The Last Lines of All the Plays Turns Out to be One of My Favorite

I loved King Lear. There are a lot of good speeches given by the different characters. One that made me stop and think was the one that ended the play, where the Duke of Albany says:

The weight of this sad time we must obey,
Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.
The oldest have borne most; we that are young
Shall never see so much, nor live so long.

A Scholarly Interpretation

Dr. Christie Carson, Royal Holloway University of London (shown on right) commented on the influence of these four lines on the play. Because the play has many renditions, there are times when Edgar delivers the line and, like the one we read, the Duke of Albany does so.

Edgar
Here, she quotes the director of the 1997 play in the National Theater, Richard Eyre. He says in essence that because Edgar has experienced some of the biggest tragedies in life, but stayed pure through it all it is perfect for him to give the advice to "open your heart, speak what you feel."

Duke of Albany
The lines of course have the same meaning, but a different effect when they are delivered by a different character. By his deliverance the words are kosher to the audience because of his "seniority," but she still feels like there needed to be a change to fit the audience's needs. By changing the character who delivered the lines from the Duke of Albany to Edgar, the play ends with more hope rather than "absolute despair."


My Own Interpretation

The first line really talks about the brutality of this life. There a lot of things we must go through in this life, there is no way out.

The second line, "speak what we feel, not what we ought to say" refers to being honest with ourselves no matter the cost. In our group, we talked about how this line refers to the beginning of the play. Christa pointed out how Goneril and Regan both said what they thought they should say while Cordelia said what she actually felt. Even though this put her life into a whirl, she seems the type of character that would not take back her actions had she the chance to do so.

The third and fourth line to me give glory and wisdom to old age. It submits that youthful people should honor the aged because they ultimately have gone through these trials. In connection, "we that are young shall never see so much, nor live so long" refers to the fact that youth can always learn from their elders. Even with time, the old will be older than the young and more experienced.

Just Doing My Part

I am glad to be part of the music video team. The filming has been an adventure to say the least. Since we met, we have divided up the different scenes by looking at who is going where over the break and what resources they will have. Because I drove through Las Vegas, I was assigned to video some of the city there as it fits right into our theme, "Shakespeare's Commentary on Society."

My First Footage
Driving down the fifteen I poked my head out the window and got my camera above my car to get a good view. The buildings were in plain sight and I shot places such as the space needle, the pyramid, and some of the beautiful hotels along the strip. Hopefully those, combined with others that I get on the way up will suffice for our "city shots."

A Work in Progress
Another theme I'm trying to capture is nature. I've been asked to film a man screaming lines from King Lear but in a modern day setting, of course, in a huge storm. If we can't get it, we may have to use a fan and a few buckets of water.... :)

Shakespeare and the Army

What a successful day! We had a lot of good experiences that helped us realize what we are doing will have the intended impact.

Project Progress
First, we sat down and cranked out the story board. With the lines set, we went through each page and decided what shots to shoot, assigning each person with shots they could do over the next week. Cutting, adding, expounding, and pulling ideas from past and present, we finally finished and raced over to the ROTC we we had set up a meeting with the soldier over PR.

A Well Rounded Soldier
When we got there we explained to Cadet Hess that we wanted film of different soldiers quoting lines from King Henry V's famous St. Agincourt rally cry. He jumped for excitement. "I've got the whole thing memorized!" I was astounded to see that this man had learned the whole thing by heart. Before filming though, we had to go and talk with one of the Majors.

Shakespeare. Love and Roses?
When we went in he was a little hesitant and seemingly opposed the idea. "What on earth does Shakespeare and music videos have to do with the army?" he asked. Both Kara and I knew he had asked the perfect question, the question we wanted our audience to ask so we could uncover the truth.
Kara began to explain how we wanted to show clips of soldiers reciting a speech by Shakepeare that glorified war. When we left, he realized not only that we had a good motive, but also that Shakespeare is not all, "love and flowers," as Kara phrased it.

Another Unexpected Shakespearean
Finally while sitting in the hall, waiting to follow the fifty to one hundred soldiers to their training site, one of the officers exploded with emotion. "St. Agincourt speech?! What about 'O God of battles; steel my soldiers' hearts!" I was in awe. There was a stark contrast between these two US soldiers who knew Shakespeare so well they could quote it, and the one who thought the only connection between Shakespeare and the military will be demeaning.

