The Intimidation Factor

This semester we have been talking about intimidation and all of the feelings that go along with that. I know that for my own self I am intimidated by a lot of things in my life. and being in a class full of philosophical literature majors I knew this class would be nothing but up and down with the intimidation factor.

I recently gave a presentation in a class, that well lets be honest here I did not work that hard and prepare hard for it, but I did it no less, and it all went off without a hitch. A group member told me that I made it look easy. And that I stand in front of people with ease. I told her that I have to be comfortable with it, because as a teaching major I will be doing it often. This got me thinking, that maybe no matter how comfortable one is with one’s self, there is always going to be the intimidation factor. Of course I have been in the intimidation boat for this class often. But this is when you just have to grab the bull by the horns and run with it. how will one ever know how one reacts to a challenge if you don’t just go for it.

I feel that intimidation in an inner drive within one’s self. No matter how confortable we might be, we still get intimidated with those around us. its that drive to do better, to be like others, to do our best, and push ourselves. Intimidation has nothing to do with the person you are against, it has to do with the final product that you want to produce. You want them to say wow I am intimidated by her! I have been told that I am an intimidating person, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I feel that I have slid through a lot of work, and given my full drive in other works. I want others to feel comfortable around me, and not feel like they have to compete with me. But it’s the teacher in me that wants to push others to do their best, and be all they can be.

For each person intimidation is a different feeling. We all process it differently and have an inner drive that will allow us to produce something great. No matter what it is.

Here is my final paper for those of you who were in class on Thursday... and for those who weren't.. But its whatevs ;)

Love and Hate

Shakespeare has written many different plays in his life time. Thirty seven plays to be exact. They all are put into the different categories. Comedies, tragedies, and histories. Within these categories Antony and Cleopatra and Romeo and Juliet are in the tragic category. After reading most of the popular plays two similar plays stand out, and are both in the same category. Romeo and Juliet is a very similar play to Antony and Cleopatra. The two plays are interchangeable, have the same plot line and themes. The two plays and characters are essentially the same, interchangeable, so one can get the same feel from one to the other.

Romeo and Juliet is one of Shakespeare most famous play. It out rules his better written plays. Both Romeo and Juliet and Antony and Cleopatra have themes of love, war, forbidden love, and only love can conquer the war, even if both players die. Romeo and Juliet are from two different families. Families who are fighting and want nothing to do with each other. Yet there is a spark in the young lovers to want to be together. They will be together forever, even if it means taking their lives. These two “star crossed lovers” want to be with each other to the death that they do not care who they run into, and hurt along the way. The biggest theme in both plays is the idea of love and politics. Romeo and Juliet were forbidden to be together, because they belonged to two different families. The only people who know that they are together are their close friends. The nurse and Mercutio.

Both characters of the nurse and Mercutio are two very similar characters in the sense that they are the darker side of the lovers. These two characters stand by their sides and get nothing in return. They deserve to be happy and to have love, but they love their friend so much that they are willing to take this stab in the heart and be alone. But the irony of that, is that at the end of the play everyone is alone.
“There are mature loves in Shakespeare, notably Antony and Cleopatra, who cheerfully sell each other out for reasons of state, yet return to each other in their suicides. Both Romeo and Antony kill themselves because they falsely think their beloveds are dead (Bloom 88).” Where Juliet lacks her personality and self confidence Cleopatra takes the stage for that. She consistently wants to be the star of the play, the main theme. When Juliet was to grow up, this is the person she would have grown into. Cleopatra has such a strong sense of power and personality that she takes the stage for most of the play. Antony is just strung along and there for connivances. Yes she loves him, but she loves him in a way that it is for show. Whereas Romeo and Juliet are young, and they love each other for each other. These two sets of couples are different in the fact that it is a different time and place, and age. But they are the same in the sense that they love each other. When Romeo and Juliet grow up they will be just like Antony and Cleopatra.

In Antony and Cleopatra, Cleopatra is so selfish. She wants everything to be her way or no way, and her people will work their way around her. If she does not find her perfect man, she will mold a man to fit her style, wit, personality, and who will take care of her. Which she does all this with Antony. Antony does not have a single say in the play at all. He does what Cleopatra tells him. He seems just fine with being the one who is bossed around. Not once does he stand up for himself. He never says one thing to make Cleopatra think otherwise. He wants to make her happy yes, but does he know any different?

Cleopatra is the way she is because as a young teenage as Juliet she was sheltered by her parents who wanted to keep her on the right side of town. As a teenager Juliet wanted to do her own thing, and explore her own world, but her parents would not let her. So thus, Cleopatra is as dramatic as she is, because as an adult she can finally get out of her shell, and do what she pleases. She claims she “loves” Antony, and he claims to love her too, but in all reality they love the idea of each other. They certainly do not bore each other, but rather they bore the audience. These two players go around and around fighting, then making up. Then it starts all over again.
Romeo and Juliet had young love. They were young, and forbidden to be in love, which is why it made the play and the excitement a little more exciting, because it was forbidden.“Juliet and Romeo indeed are in love with each other, but they are very young, and she is astonishingly good natured, with a generosity of spirit unmatched in all of Shakespeare (549).” Romeo and Juliet were in it for themselves, and to be in love together forever. But as they grow up in to Antony and Cleopatra they become in it for the show. They were more focused on the role they play within the play.

The two plays are similar in the sense that they are hard to keep up with. In Romeo and Juliet the audience has to keep up with them sneaking out, they are young, and thinking that they can make the east vs. west hate goes away with simply love. For Antony and Cleopatra it is exhausting keeping up with all the dramatics of Cleopatra. It is very clear that she wants to be the center of the play. That she wants all of the audience’s attention and reactions. Two very similar ideas, is where Romeo and Juliet spend a majority of the play together on stage alone. Whereas Antony and Cleopatra do not, they never spend one moment on stage alone together. That is why Cleopatra is so dramatic is because she had all her time being with her love when she was a teenager. She spent all her young life with the one she loved, and she never got the chance to go out and be her! Be the woman she wanted to be. So this is why she is always being dramatic, she is craving the audience attention that she never got as a teenager.

