Monday, February 20, 2012
Blog 6: My Soliloquy
"This argument causes my current pain
As useless as quarreling with a child - simile
Why I reserved to such extreme measures -meaningful deviation
To win a cause that has trivial worth
I drugged her mind to make fool of my queen - POA
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind - antithesis
My drug set free her mind and her love free
Now she act different than she had 'round me
What have I done drugging my queen's pure mind?- rhetorical question
Seeing so true her actions with free mind
Love pure love I wish she'd love me like now -meaningful deviation - troche
How she act so different when in love -meaningful deviation
So I sadden like men who lost the war - metaphor/imagery
Then she never truly for me felt love
I will not drug her mind and force her love - climax
As love has no predictability
I seek her love but must let my queen be"
Writing this Soliloquy was a much easier process than I had thought it was going to be. I know that many of my peers struggled writing their soliloquies as I was astonished when hearing the amount of time it took for them to compose their soliloquies. The words seemed to flow out of my hand when I just thought about the overall plot of the play and then placed myself in the perspective of Oberon. Once truly focusing on the emotions and thoughts going through Oberon's head, writing the soliloquy was enjoyable and quick! Although I am overall pleased with the outcome of the soliloquy, one thing that I wish my soliloquy could improve upon was conveying the jealousy and astonishment when Oberon saw Titania in true love.
As useless as quarreling with a child - simile
Why I reserved to such extreme measures -meaningful deviation
To win a cause that has trivial worth
I drugged her mind to make fool of my queen - POA
Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind - antithesis
My drug set free her mind and her love free
Now she act different than she had 'round me
What have I done drugging my queen's pure mind?- rhetorical question
Seeing so true her actions with free mind
Love pure love I wish she'd love me like now -meaningful deviation - troche
How she act so different when in love -meaningful deviation
So I sadden like men who lost the war - metaphor/imagery
Then she never truly for me felt love
I will not drug her mind and force her love - climax
As love has no predictability
I seek her love but must let my queen be"
Writing this Soliloquy was a much easier process than I had thought it was going to be. I know that many of my peers struggled writing their soliloquies as I was astonished when hearing the amount of time it took for them to compose their soliloquies. The words seemed to flow out of my hand when I just thought about the overall plot of the play and then placed myself in the perspective of Oberon. Once truly focusing on the emotions and thoughts going through Oberon's head, writing the soliloquy was enjoyable and quick! Although I am overall pleased with the outcome of the soliloquy, one thing that I wish my soliloquy could improve upon was conveying the jealousy and astonishment when Oberon saw Titania in true love.
Blog 5: The Nature of Love
I would like to start this blog by beginning that love cannot be described with one aspect sufficiently, for the many characteristics and qualities of love make linking the intangible with tangible words a most difficult task. Shakespeare criticizes what was traditionally thought of as love in his time when marriages were prearranged. The bride and groom often had little to no interest in each other and often married for political reasons especially in the nobility. I think Shakespeare represents this aspect of "love" through Egeus who essentially attempts to force his own daughter, Hermia, into marrying a man she is not interested in, Demetrius. Demetrius desires to marry Hermia because Hermia's father is very wealthy and will pay a large dowry to the man who marries his daughter.
Shakespeare then gives the perception that "love is blind." Blind is an interesting word choice to describe love because blind implies the presence of little to no reason and uncontrollable. Cupid's love juice shows how love can be blind as with a simple drop the eye, both Lysander and Demetrius fall madly in love with Helena. I think that in this manner Shakespeare depicts an insipid or even almost silly side of love. It seems that when Shakespeare discusses blind love, extreme hyperboles and elaborate poems are smoothered upon the recipient which are to a degree comical.
Then Shakespeare depicts what is classically known as true love through the character Hermia. Sonnet 116 states the qualities of true love; "it is an ever-fixed mark, it is the star to every wand'ring bark." Throughout the whole play, Hermia keeps her love for Lysander. Through all the drama that develops in the plot, Hermia's love does not change for Lysander even when Lysander, in his Cupid juice rage, disrespects and treats Hermia in shocking ways.
