For Monday: King Lear, Acts 2 & 3

Answer TWO of the following as comments below:

1. In Act 2, Scene 4, when Regan and Goneril decide to openly defy their father’s demands, Lear exclaims “I gave you all” (52).  This echoes his later line in the storm when he proclaims, “I am a man/More sinned against than sinning” (58).  Do we agree with Lear here; has he been a good and selfless father?  Or is this line simply meant to be read, “whatever I did in the past, I finally gave you all my land, so what more do you want?”  Do we have any sympathy for the daughters here?  Is this a betrayal—or an ironic reversal of the events of Act 1, Scene 1?  

2. How do you account for the extreme cruelty of Act 3, Scene 7, where both sisters and Regan’s husband, Cornwall, gang up on Gloucester?  Though the sisters may have seemed cruel earlier in the play, here they are truly sadistic, taking glee in plucking Gloucester’s beard and removing his eyes.  Why do they do this, and how might earlier scenes have prepared us for this (or explained their motivation)? 

3. Act 3, Scene 6, the so-called “trial scene” only appears in the early quarto version of the play (published in a cheap version around 1608).  The authentic version of Lear was published in the complete version of Shakespeare’s works, the Folio version, in 1623, and this entire scene is missing.  Either Shakespeare thought the better of it and cut it or it simply got lost in translation.  The editors of this version, though following the Folio, decided to reinstate it.  What do we gain from having this scene in the play?  Does it underline or foreshadow important themes or events in the play?  Or is it too much of the same, including a lot of “nothing”?  Consider also how the Manga King Lear uses but considerably shortens this scene. 

4. What do you think Edgar’s role in the play is as “Poor Tom”?  Though he has some of the craziest lines in the play, he is clearly acting, as he pops out of character at the End of 3.6 to talk to the audience.  Is he a foil to Lear?  A rival to the Fool?  Or a mirror to Cordelia (especially if she is the Fool)?  Like Jacques,  is he essential to the story, or is he simply a minor embellishment, fascinating but arguably 

For Friday: King Lear, Act 1

NOTE: I decided to change our emphasis from reading/discussing Acts 1-2 to simply reading Act 1, since so much happens.  We'll pick up 2-3 for Monday to give you a little extra time, since there's so much to digest in this play, even after reading the graphic novel version.

Answer TWO of the following as a comment below:

1. What obvious or significant changes do you notice between the graphic novel's 'Act 1' and the play's Act 1? Consider passages/lines that are dropped, or other language that the play emphasizes that the novel did not. What makes the textual experience so different?  Or do you feel, in general, it was an effective translation?  

2. As always, note when blank verse becomes prose in this play.  Who speaks prose and when?  Why might it be a significant change for us to see/hear?  Also consider that the graphic novel can't really capture this shift of language, which could seriously change what we understand (or are meant to understand) in the play.

3. In Act 1, Scene 1, Regan notes that Lear "hath ever but slenderly known himself" (13).  Based on this reading, how might Lear's madness stem less from age or illness than a simple lack of identity?  How is his identity challenged in the first act, and how does he respond to these challenges?  What does he think "he" is?  Why do others disagree?

4. Much of Act 1 seems to be about the stagecraft of society: that is, the "ceremony" of functioning in society, and how little room we have to improvise our own lines.  This is a lifelong concern for Shakespeare, seen notably in Sonnet 23, when he writes

So I, for fear of trust, forget to say

The perfect ceremony of love's rite,

And in mine own love's strength seem to decay,

O'ercharged with burden of mine own love's might.

How might this Sonnet echo other lines/passages in the play and help us understand why his (apparently) most loyal subjects refuse to obey his will?  Conversely, what might it mean to be too eager to play one's part, even for the 'right' reasons?  

For Monday/Wednesday: Manga Shakespeare's King Lear

On Friday, I discussed why teaching Shakespeare through the medium of graphic novels/comics might be an effective way of 'staging' it for students new to Shakespeare, or even to anyone reluctant to read a Shakespearean play.  Remember that comics are not a genre of literature (like science fiction, horror, or romance) but a form of literature (like novels, plays, poems, etc.).  This means that they are simply a way of telling a story with their own unique conventions, grammar, and symbols--some of which are uniquely qualified (perhaps more than a normal book) to translate Shakespeare's theatre to the page.  

For most of next week, we'll read The Manga Shakespeare: King Lear as an example of a truly 'Global Shakespeare.'  This work combines the comic book format with the Japanese manga style with a setting completely removed from Shakespeare's original--18th century America before the Revolutionary War (reminiscent of James Fennimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales--The Last of the Mohicans, The Pioneers, etc.).  

By Wednesday, I want you to post ONE comment answering the following question below:

Close read a specific passage that you feel effectively translates Shakespeare from the flat page to the graphic novel format.  How does this passage help us 'see' the characters, the staging, the ideas, the symbolism, or the language in a way that we might miss (or a younger student might miss) simply reading it on the page?  Consider also the word + image relationships (we'll talk a lot about this on Monday) and how it helps tell the story on the 'stage' of a comic book.  When discussing your passage, be sure to describe the images as well as the words so that we can understand how you're reading the comic as a whole.  Remember that images are not primarily illustrations but a means of storytelling in their own right; there are always 2 stories going on in a comic--the story of the images and the story of the words.  

