Daveniel's Blog: September 2011

1. Have you ever been betrayed? Give an example of when you where betrayed, How did you feel? What did you do?

To be betrayed is one of the most hurtful things in this world. To have faith in someone you believed you could trust is something very special. I was betrayed by a former school friend of mine who was working on a school project with me. The betrayal took place in the form of plagiarism. Upon working on a project we agreed upon fair sharing of the work load. It turned out that I was doing majority of the work while this friend limed and wasted time. The week before this project was due this friend decided to take the project and just put the name of the teacher on the front page and takes it to the teacher with a complaint of me not doing 99% of the work. The 1% that I put in was to put the teacher's name on the front page and that was because I was forced and threatened that they would say something. Furthermore they had to do something about it before I took the credit when presenting to the class, and they were of the opinion they would be embarrassed, and their grades would sink lower than what it is already, so they were giving the teacher a heads up so they knew I did no research at all. The teacher knowing I was a hard working student called me to her office to find out about this complaint. When I heard the story my friend told I was horrified and explained the truth of me staying up late at night doing this project to gain the standard of grades I was accustomed to and above which was A’s and B’s. The teacher stated she noted the style of writing and knew the other child was lying to save herself from embarrassment of not doing work. The girl was punished and I received the grade for my work. After all of this the only thing I did to the girl was simply not speak to her again because as a saying goes “You are known by the company you keep.”

2. Have you ever felt you were betrayed and misunderstood the situation?

In entrusting a secret with a friend I misunderstood the situation that followed after. The secret was passed to my friend through a note. I took my eyes off her for one moment then I saw her pass what seemed to be my note to another girl, who in turn looked up at me and smiled as if she just discovered something about me. I felt as if my whole world would fall apart if anyone knew of my most feared secret. After class I approached the girl asking her what was in the note my friend gave to her? In reply to my question with an attitude she said “It is none of your business about what I know about you,” and with that she walked off. I decided to then confront my friend about the note. My friend looked at me hurt and said “I can’t believe you would believe I would do such a thing.” She then proceeded to show me that my note was still in her pocket and the other note she gave out was to say she was throwing a surprise birthday party for me. I felt guilty about not trusting my friend when I found out about her good intentions.

3. Look at the various Shakespeare plays over the years you have studied, why do the characters always result to violence trickery or evilness?

William Shakespeare has written many plays and poems within his lifetime. Of the many plays that have been studied such as Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, Taming of the Shrew, Julius Ceasar, Macbeth and Othello; three plays will be used to show why characters result to trickery, violence and evilness.

Plays such as Romeo and Juliet are one of William Shakespeare’s plays that display trickery. William Shakespeare created this master piece to show that love will be obtained at all cost no matter the consequences. In this play both of the main characters are from feuding families, the Capulet and the Montegue. The main character Juliet is being offered though only thirteen to Count Paris to be married. However when a ball is given for him to meet her she meets Romeo and falls in love with him. With the help of Friar Francis they get married secretly in hope the families would stop feuding. The trickery is displayed when Juliet drinks a potion in order for her to be pronounced dead so that she could be reunited with her love Romeo. This form of trickery did however cost both lovers their life as this plan had a turn for the worst. The message of Juliet’s false death was not delivered in time for Romeo to understand that he was to meet her and then be reunited when she awoke. Due to this Romeo is informed through a servant and brokenheartedly buys a poison and kills himself beside his wife. Juliet in turn wakes to find a dead Romeo and distraught, takes his dagger and kills herself. In the end both families unite over loss of their children. The trickery of deception by death shows that William Shakespeare was using the true saying as said in marriage vows “till death do us part.”

Trickery violence and evilness are portrayed in the Merchant of Venice. Trickery is displayed in the way Shylock contracts Antonio for a pound of flesh if he does not pay his debt. This at first is taken as a joke but Antonio comes to the realization of the trick when he has to go to court to defend his debt. Trickery is also used positively in this play because Bassanio’s wife Portia dresses as a male lawyer which in that era is a major breaking of the law for a woman. However despites all odds, she is able to defend Antonio from Shylocks evilness to extract violent revenge on Antonio. This type of revenge was stemmed from the evil Antonio did towards Shylock by stereotyping Shylock just because he was a Jew. The combination of the three concepts of violence, trickery and evilness in this play shows that no matter the wrong one has done to you; you cannot take the law in your own hands because the fact is that the law can turn right back on you.

