...Continuing to Study Shakespeare in School I. Should students continue to study Shakespeare in school, that is the question? Nearly four centuries since of the death of William Shakespeare, the great classical poet and dramatist of the English language are met, and in addition to general acclaim for his work, the debate has increased with the discussion on the appropriateness or otherwise of teaching Shakespeare to American high school students today. a. High school curriculum should continue to keep such an important figure as part of their studies. b. The name William Shakespeare means so much to the history of literature; his ability to connect to the human emotion is timeless; however, his most important legacy is the lasting impression he had left on the English language and the world entertainment world. II. Historical importance - At first glance it would seem inappropriate to dispose of curricula US literary legacy so powerful, intimate and transcendent like Shakespeare. Somehow that is what, in the narrow field of education, defends Dusbiber Dana, a high school teacher in Sacramento, California, where most of the students come from families of minority and low income. a. For Dusbiber, according to the story in the Washington Post, Shakespeare is simply irrelevant. Dusbiber confesses he does not like Shakespeare and he does not believe an English white died in 1616 is the only way to teach your students about the human condition, and that the author should be taught...
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...Adapting Plays Into Movies “In theatre, you can change things ever so slightly; it’s an organic thing. Whereas in film, you only have that chance on the day, and you have no control over it at all,” These insightful words were once spoken by actress (Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace) and Oscar winner Judi Dench, and they very clearly illustrate one of the biggest differences between theatre and film. However, a small hint of bias seems to be depicted in this point of view. The quote (and many others) seem to suggest that one form of acting is more difficult than the other. It seems the opposite is true; that when taking one of these art forms (i.e. theatre) and transforming it into the other, one would come across a wide array of differences, as well as similarities. When researching a topic such as this, one must go beyond reading. One must not only dive into a script or a periodical or academic journal, one must immerse themselves into the films that have come about as a result of the transformation of turning a play into a cinematic experience. When going about researching this topic, I watched the movie Chicago (Dir. Rob Marshall, 2002) as well as looked over the original Broadway script (By Jon Kander, Fredd Ebb, and Bob Fosse 1975). The original Broadway production opened June 3, 1975, at the 46th Street Theatre and ran for 936 performances. Chicago's 1996 Broadway revival holds the record for the longest-running musical revival and the longest-running American musical...
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...think but this, and all is mended” (5.1.418-19), reminding the audience that the “shadows” are just actors, and the magic they experienced was a play. There is also Jacques’ famous “all the world’s a stage” speech in As You Like It, in which he compares life to a stage, and men and women to actors (2.7.138-39). But Shakespeare’s most self-referential plays are Hamlet and The Tempest. The protagonists, Hamlet and Prospero, are both performers and directors of the action of the plays. Furthermore, each play consists of a play within the play, The Murder of Gonzago in Hamlet, and the wedding masque in The Tempest. These self-reflexive moments break down the barrier between fiction and reality. Hamlet is associated with raw emotion, and theatre acts as a sort of stand in for authentic emotion, something that Hamlet struggles to understand. In act one, scene two, Gertrude questions Hamlet why he “seems” to be taking his father’s death so personally, to which he responds that sulking around in black clothing, sighing, and weeping are just “actions that a man might play” (1.2.84), or a performance of grief, but not truly representative of the grief he feels within. These lines seem very self-aware, and bring attention to the fact that an actor, expected to act in anguished manner, is almost questioning his own authenticity as a performer. These lines pair with a later scene in act two. Following the first player’s speech of “Aeneas’ tale to Dido,” Hamlet is outraged at the actor’s...
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...Acting and performing arts can be found in every culture around the world. Compared to the cultures that have participated in theater for centuries now, American Theater is one of the newer traditions agmonst us. Theaders have evolved from countries all over the world. “From the African roots of Greek tragedy to contemporary Shakespearean plays, the diverse enviorment is what created the power behind stage production. During the start up of American Theater, it reflected the lives of namely white, property-owning, Christian men”(Kertin p5). As time pasted, the popular dramas came from Europe. In the 1820's Black artists were creating, staging and performing for both black and white audiences, performing both existing and original work. “The first theater company to attempt the performing arts production from an African American perspective was, The African Grove Theater in New York”(Abel p1). In 1820, an African American man named, William Brown and a West Indian man named, James Hewlett created the African Grove Theater. “Both of these men traveled by ship throughout the Caribbean, where story telling, performance, dance and music were essential to the culture and survival of the slaves working on sugar cane and tobacco plantations, salt flats and mines. The company performed tragedies and comedies from Shakespeare to American playwrights”(Welsher p2).The African Grove Theater was the first African American theater in the United States. Full playrights were presented on...