For Wednesday: Critical Readings of The Merchant of Venice

For Wednesday's class, read AT LEAST ONE of the following essays in the back of our Norton edition of The Merchant of Venice, and respond to TWO of the questions that follow.  This will form the basis of our discussion on Friday.  

The essays--read at least ONE of the following:

• Cohen, “Shylock and the Idea of the Jew” (193)
• Shapiro, “Circumcision and the Pound of Flesh” (226)
• Sinfield, “How to Read The Merchant of Venice Without Being Heterosexist” (270)
• Desai, “Mislike Me Not For My Complexion”: Whose Mislike?  Portia’s?  Shakespeare’s?  Or That of His Age?” (304)

THE QUESTIONS (answer TWO) 

1. What "problem" is the author responding to in the play?  That is, how is his/her essay trying to address a specific issue that needs to be resolved in staging The Merchant of Venice that would help modern audiences "get" Shakespeare's intention?  What makes this issue so problematic?

2. Do you think this essay offers a more historical or a theoretical approach to Shakespeare?  In other words, do you feel that the author offers a more "back to the text" approach in understanding how to reach Shakespeare's intentions, or is the author trying to use modern theoretical approaches/influences to "resurrect" the play?  What makes you think this, and how successful do you feel this approach is?  Be specific.  

3. Do you feel like the essay would agree with Radford's (or Pacino’s) interpretation of The Merchant of Venice/Shylock?  Could we imagine that Radford had read this essay before filming his version--does the essay illuminate his version in particular?  Or conversely, do you think Radford should have read this essay before film his version?  What might have changed or been improved?  Or, perhaps, what advice did Radford wisely ignore?  Again, be specific and point to examples in the essay and film.  

4. How does the essay help you understand or appreciate The Merchant of Venice in a new light?  What ideas does the essay reveal that you either didn't consider before, or didn't 'see' from this perspective?  Be specific and reference a particular scene, moment, or character that connects to ideas in the essay. 

For Friday: The Merchant of Venice, Acts 4 & 5

[Above: one of my favorite actors, F. Murray Abraham's Shylock (Salieri in Amadeus) during the famous trial scene, Act 4.1.  Read an interview with Abraham about performing Shylock in the 21st century: 

http://www.boston.com/ae/theater_arts/articles/2011/03/27/f_murray_abraham_reflects_on_shylock_shakespeare/

Answer TWO of the following...

1. Discuss the humor in Act 4, Scene 1: though a tense, nail-biting scene, it is shot through with curious bits of humor and satire.  What should be played for laughs?  Do the laughs threaten to derail the tragedy (if it is tragic)?  Who are we laughing at—or with?  And what kind of humor is it? 

2. In the showdown between Shylock and Portia, she tells him, “Though justice be thy plea, consider this--/That in the course of justice none of us/Should see salvation” (59).  What does she mean by this, and how might this change how we read the entire scene—and indeed, much of the play itself?  Does this statement condemn or somewhat exonerate Shylock? 

3. Is Antonio redeemed in Act 4.1?  For many he becomes pitiable, and I doubt few audiences want to see him skewered (well, maybe a few...).  Is he changed by the end of the play?  Does he grant Shylock mercy?  Does he repent in some manner for his crimes?  Or does he glare triumphantly over Shylock’s spoiled corpse? 

4. Act 5, Scene 1 is a strange scene, as it focuses on the power of music and its connection to love.  Lorenzo claims that “The man that hath no music in himself...Is fit for treasons, strategems, and spoils” (69), while Portia remarks that music “sounds much sweeter than by day...How many things by season seasoned are/To their right praise and true perfection!” (69).  What do you make of all this?  How is music being used/discussed here, and how might it reflect on the actions of the play—or the enchanted world of Belmont? 

5. Is the resolution of the ring trick a satisfying way to end this play?  In other words, after what happened in Act 4, The Merchant of Venice seems to end as a farce—“I slept with the doctor, tee-hee!” Why do you think Shakespeare wanted this ending?  How does it end the play, and is it really as light and comic as many productions have staged it? 

Short Paper #1 assignment

Short Paper #1: All the Men and Women Players

For your first paper, I want you to examine ONE of Shakespeare’s characters (from the two comedies) from a ‘global’ perspective.  That is, what makes this character universal in some sense, able to translate from late 16^th/early 17^th century England into playhouses from England to America and beyond?  Where do we see this character in a ‘modern’ light, or in a way that translates easily to a modern context?  In the same sense, how might this character lend themselves to modern ideas—feminism, existentialism, modernism, etc.—even if this wasn’t exactly what Shakespeare intended?  If we were adapting this play into a modern production, which character gives us the best “in” to our 21^st century sensibilities? 