Finally in Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare uses trickery both a positive and negative way. Trickery was used positively to join the characters of Benedick and Beatrice. They are fooled into falling in love with one another. Through the help of all characters in the play each one overhears in conversations about one loving the other. This in the end produces a happy effect. The evilness of Don John is triggered by his jealousy of his brother Don Pedro. Shakespeare in turn uses this to formulate the ultimate evil in which Don John with some help stains the name of the main character Hero’s name by accusing her of committing cuckoldry against Claudio with Barachio. Violence in this play is displayed as a way to bring honor to a young man’s name especially when he went to battle. In conclusion it is seen that in these plays trickery, evilness and violence plays a role in one way or the other. William Shakespeare uses these themes to convey what is the custom during that era. Furthermore he uses the themes to portray different scenarios that occurred or could possible occur and the major consequences top these different deeds.

4. Look at the background of the text Winter’s Tale. What is going on historically in the era that the book is written in?

The Winter’s Tale is written according to the enotes.com between late 1610 and early 1611.it is also said it was published with the First Folio in 1623. During the 16th century in England was a time of Reformation and the Literary Arts were promoted such as theatre. This time was historically significant due to the fact it during the reign of King James I. Furthermore during his reign it was called the Jacobean Era, in this era there was a uniting of Scotland and England under his rulage. Due to the fact that during the Elizabethan Era Catholicism was no longer seen as the main religion but The Church Of England, many rebellions broke out during this time. One event in particular occurred on the 5^th November 1605. According to Wikipedia.com “on that date, a group of English Catholics attempted to blow up the King and Parliament in the Palace of Westminster. However, the Gunpowder Plot was exposed and prevented, and the convicted plotters were hanged, drawn, and quartered.” Furthermore during this time in 1613 King James daughter Princess Elizabeth was getting married to Frederick V, Elector Palatine. They later became King and Queen of Bohemia which coincidently is the country used by Shakespeare in The Winter’s Tale. Their reign marked the beginning of the thirty years war.

5. What is the Elizabethan theater? Historical back ground? Picture of the global theater

The Elizabethan theatre sometimes known as The English Renaissance Theatre is one of the theatres built to during the Elizabethan era that was called by many names and had many locations. ‘The Theatre’ was the original name it was opened by an actor called James Burbage it was London’s first theatre during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Prior to this theatre being built theatre companies had no strategic place to perform in, they travelled all over England looking for large audiences to perform to. Furthermore during her reign Queen Elizabeth I, formulated rise in English Drama making very popular.

‘The Theatre’ as it was known as was built just beyond the walls of Shoreditch in 1576. The many actors who graced this stage were frowned upon by the city fathers; however they were popular with the common people. In 1597, the city fathers closed ‘The Theatre’. The son of James Burbage, Richard Burbage who in the late 1598 with his men dismantled the theatre hauled it in pieces across the Thames to Southwark. They took six months to rebuild the theatre and they renamed it ‘The Globe’. Many acting companies performed in this theatre such as Lord Chamberlain’s Men which the famous playwright William Shakespeare acted in and also performed his plays with. The theatre only had male actors. Women in this era were not allowed to act men took the male parts while boys played the role of women.

Many critics try to dispute the true shape and structure of this building. It was however believed to be round and octagonal due to the reference Shakespeare makes to the building in Henry V by calling it “this wooden”. The structure was believed that design also because of the beat-baiting and bull baiting rings built in Southwark. The building was said to in excess of 2500 persons. However actors had to learn to project their voices for their audience to hear. This was because the technology of our time such as sound systems was not around for them to use. All sound effects, lighting effects and the like had to be created by the actors through whatever resources they had to compensate their lack of technology. Sadly in 1613 during a performance of Henry VIII a cannon was fired and set the thatched roof of the theatre on fire and destroying it. All the spectators escaped unharmed but the Globe was destroyed completely.

