from Phillip

In doing some research on Laertes, I was surprised to discover that he is not the only character named Laertes to appear in a major literary work. In fact, I learned that Laertes is named after the father of Odysseus. I looked into The Odyssey's Laertes in order to make a comparison between the two and see if there was anything I could use to develop him.

The first comparison I noticed was how protective both of them are of the women in their lives. Laertes first moments in the play are cautioning Ophelia to stay away from Hamlet in order to preserve her chastity. Meanwhile, while Odysseus was away on his journey, it was his father Laertes who helped Odysseus' wife Penelope deter would-be suitors. Oh, and by "deter," I mean he killed them all. So apart from sharing the same name, the Laertes that exists in Hamlet also shares the extreme loyalty to his family as his Greek namesake. Just as Penelope's suitors were killed by Odysseus' father, Laertes is similarly quick to take to violence to defend Ophelia's purity, and later her death.

from Zahan

I found this video of comedy greats Rowan Atkinson and Hugh Laurie parodying Shakespeare. It's pretty great. I also think it's interesting to note that their show, the Black Adder, includes a lot of references to Shakespeare's works. Anyway, here's the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jc-7cT12gE

from Francesca

After researching a little bit about Queen Gertrude, I have found some interesting interpretations of her character.  It seems as though her character is an ambiguous one. Many people believe she is very insecure in herself, and relies almost entirely on the men in her life. That being said, many believe that she is extremely shallow, and only thinks about herself, her body and her external pleasures. I think the two come hand in hand. I believe she has a desire to always have a high station, to have power, but I believe that desire and drive is as a result of her extreme insecurity.  Many believe she is an extremely sexual character. That is particularly interesting to me, because it can go either way in this debate of self-security.  Either she is interpreted as sexual because she has such a deep desire and need for affection, or she is sexual because she is so secure with her body and self. It will be interesting for me to continue to explore and discover her character, to see where I believe the truth lies. Some speculations that come to my mind when I think about this ambiguous question of insecurity are whether or not she really loved her husband, and whether or not she married Claudius just to keep her high status, or if she really loved him? There are obviously many characters in Shakespeare (if not all), who are interpreted in many different ways. It will be exciting for me to see what I find exploring the character of Gertrude. 

from Jacqueline

http://bostonherald.com/entertainment/arts_culture/2013/07/shakespeares_globe_taking_hamlet_around_world

Guys!!! Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre has decided to bring Hamlet to every country in the world from April 2014 to April 23, 2016.

When I found this out, the first thing I thought about was why do this, which, honestly there are hundreds of reasons why this is amazing. But then I thought about something else: there is only this company that will perform this play and in English only. There are a lot of countries in which very few people speak English.

Shakespeare’s work is renowned because of its exceptional use of language that enhances the intricate plots. Is the fact that in some countries people will not understand a single a word an advantage or disadvantage?

from Inna

The following chapter from Winstanley's "Hamlet and the Scottish Succession" touches on several useful bits of information as well as provides a thoughtful critique of the play. Most interesting, I found, was the comparison of Hamlet and James I, son of Mary Stuart and Lord Darnley. We already know about Mary's troubled life and violent death. Her husband, James' father, was killed and she married his supposed murderer. This is just one of the many interesting correlations between the two characters. 

In addition, Winstanley discusses issues of comprehension of Shakespeare, Hamlet's curious inability to act and the similarities between Hamlet and other plays.

Hope you find this useful.

http://www.sourcetext.com/sourcebook/library/winstanley/hamlet/3.htm

from Jacqueline

http://theshakespeareblog.com/2012/08/finding-shakespeares-forest-of-arden/

http://www.warwickshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/

So this week, after watching an episode of Michael Wood’s “In Search of Shakespeare” in class, I wanted to look into “The Forest of Arden” that Shakespeare mentions in his play.

The first link leads to a blog post and comments a little bit on what is believed to have been the forest that Shakespeare was referring to.

The second link is one I got from the first article. It is a webpage about the area called Warwickshire, which is believed to be the area Shakespeare’s forest was in. Please feel free to look through it, you might find pictures and facts that will help you visualize the kind of forest Shakespeare wanted us to have in mind.

I was looking around and found this page:

http://www.warwickshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/have-fun

In that page I found this link:

http://www.shakespearemarathon.org.uk/

It leads to a page for a marathon called the “Shakespeare Marathon”!! I got very excited and intrigued, so I looked at who the sponsors are, and one of them is a company called “Shakespeares” and I figured that’s the reason the marathon has the name “Shakespeare Marathon.” So interesting, right? Well, turns out “Shakespeares” is just a law firm L: http://www.shakespeares.co.uk/

Now, I still wonder if there is a link with the fact that a company like Shakespeares would sponsor the “Shakespeare Marathon” which happens to be held in Warwickshire, which happens to be the area where Shakespeare’s “Forest of Arden” would seem to have been…

from Maria

http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/elizabethan-occult-philosophy/#universe

This short information clarified for me the sense of self absorbed in

the Elizabethan times. Prominence is put on the wit and intellect of

the individual, will and imagination. Men can change their spiritual

destiny through accurate and rational processing of the world around

them. For me this clarifies reasoning and especially all the language

battles Shakespeare writes between his characters, it is a spiritual

war of sorts, the winner, the most clever is the closest to divine.

