Category Archives: Prose passage
The Scene in the Court – Measure for Measure Group 4 Reflections
Looking back to the day we had to act out the scene highlighting Pompey and Escalus (2.1.136-256), there is no denying that coordinating the rather tricky Shakespearean language entwined within the scene, the appropriate atmosphere of the characters and the setting and the limited resources (and not to mention ability) into a cohesive portrayal of this particular scene was initially challenging. However, being able to retrospect the challenges in recording the scene, and both understanding and analyzing the significance of the scene only gives an opportunity to once again appreciate the genius of Shakespeare in breathing life into what would be just merely physical movement, voices and props.
Before we had a chance to look at our dialogue we knew that we had to refrain from using the books on stage while filming. The productions we had seen of Shakespeare’s plays were powerful because the actor not only interpreted each line in his/her own way but also because they were able to look out into the audience and convey their emotions to the audience. So, the first thing that popped into my mind was a teleprompter. We’ve seen simple technology such as this being used on a daily basis in so many different TV shows and what we were taping was a video so in that aspect it worked out perfectly. When we finally read the scene we realized it was very apt to use the prompter because it was a court scene. Using the chair for Escalus to sit down and face his back towards the audience was a decision we took since he was the authority in that scene. Simple actions from Froth, Pompey and Elbow like stepping forward to present their case (i.e. read their parts) each time really immersed us into the roles as novice actors.
Unknowingly, a typical tribunal type of atmosphere arose from just our positioning, which eventually became necessary to get the feeling for the more serious questions regarding the actual law that was to be enforced and the type of crime that was committed. The second most important dramatic technique, attempted, was the idea of Pompey reciting the four lines alone as both Escalus and Elbow phase out of the line of sight of the camera to emphasize a sense of cynicism in the justice system presented by Shakespeare because it illustrates the persistence of certain deeds, and even the possibility of helplessness in erasing that same persistence. Just as Pompey critically derides Escalus’s duty to the law, “Does your worship mean to geld and splay all the youth of the city,” the selected scene that was required of us definitely gave the opportunity to not merely enact but to feel, at the very minimum, how the language woven within the directions of how the props and setting would be displayed creates the right atmosphere in thinking on terms like cynical justice or corruption. Hence going back to what was mentioned earlier, this is just a taste of the genius in Shakespeare breathing life, which can be appreciated only when one has attempted to enact that selected scene.
We found it very enjoyable working on this project despite everyone’s initial hesitation towards group projects. Everyone in this group was extremely cooperative, which helped a lot considering we had to do a number of retakes (close to 20?). One scene that stood out for us was the one between Escalus and Pompey regarding Pompey’s nickname. We all laughed out loud during the “bum” comments because we didn’t realize how hilarious they were until we recited the play.
The scene showed us a very different dynamic to Shakespeare’s work in that it showed comedy, however, it also illustrated his ability to created striking conversation. The scene the group did was not an introduction to the types of subjects the play addresses, but also the kind of quick hitting, “right back at you” type of dialect. In addition, while it was able to delineate multiple dynamics, it showed a very interesting lens in that it portrayed class distinction by way of vocabulary which was a bit new to me when it came to Shakespeare. All in all, he believes that sometimes we lose sight of the meaning behind Shakespeare’s work because of the language, but if we take the time to find the power behind the dialogue, we can gain a better understanding of the play, the times, and Shakespeare himself.
Clowns, Skulls, and Melancholic Musings: Group 3 Critique
- Satirical Summary of the gravedigger scene
The graveyard scene in Hamlet is one of the most iconic moments of the play often referenced out of context, and as a result many of its important details go missed. As a group, our initial meeting focused on planning and logistics. We wanted to do Shakespeare’s work as much justice as we possibly could in light of our modest situation, and what became readily apparent was that even if nothing else was available Yorick’s skull had to be used as a main prop. Something that we all felt as a profound truth in this experience is that Shakespeare’s plays were certainly meant to be seen, heard, and performed. There is undoubtedly so much more to be learned from playing one of his characters instead of simply reading the lines. As fortune would have it we were able to use an area of the Baruch Performing Arts Center that allowed for ease of filming, the sound of our voices to carry well to our amateur filming apparatus, and also for our characters to be positioned in a way that we felt truly made the scene come to life.
Reid by far had the most challenging task in portraying Hamlet; a character whose tendency to branch into soliloquy made his portion of the scene the lengthiest and most long-winded. His task in our practice readings, and finally in the ultimate performance was preventing the words from melding together and becoming a drone. His use of vocal inflections and varied expressions, a result if his familiarity with the piece, brought the character to life, making what could have been a boring recitation into a worthy theatrical effort.
For Nolan, embodying the character of Horatio really helped him to understand the importance and significance of this character. Horatio was the one person that Hamlet had full trust and confidence in. Where every other relationship he has falls into disarray, the one he has with Horatio stays constant and cordial. This certainly allows the reader to delve further into the mind of Hamlet, but for the actor playing Horatio this effect is even more profound. Horatio has very few lines in the gravedigger scene so he has plenty of time to observe and ponder Hamlet and his sudden return to Denmark. He’s the first individual to truly see the changes that Hamlet experiences, the first person to understand the implications of what actions are to come, and the last person alive to see how these necessary events unfold.
Karina was fascinated by the depth provided by a character that is so often glossed over. She jumped at the chance to portray the comic relief, whose few lines and small role held so much life and character and spoke volumes of the tone and mood of the play itself. It was a very different experience seeing a character portrayed, and being the character yourself. Speaking his jokes, singing his songs, ‘sitting in his grave’ added a layer to the play that reading lines in a book failed to provide. The gravedigger provides exposition from an outsider’s point of view, he is a common man who faces death not with melancholy or petulance, but with rationality and realism. As Hamlet stated “the hand of little employment hath the daintier sense” (5.1.70),and after digging an imaginary grave for seven minutes it is easy to see why humor and honesty would be necessary to make the most of the gravedigger’s vocation.
One thing for sure, it is very easy to see how easy it is for Shakespeare’s work to be represented differently in each production. Lines and scenes can be interpreted differently by different directors and actors causing these variations. We each had different ideas of what the scene would look like and it was especially fun having the opportunity to let the scene flow forth from each of our minds into physicality. We got to collaborate and create a shared organic vision for the scene, and share this interpretation with others.
Variations of the scene in film (Mel Gibson vs. Kenneth Branagh):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbxMhvcxJJc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXixlEy5Gfc
Exploration into the importance and properties of Yorick’s skull
Pianist’s dying wish: human skull used in performance