Images of the global theatre

6. What is the theatre of the absurd? Videos, pictures

A theatre in which naturalist convention of plot and characterization are ignored or distracted in order to convey the irrationality of existence ant the essential isolation and importance of humanity.

7. Synopsis of Williams Shakespeare? Life, work, plays he has written, tragedies, history, comedies and the time period that they were written in.

William Shakespeare was an English play wright and poet who was baptised on the 26th April 1564. His birth date is unknown, but it is assumed that he was born, since he was baptised in April in the year of 1564 and it is observed on April 23rd.He was born in Stratford-upon-Avon which is in Warwickshire, England. William was the third child of eight and the eldest surviving son of John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia it is believed ' Shakespeare probably was educated at the King's New School in Stratford.' There were no records that survived during the Elizabethan Era in which he was born to show the attendance of anyone during that era at the school. The Elizabethan Era was an era named after Queen Elizabeth I during her riegn and during this time alot of creative ideas for Literature and Science were formulated.' At the age of 18 Shakespeare married 26 year old Anne Hathaway,' (Wikipedia the free encyclopedia). They got married in December 1582, after they got a marriage license on November 27, 1582. Six months after they had their first child a baby girl by the name of Susanna; she was baptised on May 6th 1583, and two years later they had twins Hamnet and Judith who were baptised on February 22, 1585. His son Hamnet died at the age of 11 for an unknown cause and was buried on the 11th of August 1596. It is not quite clear when Shakespeare started to write but he wrote many plays such as Taming of the Shrew, Love's Labour Lost, Richard III and comedy of Errors which were written in 1593 but because during that year a severe outbreak of plague broke out theatres were closed. During the years 1594-1597 alot of his famous plays such as Romeo and Juliet, Merchant of Venice, and A Midsummer Night's Dream were written. William Shakespeare was a part of a theatre group formed after the plague ceased and had shares in Lord Chamberlain's company who played in a theatre in Shoreditch which is the Elizabethan theatre. This theatre was erected in 1576 by James Burbage. Moreover, the Elizabethan players were all men and boys, no women were allowed to act. Further, the stage was jutted out towards the audience which gave the audience a better appreciation of the actors' gestures and facial expressions. Over the stage a roof was set up and doors were placed on either side of the set where characters entered and disappeared; a gallery or upper stage was at the back of it and were used for scenes that needed a upper setting. For instance, in Romeo and Juliet where he climbs to Juliet's room. Under this upper stage there was a space called the tiring house which was hidden from the audience but was revealed as an inner stage for scenes like in Macbeth the witches' cave. There was no particular scenery and if a location was to be specified, then Shakespeare used his actors by simply dressing them in clothes suited for the location or used props for example a stool would indicate that it was an indoor scene. The simplicity of the setting caused no distraction to the spectator and thus the spectator concentrated more on the play and thus enabled Shakespeare to have as many scenes as he wished. In 1597 the company left the Elizabethan Theatre and acted at another theatre by the name of The Curtain. In 1598 the company players after a dispute demolished and re-erected a new theatre by the name of Globe. After the death of Queen Elizabeth I on March 24, 1603 and since the company often performed for her, her successor King James took over the company and the name was changed to King's Men. William Shakespeare also wrote many poems such as Venus and Adonis in 1593 and The Rape of Lucrece to name a few. William Shakespeare was seen as the greatest writer of all time because he wrote 38 plays, 154 sonnets and two extensive poems along with other poems. He retired in 1613 and died three years after on April 23rd 1616. In his life time his work was seen as one of the finest in English Language.

Here are the different plays he wrote according to their categories:

Comedies

All's Well That Ends Well (1606-7)

As You Like It (1599)

The Comedy of Errors (1594)

Love's Labour's Lost (1594-5)

Measure for Measure(1600-3)

The Merchant of Venice (1596)

The Merry Wives of Windsor (1597)

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1595)

Much Ado About Nothing (1598)

Pericles, Prince of Tyre (1608-9)