Also cool that we are star demons :)

from Francesca

After doing a little research on Elizabethan theatre (theatre of the Renaissance), I decided I wanted to explore what the stages physically looked like. Something I found fascinating was the progression and development of the Elizabethan amphitheater, as we understand it today. I had never heard of Bull and Bear rings before looking into the physical stage, but apparently the design was very similar to the amphitheater, which developed later on. However, in the bull and bear rings, the floors were simply earth, so there could never be human performers, and the walls were required to be made of stone, which was not essential once the venues transitioned into purely theatrical buildings. The natural progression from the bear rings to the Elizabethan amphitheater happened by way of combining inn-yard theatrical spaces with the bear rings. This created a stage venue much more suitable for human performances, not just the “blood sport arenas” that were solely used before. As theatre grew and became extremely popular among Elizabethan society, it was extremely beneficial when the amphitheater emerged because the theatres went from having a capacity of 500 audience members, to upwards of 3000 audience members.

http://www.william-shakespeare.info/william-shakespeare-biography-elizabethan-theatre-playhouse-inn-yards.htm

from Inna

For this week’s blog post I wanted to study the famous dramatist Christopher Marlowe, in hopes of understanding more about theatre in London during Shakespeare’s early years. Christopher Marlowe, considered to be Shakespeare’s rival, was born in Canterbury the same year as Shakespeare – 1564. His father, John Marlowe, was a shoemaker. Unlike Shakespeare, however, he attended not only school but University as well. Among his classmates and tutors were Will Lyly (brother of the dramatist John Lyly), William Harvey (famous physician), Stephen Gosson (satirist) and Francis Kett (clergyman later burned for heresy). During this time, Marlowe began to develop his unorthodox beliefs – he was a blaspheming atheist, an open homosexual and a controversial dramatist. “I count religion but a childish toy, and hold thee is no sin but ignorance” (Marlowe, Jew of Malta). Also at this time, Marlowe was said to have been excused by Elizabeth’s Privy Council following some trouble at University. This leads some to believe he was a spy for the crown.

            After University in Cambridge, Marlowe travelled to London to become a playwright. He became very successful, writing famous works such as Tamburlaine the Great, Dr. Faustus and The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Jew of Malta. He is said to be the father of English Tragedy and the first to popularize blank verse (unrhymed iambic pentameter). These, as we know, would eventually influence Shakespeare immensely.

            In 1593, Thomas Kyd, a famous dramatist and colleague to Marlowe, was arrested after he and Marlowe posted bills around the city threatening Protestants. Kyd accused Marlowe of heresy to shift the blame and a warrant for Marlowe’s arrest was issued. After being tricked into appearing at a Privy Council meeting, Marlowe was murdered on May 30, 1593. According to coroner’s report, Ingram Frizer, a English spy, acted in self-defense when Marlowe attacked him following an argument. However, due to the nature of the fatal wound (a precise stab in the right eye), scholars believe the murder to be an assassination. This wouldn’t be hard to believe, knowing what we know about Marlowe’s life and ideologies.

            Of course we can’t speak about Marlowe in a Shakespeare class and not mention the Marlovian theory, one of the many theories of Shakespearian authorship. Marlovians believe that Marlowe faked his own death and became the author of many plays and sonnets under the alias of William Shakespeare. Other than the uncertainties surrounding Marlowe’s death, theorists point to the fact that the first published work of Shakespeare only appeared two weeks after Marlowe’s death. Marlovians also use textual evidence to support their theory claiming that ideas about banishment, death, disgrace and mistaken identity are so pervasive in Shakespeare’s work, because they were very personal to the author himself. They claim clues can be found in his sonnets, his writing style, vocabulary etc. Of course, like all authorship theories, it is highly criticized and largely neglected by contemporary scholars. 

Two of my favorite poems:

(1)

Accurs'd be he that first invented war!

They knew not, ah, they knew not, simple men,

How those were hit by pelting cannon-shot

Stand staggering like a quivering aspen-leaf

Fearing the force of Boreas' boisterous blasts!

In what a lamentable case where I,

If nature had not given me wisdom's lore!

For kings are clouts that every man shoots at,

Our crown the pin that thousands seek to cleave:

Therefore in policy I think it good

To hide it close; a goodly stratagem,

And far from any man that is a fool:

So shall not I be known; or if I be,

They cannot take away my crown from me.

Here will I hide it in this simple hole.

(2)

It lies not in our power to love or hate,

For will in us is overruled by fate.

