I first wanted to discuss my experience reaching "outside the Utah bubble." I jumped onto Icerocket and Google blog search and looked for a few posts to comment on. After searching, I commented on one called Our Shakespearean Blog and another, the League of Dead Films. Responses still pending on those. Further, I opened up an account on Goodreads, offering people a chance to read my review on Henry V. Nothing. I will get an email and update my blog as soon as they respond.
In conclusion, my experience reaching out into the outside world has been a lot harder than I expected. Nonetheless, I will try harder, like Brother Burton said.
Now, talking to another person about Shakespeare turned out better. I did not want to force it on anyone, or give the "I'm doing this for a class approach," so it turned out to be different. I first called my little brother Spencer (he's the one at the bottom in the picture). He is in eighth grade, an avid reader, and the youngest of seven.
Me: "Spenny what's up?!"
Spencer: "Hey Matt!"
Me: "How is school going?"
Spencer: "Which subject?"
Me: "Uh... English."
Spencer: "It's good." Typical teenage response.
Me: "Are you reading any books?"
After a thorough des
cription of an intense eighth grade book I turned the topic to Shakespeare. We talked about the Tempest, and he actually said he has heard of it, but didn't know what it's about.Me: "Well there is this man who gets stranded on an island with all these people and he uses magic."
Spencer: "Like Harry Potter?"
Me: "Kind of. This guy used to be like a King, but when he was studying, he got overthrown and cast out to this island." I then pointed out how he was gaining knowledge but he lost power. I asked him what he thought about that, but he did not say much. Finally, the conversation led to other things and I let him off the hook.
I think this assignment helped me to learn how little I know. Reading all of the different blogs about Henry V and trying to explain it to my little brother in eighth grade terms was eye-opening.
I will be posting as I hear responses from other people on my comments.
Hi Matt, I appreciate your comment on my blog "Henry V and his multiple personalities." I don't feel it's unnecessary for Henry or anyone for that matter to wear a mask and create a distinct personality. However, as I was reading the play and having classroom discussions about Henry and his attitudes I found myself disliking him. It wasn't until I pointed out the obvious that I started to sympathize with him. That is why I made sure to mention that 'we all do this' sometimes. Nowadays we say we have multiple hats symbolizing our various roles in society. It is a natural reaction when we are put in those situations as long as the transition is smooth and not overly exaggerated to the point where you have people saying 'you are so fake.'
ReplyDeleteI feel sharing Shakespeare with children is a whole other ball game! I really do believe though that they can enjoy it and it can be a really fun and enriching experience. I guess, with the right technique and knowledge, communicating the values, morals, and plot of any shakespeare play can be successful.
ReplyDeleteSounds like with your brother he is a bit of a cutie and just like my sister.
ps. I totally know Makenna!
Matt, I also appreciated your comment on my blog...but it has been so long since I've seen the film (16 years) that I didn't feel qualified to comment on your take on the material. My Movie of the Day feature is really just to highlight films that fit with the day's date in some way-in that case, because the Battle of Agincourt occurred then. The films are films I enjoyed and feel are worthwhile to watch, but they are not necessarily films I've seen recently. My regular reviews are ones I'm much better able to discuss, because I write those within a week or two of watching the film. Filling a year with movies is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Anyhow, sorry if you felt like you weren't getting the kind of response you'd hoped for...I sure know what that's like, as my own blog's comments field is hardly a rich discussion of film!
ReplyDeleteHey that is no problem, I totally understand, especially if you haven't seen the movie in 16 years. What inspired you to do this movie theme on your blog?
ReplyDeleteHey Jenny, thanks for getting back to me. Ya, I thought that your blog provoked good inward thought. It made me think, "Do I ever put on a mask to please others?" and that is why I asked the question. I think we do change the way we act according to our environment, but like you mentioned, when we are being "fake" toward other people it's almost counterproductive. People often feel our true motives and it just doesn't feel good to not be honest, especially with ourselves.
ReplyDeleteWhy are you guys studying Shakespeare anyway?
ReplyDelete