Month: July 2019
Country and Jazz
Although Jazz and Country Music originated in America around the same era, Jazz differs from Country Music in several ways. Their styles, genres, musicians, and current audience are a few of the major differences.
The origins of Country Music can be found in recordings that Southern Appalachian fiddle players made in the late 1910s near the Tennessee-Virginia border. Many of these fiddle tunes came over from the British Isles around the 1700s. It wasn't until the early 1920s, however, that Country Music was a familiar genre. The first commercial recording of Country Music was Sallie Gooden by fiddlist Eck Robertson in 1922 (History of Country Music). Most historians point to 1927, however, as the birth of Country Music because of a man named Jimmie Rodgers. Rodgers is known as the Father of Country Music. He is credited with the first million-selling single, Blue Yodel #1, and his series of songs. All of which was recorded between 1927 and 1933, establishing him as the first dominant voice in Country Music (Jimmie Rodgers's Biography). Rodgers was later inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961. Many other Country musicians old and new have had quite an impact to Country Music like Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and so many others.
In contrast to Country, Jazz Music was born in New Orleans, Louisiana during the early 1900s, however, its roots can be found in both African and European musical traditions. New Orleans around the turn of the 20th century was a place filled of cultural and ethnic diversity. As a result, musicians were exposed to an assortment of music styles and sounds. It was a meeting, mixing, and merging of many cultures, several emotions, and many skills. Some historians point to Buddy Bolden as the key developmental figure of New Orleans style Jazz. As well, many early jazz musicians credited Bolden and his bandmates with having originated what came to be known as Jazz. Although the term was not common musical use until after the era of Bolden. No one in the band could read sheet music so all compositions played were either copied from other bands or created on the spot, helping to generate the spontaneous improvisation that would become a hallmark of jazz (Buddy Bolden). Unlike Rodgers, Bolden was not well recognized. Many other Jazz musicians, like Country, have had quite an impact on the development of Jazz like Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, to name just a few.
The musical styles of early Country Music were similar to their British ancestors. The lyrics, on the other hand, were completely different. The Americans preferred practical issues such as real-world experiences (ranching, logging, mining, railroads) and real-world tragedies (bank robberies, natural disasters, murders, train accidents) (History of Country Music). I personally like Johnny Cash on occasion and Jimmie Rodgers reminds me a lot of Cash. Rodgers's music is similar to the type of music where the lyrics are almost talked rather than sung, with little instruments used, and the lyrics are about something the singer relates to personally. Rodgers's music was actually influenced by the blues music styling, similarly, some Jazz music genres were too. His hit Blue Yodel #1 captures a part of his life as a young man working as a railway brakeman and traveling musician (YouTube, Waiting for a Train). Some of Rodgers's most popular songs were actually versions of blues classics.
Similar to Country, Jazz has had many periods and genres from the 1900s until present. Early development, during the 1920s, is considered The Jazz age. Throughout this period, Jazz Music was called New Orleans or Dixieland Jazz. Developed in New Orleans and later spread to Chicago and New York. Very popular in its time, it combined elements of the blues, ragtime and brass band marching beats, whilst different instruments, such as the trumpet, trombone and clarinet improvised intricate patterns around the melodies. However, the famous musician Louis Armstrong had a changing influence on the sound of Jazz. He was such a brilliant trumpet player that he was allowed to play solos and became Jazz's first great soloist. He is known for songs like "Star Dust," "La Vie En Rose" and "What a Wonderful World" (YouTube, What a Wonderful World).
Country-Pop is perhaps the most listened to today as far as Country Music goes. It is a blend of Country and Pop music and is the sound of many modern artists such as Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Carrie Underwood, and many others. This genre first appeared in Nashville during the 1960s. Jim Reeves was one of the first successful Country-Pop musicians. He scored his greatest success with "He'll Have to Go a hit on both the popular and Country Music charts (Jim Reeves). Most Country-Pop songs include musical sounds from guitars both electric and acoustic, bass, drums, and vocals. There have been many different genres of Country between the 1920s and present. Including Bakersfield Sound, Texas Country, Red Dirt, Western Swing, Bluegrass, Rockabilly, and country-rap to name a few.
As far as today, nearly all styles of Jazz are still active including Dixieland, classic Jazz, bop, hard bop, post-bop, the avant-garde and various forms of fusion. The popularity of Jazz has definitely slowed down though. While old and modern Country has stayed rather on top as a popular genre of music as a whole, Jazz not so much. In my opinion Jazz has had a harder time reaching the newer generations. Mostly affected by Jazz stereotypes and cultural ideals. Unlike Country Music, I can't vouch for what genre of Jazz is most listened to today. Furthermore, I can say that Jazz seems to have held onto its music roots. On the other hand, Country is distinctly different today than it was in the early 1900s. Jazz today is still popular but mainly for older folks and cultural ideal breaking individuals.
