Quizlet: Measure4Measure Characters and Archetypes

Crime and Punishment

    We've just witnessed Angelo's conflict of interests: he wants to (strictly) enforce his law on lechery while desiring to have relations with Isabella. Shakespeare represents him as a contradiction. However, Duke Vincentio comforts Isabella by saying that Angelo is testing her virtue and was pleased by it. It is interesting to see how Shakespeare demonstrates a belief that there are certain acts/sins worse than others, and possibly deserve reasonable punishment. For example, Duke's conversation with Juliet compares her pre-marital actions with Claudio's, debating which is more punishable. One of Shakespeare's themes is this moral dilemma of determining sinfulness of sin, while saying that death isn't as bad as it seems.

Editing M4M Act 1:Scenes 1-3

     Mr. Wolfe's placement of the monastery scene (1.3) as the prologue sets the play in immediate motion. First it reveals the layout for the events and happenings that will follow. Secondly, it quickly reveals the "hero" of the story. In addition to the second point, the good vs. evil antithesis is heightened in Mr. Wolfe's edited version by placing this scene right before the scene where Angelo is first introduced (1.1). This scene placement reiterates the hero and villain while emphasizing the "white hat sheriff" as being the first character introduced. Rather than having the audience gain contempt for Angelo, this placement allows the audience to befriend Vincentio and then use the Duke as a bar for comparison when evaluating Angelo. Mr. Wolfe's Act 1, Scene 2 version cuts out the intro dialogue between Lucio and the gentlemen. Firstly, the gentlemen reference Hungary, which is basically irrelevant to HTC's rendition. Also, this opening dialogue doesn't have the same effect to today's audience, as compared to Shakespeare's.

Fixing the Gap

    My partner, Tyler, and I are concluding Perciles' fourteen year separation from Marina to be full of political struggle, rebellion, famine, and plagues in Tyre. We plan on portraying Helicanus as a good person with good intentions, but a bad leader/ruler when Pericles returns. The first and only scene we are adding to fix the gap begins with Gower and Diane (the goddess) entering the stage from a place of higher ground. Both would be discussing their observations on Tyre as they look down from their standing place. As they speak and look below, a dumb show could be playing to demonstrate protest and starvation (similar to Tarsus' famine earlier in the play). Gower could explain how Helicanus wasn't able to successfully keep Tyre stable during Pericles' leave. While Diane could mention how her fellow gods were ruthless in allowing a series of misfortune occur to Pericles and his land. Without giving too much away, those would be the focus of the narration part of bridging the gap. We also plan to add some lines to Marina in the point of the play when she is explaining her to family history to Pericles trying to convince him that she is Marina. We want to exaggerate her virtuous character by having her mention that her father's absence probably had meaningful and valid reasons for not being able to come back. This would allow Marina to display her forgiveness to her father for being gone for fourteen years. Most people would react with anger or hatred, but since Marina is the most virtuous of them, she responds with care and concern for others.

Intention and Objective in Original Cutting

    
      I chose to edit scenes 17 and 18 I chose two since scene 17 was a little short. In scene 17, Cleon and Dionyza are conversing after what they believe as Marina's death. After reading through once, I arrived to two goals in cutting: to heighten the evil in Dionyza and to portray Cleon more subserviently and inferior. Scene 18 consists of Gower's narration. There I wanted to avoid redundancy and highlight Marina's virtue.
     The first lines to get cut were, "O lady,

Much less in blood than virtue, yet a princess

To equal any single crown o' the earth

I' the justice of compare!" 

In cutting this, I remove Cleon's opinion of Marina, mentioning her great virture. I intended that this would portray Cleon more subservient and inferior to Dionyza by not even allowing Cleon to not say his opinion on the matter. Since Cleon is considered evil by standing passively while evil Dionyza stomps around, this would remove the audience's ability to have sympathy for him, and therefore, both are equally as guilty and heinous. I didn't cut any of Dionyza's lines because there weren't too many, and each one of her lines reveals a lot about her evil nature. Also, it is in this scene when she explains how everyone stole the spotlight from her own daughter, displaying her reasons for hating Marina. 

     In scene 18, I cut, "From bourn to bourn, region to region.

By you being pardon'd, we commit no crime

To use one language in each several clime

Where our scenes seem to live. " I felt that explaining the role of a narrator was unnecessary. By scene 18, I know the audience would already discovered Gower's role as the narrator. 

Next I cut, Thetis, being proud, swallow'd some part o' the earth:

Therefore the earth, fearing to be o'erflow'd,

Hath Thetis' birth-child on the heavens bestow'd:

Wherefore she does, and swears she'll never stint,

Make raging battery upon shores of flint.' 

I cut this because I wanted to keep Diana consistent throughout the play. Introducing another mythical being into the play would break Diana's consistent flow. Since Shakespeare heavily focused on Diana in Pericles, I wanted to honor that and keep it constant. 