When two are stripped, long ere the course begin,

We wish that one should love, the other win;

And one especially do we affect

Of two gold ingots, like in each respect:

The reason no man knows; let it suffice

What we behold is censured by our eyes.

Where both deliberate, the love is slight:

Who ever loved, that loved not at first sight?

Here are some sources if you’d like to know more about his life and works:

http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/marlowebio.htm

http://www.scribd.com/doc/24940547/Christopher-Marlowe-s-Dr-Faustus-A-Critical-Analysis-by-Qaisar-Iqbal-Janjua

from Danni

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_mental_disorders

The link above leads to a Wikipedia article on the history of mental illness; I am specifically referring to the first few paragraphs of the section on the Modern period, 16th to 18th centuries.

When Malvolio is deemed insane by Olivia's court and locked away to be further harassed and abused by Maria, Toby, Andrew, and the Clown, his desperation to convince them of his sanity seemed slightly disproportionate, even given that he was locked in a dark closet. It led me to wonder what the repercussions of being deemed mentally ill were in the society within which the play is set. What I found in this wiki article revealed a great deal about how horrific the trio's prank actually is: individuals at that time who were mentally ill were (when not made victims of witch-hunts) interned at poorhouses, workhouses, jails, or sometimes private mad houses. As a member of the lower class, Malvolio's fate would likely have been one of the first three options, a significant and terrible downgrade from his comfortable living situation with Olivia and company. The prank is much crueler when regarded in this context--whether or not they would have allowed it to go that far, I am certain Malvolio believed wholeheartedly in the possibility of such a total ruination of his life, and would have experienced a proportionate quantity of abject terror at the prospect. 

from Phillip

Since our topic for this week's entries was decided to be English theatre history, and I brought up Ben Jonson without remembering anything he did, I chose to look into his work for my post.

Jonson started as a company member of the Admiral's Men in 1597. He was reputed to be a rather poor actor, but by 1598 had begun to write original works to be performed by the company, at which he had far greater success. He was well-regarded for his tragedies, although none of his early tragedies survive. He was jailed for his play with Thomas Nashe, Isle of Dogs, which was alleged to have satirized the queen. Jonson also wrote a great number of masques, which were plays celebrating the nobility, performed specifically at court parties, including participation from some members of court.

It is suspected that Jonson had a rivalry with Shakespeare, and that from a literary standpoint he was critical of Shakespeare's work. The accuracy of claims regarding this rivalry are uncertain, but it was clear that Jonson respected Shakespeare as a writer in spite of any criticisms he may have had. He contributed two poems to the preface of Shakespeare's First Folio, the second of which was titled "To the Memory of the Beloved My Author, Mr. William Shakespeare and What He Hath Left Us." I have attached a link to the poem below.

http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/To_the_Memory_of_My_Beloved_the_Author,_Mr._William_Shakespeare_and_What_He_Hath_Left_Us

from Zahan

Since we were talking about what Shakespeare would have been reading when he grew up, I decided to search for some of his influences. This is a link that came up.

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/faq/shakespeareinspired.html

The link cites Plutarch, a philosopher, and his work as one of Shakespeare's influences, and there is also a link to a more in depth analysis of his influence on Shakespeare.

from Desiree

I decided to watch Shakespeare Uncovered Season 1: Ep.2 Part Two: The Comedies.  It can be found on Netflix!  But here are a few interesting things I learned:

-Shakespeare ran his dad’s glove business

-at 18 he married Anne Hathaway who was 26 and the right age to marry

-Susannah was his 1^st daughter

-Two years later they had twins Hamlet and Judith—he wasn’t even 21!

-He's from Stratford— it only had 2,000 people living there

-He left his family to go to London

-Twins are the central comic device in his 1^st play Comedy of Errors—his twins were on his mind

-In Twelfth Night the twins are male and female like his own twins (written 6-7yrs later)

-In 1596 his son Hamlet died at 11—Twelfth Night had a dark twist to it because of this

-The very bittersweet loss of a brother is central—only written years after his son’s death.  This loss is central to the root of the play.

-Freud’s 1^st stage of mourning is to incorporate the person into the self—Viola dresses as her brother (costume)

-Theme of falling in love with wrong person was one that Shakespeare uses 

            -The story surprises everyone including themselves

-Easy to make jokes about gender and cross-dressing… you have a boy playing a girl dressed up as a boy.  It becomes easier on the actor in Shakespeare's time.  A lot to do with impersonating the voice of the other gender because of this.

-Both Viola and Olivia are analogous to one another and not free herself

-“The woman can only declare her love if she’s pretending to be someone else.”—Vanessa Redgrave …about the ”make me a willow cabin at your gate…” speech

-The plan involving Malvolio is the subplot of Twelfth Night

            -Twelfth Night was filmed silently in 1910 with Charles Kent as Malvolio.  It’s one of the few Shakespeare plays to be done as a silent film.