Country and Jazz Music have many similarities and differences. They may have different audiences, styles, and genres, however, their similarities such as era, country of origin, and inspirations tie them together.
Sources
- Jim Reeves
https://countrymusichalloffame.org/Inductees/InducteeDetail/jim-reeves - Instruments in Country Music:
https://countrymusichalloffame.org/education/instruments-in-country-music#.W-8ScC-ZPBI - History of Country Music:
https://www.thoughtco.com/the-history-of-country-music-934030
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A Review of a Reading Guide to Descartes Meditations
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Is Odysseus a Good or Bad Leader
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Is Odysseus a Good or Bad Leader. (2019, Jul 30).
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External Forces Odysseus Faces
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Odysseus and the Gods
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Odysseus is a Bad Leader
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Odysseus as a Bad Leader in the Poem
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William Shakespeare’s Play the Tragedy
William Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of King Lear is a dark tale of betrayal whose popularity is seen in its many productions and adaptations. The play itself not completely original, in fact, as the main plot and characters are Shakespeare's versions of the British cleric Geoffrey of Monmouth's recounting of the story in History of the Kings of Britain. Shakespeare does, however, add other characters to his play that are not in Geoffrey's version of the story, like Edmund and Edgar who have no direct equivalent in History, but Geoffrey's influence on these characters are clear.
In the play, there is no mention of Cordelia's nephews, Margan and Cunedagius, but the roles they fulfill in History match the roles of the Edmund and Edgar. One adaptation of the play, King Lear directed by Richard Eyre, supports the significance of how Edmund and Edgar's roles in the play correspond to the roles of Cordelia's nephews. Through the staging of the brothers, how the film chooses to modify and deliver their lines, and how they interact with other characters exaggerates Edmund and Edgar's influences in the tragedies of the play. The staging of the film King Lear places most of the audience's focus on the acting and plot of the story, rather than highlighting a specific time or place. It appears that two large rooms are used for all the indoor scenes and minimal, simple props signal a change in scene or location (King Lear).
In addition to this, the film uses the original language of the play but shortens or removes entirely many of the long speeches given by characters (King Lear). These modifications drive the plot forward, as many of the speeches explain the motives of characters' actions which can sometimes dilute the impact of the actions they are speaking about. The combination of simplistic staging and altered lines leaves the portrayal of the characters the focus of the film, which offers more direct points of analysis between the play and its film adaptation. First, Shakespeare's Edmund and Edgar have clear connections to Geoffrey's Margan and Cunedagius. Both pairs are marked by a desire for power beyond what they have.
Cordelia's nephews feel that because she is a woman, she should not rule, and so they believe they should rule instead of her (Geoffrey 33). Similarly, Edmund is offended that his legitimacy and age cause him to be unworthy of an inheritance, which he believes he is entitled to, though Edgar will receive one because he is legitimate and the firstborn (Shakespeare 1.2.1-23). To gain power, Margan and Cunedagius imprison Cordelia, where she commits suicide (33). While Cordelia does not kill herself in Shakespeare's play, Edmund does imprison her and stages her murder as a suicide (5.3.303-6). There is also a parallel in the demise of Margan and Edmund. In History, Margan no longer wants to rule with his cousin, so he attacks Cunedagius claiming his right to the throne as the eldest of the two (Geoffrey 34). Cunedagius then bests Margan's army and kills his cousin himself (Geoffrey 34).
This conflict between the cousins is a story of the victim to the hero for Cunedagius. It is seen in the play when Edmund also attempts to gain control over Edgar, and when Edgar discovers this, he challenges his brother and bests Edmund in a duel in which he dies (Shakespeare 5.3.358). Again, while there is no explicit connection between Shakespeare's Edmund and Edgar and Cordelia's nephews in History, there are many parallels. The film emphasizes this important connection. The most noticeable way the film exaggerates Edmund and Edgar's roles is how they stage these characters. Both brothers are on screen or placed in a scene where they are not specifically noted as being on stage in the play. One example is of the first scene of the play, in which Gloucester, Kent, and Edmund are the first characters to enter (Shakespeare 1.1). The film, however, shows Edgar on screen first, writing in a notebook, while Edmund looks at Edgar from behind with a devious smile, as if he is thinking about his plot against Edgar (King Lear).
