Monday, December 2, 2013
TWO posts from Desiree
The Play's The Thing
This week I thought I would just do a broad search on Shakespeare. It seems like others have begun to catch onto moving in order to learn Shakespeare. Fiona Banks has written a new booklet that outlines exercises. She says that, “reading his plays without any form of active engagement, without his words in our mouths and emotions and actions in our bodies, is like trying to engage with a piece of music by looking at the notes on the page but not listening to the music itself – or like reading a television script without watching the programme that was made.” The exercises call for students to not simply look at Shakespeare as being "text" but to encourage them to be actors and play the words. What really made me curious about this new booklet is one of the techniques that is mentioned in the article. I actually remember this from Acting 2-- using the Haka War Cry beat for emphasis. We did this in Acting 2 not with soliloquies but with other pieces of text. This new booklet from the Globe will also occur at the same time that students are getting to see A Midsummer Night's Dream this coming year.
Plays The Thing:
Shakespeare in Bollywood
Those that know me know that I LOVE Bollywood movies! So I couldn't help but put this post up. Shakespeare is still relevant today. This article discusses several Bollywood films that use plays such as Romeo & Juliet in their plot development. Interestingly one of my favorite films, Devdas, is based off of Romeo & Juliet. Vishal Bhardwaj has begun to explore more of Shakespeare's plots and has given them a twist because usually Romeo & JulietI is the play plot of choice. As Bhardwaj said, "I try to identify with the spirit and essence of the play by giving it a twirl that appeals the Indian audience." The attraction to Shakespeare in Bollywood is said to date back to 1935. This article even includes some film posters from some of Bollywood films mentioned in the article. I have personally seen a few of them and they are worth watching if you have some time or just want some colorful entertainment!
Shakespeare In Bollywood:
...also from Inna
I found a link to several essays analyzing the women in Hamlet. Some very interesting points brought up about Ophelia and Gertrude. Also includes some wonderful illustrations. Enjoy!
Here is the link:
from Inna
This is a wonderful essay written by Francis Jacox in 1877, entitled "Horatio: Hamlet's Confidant". It explores the relationship between Horatio and Hamlet - one that is often overlooked. Horatio is often on stage without saying anything. He is a quiet observer and a grounding force for the plot and the prince himself (very different from the characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern). One of the most touching and powerful moments of the play is the final exchange between Horatio and Hamlet, before the latter dies. I think it is important for those that play these two characters to look at that exchange and weave it backwards through the play to understand why Horatio and Hamlet act the way they do.
from Zahan
I found this article about Polonius as I was googling some stuff to help me understand him. He's such a contradictory character that, though I've made a decision on what I think of him, I could be completely off base. Anyway, this is an interesting enough read.
from Desiree
As I have previously mentioned I am very fond of images. With the class switching plays I decided it would be a good time to look for images of Hamlet. I began by looking at abstract images of Hamlet in general.
One of the most interesting images I found was of a man on a wall with reflections of images. You almost cannot see him in the midst of the background.
If you decide to search for Yorick's skull you find images like the ones below that vary. I found this colorful image of skull that is quite literal. Then I came across darker images like that if a Grimm reaper looking figure and a the more literall Yorick's skull image. I became most intrigued by the skull images that are found in nature or are made of things that have been broken.
Colorful Skull:
Grimm Reaper:
Skull Rock:
Abstract Crystal:
Double Yorick's Skull:
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