The two plays are similar because they are the same story, but they are different because they are opposite of each other. Romeo and Juliet love each other, Antony and Cleopatra love the idea of each other. Romeo and Juliet are young and in love and finding out their personalities. Antony and Cleopatra are older and know who they are, and Cleopatra spent her teenage years finding that out, so she was going to be everything and anything rolled into one. Growing up where they could not be together has the notion to them now in Antony and Cleopatra, because they are never on stage alone together. So what one play lacks the other makes up for it.

These plays were written in different places, with different ideas in mind, yet they are the same play. What one play has the other does not and vice versa. Cleopatra is how Juliet turned out 40 years later. And Romeo is Antony as a teenager. In the end both characters in the plays kill themselves because they think their significant other has killed themselves. If they cannot be with the person they love, then they will not be at all. “There are mature loves in Shakespeare, most notably Antony and Cleopatra, who cheerfully sell each other out for reasons of state, yet return to each other in their suicides. Both Romeo and Antony kill themselves because they falsely think their beloveds are dead (88).” In fact these two plays are different in their own ways, but he similarities of the two plays out weight the differences.

Feelers and Personality

Shakespeare: the invention of the Human
Yes this is the title of Harold Blooms book, and this is where the idea has sparked from. Because I have been reading it lately… and loving it.

Does he really invent the human? Who can he? He was here ages ago, and yes he was brilliant, but did he really invent the ideology of the human?
This question has been in my mind for quite some time. I have been thinking about it, and how I was going to go about answering that.

So this is what I have come to. Shakespeare did in fact invent the human. His characters in his plays possess so much personality and feelers. Every character he writes has a strong sense of personality and posses just the right feelers for the play. All of his characters are so hard to keep up with because they contain so much personality. The feelers that they posses are incredibly overbearing and exhausting. There is so much personality in everyone. even the players behind the scenes he does not leave anyone out.

Every player is so different in every way. not one of them possess the same characteristics in the same play. Shakespeare made it ok for people (Characters) to have feelers, and to go on that emotion. He invented this ideology that it was good to have such a personality in everyone of his characters. He basically put every feeling that one could feel into the characters of his plays.
In order to be human one has to have these emotions and feelers. That’s what makes us human. And let me tell you, I am a very emotional person with a ton of personality. And I am human, because of it.

So I believe that he make it acceptable for society to have all of these feelers and emotions. So thus he is indeed the Invention of the Human.

Much Ado Powerpointless

Here is the link to our Powerpointless!
:)

https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AYShb9P7EBKXZGc0NzQ4amhfMGh0dmZ6c3h6&hl=en

Much Ado about Nothing Project Document

Much Ado About Nothing Lit 473 Presentation


Joe:
So, I thought that the way the word “nothing” was used was really interesting. There is, of course, the concept of Nothing being a pun on “noting”, which was the pronunciation of Shakespeare’s day, but there is also, I think, a deeper meaning.

The basic miracle occurs when something comes from nothing. Creation, transubstatiation and most myths surround this question. How did something unexplainable come to be, or how, out of nothing, could the world, our lives, our experiences come to be? Shakespeare’s answers, as with many myths, hinge on imagination. The human imaginative ability allows something (such as Shakespeare’s plays) to come from nothing on a daily basis. Similarly, in this play, human imagination, or the miracle of nothing, plays a tangible part in the entire narrative.


Lisette --So as I am reading my secondary text by Harold Bloom, a lot of good questions and points are arising. “They make much ado about nothing because they know that nothing will come of nothing, an so they speak again” (Bloom 193). We all know that Beatrice is a drama queen and will do what ever it takes to be noticed. The way Beatrice is the way she is, Bloom says is because she as a character craves the audiences attention and response to what is happening. “Her wildness is her freedom, and that sense of liberty, more even than her wit, captures her audience” (Bloom 199).
Then this is a love story right. A love play. Romantic comedy to narrow it down even more. Bloom raises the question of LOVE. What is it about love? Why love? Well love is nothing and it is everything in the same. Can this one feeling be both and nothing at the same time? “Love is much ado about nothing” (200). There is a nice piece of advice that Shakespeare gives “Get married and expect to be cuckolded” (201).
Although love is a major theme of the play, he players spend their time running around the idea of love. They never come out and say that they are in love, nor do they admit to not being in love. Even if love seem to be a simple topic it isn’t. It can open a can of worms is the wrong idea is said, and if someone one finds out from a secondary source.

Benedick:
Then is courtesy a turncoat. But it is certain I m loved of all ladies, only you excepted; and i would i could find n my heart that i had not a hard heart, for truly I love none.
Beatrice:
A dear happiness to women! They would else have been trouble with a pernicious suitor. I thank God and my cold blood, I am of your humour for that. i had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me. (1.1124)

The true definition of Much Ado about Nothing is: A great deal of fuss over nothing of importance. *Fun fact! Noting which means nothing in a sense is the Elizabethan slang word for vagina or any other sexual organ*
Why don’t we all play this love triangle game beat around a bush that pretends to not be there, and get over it. And in in the end, something came out of nothing- a merryful wedding.

Nathan---Since everyone in the group seemed to want to hit on themes, understanding, and contextualizing the events of the play, I thought I would fill in with what I like most, structure and style characteristics. I turned to The Arden Shakespeare edited by Claire McEachern, which does an amazing job of parsing out how Much Ado isn’t the model of the preceding Shakespearean comedies. Hopefully I’m not stepping on anyone’s toes with what I want to talk about, but if I am, let me know. Sorry for grammatical and syntax errors, I’ve not edited this yet.

Structure and Style:


Much Ado About Nothing when viewed through the lens of structure and style is not at all characteristic of the comedies preceding it. Characteristically, it is important to note the mixed tones, sadness – happiness, which occur simultaneously throughout the play. These mixed tones provide moments when the comic and the tragic are indistinguishable, leaving the readers (audience) unsure as to whether laughter or tears are the appropriate response (51).