Shakespeare then gives the perception that "love is blind." Blind is an interesting word choice to describe love because blind implies the presence of little to no reason and uncontrollable. Cupid's love juice shows how love can be blind as with a simple drop the eye, both Lysander and Demetrius fall madly in love with Helena. I think that in this manner Shakespeare depicts an insipid or even almost silly side of love. It seems that when Shakespeare discusses blind love, extreme hyperboles and elaborate poems are smoothered upon the recipient which are to a degree comical.
Then Shakespeare depicts what is classically known as true love through the character Hermia. Sonnet 116 states the qualities of true love; "it is an ever-fixed mark, it is the star to every wand'ring bark." Throughout the whole play, Hermia keeps her love for Lysander. Through all the drama that develops in the plot, Hermia's love does not change for Lysander even when Lysander, in his Cupid juice rage, disrespects and treats Hermia in shocking ways.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Blog 4: Act 3 Scene 2 Confusion!!!! : A Midsummer Night's Dream
As my blogs have been discussing for some time now, love seems to be the biggest theme in Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and has been depicted in several different manners throughout the play. In Act 3 Scene 2, Shakespeare reveals yet another side to the enigmatic thing we call love: confusion. Oberon and Puck cause Lysander to fall in love with Helena by placing Cupid's love juice in Lysander's eyes. Lysander completely discards his love for Hermia as shown in the passage when he speaks to Hermia:
"Lysander's love, that would not let him bide,
Fair Helena, who more engilds the night
Than all you fiery oes and eyes of light.
Why seek'st thou me? could not this make thee know,
The hate I bear thee made me leave thee so? "
A man who had such intimate feelings for Hermia now cannot stand the very thought of her and has fallen deeply in love with Helena. The already complicated situation between the human characters becomes exponentially more confusing due to Lysander's behavioral change. Lysander's love seems to be blind and sudden to the characters causing them to think that he is playing a joke perhaps.
I think that Lysander's change in love for Helena displays a characteristic in Hermia that is prevalent in true love: loyalty. Even though Hermia watched the man she deeply loved tell her that he despised the person she is and he wished to love Helena, Hermia remains throughout the play to resolve the possible issues between her and Lysander rather than running away out of rage like many people would.
"Lysander's love, that would not let him bide,
Fair Helena, who more engilds the night
Than all you fiery oes and eyes of light.
Why seek'st thou me? could not this make thee know,
The hate I bear thee made me leave thee so? "
A man who had such intimate feelings for Hermia now cannot stand the very thought of her and has fallen deeply in love with Helena. The already complicated situation between the human characters becomes exponentially more confusing due to Lysander's behavioral change. Lysander's love seems to be blind and sudden to the characters causing them to think that he is playing a joke perhaps.
I think that Lysander's change in love for Helena displays a characteristic in Hermia that is prevalent in true love: loyalty. Even though Hermia watched the man she deeply loved tell her that he despised the person she is and he wished to love Helena, Hermia remains throughout the play to resolve the possible issues between her and Lysander rather than running away out of rage like many people would.
Blog 3: A Midsummer Night's Dream Act 1
A quote that I like in the first act of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is the following said by Hermia:
"My good Lysander!
"My good Lysander!
I swear to thee by Cupid’s strongest bow,
By his best arrow with the golden head,
By the simplicity of Venus' doves,
By that which knitteth souls and prospers loves,
And by that fire which burned the Carthage queen
When the false Troyan under sail was seen,
By all the vows that ever men have broke
(In number more than ever women spoke),
In that same place thou hast appointed me,
Tomorrow truly will I meet with thee."
I like this quote so much because I actually find it quite comical. The quote encases what most people would consider to be "over-emotional" Shakespeare. The quote is quite redundant and seems silly in an aspect, or the quote can be very powerful yet very subtle. The greatest mystery about Shakespeare is that the reader can interpret nearly any line in so many different ways. Hermia's passage may portray a dramatic act exacerbated by hyperboles. After all, she could have just told Lysander "I will meet you there" or anything simple along those lines. But perhaps Shakespeare tries to communicate a deeper message for those who manage to see past the silliness and into the main theme of the play, love. Perhaps Shakespeare attempts to communicate what true love is via incorporating the hyperboles in Hermia's passage. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" portrays love in many different ways whether that be complicated, confusing, or even forced. With this passage, I feel that Shakespeare is communicating the strength and genuineness of love; then again, someone can come up yet another interpretation of the passage to be thrown in the sea of differing opinions.