Characters and Locations Quizlet

Explaining the 14 Year Gap

    
     I would explain the fourteen year gap in Shakespeare's Pericles in a way that emphasizes Dionyza's envious and evil nature while highlighting Pericles' noble and caring personality.

    First, Pericles would return to Tyre after leaving Marina in Tarsus with Cleon and Dionyza. I would have him state that he wishes to reunite with his daughter, but he gets caught up in Tyre's politics and social problems and whatnot. Since he has been gone for a while, he must regain the trust of his people again after his relatively long period of absence. After around a year of gaining his people's trust, he sends a letter to Tarsus regarding whether he can get his daughter. However, the letter never reaches Tarsus because of a tempest on the delivery's way to Tarsus on the Mediterranean Sea. This would keep Shakespeare's focus on the water very consistent throughout the play. By the time his second letter, sent by land, reaches Tarsus, a considerable amount of time has passed. Back in Tarsus, Dionyza resembles a different person from the first half of the play. She begins to madly covet Marina, maybe even love her more than her own daughter, which would cause conflict within herself later on. She replies to Pericles convincing him to leave Marina there, where she can live with a mother-like person (Dionyza) around, since Dionyza knows of Thaisa's unfortunate event. Then Pericles, the good father that he is, is persuaded that life would be better in Tarsus for Marina since he, a single-parent and ruling king, wouldn't be able to provide what he believes Dionyza can provide. Pericles agrees to do so with the condition that Marina knows of his existence and can get her back when the time is right for both Pericles and Marina. Then, as time passes (around ten years), maybe a dumb show could show Dionyza's transformation into Cinderella's evil stepmother due to jealousy. Pericles occasionally receives updates on Marina and even letters from here (written by someone else, explaining her "lovely" life), thinking that everything is perfect, when it isn't. This would conclude my explanation for the fourteen year gap.

The Importance of Central Metaphors

     Metaphors are important in any story trying to prove a point or make an argument. Their purpose is to implicitly send a message to a reader or audience.

     In Pericles, the sea is a central metaphor to the play. It stands for many things that don't seem too similar at first glances. First the sea represents unpredictability and true force. Especially in Pericles' time, one couldn't predict an ocean storm or whether the water will be choppy or smooth. This unpredictability leads to the sea's strength. Although man seems to place himself at the center of the universe, there are some things no one can do, such as control the sea or repel its strength. Essentially, the ocean is like life: taking one places without will or guiding one in a particular direction. In the end, the place where one ends up tends to be where he or she should be, such as Pericles' landing to Pentapolis, where he meets Thaisa. Man constantly battles with fate, thinking he or she knows best. However, I believe there are several moments when man conquers fate. All this elaboration is derived from one metaphor in Pericles: such a large metaphor within the seemingly endless waters.

Favorite Epic

     Although I've only encountered two epics during my high school career, The Odyssey by Homer and Beowulf, I was more engaged and interested in Homer's epic as compared to Beowulf. Briefly, The Odyssey focuses on Odysseus return home to Ithaca. I recall the story possessing mythical and somewhat exaggerated qualities, such as Poseidon's curse on Odysseus or his possession of a bag of strong winds. These magical and unearthly characteristics were the reasons why I enjoyed the epic. Since it takes Odysseus ten years to return home to his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus, the heroic end to the story is steadily built throughout Odysseus' adventures on his journey home. Everyone loves a hero who slays the evil villains, in The Odyssey, the suitors to Penelope. 

Richard III Dramatis Personae Quizlet

Quizlet: Richard III Quotations Acts 3,4,&5

Quizlet: Richard III Quotations Acts 1 & 2

Richard III, Act 1

     By far, this play is the most engaging play. The blunt revealing of Richard's sinister and heinous character in the opening immediately grasped my attention. The dialogue between Richard and Lady Anne is very exciting and revealing on both parties. We see Anne's hatred, but also witness Richard beginning to manipulate her into marrying her. By praising Anne's beauty he is able to rid her of her harsh feelings toward Richard and consider into taking his hand in marriage. His persuasion and persistence prove victorious in coming closer to Lady Anne. I'm excited to experience what happens next. 

Heir and the Spare

     If my father's side of our family possessed the royal blood, I would be 4th in line to the throne, same as Richard III was. My grandfather would be the current king. The successor to him would be my father, then his eldest son (my oldest brother), then his second oldest son, and then I would be in line for the throne. After me is my younger brother. Next in line after him would be my aunt's (my father's sister) sons (my cousins). While my family follows the somewhat simple royal succession, Richard III's differed from mine because his older brother, the heir, had sons, and therefore elongated Richard's turn for the throne. That could happen to myself when any of my older brother have kids in the future.

