At the beginning of the semester, English did not know how I was going to in the class. I do not like to write or read, I had so doubt on my performances. As the semester proceed, I started to understand the point of the class, why it was called DRAMA. Some of the readings where borings, other really interesting as for example Hamlet,Othello, and Taming of the Shrew that I really liked. In addition, the Blog post required every week helped me on how to express my opinion on a subject, and also to interact with my classmates. Furthermore, the papers that we wrote were also helpful. As a foreign study, English is not my first language, so writing is a dilemma for me. In the Drama, the papers that we wrote, were really helpful. In fact, every time the comments made by the teacher each time a wrote a paper, helped to not do the same errors in the next one. For example, I had a lot of issues with my grammar, the fragment sentences, the or the comma splice, subject-verbs agreement, and the formulation of simple or complex sentences. The comments on each paper helped understand how to write a better paper.
Shakespeare’s Adaptations
Shakespeare’s plays were popular during his time. The thing is there is no trace of the original plays. The ones that are left are from people that decided to put on a paper his plays. In fact, Shakespeare did not care about printing his plays, but he only wanted them to be well performed. Today, there are a lot of adaptations of his that are performed through films, readings, podcasts, or else. those adaptations have been modified to suit to the time period during which they are being performed. For that matter, there is no way to tell if what is known today from Shakespeare’s plays are what he actually wrote.There is something to be said for the idea that the very essence of Shakespeare is his language and that altering it takes away from what he set out to create. In other words, Shakespeare simply isn’t Shakespeare without his words.That issue does no prevent scholars in enjoying his writings. In fact, The magic of Shakespeare’s work lies in its ability to connect with audiences no matter what. The meanings, messages, and morals that Shakespeare wished to convey through his works are not static or fixed but are radical, stealthy, and searing.His work has become relatable for modern audiences (namely, students) through a transformation into postmodern retellings in the form of films, and mostly readings.
BLACK vs. WHITE
Race is an extremely important theme, as it leads to Othello’s insecurity, which Iago is able to manipulate. In the play, Othello is known for his military achievement. He is proud of himself and his achievements, and especially proud of the honorable appearance he presents. In the play, he puts a point on his prowess. He feels that way because of his skin color. Othello never feels comfortable in Venice because of his otherness. As a Moor, he is constantly stereotyped as “savage” or “animal”, even though he speaks eloquently and displays more gentlemanly qualities than those who judge him. People around as for example Desdemona’s father do not see him as equal. In fact, he is pretty upset and denies Desdemona as his daughter when he hears that she got married to “the Moor.” The status of race during that area put Othello is a spot that makes him think he is an outsider. When he hears about Desdemona’s affair, it hurt his pride even more than he is actually jealous. Since he wants to appear powerful, accomplished, and moral at every possible instance, his wounded pride becomes especially powerful. Othello’s race sets him apart, and makes him very self-conscious; it makes him work hard and look carefully after his reputation, so he is regarded as equal to the white people that surround him. This has perhaps led to his success, but the prejudice that surrounds him – especially with respect to his marriage to Desdemona – has tragic consequences.
Bloodshed with Titus
Titus Andronicus is Shakespeare’s bloodiest play. While it’s not the play with the most deaths, it’s certainly the most horrific. This is a revenge tragedy, of a kind that was quite popular in Shakespeare’s time. Today, the play does not have much popularity. Compare to modern film, Titus Andronicus can be perceived as bizarre, in the senses that the way the character are played is much different than today. In addition, the controversial part of feminism dominance can also play a role in how people view the play. One of the main characters Lavinia is a woman that is barely talking in the entire play. Horrible things happen to women in the play. The most important part of the play is the final scene where a lot of the violence takes place to an unexpected level. Titus is quite violent in comparison to modern film as Game of Thrones, but not especially violent for the time in which he was writing. The way violence is interpreted in Shakespeare’ s area are different from today. It is true that raping a woman and cutting her tongue and arm is sadistic even today, but the last scene shows another level of violence.