Significant to viewing this play is the amount of comedy vs. tragedy working through the plot providing a play that is a bit confused in its forms. What is necessary for the comedy is to begin with problems and disorder, and then work through the play to a happy solution. Inversely, the characteristic of a tragedy is the fall from felicity to misfortune, or happiness to problems (death). McEachern uses Frye when explaining how Much Ado uses many tragic forms, specifically, “In New Comedy the dramatist tries to bring his action as close to a tragic overthrow of the hero as he can get it, then reverse this movement as suddenly as possible”(52). The issue with Much Ado is that it begins entirely without a problem, and every character seems quite content, rather the play begins without a problem of the conventional sort, such as the disgruntled father. The problem is Much Ado is that there is no problem, although we anticipate one as readers and viewers. The walk-on bad guy, Don John the Bastard, injects the problem in this play later in the play. Characteristic of comedies after the late 1590s are the more untraceable obstacles, and Don Johns malevolence is in some ways more threatening because he is almost entirely unexplained, and introduced without background (56).

Turning from structure to style, Much Ado can be broken down into three main parts chronologically. Part one, 760 lines through 2.1 and nearly 1/3 of the total, takes up the action of an afternoon and evening, while the second part, 870 lines, represents a week. The third part, the remaining 1000 lines, in which much of the play’s action occurs, occupies a 24 hour period. The first and third parts of the play both represent the events of a day, while the middle section spans an entire week. This middle section creates a type of “time hammock” as McEachern says, in which all is relatively calm between two sections of compact busy chaos. Again, against most comedies that spend the majority of their plots in confusion, Much Ado maintains relative peace for two thirds of its length.

Returning to the comic vs. tragic elements while remaining on structural interests, Shakespeare does a brilliant job of changing tones throughout the play, especially once Hero is denounced, and provides us with real moments of tragedy, although played inside what the audience and readers know to be a comedy. These moments are often explicitly tragic, such as when Benedict and Beatrice profess their love for each other shadowed in what we believe to be Hero’s death. Although the audience and readers know resolution is coming, they witness real suffering.

Lastly, I’m fascinated with prose vs. verse in this play. Much Ado is second only to the Merry Wives of Windsor in the amount of prose it uses, 70% (2485 lines) vs. 90%. Since much of the play’s context is about social rank and confusion, it is fitting that so much prose should be used to further complicate the matter. What is typically Elizabethan is for the aristocratic characters in the play to speak in verse, and the non-nobility to use prose. Shakespeare, not just in this play, uses less of a set distinction between who uses prose and who uses verse, although there are situations when verse is used corresponding with the formality of the situation, not the character. McEachern makes the observation that everyone’s speech comes naturally and beautifully in Much Ado, be it prose or verse. All characters are noble or aspire to be noble, and the setting is one of high social class. The first section of the play leading up to the church scene in 4.1 uses prose, while the more somber latter half moves to verse. All of these distinctions between social ranking and class get mixed up when prose is used more often for social criticisms, and when Shakespeare designates the heavy hitters in other plays, such as Falstaff and Hamlet to using prose.


Lauren:The idea of Deceit
Claudio and Don Pedro are deceived into thinking that Hero has lost her virtue by sleeping with another man. Beatrice and Benedick are tricked, or deceived into thinking that each one loves the other which leads to a real romance within this trickery. There is even deceit in the staged death of Hero after she is shamed at her own wedding for a crime she did not commit. Leonato publishes an announcement that Hero has died in order to answer the question of who wronged her name and virtue.

Also the idea of ‘song’ being important to the drama. Page 381 “The Song”. It even discusses the idea of men being deceivers. This notion of song and dance being important to the plays is echoed throughout many of Shakespeare’s works. In Much Ado, songs are played during pivotal moments during the play:
DON PEDRO

Come, shall we hear this music?

CLAUDIO

Yea, my good lord. How still the evening is,
As hush'd on purpose to grace harmony!
Act 2 Scene 3

This music and song comes right before the men talk of Beatrice’s ‘love’ for Benedick. its as though music leads the way for crucial mood changes in the scenes. these songs are entertainment for both the characters as well as the audience. Balthasar also has a song in Act 2.3 in which he talks about the treachery of men, “...the fraud of men was ever so...” (Line 71). Through the art of entertainment the characters are allowed to say as they feel in a cathartic manner that does not lead to repercussions. At the end of the play, after all has been put right, Benedick addresses the group saying, “Come, come we are friends. Let’s have a dance ere we are married, that we may lighten our own hearts and our wives’ heels” Act V.4 Lines 15-17. When all is said and done, song dance, and thus entertainment proves to be an escape from the follies of the world.

Virtue and Virginity: Hero is wrongfully accused of shaming her family by losing her virtue and virginity before her marriage to Claudio, and to a man that is not her fiance. on the day of her wedding, Claudio and Pedro scorn Hero publicly calling her a, “rotten orange” (IV.i.30). At the news of his daughters ‘dishonor’ even Leonato chimes in and says, “the wide sea / Hath . . . / . . . salt too little which may season give / To her foul tainted flesh!” (IV.i.139–142). Family honor and Hero’s virtue is so important that at the news of her disgrace, Leonato threatens to kill his own daughter.

Benedick as the fool, or jester of the play: Benedick falls for the ploy that ultimately makes him fall in love with Beatrice. At a masked ball one night, Beatrice is dancing with Benedick unknowingly and speaking of him saying, “...Why, he is the prince’s jester, a very dull fool” Line 131 Act 2.1. At first it appears that Beatrice’s words are of mere wit and slander, but these words prove seemingly true. but, at his defense, Beatrice too falls for the same trickery that her ladies incite upon her, so does that make her a fool as well?

