflections of an artist’s life in his work” (88). Why do you think this is? What is the danger of doing so? In general, does Wells encourage or discourage us from doing this with Shakespeare? How might the turn of the century, the change of monarch, and his advancing age (turning 40) all play a role in the kind of dramas he was producing in the early 1600’s?

Q3: Writing of Timon of Athens, Wells remarks that “the surviving text is incomplete; editors do something to tidy it up, and theatre directors need to do more to put it in performance shape” (95). The same is true of many of his late plays, notably Pericles and even some of the bare speeches in Antony and Cleopatra. Why do you think his late works are often incomplete or feel ‘half composed’? Was this due to bad luck, the plays’ relative unpopularity, or a new aesthetic for Shakespeare’s art?

Q4: Wells also suggests that Shakespeare’s late writing “has become rarified and involuted, making no concessions to either actor or audience” (107). Why would the most popular playwright of his age become more and more obscure, and less and less interested in his audience? Wells also suggests that many authors become more “autumnal” as they age into their art. Why might this be?

THE GROUP PRESENTATION

The Groups

“A”: Sharayah Alkire; Cody Baggerly; Hannah Barnhart; Kate Carlin

“B”: Bryce Clark; Amber Deela; Madison Gaines; Ashley Gregory

“C”: Cynthia Hammonds; Maci Hanson; Kara Hodo; Taylor Johnson

“D”: Lauren Jolly; Preston Mann; Miranda Mullins; Abigail Nance; Rachel Wilson

“E”: Michael Oliver; Ashli Page; Destiny Paisley; Dana Perkins

“F”: Mitchell Potts; Avery Stev  ens; Austin Ward; Chandler Wilson

Choose a single scene from one of the plays in class (or another, if enough of your group has read it recently—Shrew, Macbeth, etc.), or part of a scene if the scene is particularly long. Your group will then discuss how to stage this scene for actors who have never performed Shakespeare before and don’t understand the language. Imagine you are presenting a workshop before this group of assembled actors as a kind of ‘Shakespeare 101’ for the play. Ideally, you should take them through several aspects of the scene to give them context, clarity, and comprehension (and any other C’s you can think of).

Your group should consist of the following members:

THE PRESENTER: This person assembles the group’s materials and presents them to the workshop. Though they don’t have to do the ‘grunt work,’ they do have to understand it sufficiently to present it to the class. He or she is also responsible for how they want to present it—handouts, Powerpoint, Prezi, poster, etc. NOTE that the Presenter is only responsible for communicating the material below, and does not have to create any of it (though he or she can give guidance and suggestions, of course). Make sure not to merely read the materials below, but synthesize them into a flowing, coherent account for the audience.  

THE DRAMATURG: This person is responsible for telling us something about the production history of the play itself. Give us an overview of when the play was believed to have been written and how it was received—was it popular? Was there a quarto version before the Folio? What famous actors played in it? What are some of the controversies/difficulties of the play? Briefly discuss at least one modern production and explain how they staged it (period, modern, etc.) and why this was effective. The Dramaturg should turn in a 2-4 page paper with this material along with citations for the sources used. NOTE that the Presenter shouldn’t read this, but should incorporate its ideas into his/her presentation.

THE SCHOLAR: This person should highlight key concepts unfamiliar to the audience which can include language (unfamiliar words, puns, allusions, prose/verse), conventions (aspects of tragedy, comedy, or Shakespeare’s theater), and class (distinction of rank we might be aware of or notice). Think about what aspects would most benefit the audience’s understanding and help them ‘see’ this. The Historian should turn in a 2-4 page paper (double spaced) highlighting the most important details from this scene with citations, which can be from the Folger edition, Wells’s book, or other sources. NOTE that the Presenter shouldn’t read from this, but should have this adapted in his or her presentation).

THE DIRECTOR: This person is responsible for close reading some part of the scene so we understand how it could be performed, and how to portray the characters through their language. Imagine that you’re instructing the actors what to see in the language and how it can act as their costume and props. Highlight the themes/ideas in this scene that resonate throughout the play, and consider the philosophical implications of their language (ideas we find in de Sousa, for example). You should consult at least TWO sources to help you with your reading, either de Sousa, Wells, The Sonnets, or another critical source. The Director should turn in a 2-3 page paper with his/her close readings and citations for the sources used.