Shakespeare in the World
In The Bard in Colonial/ Postcolonial India, Jyotsna Singh argues that Shakespeare work is used as “a part of the political strategy of exporting English culture in the nineteenth century” (446-47). Considering that many movies today have some kinds of adaptations of Shakespeare work, it is not only in the nineteenth century that his works are being used for exporting English literature, but it is still used to today.Lanier Douglas stated in Shakespeare™: myth and biographical fiction that “ The significance of a brand (or author’ s) name is not controlled by a single marketer or critic, but rather emerges from myriad interactions between producers, consumers, and various cultural intermediaries and contexts. “ (p.93) From this quote we can understand that Shakespeare’ s work are adapted in every generation everywhere in the world. Each culture has his understanding of his plays. One of his adaptations is the Lion king, which reflects his play Hamlet, All’ s Well That Ends Well in 1968 by John Barton and Claude Whatham, As You Like It in 1994 by Alexei Karaev, Throne of Blood in 1957 by Akira Kurosawa in Japan, and more. This shows that Shakespeare had a great impact not only in one part of the world but all over the world and his works are still impacting generations.
LOVE OR MONEY
The Merchant of Venice written by William Shakespeare is a romantic comedy. So, we can easily understand that the topic of love will be very important in the Merchant of Venice, as it is a romantic comedy. If we talk about love then the first that should be considered is the love of Portia and Bassanio. Bassanio wanted to get married to Portia because she was a beautiful and wealthy woman. In fact, at the beginning, Bassanio’s first comment of Portia is about money. Bassanio describes Portia as “richly left.” Their love soon changes when Bassanio can be seen as a worthy gentleman with good sense and honor and shows true love for Portia. For example, when he is choosing the caskets, rejects the gold and silver casket, and then chooses the lead, he says, “The world is still deceived with ornament”. This quote shows that he isn’t superficial like the others and that he truly loves Portia not being deceived by appearances. Portia was a romantic person and really liked Bassanio. She did not like all the princes and rich men who wanted to marry her. Instead, she wanted to get married to a nice man like Bassanio who was easy going and lovely. She felt something for Bassanio. For Example, Portia says to Bassanio before he chooses the casket, “If you do love me, you will find me out.” This quote shows that Portia loves him and wants him to pick the right casket. Another example is when Portia was able to disguise herself as a lawyer to help Bassanio’s friend.
SHADOW OR REALITY
Kate’s final speech, which is the longest one in the play, at the end of Taming the Shrew had me perplex. We know that Kate has outwardly transformed by the time she finishes her lengthy monologue about a wife’s duty to her husband. Even the wedding guests can’t believe how much her behavior has changed. Her speech drove a lot of question from which derives two sides. The first one is if she actually believes every word she says. People believe that Petruchio healed her from the ugliness of her behavior. By doing so she is happier than before. According to this fact, to be happy you have to me obedient to men. The second side is that Kate does not really believe what she is saying. Critics are saying that Kate is acting. She is just saying what her husband want to her. In the play, the scene where Kate finally agree to play along with Petruchio’s games, is a proof that she is faking her submission. This is an example of a “role-play” within a play. In addition, the part made me question her sincerity is at the end of the play when she blinks to her sister Bianca. I am more one the second side that she does not believe what she is saying.
The TAMING OF THE SHREW : MEN’S POWER OVER WOMEN (YES OR NO)
In the play Taming of the shrew, Shakespeare emphasises the way women were treated in his Era. Through his play, he presents multiple layers of meaning that invite several possible interpretations with carefully chosen words. As a playwright who depends on a full theater to provide his living wages, he cannot afford to alienate his audience; however, despite the risk, Shakespeare chooses controversial themes, which is Men exerting control over the women in their lives, and they are not exposed to complain. In the play, Shakespeare uses Petruchio as a ludicrous example of a patriarchal husband and Katherina emphasizing the ridiculous nature of both Petruchio’s extreme and abusive Taming methods and Katherina’s outrageous and shrewish behavior, Shakespeare introduces to the audience into reconsidering its ideas about and its treatment of Women. An example in play that show the dominance of man over women at the end of Act III, Scene ii, 235-240, where Petruchio compare Katrina to objects by saying “she is my goods, my chattels; she is my house, my household stuff, my field, my barn, my horse, my ox, my ass, my anything.” In addition, Kathrina’s father Baptista is particularly less concerned of what kathrina feels, but he is more concerned about his younger daughter Bianca well-being. The truth is that Baptista does not defend Katherina; instead, he tells Katherina that she may stay with these abusive men, as he sends Bianca into the protection of the house (1.1.74-101). Revealing her jealousy and hurt feelings, Katherina makes a mocking comment to her father: “Why, and I trust I may go too, may I not? / What shall I be appointed hours, as though (belike) / I knew not what to take and what to leave?” (1.1.102-4).