By introducing the brothers first, the film suggests that their story is a focus of the play, rather than a secondary story to Lear's. Their introduction also foreshadows Edmund's actions against his brother and presents Edgar as an innocent victim. Additionally, the brothers were staged separately in the film in surprising ways, like Edmund noticeably eavesdropping on a conversation when he enters a scene too early at the end of Act 1 in the film. In the play, Goneril and Regan are discussing what they will do with Lear, and when they exit, Edmund enters at the start of Scene 2 (Shakespeare 1.1.329-355).
In the film, Edmund enters while the sisters are still talking, and, thus, makes his first impressions on Goneril and Regan (King Lear). While he does not talk in this part of the film, the way he looks at them is with obvious flirtation, and the film is planting the seed of competition between the sisters early on. Edgar's unexpected placement is seen less throughout the film, but he is depicted holding Lear as the king dies (King Lear). The film is drawing on the relationship Edgar and Lear fostered while out in the storm together to make their connection stronger than that between Lear and Kent or Lear and Albany, who are both witnessing Lear's death as well (King Lear).
This connection also suggests a familial bond, which reinforces that if Edgar was Cordelia's nephew, he would be Lear's grandson. Even without the connection to Histroy, Edmund and Edgar are prioritized through their placement in the film. As mentioned, the film changes the original lines of the play for primarily functional purposes. There are also modifications of lines that reveal insights about the characters motivations, especially for Edmund and Edgar. One way the film does this is by voicing over soliloquies, treating them as thoughts, rather than the actors voicing them allowed on stage as in the play. An important occurrence of this change is at the beginning of the film when Edmund is talking to Gloucester and Kent.
In the first scene of Act 2 in the play, Edmund expresses his resentment about not inheriting from his father because he is illegitimate and that he will overcome it (Shakespeare 1.21-23). The film places a part of this soliloquy into his conversation with Kent and Gloucester as thoughts (King Lear). The effect of introducing Edmund's intentions early in the film puts a focus on his character as being the villain of the brothers. Similarly, Edgar's soliloquy is also voiced over as thoughts in the film when he is leaving the shelter to help take Lear to Dover (King Lear). However, his thoughts contrast Edmund's because he is recognizing that his grief does not compare to Lear's [w]hen that which makes me bend makes the King / bow and so comes to a selfless conclusion (Shakespeare 3.6.118-9). Presenting the brothers as opposites in the film by paralleling their soliloquies gives the audience a further reason to think of Edmund as a villain. This prompts their fight at the end of the film and play and supports the rift between Margan and Cunedagius in History.
The way the film portrays the interactions between Edmund and Edgar and other characters also maintains the brothers' importance to the plot. Further support for the concept that Edmund is evil while Edgar is innocent can be seen in their first interactions and their clothing. Though it is stated that Edgar is some year elder than [Edmund] in the play (Shakespeare 1.1.20), the film makes no such explicit distinction, though Edmund behaves as if he is older (King Lear). This show of age difference is seen in Edmund's pretend concern for his brother when he warns Edgar about their father's anger at him as if he is playing a protective, brotherly role (Shakespeare 1.2.166-9). In this scene, Edmund is wearing dark clothes and has short, dark hair which heavily contrasts with Edgar's loose, white shirt and long hair (King Lear). The audience can see visually how different the two are on the outside which corresponds to their motives and actions in the whole film.
Aside from the actions with each other, Edmund and Edgar's interactions with other characters seem to be prioritized in the film. One important instance of this is toward the end of the film, what is the end of Act 4 and the beginning of Act 5 in the play. In the last scene of Act 4, Cordelia and Lear reunite for the first time after her moving to France (Shakespeare 4.7). The scene before is Edgar killing Oswald and discovering the plot to kill Albany (4.6). However, the film skips the scene with Lear after Edmund's scene and goes directly into the first scene of Act 5 in which Edmund promises his love to Regan (Shakespeare 5.1.9-20).
This second occurrence of Edmund and Edgar's story being placed before Lear's story is further evidence of the importance the film places on the brothers' story. The audience is shown that Edmund and Edgar are not only important but just as important as the title character, King Lear. Overall, the film makes deliberate changes to situate Edmund and Edgar's story as one of the main focal points of the movie.
The influence of Cordelia's nephews in History on the brothers in the play is also clear. Shakespeare's integration of the brothers into the story of King Lear, as opposed to placing them at the end like Geoffrey's Margan and Cunedagius, adds another dimension of betrayal and tragedy to the play. In the end, the film and play both point to Edmund's final confession: What you have charged me with, that have I done, / And more, much more (Shakespeare 5.3.195-6). Thus, the audience is to believe that Edmund has done more harm than the characters know, and more than the audience knows themselves.