Evidence Toward Our Analysis
I don't blame him, it is the understanding of the general public that Shakespeare is feminine. Thus my point, and the point of our music video. WE WANT TO SHOW SHAKESPEARE IS MORE THAN LOVE! (Check out the first search result when I typed in 'What is Shakespeare's message?')
I feel like our group as a whole contains a diverse understanding and wide variety of knowledge about Shakespeare in order to get our point across.

Music Video

The direction we are going with the music video is one we can all agree on. I like the idea of having themes from the different plays incorporated into our song and of course video.
I agree that focusing on Shakespeare's commentary toward society, rather than just the "love" and other things people think Shakespeare is about, will be beneficial to educating our audience. Some of the themes that fit this category to me are:

1. Nature - Including lines from the Tempest and King Lear about how it is used to subject us to a higher power. I think we could take advantage of the snow storms that frequent the area.

2. A Play within a Play, or Music Video within a Music Video - I think we can get creative with this and show people preparing for a music video in a music video while developing other themes at the same time. Some of the lines that will work well with this are form Hamlet.

3. Knowledge - This can developed within the music video as a sub theme. For example, lines from Prospero going to study and losing power, or the men from Love's Labours Lost seeking knowledge and swearing off women.
Under this theme, I think it would be awesome to use parts from Biron's "justification."

Consider what you first did swear unto,
To fast, to study, and to see no woman;
Flat treason 'gainst the kingly state of youth.
Say, can you fast? your stomachs are too young;
And abstinence engenders maladies. Line 1640
And where that you have vow'd to study, lords,
In that each of you have forsworn his book,
Can you still dream and pore and thereon look?
For when would you, my lord, or you, or you,
Have found the ground of study's excellence Line 1645
Without the beauty of a woman's face?
[From women's eyes this doctrine I derive;]
They are the ground, the books, the academes
From whence doth spring the true Promethean fire]
Why, universal plodding poisons up Line 1650
The nimble spirits in the arteries,
As motion and long-during action tires
The sinewy vigour of the traveller.
Now, for not looking on a woman's face,
You have in that forsworn the use of eyes Line 1655
And study too, the causer of your vow;
For where is any author in the world
Teaches such beauty as a woman's eye?

4. Intensity of War - There are many good quotes to along with a music video here. Some of them include the famous St. Crispin's Day speech (we could use parts) or powerful, poetic lines that show vigor such as "there's not a piece of feather in our host..." A lot of King Henry's lines are very poetic. If we want to run with a theme related to him it would be fitting for a music video. Here are some of his lines:

Shall this his mock mock out of their dear husbands; 435
Mock mothers from their sons, mock castles down;

Cheerly to sea; the signs of war advance:
No king of England, if not king of France. 830

5. Acting vs. Our True Identity - This is one of my favorite themes in Hamlet. There are so many lines where Hamlet is tearing apart his emotions to find out who he is. We could use a lot of his self reflecting lines in order to capture this theme. Further, the music video could portray one of us in different scenes going about (hitting on different themes in different venues) to find out who we really are.
Check out some of Hamlet's self reflection:

To be, or not to be- that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer Line 1750 The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them. To die- to sleep- No more;...

'Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn, and hell itself breathes out Line 2265
Contagion to this world. Now could I drink hot blood
And do such bitter business as the day
Would quake to look on. Soft! now to my mother!
O heart, lose not thy nature; let not ever
The soul of Nero enter this firm bosom. Line 2270
Let me be cruel, not unnatural;
I will speak daggers to her, but use none.
My tongue and soul in this be hypocrites-
How in my words somever she be shent,
To give them seals never, my soul, consent!

"O that this too too solid flesh would melt,
Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew! ...

How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable
Seem to me all the uses of this world!
Fie on't! ah, fie! 'Tis an unweeded garden
That grows to seed; things rank and gross in nature Line 340
Possess it merely. That it should come to this! ...

She married. O, most wicked speed, to post Line 360
With such dexterity to incestuous sheets!
It is not, nor it cannot come to good.
But break my heart, for I must hold my tongue!"