NOTE: If your group has 5 members, then you can have co-directors: each one can choose a passage to highlight and do his/her own close reading. The Presenter can they decide which one to use, or to combine the two in the presentation.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS

• Only do ONE play and ONE scene from the play (co-directors can focus on different parts of the same scene).
• Each group should turn in a folder with the three short papers included, so I can accurately grade each member’s contribution
• The assignment is designed to the group can work pretty independently, but you should at least meet briefly once or twice (or e-mail frequently) to share material so one person’s source could help someone else’s. The Director might be inspired  by something the Dramaturg finds, or something the Scholar points out, and vice versa. And the Presenter should have all the papers in advance of the presentation date so he/she can understand it and synthesize the material.
• If you get stuck, I can help you—and indeed, I will post a blog for each play with some potential sources and ideas.
• DUE THE LAST WEEK OF CLASS, April 30^th and May 2^nd (we’ll sign up for these). All papers and the presentation must be ready on this date.

GOOD LUCK!

For Tuesday: Othello, Acts 4 and 5

Q1: In Act 4, scene 3, Emilia has a fascinating exchange with Desdemona where they’re discussing if they would cheat on their husbands. How do Emilia and Desdemona differ in their willingness to make their husbands “cuckolds”? What does Emilia mean when she says, “The world’s a huge thing:/It is a great price for a small vice”?

Q2: Is Othello completely steeled to kill Desdemona in Act 5, scene 2, or does he still have doubts and misgivings? Carefully read his "It is the cause it is the cause, my soul" speech as he enters the stage. What is he telling us here, especially since it's a monologue, and addressed to himself--and by extension, to the audience?

Q3: In one of the most dramatic (though to some, comic) moments in the play, Emilia repeats the words "My husband?" four times when she learns of Iago's involvement in her mistress's death. How did you read this? How should an actress portray this? Is this total surprise/revelation? Is it disguise (if she suspected all along, and is covering her tracks)? Or is it some mixture of knowing and not knowing?

Q4: Most tragedies end in catharsis, which the Oxford English Dictionary defines as "The purification of the emotions by vicarious experience, esp. through the drama (in reference to Aristotle's Poetics)." Does Shakespeare allow the audience a sense of release and catharsis by the play's end? How might Iago's refusal to repent or even to explain his actions frustrate this? Or is that also part of Shakespeare's dramatic plan?

For Tuesday: Othello, Acts 2-3

Answer TWO of the following (I couldn't narrow it down to only 4 questions this time--so take one extra question to grow on!): 

Q1: How does Iago use language and insinuation to create doubt in Scene 2? How can we see an ulterior motive—and a double meaning—in every conversation he has with another character (and even, perhaps, the audience)? Discuss on example of this in Act 2.

Q2: After Cassio is disgraced, Iago convinces him to ask Desdemona to intercede on his behalf. When Cassio exits, Iago turns to the audience, and in mock-offense, says, “And what’s he then that says I play the villain” (49). Read this speech closely and explain his ‘defense’ to the audience. How is he trying to defend his own character/reputation here, while at the same time laying out his secret plan against Othello?

Q3: What information do you feel ultimately ‘turns’ Othello from trusting husband to jealous cuckold? He tells Iago at one point, “No, Iago/I’ll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove;/And on the proof there is no more but this:/Away at once with love or jealousy!” (59). Since he never sees proof, what makes him choose jealousy over love?

Q4: Related to the above, some African-American actors have refused to play Othello, seeing him ultimately as a racist stereotype of a black man, full of wild moods and sensuous appetites. We see this change in his character in Act 3, when the noble, poetic Othello becomes increasingly brooding and vicious. How do you think a 21st century audience should read Othello here? Can we excuse him (either Shakespeare or Othello)?

Q5: What kind of woman is Emilia, and who’s side do you feel she’s ultimately on: Desdemona/Othello’s, or her husband’s? How much does she actually understand of the plot? You might also consider her lines to Desdemona: “[Men] are all but stomachs, and we all but food;/They eat us hungerly, and when they are full/They belch us” (72).