We chose to perform Act 3 Scene 1 because it incorporates comedy, romance, trickery, and multiple characters.

http://youtu.be/2AlFkbElh44



Brian:
The play starts in the Italian town of Messina where Leonato, the governor, lives in house with his daughter Hero, niece Beatrice, and his older brother Antonio. A close friend of Leonato’s, Don Pedro, returns from war to visit with Claudio of Florence, Benedick of Padua and Don John, the bastard brother of Don Pedro. Immediately after they arrive Claudio falls in love with Hero and soon after, they decide to get married. In the meantime, the others trick Beatrice and Benedick to fall in love after all they were doing was arguing. John the Bastard decides to wreck everyones’ happiness by having Borachio make love to Margaret (Hero’s Servant) outside of Hero’s window at night. He then brings Don Pedro and Claudio to watch making Claudio believe the Hero is being unfaithful to him. On the day of their wedding Claudio accuses Hero of committing lechery and abandons her at the alter. After the humiliation, Hero’s family members decide to hide her away and pretend that she is dead until everyone learns the truth. While this is happening, Borachio is overheard bragging about what they did, Borachio and two other of Don John’s followers are arrested which ultimately leads to everyone discovering the truth about Hero, except Claudio who still grieves her death. Claudio is then given the punishment by Leonato of having to confess Hero’s innocence to the whole city as well as well as marry Leonato’s niece, a woman who looks like Hero. At the wedding Claudio is ready to Marry this mysterious masked woman but Hero removes the masked and Claudio is completely overwhelmed. In all of this Benedick asks Beatrice to marry him and, of course, after some arguing they agree. The characters all marry and celebrate to end the play.

Questions.. and I don't want an Answer

When I was at the gym today, dyeing while on a cardio machine I was alone with my test questions and my own thoughts. I tend to think a lot about life while I go to the gym. And most of the time I think of things to blog about. But the only bad thing about that is that when I have a blog idea I don’t have anything to write it down with. But I am lucky this day because I remember what I wanted to blog about!
I was thinking about all these different plays that Shakespeare has written and how different yet the same they are. Maybe Shakespeare has an alter ego. Some sort of place in his mind that he goes to, to write his plays. That he has a special place he goes to where he can escape from the world and write his masterworks. Like when his wifey was making him mad, would he think that this would be a good character idea, or his kids, would he say hold that thought go to his place and finish the play?

Where did Shakespeare go in his mind to write some of the most thought provoking, confusing, and yet brilliant in the same plays. What would he do to go to that place and write such a play. Were the plays written in one sitting or several. Did he have dreams that would bring him these ideas?

I guess my question about this is where he get these ideas! But with every question there is an answer. And maybe I don’t want an answer to this question, but mostly it was just speaking out loud. And putting my ideas out on paper.

Lets All Just Get Married

So as I am reading my secondary text by Harold Bloom, a lot of good questions and points are arising. “They make much ado about nothing because they know that nothing will come of nothing, an so they speak again” (Bloom 193). We all know that Beatrice is a drama queen and will do what ever it takes to be noticed. The way Beatrice is the way she is, Bloom says is because she as a character craves the audiences attention and response to what is happening. “Her wildness is her freedom, and that sense of liberty, more even than her wit, captures her audience” (Bloom 199).

Then this is a love story right. A love play. Romantic comedy to narrow it down even more. Bloom raises the question of LOVE. What is it about love? Why love? Well love is nothing and it is everything in the same. Can this one feeling be both and nothing at the same time? “Love is much ado about nothing” (200). There is a nice piece of advice that Shakespeare gives “Get married and expect to be cuckolded” (201).

Like Joe said, and Doctor Sexton says that something comes out of nothing. Why don’t we all play this love triangle game beat around a bush that pretends to not be there, and get over it. And in in the end, something came out of nothing- a merryful wedding.

Shakespeare is Everywhere

LOVE THIS! Go to about 6:50 in, or about 7 mintues in, and listen! He is everywhere! Ha!

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Modern Bed Trick

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0eStJlnNKo

EH! Term Paper idea..

For my final paper… I will write about a good topic. So here it is.. this is my very rough rough rough thesis statement.

I feel that there is a little bit of Bills personality in every character. With that being said, I feel like every play though different, is the same. They have all the same plot lines, characters, events, characters names. One is just different wording and characters than the other. They all go around in a circle. (this is where the myth comes in ;) )

One can take the beginning of one play, the middle of another play, and the end of yet another play, and put them all three together, to make one big play, and the plays being the same will flow just fine. Because all of the plays are the same in lots of ways, it doesn’t make a difference what play it is with the other. They are all the same, having the same ending, plot, meaning, etc.

So there you have it kids! My rough thesis of my term paper! Any ideas? Let me know! Only good ones of course :)

Books Books Books!

So one would think because of spring break I have no homework and my teachers gave me a break. Ha yea right. Think again. I have a very detailed lesson plan due when I get back, a paper to write on a very depressing book. And I am avoiding that paper, because I do not want to be depressed this break, so the next best thing is to sit in the library and blog. I love the public library in Helena. It is such a wonderful place to walk around, look at books, chat with the people I know here, and then go into a corner and read a book.

Well I came to the library to get some work done, because I know I would not get it done at home, plus I wanted to get out of the house. First on my things to do was to blog about Antony and Cleopatra. So I go to the Shakespeare section of the library to take out the play (because I was not going to bring home my big door stop of a book, just to write a blog) and I knew the library would have it. Oh my gosh, they not only just have Antony and Cleopatra, but they have every book ever published on, about, regarding anything about Shakespeare! It takes up three whole shelves. I don’t know why I was so surprised, I just was.

I came across a book called Becoming Shakespeare –The Unlikely Afterlife That Turned A Provincial Playwright Into the Bard by Jack Lynch. Just thumbing through this book makes me laugh! Some of the chapters are just to funny. Such as Forging Shakespeare, Domesticating Shakespeare, and Worshiping Shakespeare. It was all to funny to keep to myself.

Another thing that I have to share is that I am a very organized person. I keep all of my ideas on sticky notes. I have Hello Kitty sticky notes everywhere in my room. I like to write down my ideas because I’m too afraid that I will forget them. So now I have discovered a little sticky note application on my computer. I will now use this to write down my blog ideas. I always find myself having ideas to blog about and only half of my ideas get “published” we will say. So not that I have this sticky note application and still 3 good days left of my spring break I guess we will see what does get published! 