You can choose ANY character from the first two plays to examine; obvious examples might be Rosalind, Jacques, Portia, Bassanio, and Shylock.  However, don’t forget seemingly minor characters that have major roles in their plays such as Orlando, Touchstone, Jessica, Lancelot, and Antonio.  Imagine that you are helping an actor prepare for his/her role in seeing the ‘global’ perspective of this character—rather than a staid, Elizabethan museum piece.  Use a close reading of short, specific passages to help us ‘see’ the character: where do we see him/her speaking, acting, becoming, or hinting at global ideas?  Be sure to focus on the character’s LANGUAGE since this is how Shakespeare clothes his characters.  Don’t summarize what they say and do—show us. 

ALSO: To help you discuss the global aspect/issues of this character, use at least 2 secondary sources, which includes essays in the Norton edition of both plays and/or Branagh and Radford’s films of each play.  How do the films capture these modern aspects of the character?  Or, how do the essays highlight critical historical/theoretical ideas that can be embodied/illustrated in this character?  You must quote from the articles and reference specific moments in the films for this to count—don’t just write, “Portia acts with great confidence in Radford’s film.”  Show us where—and how. 

REQUIREMENTS:

• 4-5 pages double spaced
• Quotation: you must quote from the play in the form of close reading to establish the character’s global characteristics
• At least 2 secondary sources: from the articles and the films (you can use
• Cite all primary and secondary sources according to MLA format; you can find the citation information for both films online
• DUE Friday, February 21^st by 5pm (hard copy, not e-mail)

NOTE: Questions for Wednesday are a few posts down...

I've posted a few group resource materials on top of the questions for Wednesday, but if you choose the "Sidebar" viewing option (which should be the default viewing option for this site), you can see all the posts on the left side of your screen.  If not, you have to scroll down to find the questions.  But I assure you, there are there, so don't give up looking for them!  Also, be sure to find your group's resource post and think about contacting your group members soon so you can divvy up the research tasks. 

See you Wednesday!

Resources for Twelfth Night Group

Twelfth Night Group

(Janne, Robert, Catherine)

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

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

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 4^th floor stacks. 

Share e-mail addresses on this site and other information as “comments,” and please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or concerns.  Good luck!

Resources for The Taming of the Shrew Group

The Taming of the Shrew Group

(Lisa, Teresa, Ashley, Ammi)

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

http://globalshakespeares.mit.edu/#play%5B%5D=Taming+of+the+Shrew

Link to the full version of 10 Things I Hate About You, a high school comedy loosely modeled on The Taming of the Shrew: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSsB51mFpqw

The Royal Shakespeare’s page on The Taming of the Shrew, including pictures, clips, and links to numerous productions, including the recent 2012 performance:

http://www.rsc.org.uk/explore/shakespeare/plays/the-taming-of-the-shrew/lucy-bailey-production-2012.aspx

Share e-mail addresses on this site and other information as “comments,” and please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or concerns.  Good luck!

Resources for Othello Group

Othello Group
(Jessi, Melissa, Cayla)

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

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

Share e-mail addresses on this site and other information as “comments,” and please feel free to e-mail me with any questions or concerns.  Good luck!

For Wednesday: The Merchant of Venice, Act Three

[at left: Patrick Stewart as Shylock in the 2011 RSC production of The Merchant of Venice; click here for more photos and links: http://www.rsc.org.uk/explore/shakespeare/plays/the-merchant-of-venice/rupert-goold-production-2011.aspx

Answer TWO of the following...

1. The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare’s most musical plays, with a preponderance of verse and rhymes—especially rhyming couplets.  This occurs most notably in Belmont, especially in Act 3, Scene 2, between Bassanio and Portia.  What do you make of all the rhymes and the self-consciously musical verse?  How does this affect how we read/hear the play and understand the characters and their relationships?

2. Discuss your reading of Portia as she appears both in the previous acts and in Act 3.  Is she the true ‘hero’ of the play, able to manipulate men and choose her own destiny?  Or is she witty but ineffectual, desperate to find a good husband and enslaved by her father’s curse?  Are we supposed to relate to her/like her?  Do we laugh at her suitors with her, or does this make her appear sour and imperious? 

3. I suggested on Monday that there might be more than one Shylock in this play, which the character prompts—both Shylock and “Jew”—seem to suggest.  How do you read this, specifically in light of Shylock’s famous speech in Act 3, Scene 1?  Is this Shylock consistent with the Shylock we see elsewhere in the play, and particularly in Act 3, Scene 3, where he appears as “Jew” throughout?  Or is Shakespeare simply giving us a complex character who (like many of us) is simply more than the sum of his parts? 

4. Act 3, Scene 5 is a very odd, brief scene, as it gives center stage to three minor characters: Lancelot, Jessica, and Lorenzo.  What is the gist of this scene, particularly as it relates to Jessica and her position in the Christian world?  Do we believe the words of Lancelot, as the play’s ‘fool’?  Also note that the lovers switch from prose to verse in this scene; how do you understand this subtle shift of language?