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Blog 2: A Mid Summer Nights Dream: Forest Blog
Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is the most performed play in the theater industry for various reasons. One is that the play, in general, has great versatility that can be altered to reflect a directors bias or message, and the play ultimately explores its obvious main theme, love, which always makes a popular subject among the general audience!
When researching images pertinent to "A Midsummer Night's Dream", I immediately noticed the multiple depictions of a forest which has significant symbolism in the play. Forests are notorious in literature for being the dark, Gothic place where supernatural things can occur and is ultimately mysterious.
Images of forests like above show that the forest is a place of beauty, mystery, and darkness all at the same time. forests are generally not well mapped, so there is a high probability that the characters can get lost in this mysterious labyrinth where mischievous fairies seek to tamper with the lives of the characters. Ignoring the fairies that are in the picture, the forest clearly seems enchanted and posses supernatural qualities which provide an unpredictable stage for the main plot and action of the play to take place and develop. Shakespeare chooses an excellent platform to create confusion and uncertainty in this classic play.
When researching images pertinent to "A Midsummer Night's Dream", I immediately noticed the multiple depictions of a forest which has significant symbolism in the play. Forests are notorious in literature for being the dark, Gothic place where supernatural things can occur and is ultimately mysterious.
Images of forests like above show that the forest is a place of beauty, mystery, and darkness all at the same time. forests are generally not well mapped, so there is a high probability that the characters can get lost in this mysterious labyrinth where mischievous fairies seek to tamper with the lives of the characters. Ignoring the fairies that are in the picture, the forest clearly seems enchanted and posses supernatural qualities which provide an unpredictable stage for the main plot and action of the play to take place and develop. Shakespeare chooses an excellent platform to create confusion and uncertainty in this classic play.
Blog 1: Sonnet
I chose to expand upon the suggested topic for the sonnets: Senioritis. Yes, Senioritis is the epidemic that seems to have exponential growth among all Seniors in high school across the nation when first semester is over. My sonnet explores the typical conscience of the everyday American high school senior; putting in minimal work is, in an essence, all we have on our minds so that we can keep the acceptance offers given by the colleges we strove to be admitted to.
The overall rhyme scheme/structure of my sonnet is ABAB in Quatrin 1, CDCD in Quatrin 2, EFEF in Quatrin 3, and a GG couplet. A rhyme scheme of this set up parallels the manner in which Shakespeare composed his sonnets. Like in most of Shakespeare's sonnets, my sonnet opens with the exposition, where I am overcome with feelings of intense weariness, sleep, and essentially unproductively. I have spent the last three and a half years of my life working my tail off to get accepted into the college of my dreams, and I have been accepted. The hard work has paid off, and to reward myself, my body wants to shut down for all the lost hours of sleep that have accumulated throughout the years. Then the realization (challenge/problem) occurs that I may possibly have my letter of acceptance revoked as a result of my recent behavioral change. I come to a bitter compromise where I will do minimum work to just barely make it by. Senioritis has taken effect.
The overall rhyme scheme/structure of my sonnet is ABAB in Quatrin 1, CDCD in Quatrin 2, EFEF in Quatrin 3, and a GG couplet. A rhyme scheme of this set up parallels the manner in which Shakespeare composed his sonnets. Like in most of Shakespeare's sonnets, my sonnet opens with the exposition, where I am overcome with feelings of intense weariness, sleep, and essentially unproductively. I have spent the last three and a half years of my life working my tail off to get accepted into the college of my dreams, and I have been accepted. The hard work has paid off, and to reward myself, my body wants to shut down for all the lost hours of sleep that have accumulated throughout the years. Then the realization (challenge/problem) occurs that I may possibly have my letter of acceptance revoked as a result of my recent behavioral change. I come to a bitter compromise where I will do minimum work to just barely make it by. Senioritis has taken effect.
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