So.. Funny Story

So a funny story. You will LOVE this. Because it screams Lisette and my life.
I went to a church meeting with my mom the other night. Just kind of something to do. So I went along with. Yes I know I have a very awesome life. I would have been hang out with some friends, but they were out of town. So I was left with my mom. Anyway this man was there. And his name was Turner. And I wanted to scream…
“Ahhhh you remind me of a blog I am in the process of anyayzing by someone with some what of the same name. you would love this guy! You remind me so much of him. not only do you look like him, but you sort of act like him. oh man if you two were to be put in a room together.”

Those were pretty much my exact thoughts. and for the whole conversation I could only think of Frederick Turner’s blog. And how I wanted to sit down with this man Turner and say see you are just like Frederick! But that did not happen… go figure.
It was just so funny on how the only person I could think of was Frederick’s blog and this man Turner. Ha it makes me laugh the connections to my social life and my academic life and how closely related they are.

Kill em All!

So I am just thinking and writing down my ideas. But why is Shakespeare the greatest author? Why are his plays so widely known and loved? To me I enjoy some of them, but I do not think they are the greatest pieces of literature ever published. Most of his plays are the same too. He ends up killing most or all of the subjects. Even the important ones, who did nothing wrong get clipped off.

Yes I know tis life, in the end everyone will die. But I don’t think its fun to read a play when really I know how things will be taken care of in the end. They will all die. Why Shakespeare must you kill off all of the characters in your plays. Just clip them off. ha I don’t really know how to end this story, sooo I’ll just kill everybody. Why not. Seems good enough for me.

Now I don’t really want an answer to this question. I’m just saying. He just kills everyone in his play. And really, why is that?

Antony and Cleopatra

I must say I am in love with Antony and Cleopatra! I loved loved this play! I cannot get enough of it. I have not read it upon reading it for this class. I read it and could not put my door stop book down! Can you feel the love and excitement that I have for this play yet? Shall I use more exclamation marks?

This will be for a long time, and perhaps forever my fav Shakespeare play. Having Dr. Minton come in and speak with us was a nice change of pace from the normal everyday go of things. she is quite inspirational. To me this is NOT the greatest love story in the history of literature. it is the exact opposite. I do not like how Antony is always following Cleopatra around, I do not like how she makes all of the decisions. It is safe to say that she wears the pants in the relationship. She will not let Antony make one decision. I wonder why is that? Then it got me thinking that Cleopatra has to be in charge of everything, that is she afraid that if Antony sees someone new and different and then he will leave her. But Cleopatra being the bold and strong personality that she is, shouldn’t it be easy for her to just move on and find someone else?

In this play Cleopatra is so selfish. She wants everything to be her way or no way. she wants people to work around her, she wants the perfect man. And if she doesn’t find him, she will find one and mold him into her perfect man. Which she does with Antony. Antony does not have a single say in this play at all. He does what Cleopatra tells him. and you know what, he seems just fine with being the one who is bossed around. Not once that I came across does he stand up for himself. He never says one thing to make Cleopatra think otherwise. He wants to make her happy yes, but does he know any different?

Like Matt had said in class this is your typical high school love story, yes, but these players are old! They are older people living in a teen age life. I think that Cleopatra is so in love with the idea of being in love, that she cannot be alone. Thus is the controlling of Antony. She will ensure that he will never leave her, if she gives him everything he wants. Sex and food. But how can they get it on if they are never alone on stage? I guess people back then were more open to the idea of sex.

High school girls should be taking tips from her. Because she put on her big girl pants and she courted HIM! she went after Antony to make him hers. She drew him in. not the other way around. Talk about an aggressive woman. And look what happens, he stays. He wouldn’t have it any other way. he thinks like is grand with her, which is probably is, but is Antony really in it for love like she “is” In act three scene 11 we see that they both are really in love with each other, but they know no other love with anyone else.

Being in love is a powerful thing. Different people portray love in different ways. For Cleopatra its keeping her boo on a thigh leash so that other girls don’t snag him up. I feel like she is consistently looking for something good. She is playing Antony. She is always on the lookout for someone new, but Antony doesn’t notice this because he is to at the hands and feet of Cleopatra. When Antony and Caesar go to battle I feel like it is a metaphor in a battle for Cleopatra’s heart. Well Caesar looses this battle, but can really see the true colors of Cleopatra and doesn’t want her, so he just gives her back to Antony. Then Antony gets to look like the hero of the story, when I feel like Caesar didn’t put up a very good fight. So it’s just handed over. But in the end it is what it is.

Then can we please talk about wanting to be remembered! We all want to be remembered and not forgotten. And let me tell you I’m going to remember Cleopatra for the rest of my life. her high school drama is enough to make you remember her. Her keeping Antony on such a tight leash is enough to remember her. Her being so freaking dramatic through the whole play is enough to remember her by. Cleopatra you’ve done your part on being remembered. But now lets go out with a bang! Got to leave the audience wanting more at the end of the play. When in all reality it’s the end of the play. Nothing more to do. Again that right there is enough for me to remember her by. She is done with the play and yet she still wants more! Of course she wants more. The audience is sitting there and she needs them to keep going with her story. But good ole Bill, in order to end the play, he will just kill off all the players. Done, and done. Plays done and everyone is dead.

As much as I have ratted on this play, I loved it. because it was so dramatic! I love drama, and gossip. And there is plenty of that. And I for some reason admire Cleopatra. I want to know more about her, and her ways. I would give anything to spend one more day on this play, but as always, time will not allow.

Short Thought on King Lear

So after the completion of King Lear I have been thinking about it lately. Thinking that I need to blog because I haven’t done it in a while so I better jump back on the blogging train.

I really enjoyed King Lear, and I loved the in class explanation of all the detail and what was happening. But I am kind of happy that we are done with it. it was so exhausting! To try and keep up with everyone and their feelers. There are so many feelers in this play. It was so exhausting keeping up with all the triangles and feelers that were happening. I really liked the play don’t get me wrong, but gosh! So exhausting to keep up with it!

