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.