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Author Archives: ef082014
Posts: 5 (archived below)
Comments: 3
The beginning of the end for the era of Macbeth
Although Macbeth’s downfall becomes somewhat evident in Act III (when he is being taunted by Banquo’s ghost), I think Act IV represents the breaking point for Macbeth, as well as his rule over Scotland. Scene I opens up with the witches concocting an elaborate recipe and later telling Macbeth of his future – they give him news that (at the time) seems to be positive, as usual, for the King. However in Scene II, it is clear that Macbeth, as well as the entire world around him has been brought to total devastation. Out of fear, Macduff has left his wife and children without notice just to get away from the “abhorred tyrant.” It seems that Macduff and Malcolm have some hostility between them (I actually thought they were going to fight in Act IV, Scene III), yet they team up in order to overtake the diminishing Macbeth.
Unrelated observation: In Scene II, Macduff’s son seems extremely thoughtful and well-versed for a child. He participates in a very peculiar exchange with his mother.
Scene Study – Group 5 – Act 5, Scene 3
http://youtu.be/r6qeLQ8J-Mg
Posted in Troilus and Cressida
Tagged Cressida, group 5, Hector, scene study, shakespeare, Troilus
2 Comments
The Chorus
To build on what we already discussed in class, I’d like to take the Chorus of Henry V into consideration. It is both unique and brilliant in which the way Shakespeare initially uses the Chorus in this play—having the members apologize to the audience for any inaccuracies that will occur while attempting to recreate authentic settings/plots within the confined area of the stage. By doing this, Shakespeare uses a transition into the play itself, while simultaneously giving the audience additional responsibility and immedietely captivating their attention. Before Act 2, the Chorus again offers apologies for innacuracy and serves a transition, however I am still not entirely sure as to why they claim the play will shift to Southampton, when it actually shifts to London…exact purpose; intention? I know we spoke about this in class but it is still unclear to me. Moving on, the Chorus in Act 3 seems rather different than the aforementioned appearances. There is the use of alarm and cannon sounds in the background—I thought that this was noteworthy as it clearly defines a difference in the Chorus and would be extremely effective to further captivate the audience, though I wonder how it was done during that time period. Also, the Chorus in Act 3 actually tells the truth (in rather great detail) of the upcoming scene, rightfully depicting the King and his men arriving at Harfleur and using cannons.
Anonymous Movie Trailer
Went to the movies last night and this was one of the previews. Although I’ve heard of this theory before, I’m not speculating or agreeing that Shakespeare was, in fact, a fraud—I just think the movie looks interesting, and is certainly relevant to our course.
For some reason, I couldn’t embed the video directly in the post, so here is the link:
Anonymous Movie Trailer
Role/Significance of Induction
I was absent from class on Wednesday, so I’m not sure if this was touched upon during the discussion, but I was very intrigued by the induction; though I’m curious as to the reasoning behind the whole “play within a play” premise. When I began reading the play, I found the plot of the induction to be very humorous and captivating at the same time – I wanted to know how long the Lord would maintain the ruse and if Sly would ever discover the truth, however the actual play starts so abruptly that it is impossible to discover definitive answers to my curiosities. I am making the argument that maybe the induction serves as a parallel to the story of Petruchio and Kate. Like the Lord, Petruchio must change his natural appearance/actions for his own personal gain. Instead of seeking humorous relief from drastic role changes, Petruchio changes his attitude and overall demanor in order to marry “weathily in Padua” (27). Petruchio deprives Kate of food, becomes increasingly nasty and to his servants, and intentionally utters outlandish contradictions in order to achieve his personal gain. Grumio confirms Petruchio’s true desire for riches from Kate: “Why, give him gold enough and marry him to a puppet…or an old trot with ne’er a tooth in her head” (27). All of this being said, I was very surprised when The Taming of the Shrew ended without returning to the original plot of the induction. Perhaps there is a purpose for this as well…?