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...audience? In every theatrical performance the manner in which each individual actor treats the audience establishes, sustains or varies a particular kind of actor-audience relationship between them. In some plays all of the actors may adopt the same attitude towards the audience (for example, the entire cast of a production of a Chekhovian drama will usually ignore the audience until the curtain call); in other plays the performers create a range of different relationships towards the audience (for example, most Shakespearean dramas have certain characters who frequently adopt a downstage ‘platea’ playing position that is in direct contact with the audience, while other characters behave as if unaware of the audience’s presence). Audience is an essential part of the theatrical event. With the actor it comprises one of the two indispensable elements of theatre. There seems to be no dispute over this fact. Yet the audience is the most elusive element of the theatre to deal with, source material is scarce and complex; it does not submit to simple analysis or definition. Primary sources tend to mention curiosities connected with the extravagant behavior of spectators, or to ignore the audience altogether. But in Hansel and Gretel, I know Jonathan Aitken and Sheldon Rosen, Ryerson professors, have developed a unique twist on live performance. Incorporating interaction between live actors and animated typographic actors, their play Hansel and Gretel explores multiple modes of...
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...they are being tricked, and the magician is creating an illusion, but they willingly suspend disbelief in order to enjoy the show. In my opinion, the limitation on special effects is a strength of theatrical plays, as it leaves the audience to their imagination, and serves the purpose of transporting the audience to a fantastical world where there occurs an encounter with the live characters of the play. We become so involved in a theatrical play that added demand on suspension of disbelief becomes immaterial. Unlike a film, we feel as if we are participating in a play, and the adrenaline is so high, suspension of disbelief comes almost willingly. I would rather see The Tempest on stage than in film because the Shakespearean plays are especially intended for theatre. I, personally, like the theatrical version, as it appears more involving to me. The various figurative effects were especially fashioned in The Tempest for theatrical illusion, which make it...
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...Phil Theater Arts In many forms, theater was and still an effective medium to promote social awareness, as a means of entertainment and a liberal way to express one’s opinion. Most places in the Philippines have their own town fiestas flaunted with festivities and shows. During holy week, people stage the cenaculo- a theatrical presentation of the passion of Christ, and the moro-moro or comedia that relates to Christian and Muslim conflict. Some towns perform zarzuela, a Philippine version of Spanish light operetta, others present their poetic debate called duplo and karagatans. Another theatre form, the carillo, a shadow drama is usually shown after harvest. Cavite has Sanghiyang, Batangas has Subli and Laguna presents their Turumba and Pasyon. These traditional plays exemplify the union of folk religion and Catholicism. On the first Sunday of January, Marinduque present its Three Kings’ Pageant and during the Lenten season, the same town performs its famous Moriones Festival. In the streets of Baliwag, Bulacan and Kawit, Cavite, Panunuluyan is staged on Christmas eve- a re-enactment of Mary and Joseph’s struggling search for shelter for the birth of Christ. http://www.camperspoint.com/spip.php?article249 Philippines Dula: Musing on Philippine Theater and Drama “Scene 1, Act 1. Lights focus on center stage. Enter actor from corner left of the stage.” People involved in theater arts know this as typical stage lingo. Whether you are talking about Shakespeare, Shaw...
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...'Death' , 'Revenge' , 'Unhappy endings' come to my mind When I think about the word 'tragedy'. What is tragedy? Tragedy is a form of drama based on human suffering that invokes in its audience an accompanying catharsis or pleasure in the viewing.(Banham 1998, p. 1118.) Then what are Shakespearean tragedies? "Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy." (F. Scott Fitzgerald) I also think this quote applies very well to William Shakespeare's works, for he has created such beautiful pieces of literature in the form of tragedies. There are several elements of Shakespearean tragedy. For example, Tragic hero, Tragic(Fatal) flaw, Internal and external conflict, Comic relief, The supernatural, The abnormality, Revenge, and Death etc. I am going to take a look at some of the elements of Shakespearean tragedy used in very famous plays, 'Hamlet' and 'Romeo and Juliet'. First of all, a 'Tragic flaw', by definition, is a personality trait that leads to the downfall of the protagonist. Hamlet is well aware of his fatal flaw from the beginning, he constantly questions himself on why he continues to delay the fulfillment of his duty. Hamlet finally acts to kill Claudius only after realizing that he is poisoned. But by putting off, his tragic flaw, leads to multiple death such as Polonius, Ophelia, Gertrude, Laertes, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern and himself, too. Second, Use of 'supernatural' elements is one of common characteristics of the Elizabethan drama. In Hamlet, the ghost of...