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Power has Many Definitions
Power has many definitions, but in King Lear, power seems to be defined as one's ability or capacity too direct and influence others as well as the current course of events. Power is incredibility corruptive and this is proven many times over by the main characters of the play.
King Lear serves as an excellent commentary on the nature of political power, while also showcasing a brutal portrayal of authority when it goes wrong.
The play does a great deal of reflecting on how the nature of power affects individuals as well as larger groups. The play showcases time It must be noted that both King Lear and Gloucester both consistently turn away or ignore the individuals who have the best intentions for them. They are so afraid of losing their dominance that they both mistrust their most loyal children. Their power has made them increasingly blind to the people they surround themselves with; King Lear's oldest two daughters clearly have no love for him and scheme to take his power, yet the two most trustworthy people in his circle, Cordelia and Kent, are treated with scorn and punished.
Lear has become pompous and shallow in his time as king, and obviously prefers flattery to honesty. This seems to be a common side effect of unchecked power, and this is without a doubt King Lear's undoing. He is unable to understand what really matters and values the fake flattery of his bad daughters over the honesty of his daughters, which ends up causing chaos for himself, his family and the rest of Britain. King Lear's fear of losing relevance and authority ironically creates a self-fulfilling prophecy, and his own actions result in his downfall.
Power is shown many times throughout the play to be incredibly corruptive. Gloucester's title and power are largely responsible for the rift between him Edmund. He feels the need to distance himself from Edmund because he is a bastard, and he consistently reminds Edmund of that fact. Power makes Gloucester put his power above his family, and this results in tragedy for all. Gloucester was blind to his faults, and because of his blindness he was eventually actually blinded in an ironic, terrible twist of fate. Had Gloucester loved and treated his bastard son the same way he loved and treated his legitimate son Edgar, much of the tragedy that took place in the play could have been avoided.
The play leads us to understand just how much wickedness in people power inspires. Edmund starts out as a character who inspires sympathy, but quickly becomes one of the play's leading villains in his hunt for recognition and authority. Edmund is not a villain at first, but we are clearly show how easily the hunt for power leads to betrayal, and how easily is can affect one's character. Goneril and Regan's are villains from the start of the play, but their thirst for power transforms them into actual evil beings. The sisters go from simply scheming to steal parts of their father's kingdom to planning war against other countries and actual murder. Goneril murders her own sister in her quest for dominance, and this is probably the harshest example in the play of the wickedness of power.
One of the most important lessons that can be taken from the play is the finality of mistakes. King Lear sets the stage for his demise at the very beginning of the play; he banishes the only daughter that truly loves him, and gives all his power and his kingdom to his scheming evil daughters. Gloucester also has a hand in his own untimely end, as his continued alienation of his bastard son causes bitterness in his son, leading Edmund to betray his family.
Even at the end of the play mistakes ring with finality, when Edmund wishes to make up for his wrongdoings and save Cordelia, but the girl has already been put to death. King Lear is a classic example of the corrupting potential of power it's downfalls. The majority of the characters that come into some sort of power meet their ends, often orchestrating their own demises in their attempts to gain authority. King Lear raises many important questions about power and its nature, but one thing is clear: the definition of power is flexible, but the reality of it is not. Power is not a tangible object; it only has the weight that it is given. Power is what you make it and nothing more.
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Shakespeare’s Major Theme in King Lear
Compassion in Tragedy: Shakespeare's Major Theme in King Lear
Albert Schweitzer once said that The purpose of human life is to serve, and to show compassion and the will to help others. Compassion is feeling sympathy, being kind, and caring for others. In William Shakespeare's play King Lear, an important theme is that it's important to show kindness to others, even in difficult times. Shakespeare demonstrates this theme through King Lear's conversations with his daughters, especially the youngest, Cordelia, and his conversations with his friends. King Lear follows the story of an aging king and his daughters as he gives up his throne. The majority of the play focuses on Lear's descent into madness at the cruel hands of his daughters Regan and Goneril, and concludes with their death and Lear's reconciliation with his other daughter Cordelia. Along the way, Lear's interactions with his friends and daughters show the audience the power of compassion.