I am excited to talk it over with you guys. We can use all of these or one of them. This is going to be an awesome project, but a lot of work.

Eye Can See!

After researching in the Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature I was not able to find anything that supported my last post comparing King Lear and King Leontes, but I did find more about the motif that things are not as they always appear, another theme Shakespeare stretches across his vast variety of plays.
While talking with a student from another Shakespeare class, we discussed how many of Shakespeare's plays involve sight. She explained how many of the major sonnets, speeches and scenes in Shakespeare often involve eyes, sight or something of the like. The point of this post is to begin developing the theme of seeing things as they really are.
In this play, King Lear's foil, Gloucester loses his eyes, and "learns to see." So what does it mean to see?
According to this play and other Shakespeare plays, people and their circumstances are more than meet the eye. When Gloucester loses his eyes, he has to rely on feeling, smelling, tasting and touching in order to understand. It is in the use of these senses that we can accurately see the world around us, not just our eyes.
In a theme analysis by Michael Cummings, he states the common theme that things are not always as they appear is found in other plays such as Macbeth or Othello. This is one of the prominent critical statements made by Shakespeare throughout his works and I'm sure we will see it further develop in King Lear.

King Lear vs. Winter's Tale

In the opening of King Lear, it is almost a mirror image of the Winter's Tale.

King Lear	Winter’s Tale
Starts out with King Lear going about business, nothing unusual	Starts out with King Leontes going about business, nothing unusual
Other characters come in, King Lear makes rash decision about his daughter	After some interaction, King Leontes makes rash decision about his wife
Kent tries to be the voice of reason and is cast out	Leontes confides in Camillo, who eventually flees with Polixenes

In both plays, the stage is set for a King to recognize his faults, change, and seek forgiveness. I'm curious to see what role "accepting someone back into society" will play in King Lear versus the Winter's Tale.

Setting the Stage

Shakespeare really shows some talent in his writing of the first scene, in particular, when the three daughters speak to their father. William is tasked here with presenting characters in the light they will be seen throughout the whole play and I wanted to focus on how he sets Cordelia to be pure.

First, when the 2 daughters are speaking, she speaks aside to herself. Looking at this factor to develop Cordelia's character. Shakespeare uses the element of self speech because a character's words are more believable when they are speaking to their self.
Second, look at what she is saying she is worried about motive and accurately expressing

What shall Cordelia speak? Love, and be silent. Line 63

Then poor Cordelia!
And yet not so; since I am sure my love's
More richer than my tongue. Line 80

She is worried about motive and accurately expressing her feelings for her father, both things deal with honesty. Shakespeare could have written many things for her to say, but in these lines he developed Cordelia's integrity, setting the stage for her role in the play.

She then speaks giving him her word and without exaggeration. "I love my Majesty according to my bond; no more no less." Line 95

These hints fall on to the sub conscience of the audience and the play moves on with the viewers trusting more in Cordelia because of Shakespeare's use of words and stage direction.

As a side note, I love the reaction King Lear has to her first response. I think directors could make it a comical dialogue during this serious situation. When she first says "nothing," to his inquiry about her love for him, he responds "Nothing?" To which she confirms and the King says, "Nothing can come of nothing. Speak again." If he were to change his voice to a higher pitch and make his line a little commanding I think it could turn out comical. Remind me and I'll explain in our group.

Checking My Shakespearean Temperature

Midterm Post

1. How have I gained Shakespeare literacy?

Looking back on our first day of class, my literacy of Shakespeare has increased ten fold. This has mainly come from reading the plays, watching the performances, and listening in class. Every play we have read has been new to me, and although I still feel inadequate when discussing them, my knowledge is much deeper than before. The deepest things I have learned are the ones I have spent the most time researching on the Internet. Thus in my posts about Henry V I felt the most confident because I read professional commentary on the subject. Breadth however, has come from reading classmates posts about their place and especially discussing them in the car on the way up to Salt Lake. The performance I saw there, along with others I have watched (including Henry V and Winter’s Tale) have also attributed to my Shakespeare literacy. Hearing Brother Burton say, “You have some Shakespeare literacy now" made me feel good not because I was flattered, but because I felt there was truth in it.