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...Eberhard Karls Universität TübingenEnglisches Seminar WS 2013/14 Dr. phil. Angelika ZirkerAnglistik/Amerikanistik Drama Essay: As You Like It Characterization:Orlando de Boys Julia LaugMatrikel-Nr: 3824050 julia.laug@web.de For my drama essay, I decided to analyse on of the main characters, Orlando de Boys. Orlando is the youngest son of Sir Rowland de Boys and after his father's death, his elder brother Oliver was meant to care for Orlando's education, but he refuses this and treats Orlando like he was part of the staff. Therfore, Orlando is very angry at his brother, but even though he is not an educated gentleman he still sees himself this way. I picked this character because I think Orlando is a very interesting person and it is fascinating to see the two sides of his character – on the one hand, he seems to be a very self-confident and strong young man, but then again he acts very awkward and naive when he is falling in love with Rosalind. In the following text I will briefly analyse those two features of his character. Orlando's first appearance in „As You Like It“ is also the beginning of the play and we get a first impression of his first part of characteristics. He is incensed about his elder brother's treatment because Oliver refuses him the education and the lifestyle that he deserves. Orlando is aware of the fact that he is from noble blood and he insists on this actuality. We also realize that Orlando is very loyal to his deceased father and that he...
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...Toward the end of William Shakespeare’s life, his plays began to entertain a topic very different from his earlier works. Shakespeare is well known for his ability to capture the dynamics of human nature. His works have remained relevant because of how well he is able to portray the aspects of human life that never change over time, such as love, family, and human emotions. Much of his earlier work explored the consequences of certain human actions by using the storytelling technique of tragedy. Towards the end of his life he began to enlist a technique of storytelling known as the tragicomedy. These stories contained all the elements of tragedy, including death, but continued past the tragic consequences of human frailty to explore the redemption achieved through repenting of the mistakes and behaviors that produced the tragedies that took place earlier in the play. These plays of redemption are unique for their happy endings. Although all of Shakespeare’s plays are layered with imagery, his later tragicomedies tend to have some very strong religious undertones attached to the redemption concept he began exploring through them. One of his last plays, The Winter’s Tale, is a great example of how Shakespeare used his gift for imagery to enrich his stories with deeper, almost hidden meanings. Throughout The Winter’s Tale Shakespeare uses the imagery of lambs to lead his audience to a deeper understanding of the story he is telling. One of the first examples of this...
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...Drama in schools second edition Like theatre, drama in schools can unlock the use of imagination, intellect, empathy and courage. Through it, ideas, responses and feelings can be expressed and communicated. It carries the potential to challenge, to question and to bring about change. Jude Kelly (theatre director and founder of Metal) Contents Foreword 2 1 Introduction 4 2 Why drama in schools? 6 3 Recognising good drama 9 3.1 What does good drama look like at the Foundation Stage? 9 3.2 What does good drama look like at Key Stages 1 and 2? 12 3.3 What does good drama look like at Key Stage 3? 18 3.4 What does good drama look like at Key Stage 4? 22 3.5 What does good drama look like at post-16? 24 3.6 What does good drama look like in special schools? 26 3.7 What does a good drama enrichment programme look like? 27 4 Structuring drama in schools 32 4.1 Level descriptions for drama 33 5 Policy, facilities, resources 41 5.1 Useful points for schools managers and subject leaders to consider 41 5.2 What does a good school policy for drama look like? 42 5.3 What do good facilities and resources in drama look like? 44 6 Conclusion 46 Appendix 1 Drama and the early learning goals within 48 the Foundation Stage Appendix 2 The National Curriculum for England – English 50 Appendix 3 Drama within the Primary Strategy...
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...Example An Annotated Bibliography for Romeo and Juliet · The student writing this Annotated Bibliography is doing their essay on the performance aspects of the play. Therefore their annotations will deal with how the material is useful in that area. The annotations in this example are not 150 words but yours MUST be. You would be expected to add such items as useful quotes, passages etc. that you could use in your essay as support for your thesis. Davis, Lloyd. “’Death-Marked Love’: Desire and Presence in Romeo and Juliet.” Shakespeare Survey 49 (1996): 57-67. Knowing that the love of Romeo and Juliet will end in tragedy from the onset of the play, it is how the events of the play lead to the tragedy that is the essence of the play. Davis explores the darkness and deceit connected with desire and love. Holmer, Joan Ozark. “’Draw if you be men’: Saviolo’s Significance in Romeo and Juliet.” Shakespeare Quarterly 45.2 (1994): 163-189. The fencing material in the play is probably derived from the fencing manual of Saviolo, Vincentio Saviolo his Practise. Salviolo’s ideal view that “condemns male quarrelsomeness as irrational when it pursues personal revenge rather than godly truth and justice” is a source for both tragic and comic elements in the play (189). Levin, Harry. “Form and Formality in Romeo and Juliet.” Shakespeare Quarterly 11.1 (1960): 3-11. Levin points to the unconventionality of the play. Such scenes include the eavesdropping...