Food, Clothing and Shelter

What do I really need in my life? this is so funny and hits close to home, because my mom would always say to me when I said I wanted something “Lisette do you need, or do you want that? What do you really need in this life, that I brought you into?” and then I would feel like crap for asking if I could even have the item that I wanted. Then she chimes in with some smart comment, that she has provided everything that I must need in my life.

Now there is a running joke in my family if I really need all that I have. And I say no mother I just need food clothing and shelter. Which in turn is true, but what if all I need in my life, is what I don’t know what I need. Can I really pin point something that I need in my life and I will die without? The one thing I need in my life, and will die without is food. Done. But having a nice house, and nice clothes and the newest ipad is all nice things to have.

They say money does not buy happiness, which is true to a certain extent. I say some times with a heavy heart, that material items make me happy. I love having all the nice clothes, jewelry that sparkles, a nice tv to watch all of my fav shows on. All these make me happy. But really do I need all these things? And I know for a fact that I can get along with just the things that I need to get by, food, clothing, and shelter. Because growing up we were not the most materialistic family on the block. So I’ve been there. I know what it’s like growing up with very little. Just the few things I need. Food, clothing and shelter. Everything I have need in my life my mother and father have provided. So I know that even though college they will give me what I need.

But then maybe Morgan was right. All we need is… Love


*Picture of my mom and I at Glacier National Park this past summer

Double Double Toil and Trouble

I have one younger brother. I have a family of four. Growing up in small town Helena Montana my brother and I got along very well. We would always get these comments of people telling my mom that she was so lucky that her two children got along and didn’t have any behavioral problems with each other blah blah blah. To us it didn’t mean anything, my brother was simply my best friend. And we got along great and we would play and shoot the shit together.

But there was one time I can remember of us not getting along, I wouldn’t call it flyting but it was close. I am three years older than Tim so growing up I would always ask him to do random things for me. Pretty much because I was lazy. And I can admit that I’m lazy. So when I was lazy I would ask Tim to get me something, ask my mom a question, get my shoes etc you get the picture. One day when he was about seven it was finally sinking in that I kinda would ask Tim to do random things for me even though I was fully capable of doing it myself, Tim says to me “Ah Lisette you know I’m not your slave and I will not do anything for you anymore.” I said ok and let it sit for a couple of days, and then I would ask him to do something for me again. Then about a month later he realizes that I keep asking him to do things, and says that he refuses to do anything more me anymore! Ha

This is really the only time I can think of me picking on Tim. Of course we have picked on each other a little here and there, but there was not name calling, physical violence or anything of that matter. We have been blessed in the fact that we have a really great relationship. He is my best friend; he knows things that others don’t. So overall we have a one of a kind relationship that is clearly not everywhere.

Standing the Test of Time

For my Literally Criticism class last semester I wrote a paper on artists who are standing the test of time. And I used Shakespeare as an example. So I thought I would include this paper into my blogs because here is yet again another reference to Shakespeare in my everyday life.

NOTE: The picture is of me of course in my room on my couch with my BEAST of a Bloom book, and the piece of paper that was in the book upon my buying it!

Humes main argument is whether an artist or author can stand the test of time. Meaning if the author can stay famous and not die out over the years, then that is a good artist or author. These authors and artist are still having records being sold, or books being sold. These authors have proven that they can stand the test of time. These authors and artist have good tastes in what they want, and they have high standards that they must reach every time. These authors will have high standards that they author will want to meet. By meeting these high standards proves that the author can still come out and write a piece that will sell out.

All authors have a standard of taste. These standards help them so that they will always write good pieces and will always sell out. These good authors will never die. If they die in real life, they will not figuratively die. Even though some great authors are not here anymore their works still are. Take William Shakespeare for example, even though he has been dead for so many decades his works still live on. Some of his plays are still some of the most read. They are propionate in the schools. Teachers will teach their students the plays of Shakespeare. He has stood the test of time.
Lady Gaga is an artist whose music will stand the test of time. She is something different in every aspect of music and literature. Her lyrics are literature and they are lyrics that speak to the common man. Her lyrics might not impact the listener but they will make the listener listen more closely to her, and will want to always listen to her. The way she dresses also makes a statement.

An artist or author, who stands the test of time, makes statements out of their works. They take a chance and do something that is against the social norm. What makes them stand the test of time is if they willing to take the chance. Critics admire people who will take a chance when they won’t. They latch onto these people because they want to know what they will do next. The power of excitement is what has people wanting to know more about these artists. Good artist never die. If the author or artist is good at what they do, and always pleases their readers and listeners with things that they want to hear and read then they will stay loyal to their favorite.

Woo

It has been way to long since I have blogged. So I thought with the little down time that I have I would sit here and blog. Get back on the blogging train. I always have a million things that I feel I would like to blog on, but of course with life, I never touch half of them. Tis life.

Recently my bestie (a term used for best friend) has been going out with her girls, and doing ‘The Main Street’ shuffle, and meeting guys. I usually have to work the nights they decide to do this, but that’s ok, I like hearing the stories of the things that have happened. The other day she was telling me of someone who was ‘wooing’ her. He didn’t use the term but she did. And I was like ahh hold the phone. Wooing? As in our Shakespearean class we have together? She said that it was the only word that she could use to describe the events that happened between her and this ‘suitor’. Nevertheless I embraced the word with open arms. A word that I wished we would use more often in our vocabulary. This one word sums up everything that happens between a boy and a girl. Shakespeare is so brilliant for wanting to use it in his plays, and using this word to describe a world of things that happen between two hormonal bodies. I love the way this word falls off the tip of my tongue.. woo.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/woo here is the site that I used to look up the definition of this glorious word. Woo.

am not sure of the status and my friend and her ‘wooing suitor’. Needless I was excited that I could make a connection to my life, and my Shakespeare class. Again Thank you Bill for being Awesome!

Finally!

So I will just get this out there. I live in the dorms, but I live alone. I have my own room so that’s very nice, not having to do the roommate thing again. Seems like I can’t hang out with my girls as much as I would like sometimes because I have to read or blog or do something pertaining to my wonderful major. This semester I have realized that this is my worst semester in the reading load. But nevertheless I will pull through!