2. How have I analyzed Shakespeare critically?

I think reading through my blog posts, which are beginning to focus on how Shakespeare comments on society’s ethics show how I have critically analyzed Shakespeare. Two posts that come to mind link Winter’s Tale and the Tempest together talking about honesty and loyalty. Theme analysis is an important part of the learning outcomes as well as analyzing through language and formal devices, which I explore in my post For Entertainment’s Sake regarding Love’s Labours Lost. Reading opinions from other authors and taking time to understand what Shakespeare is saying is the most effective way I have found to analyze his work. This can be best seen in my post about war from Henry V (see section titled "A Little History") where I consider the historical events taking place compared to what Shakespeare wrote about England and war.

3. How have I engaged Shakespeare creatively?

This is a great question. I love creativity. One creative suggestion Brother Burton gave that I took the time to do during my personal play was writing summaries for individual scenes. This helped me to remember a lot more and was a commodity when I went back in search for a particular aspect. Another thing that has helped with going back is my use of highlighting. I have four different colors I have used to highlight themes and different parts of the text that jump out at me. You can see this being used in my post about rhyming from Love’s Labours Lost. Another thing I plan on doing is looking up Youtube videos that correlate with a topic from class to see what others voice about the subject. It would help me to learn because I am a visual person.

4. How have I shared Shakespeare meaningfully?

The best way I have shared Shakespeare is definitely through blogging. Not writing on my personal blog, but reading other’s and replying to people’s comments has been effective to keep the topic on my mind daily. I have tried to read more than one person’s blog every day to have a better understanding of what is going on in the group. I try to leave meaningful comments as found on Christa’s blog about Ariel and Prospero's being puppet and puppeteer, or J.J.’s blog about Figment of Imagination to develop insights pointed out by them or that I recognized in light of their post. Further, many conversations have led to Shakespeare, including with my mom, an alumni and English major from BYU, and the girl I have been dating. We have talked about the Tempest, watched Henry V (nice cheap date), and discussed the festival that her family attends yearly down in Cedar City ;).

B. Self-directed Learning

The two most influential things in my self-directed learning have been the use of highlighting, and talking with other students substantially about their assigned plays. By using highlighting in my writing I have been more alert when I read, looking for different themes, word use and important lines. This has enhanced my depth. From reading other student’s blogs, to channeling a conversation on the drive to Salt Lake, I have learned about many of Shakespeare’s plays. These include Macbeth, Measure for Measure and Much Ado About Nothing, and other plays. Doing this has built my breadth of learning. Hearing other’s opinions and listening in class has taught me what to look for, for example poetry in a play or lighting on a stage. As I continue to meet with my group, my thinking evolves, mostly because they are far ahead of me in critical analysis. I plan to document a lot of my learning in my final project which I am thinking will consist of YouTube videos, or some way of teaching Shakespeare.

C. Collaborative and Social Learning

Many students have helped me become more literate in my Shakespearean knowledge. J.J. has blogged and commented effectively, while Christa and Kelsie have given unique insights during group discussion. Talking to Kara about her individual play and others we read has also helped form my opinion about Shakespeare and his writing. While working in our assigned groups, I have enjoyed reading each other’s blogs and discussing what we analyz

ed from the text, but I feel the discussion can be improved. One way it could be more interesting is if each group was given a theme to focus on in their discussion. After that, each group could summarize what they found. Doing this would help us get to know our classmates more and talk with them more about our plays. I have been able to talk extensively outside of class (especially in our car rides) to other people about their experience in the class. Beyond this, I have discussed with friends what we have read as I boldly admit that yes, I am in a Shakespeare class. Interestingly enough I have found that many BYU students know a lot about Shakespeare.

D. Looking Ahead

I plan to continue to learn on my current course. By doing the blogs and reading assignments I have found that my literacy has increased significantly. Also, participating in class discussion is important to me, as well as group and outside personal discussions. Looking toward the final project, I plan to teach others about Shakespeare. In doing this, I know I will learn more about him and his writings along the way. Through videos, presentations, or writing I plan to document my learning and put the documentation to use for my final project.