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...An Intriguing Movie Adaption of Shakespeare’s Masterpiece Power can corrupt even the most descent man. This is shown in Shakespeare’s tragedy “Macbeth” where the respected Scottish Thane Macbeth is corrupted by power and guilt and turned into a tyrant and a mass murderer. This theme was as relevant the day it was written, as today when we watch it as a movie in the 21th century. While the movie “Macbeth” by Michael Fassbender is a breath of fresh air for the Shakespeare admirers and the traditional movie and theater lovers, those who are not familiar with Shakespeare’s style, might find the movie slightly dull and protracted. Though the long monologues and the Shakespeare talk provide satisfaction among those who understand and appreciate the genre, it can be a long and boring affair for those who are not familiar with it. So getting some basic knowledge of the Shakespeare genre is therefore highly recommended before you watch the movie. Although the trailer shows us montages that could have been taken straight out of “Braveheart”, the movie itself is nothing like that. Judging by the trailer, one might be fooled to believe that “Macbeth” is your typical Hollywood action genre. This was what I feared, but fortunately, the director Justin Kurzel manages to deliver a beautiful and well written movie with all the aspects that are characterized from a Shakespeare play. With its long and dramatic monologues, a beautiful figurative usage of language and its dramatic acting, “Macbeth”...
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...Have you ever dreamed of reading a thrilling book about awesome characters and a devious plan involving death? Then “Much Ado About Nothing” by Shakespeare is the perfect book for you. In the enthralling play, there contain multiple couples. One is based solely on looks, one denies their love for each other, and one simply got together for the sake of a devious scheme. It also involves a plot that a kind character look scandalous, when really, they’re not. It’s a great story about love, evil, and forgiveness. In the play “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare, Beatrice and Hero are foils of each other because of their interactions with others, how others feel about them, and their personality traits. Beatrice and Hero are major character foils in the play “Much Ado About Nothing” because of their interactions with others. Beatrice says to Benedick, “An he were, I would burn my study...is there no young squarer now that will make a voyage with him to the devil?” (Shakespeare Act 1 Scene 1). Beatrice is criticizing Benedick by saying hurtful things and being extremely mean. Throughout the book, whenever Beatrice is confronted by someone she generally doesn’t like, she will make rude comments. This proves that her interactions with others aren’t always the kindest and are impolite. In Act 3, Scene 1, Shakespeare writes, “Good Margaret, run thee to the parlor...find my cousin Beatrice...bid her steal into the pleached bower.” Hero invented this huge plan because she wanted...
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... 1. In 1943, Roger and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! a. Helped establish the golden age of musical theatre. b. Was choreographed by Agnes de Mille. c. Formed a seamless story, using music, lyrics and dances. d. All of the above. 2. William Shakespeare was famous for writing tragedy comedy, historical and romance plays. Some of his plays included: a. Macbeth, King Lear, Dr. Faustus, and The Globe b. Tamburlain the Great and King of Persia c. Hamlet, Richard III, Much Ado About Nothing, and Romeo and Juliet d. None of the Above e. Both b and c 3. All are considered American realist playwrights except: a. August Wilson b. Tennessee Williams c. Eugene Ionesco d. Arthur Miller 4. Which of the following was NOT mentioned as non-realism: a) Expressionism. b) Symbolism. c) Theatre of cruelty. d) Pradaism. 5. The 3 Greek Tragedian playwrights’ discussed in Chapter 3 of Theatre are: a. Plautus, Terence, and Machiavelli b. Aristotle, Aristophanes, and Aeschylus c. Sophocles, Euripides, and Aeschylus d. Medea, Iphigenia, and Socrates d) e) Futurism. f) None of the above. 6. Which of the following is NOT a form of Japanese theatre: a) Kabuki. b) Xiqu. c) Bunraku. d) Noh theatre. 7. Cornerstone Theatre Company… a. Founded by two Harvard graduates in 1986 b. Adapt classical works c. Involves...
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