So I ordered my secondary text on Amazon last week for a wallet busting $11. I order all of my books that I need for school on Amazon. I really love the site when it comes to buying books, but that’s beyond the point. But I finally got my Harold Bloom book! Its here I have a little red slip in my mail box saying that I have a package waiting for me at the front desk! I get this huge box! I had no idea what was coming my way. I was so excited to open this package. So I ripped open the box-just to find my secondary text. All 745 pages of Bloom. My friends were excited I got a package, until I showed them what it was. But there was something about it that made me excited. I don’t know if it was because it was another book to add to my collection, or if it was one of those books that I could toat around and show off that I was “reading” this really great theoretical text. I don’t know what it is. I’m still kind of excited about it. I have not really had the time to “dive right in” to the text yet. I plan on getting knee deep into it this weekend.

As I’m thumbing through all daunting 745 pages a piece of paper falls out of the book. Keep in mind that this is a used book from Amazon. It’s a clipping from a magazine that has 3 books that pertain to Shakespeare. The books are Shakespeare A life by Park Honan, Harold Blooms book, and get this- Shakespeare for Dummies. I think it was a fun sign I guess we can call it on why I was excited for this book in the first place. This little piece of paper was just enough to make me excited about this book!

Hope all is well! Until then – I’ll keep reading the mounds of books that I have! 

I woke up and it was ALL a dream

I woke up and it was all a dream.

As a person I hate having that be the end of any story. Doesn’t matter the movie or the book I hate that ending. I think it is such an easy way of getting out of the hardest part to the story-the ending. When I was in school writing stories in my creative writing classes I could never end my story with I woke up and it was all a dream. I hate how even some movies and books that make millions of dollars end their plots with this simple and basic line.

It gives the whole meaning to the plot no meaning at all. Like everything that happened didn’t matter. Believe me I saw Inception and it blew my mind in so many ways, and I want to watch it over and over again to understand the ending… was it a dream or not. Was the whole plot of the story just a dream that meant nothing to the writer and the actors? Did writer and director Christopher Nolan not think of anything better to end his mind blowing movie?

All in all that is the beauty of this movie, is that you as an audience member are left to question and wonder, and we still won’t know even if we watch it over and over and 100 times more. I feel like MSND falls in to this category. It just ends with me wanting more. More questions than answers. Wondering why everything happened the way it did, and how everything was played out in the end. I felt like my questions were not answered and I didn’t know how to go about the ending. Was it all a dream? Or was it real events that had the audience captivated in the events? Or was it the fact that the audience was dreaming along with the actors.
Ah its just one big question these days. Was Bill dreamin his whole life? And he would of loved loved Inception!!

Onion Layers

As I sit in class I always find myself writing down ideas that I would like to spend time that I do not have to expand on. I would like to expand on so many ideas that are brought up in class, but I like every college student does not have all the time in the world. Even though I would like to think I did. Anyway the idea that I has been in my mind for the past few days is the writer of our story. Who is the writer of our life story? What would people say about our life story?

My dad casually asked me over the Christmas break if I was planning on writing a book in my life time. I mean I would like to think that I can accomplish that dream by writing my own book. What would my book be like? Well that’s simple. It would be my life story. I like to think that I have experienced and accomplished a lot in my life time. things that I’m proud of, and thinks of course that I’m not proud of. But aren’t we all?

My life story would be a read that the reader would not want to put down. I as a person strive to live up to expectations, so I would want my book to be a best seller. But I want to say unforutnally but I am not really that sad about it, I have a very dark text to my story. Like we discussed in class today I have a dark sub text. I have had events happen to me that I do not want to talk about, but then at the same time I feel that they need to be talked about. I’m sure Bill and I are in the same boat. Which then makes me wonder, are his plays in some way his “darker text”. let’s admit some of his plays which I’ve said before are questionable. In MSND there is this awesome love triangle, or should we say love square (or some other fun shape, but due to the fact that I am an English major I don’t give two thoughts about math shapes). Each person is connected to someone. They are desire and yearn for each other and affection of each other. Did Bill have some secret lovers in his day? who were some of the sonnets written to? I mean it is only logical if he did have some other lovers to whom he wanted to be with at the time.
I think that his plays are some sort of autobiography to his life. Some plays are dark and have questionable plot lines, but then some others are beautiful and I wish that I was an actress in the play. Because then I could feel and understand the underlying meaning of them. Like every human being Bill and his plays have many many many meanings and layers. I came up with this little anaology to describe Bill. He and his plays are like onions. Onions have many many layers. And while “dealing” with an onion one can become very… “emotional” or not. I myself am indifferent about chopping onions, but once they start to mess with my eyes, I’m out. Same with Bill. Once he gets to me, I have to be done for a little bit. I have to walk away and think about the only 2 pages that I had read and think about them in my life.

I must wrap up this blog as work is calling my name, but I will expand on this blog later in my timeless world. I hope this makes sense, and makes you think of something outside of the box. Until then my friends!

Sex Sells

For every teen who did not get the sex talk in high school, they got it in class on Thursday. What a way to do a sex talk! Thank you Dr. Sexson!

We all know that sex sells. Walking down the street and you see that “cute” couple sharing a moment we will call it. We all know what moment I am talking about. You don’t want to stare but you find yourself staring. And we think to ourselves… “self don’t be looking at this, this isn’t something that I enjoy looking at.” But you keep looking. Is it the cursorily that has us grasped us to watch this couple? Or is it that we crave that attention that these two people are sharing? What is it about sex that sells?

Lets just ask Bill. I’m sure that he knows why sex sells. His plays and sonnets are full of sex. And if they are not straight out saying things about sex, there is an underlying meaning of sex. He is always writing about sex.
That is the point of life right- to have sex procreate and die. That sounds about right to me. When I was sitting in class and the topic came up that kids often times look like their parents well that’s preaching to the choir in my position. My mom and I look so much alike. I get the comment every time I am introduced to my mom’s friends. Oh gosh Lisette you look so much like your mom. Ha yes always. If only you knew we were nothing alike. Just the looks. Thank you Bill!