Writing a Soliloquy

     My soliloquy focuses on Oberon's thoughts as he witnesses Titania's full expression of love for Bottom. In the exposition of the soliloquy, there are two rhetorical questions that are directed towards Titania. In my interpretation, I would have Oberon hidden behind a bush or behind a curtain on a window (in a modern version). As he reaches the complication, the two rhetorical questions are directed to the audience, asking whether his actions are forcing love between him and Titania or if he is justified to try to work harder in the relationship. As he watches his wife and Bottom, he begins to realize the love that he has taken for granted with Titania. Oberon's soliloquy ends with his departure to a flower shop (or something of that nature). I used multiple rhetorical devices such as antithesis, anaphoras, personification, allusion, and alliteration. I only quoted Sonnet 61 once for the second rhetorical question. I soon realized that it was much easier to have a more original piece: reading through the many sonnets was time-consuming and required patience for the appropriate line(s). Sharing our soliloquies in class was fun.

Rhetoric Quiz

Should have been higher, Quizlet marked me off for Anadiplosis for no reason.

Act IV Reflection

     Love is a prevalent theme in Shakespeare's works. In A Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare demonstrates strong views towards love. For example, through Demetrius, Shakespeare comments on his society (Elizabethan) and its customary traditions with marriage. Typically a future husband would receive a dowry from his future wife's father. Shakespeare clearly doesn't believe that this is the way marriage should be. Demetrius only "loves" Hermia because Egeus has $$$. Demetrius' (and society's) approach to marriage is askew. Another love/marriage commentary by Shakespeare is displayed through Oberon and Titania's dysfunctional marriage. The two can't seem to settle their argument over the changeling child. It is as if each spouse is trying to overpower the other: Oberon is a man, and therefore assumes his wife to obey without hesitation while Titania gains an upper-hand on Oberon and utilizes it for her opportunity to show strength, independence, and power–resembling some feminist qualities considering Shakespeare's society hardly granted women any power or freedom. I also believe Shakespeare defines love in Act IV. I think he suggests that all love is fake; fake in terms of that love must be proven by a defining moment in a relationship. Shakespeare knew that it takes a particular event or occasion for one fully and truly understand that he or she is absolutely in love. For Oberon, seeing his wife in her true loving character made him feel unappreciated and desires it. He changes character in Act IV. Demetrius realizes "in his dream" his foolishness in chasing Hermia, why shut the door on true Love as what Demetrius did to Helena? It looks like Hermia and Lysander had it right all along, follow your heart, your instinct.

This quiz was a bit tougher, landed with a  B. I know with more intensive study and reading of the material will I be able to ace this quiz.

Quizlet Character Results

Only missed one on the Quizlet character quiz!

Character Analysis (Act 3), Titania, Queen of Fairies

  
     I selected Titania's speech, A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 3, Scene 1, Lines 73-84. I chose this because this is the moment where the audience fully witnesses Titania's change of character. This sudden change in heart is due to Oberon's act of revenge. Along with her change of character, Titania's objective(s) completely change. If one's objective changes, then his or tactic to achieving that goal is most likely subject to change as well.

     Prior to Oberon and Puck's revengeful act with the flower juice, Titania's goal was to keep hold on her rare changeling child who is so desperately wanted by Oberon. Her tactic of doing so was to simply keep the changeling (and herself) out of Oberon's path. This tactic, although simple, makes sense considering that she already possesses such a highly valued object. Once she awakens from her character changing sleep, her objective dramatically shift from preserving the changeling and to keeping Bottom with her in the forest. The flower juice's effect was powerful enough to have Titania completely change her focus from the changeling to her love with Bottom, who looks non-human due to Puck's sly ways. Her main objective, now, is to keep Bottom with her to satisfy her love for him. Her tactics, along with her objective, have changed as well. Her new tactic is to keep Bottom with her by supplying him with gifts and complements. Bottom, understandably, is flattered and drawn to his newfound attention and stays with her. The psychology of Titania's character has also shifted: from an independent, elegant, (somewhat) stubborn, and prideful. She was adamantly unwilling to give up the changeling, she didn't want to seem like a woman who easily gives in to her husband's (Oberon's) demands. After the flower's effect, she easily gives herself up to her new lover, Bottom. She seems to be in a state of euphoria with Bottom.

Fair(l)y Perspective Change

Interestingly, I've learned that fairies didn't resemble that of Peter Pan or Pan's Labyrinth, rather, they were mischievous characters who weren't on either end of the "goodness" spectrum, and therefore landed on Earth. 

Journal Entry #1

1/31/2012
Writing a sonnet under all "sonnetical" rules (such as iambic pentameter and rhyme scheme) and circumstances was harder than expected. Rather than taking thirty minutes, I spent around forty-eight minutes pondering and writing a sonnet concerned with senior problems. The problems I wrote about was the waiting period between college application submissions and acceptance. It focuses on the anxiety and fear that an impatient senior undergoes whilst waiting the envelopes. Hearing others read their sonnets and reading mine aloud was entertaining.
-Alain Cruz