ACTING AS VOICE
In Hamlet, Shakespeare uses theater as a way to express what hamlet really think. In fact, throughout the story, Hamlet plays a character of a madman. So while Hamlet’s mourning clothes, tears ‘seem’ to express his grief, Hamlet insists they are not significant: his inner feelings are his true meaning. Not only does he successfully adopt an ‘antic disposition’ (1.5.172) to deflect attention from his revenge plot, but his endless soliloquizing makes him all the more theatrical, even as he meditates on ‘that within which passes show’. At the very moment, Hamlet insists that his mourning is authentic and internal; he seems deliberately to parade his grief for all to see. Theater has a great part in the tragedy. In fact, in Act 2, Scene 2, Rosencrantz reveal the arrival of actors to the palace to perform for Hamlet. When they arrived, they were received by hamlet who asked them to perform a scene from one of their play when “Aeneas told Dido about Priam’s” (Act II, Scene ii, 418-419) from a Roman poet’s epic called Aeneid. At the end of the speech after the players, Polonius, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern left, Hamlet starts a soliloquy. Hamlet is so connected to Hecuba’s emotion that his entire body communicates it fully even though Hecuba, in reality means nothing to him. Hamlet then moves on to attack himself for his inadequate expression of emotion in comparison to the actors’. This is a familiar theme of the play. Hamlet is frequently frustrated about his own inability to act without hesitation when he learned that his uncle Claudius murdered his father. So to concretize his plan he gets the actor to play about a murder similar to the one Hamlet suspects Claudius of committing. Hamlet’s theory is that Claudius will be so affected by the emotions of the play that he will reveal his guilt spontaneously. At the beginning of the play in Act II, Scene ii, hamlet gives advises to the players. He wants to change the way acting was done. He hoped that the players could link the word to the actions, which was impossible in the theater of the world at that time. He wanted to make his produce as close to the script that he can, but at the same time to not derive from true meaning or nature of the play, when he says “For anything so overdone is from the purpose of playing, whose end, both at the first and now, was and is to hold, as ’twere, the mirror up to nature, to show virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and body of the time his form and pressure.” (Act III, Scene ii, 209-214). Acting is the reflection of reality, of our thought. Through acting, people communicate their ideas, their experiences, and their emotions. Acting represents a voice as Hamlet used it in his play to show the audience the true nature of Claudius.
Hamlet discussion
Shakespeare in his play Hamlet uses humor to distract the audience away from the tragedies that are in the rest of the story. The humorous scenes in the play always come directly before or after a scene of emotional intensity or great violence. For example in Act 2, Scene 2, Hamlet misidentify Polonius when he said to respond to Polonius question if he recognized him “”Excellent well, sir. You are a fishmonger” (II, ii, 166). This comic scene of hamlet helped Shakespeare introduce the next scene, which was the reminding of Claudius’ murder. If the play were only tragedies, the play would have just been a sad story about a son trying to avenge his father’s death and at the same time struggling with his kingdom situation. Polonius was often used as the funny imagery in the play. From the beginning of the play, in Act I, Scene 2, for instance, Hamlet plays upon words as he responds to King Claudius’s calling Hamlet his cousin and son in an aside: “A little more than kin and less than kind.” Hamlet’s humor turns darker later as he jokes to Horatio about his mother’s thrifty use of the funeral refreshments for the wedding since they were so close together: “Thrift, thrift, Horatio. The funeral baked meats. Did coldly furnish forth the marriage tables.” (I. ii. 180-181)
GOD'S POWER 