So what I’ve learned so far are three main things to do in life. You are born, you procreate and you die. Nuff Said my friends. Thankkk you Bill!

More Questions than Answers

I must say I enjoy reading everyone’s blog. I like to proudly consider myself a closet blog reader, as none of my friends really know that I do this. But most of my friends are not English majors so they do not understand the enjoyment I get while reading blogs. Ha so there is my two sense on blogging.

Now I know we were assigned to write a sonnet, and talk about The School of Knight, but my mind is still stuck on who Shakespeare was. So as always I will always be a few blogs behind on what we were assigned to be on. While I go from two different books to add as my secondary source I have time to think about who Shakespeare really was.

Does it really matter who he truly was? If he was gay or not, if he wrote all of these words on his own, what his childhood was like. Even now in the 21st century does it matter? Why do we as humans have to ask questions. Well I know the answer to that, because by human nature we are driven by questions. And we learn by asking questions, and when the questions are gone, we have all the answers. But there will always be more questions.

I have never been that person who has to question everything that I encounter in my life. the only questions that I expand on are the ones that speak most to me, and I like to think about them and question them. After being in this class for a few weeks now, only about 3 class times, and hearing and reading what Shakespeare really wrote, I wonder. This is no class of Romeo and Juliet. When I was in high school and if I were to read this stuff now I would be shocked. Writing about a raping, and cutting off the manhood of a lover. Wow William! Now this is the stuff that high school kids need to be reading. It will be the best birth control high school teachers could ask for. Raping and cutting of the penis. Who thinks of this?! Who just writes a really long poem about the cruel things that man does… women also. But still.

What brings a man to want to write about this? Who was Shakespeare that he feels that he needs to express himself in a way that is so vivid and out there. I don’t know a lot about him in the first place, but reading these things for the first time makes me wonder, and want to dig around. Did something happen in his childhood that made this happen? was his marriage not good? He is brilliant in so many ways, that he can write the most beautiful sonnets, but then go in the other direction with Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucre. I have only explored these works for what is on the outside, and not the deeper meaning. But there has to be a deeper meaning, and there has to be something that happened in Shakespeare’s life to make him want to write such things.

I feel like I have just brushed the surface on who this William Shakespeare really is. And this blog like many will be a ramble of my thoughts. If I don’t put my thoughts down on this page as they come to me I will lose them forever… ok not forever but for the time being. I will come back soon, and expand on my thoughts. I mean he has written so many works and are beautiful and moving, then go to these two writings. I don’t know I seem to be more confused than when I went into this rendezvous. Here’s to finding out more, and my mission on William Shakespeare.

Romeo and Juliet.. gnome style

Case and Point!

Do I hear a field trip in the future... (honk honk says the bus driver)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_L_5vrHoWQ

High School

Where did all the good people go?

Thank you Jack Johnson. Haha ok so then I was thinking what I should blog on. I usually get the best ideas when I am not thinking and looking for a topic to write about. It usually like most things in life-just comes to me. I have my mind on high school lately, because I have a ton of girls who are my friends, who happen to be freshman. So they still talk about high school. I want to teach high school when I grow up, and the last blog topic for most people was all about high school. So I’ve been thinking a lot about high school, what I did in English classes and how that has changed since I’ve been in college.

I remember for a unit we were doing in high school and we were reading Lord of the Flies and after we got done reading it we had the usual test and all that jazz. Then we watched The Simponsons episode that was done with the idea of the book. The whole episode was all centered on the plot of the book we had just read. As a 7th grader I was shocked that comedy cartoons were making a show after a book that lots of people read—or so they should.

But it doesn’t stop there. There are soo many cartoons and political TV shows that revolve around literature that is studied by us college students. And sometimes our professors bring in clips of these shows and we get to do the fun stuff, dissecting them and getting to the “bare bones” of the clips and then of course relating it to the text that it coensides with. That right there ruins the episode because it isn’t funny anymore and I have exposed it for what it really is. Pure and hard literature.
I googled Shakespeare in cartoon TV shows and I got so many hits on youtube and I got so many different videos that I can watch. And I posted the one that I watched and that was my fav. So I think how funny that it is that technology has taken over and put something so “educational” and made into a show that middle school aged kids watch and love. To a point they know what they are watching and what it means, but then they don’t.

All in all its great, it gets kid introduced to Shakespeare while they sit on their asses, get fat and watch TV.  just kidding.
Enjoy watching and not getting fat!!

What don't I know about Shakespeare-- Ha yea..

What do i Know.... ahhh....
Unforutnally it is not a lot. I wish I knew more. But the only thing I was taught about Shakespeare was what was taught in high school. And we all know that, that really goes along way with life. Since upon coming to college I have read a few plays for my classes and I have enjoyed them.

But the only works that stand out to me from Shakespeare is what was in high school. Of course we read the “tragedy” Romeo and Juliet which is so bastardized to me in life. I did not like nor enjoy the two weeks that was taken to read the play. The annoying girl in my glass was of course Juliet and so I had to listen to her for two weeks straight. And that only made my opinion on this play bitterer. I don’t want to listen to some girl mess up the line, and act like she is the shit just because she is reading the star part in the play. (high school politics are a pretty big deal ha) Why does this girl get seniority over me. She can’t even read it without messing up. But still without this girl reading the play I still don’t like it. The “star crossed lovers” are selfish and they are only in it for themselves. Not only do I have this opinion, this play is read in high schools all over ‘Merica. Is it really one of Shakespeare’s greatest work. Why do I care that two families are fighting over two people who should not be together… I would rather watch Westside Story and get the same idea, and plot line—sorry but it’s the truth.

So I am excited to branch out of society and read works that are unknown to the average 16 year old reading Shakespeare in high school. (sorry kids) I want to love Shakespeare, so by taking this class I plan on loving him and getting to “know” him. And I happen to love this blogging thing. So you will be reading plenty from this girl. Get used to it. Ha ha 

Test Test

Hey There!

Decided to get a leg up on the "competetion" and get my blog set up!

I look forward to blogging and reading blogs.

I <3 blogging!

Cheers!