King Lear's daughters are a primary example of Shakespeare's demonstration of this theme. Very early in the play, after Lear has divvied his kingdom up between his daughters, his noble advisor Kent attempts to persuade Lear that he's judged his youngest daughter Cordelia's love too harshly. Answer my life my judgement, thy youngest daughter does not love thee least, nor are those empty-hearted whose low sound reverbs no hollowness. (I, i, ll. 151-153). After the false, flattering words from his daughters Goneril and Regan, Lear's inability to see that Cordelia's love was too great to be put into words caused him to lose his daughter and his advisor Kent, who was exiled when his compassion caused Lear to become furious at him. Kent knows his attempt to show the king how to fix his relationship with honesty and compassion will cost him his title, his status and Lear's trust, yet he does it anyway.
Eventually, Lear tries to mend the rift he's caused with Cordelia. Be your tears wet? Yes, faith. I pray, weep not. If you have poison for me, I will drink it. I know you do not love me, for your sisters have, as I do remember, done me wrong. You have some cause; they have not, King Lear says in Act 4, Scene 7 in lines 69 to 73 as he apologizes to Cordelia when he realizes he was wrong and misjudged her. Cordelia's response, No cause, no cause, (IV, vii, ll. 74) shows her continued love for her father, as is also demonstrated in Act 4, Scene 3, lines 25-30 Faith, once or twice she heaved the name of father' pantingly forth as if it pressed her heart, cried sisters, sisters!
Shame of ladies, sisters! Kent, father, sisters! What, i' th' storm, i' th' night? Let pity not be believed.' There she shook the holy water from her heavenly eyes, and clamor moistened. Then away she started to deal with grief alone. Despite being banished by her father, she still loves him and grieves for him. Her love resonates throughout the story and she is the only character to stand by Lear after he has lost everything - his crown, his mind, and his cruel, oldest daughters.
Regan is one of those cruel older daughters, and very early on in the story she shows the audience her cold heart. ...Shut up your doors: he is attended by a desperate train, and what they may to incense him to, being apt to have his ear abused, wisdom bids fear. (II, iv, ll. 348-351). Her husband Cornwall responds with Shut up your doors, my lord. Tis a wild night. My Regan counsels well. Come out o' th' storm. (II, iv, ll. 351-353). Not only does Regan force her father out into a dangerous storm, she locks the door behind him as well. Cornwall, and especially Regan, show no kindness to Lear throughout the entire story, even though he is Regan's father and their former king. The drastic consequences of this lack of kindness towards Lear eventually cause the deaths of both Regan and her husband, as Cornwall is murdered in a duel by Lear's friend and Regan is poisoned by her jealous sister Goneril. They would never have started fighting unless Lear had driven a wedge between them with the division of the kingdom.
Goneril, Regan's older sister, also shows no compassion for Lear. Gloucester, a friend of Lear's, tells Regan that I would not see thy cruel nails pluck out Lear's poor old eyes, nor thy fierce sister in his anointed flesh stick boarish fangs. (III, vii, ll. 55-57). Regan's nails are described as cruel, and Goneril's boarish fangs depict her as a savage animal who shows mercy and kindness to no one, not even her own father.
Regan and Goneril were each given half the kingdom by their father, and ruled over it for a short period of time; however, at the end of the play, Goneril poisons Regan and kills herself. This commentary by Shakespeare shows the audience that while cruelty and anger may initially get you farther than compassion, kindness will be better for everyone in the end.
In addition to his daughters, Lear's friends are among the other characters who demonstrate Shakespeare's theme of compassion throughout the story. In Act 3, Scene 4, Lear, whose mind is quickly deteriorating, asks Kent, Wilt break my heart? Kent, who remained undyingly faithful to the aging king, replied with I had rather break my own. (III, iv, ll. 4-5). The dedication, loyalty and empathy towards Lear that Kent demonstrates through the entire play show the audience the strength of Kent's love towards the king, even after the king banishes him early in the story. The adoration that Kent has for King Lear reveals his strength of character and loyalty to the king, as not many people could continue to love and help someone after they have been mistreated by that someone the way Kent was.
Just a bit later in Act 3, Scene 4 during lines 23 to 27, Lear shows his own compassion for one of the first times in the play. Prithee, go in thyself. Seek thine own ease. This tempest will not give me leave to ponder on things that would hurt me more. But I'll go in. (To Fool) In, boy. Go first. You houseless poverty- nay, get thee in. I'll pray, and then I'll sleep. His telling the Fool to go in ahead of him and make himself comfortable shows how he is putting his dear servant before himself, even in the depths of his madness. His treating a servant better than himself, a former king, shows how much empathy Lear has gained throughout the story.
Several scenes earlier in the story, Lear realizes how uninformed he was when he says Poor naked wretches, whereso'er you are, that bide the pelting of this pitiless storm, how shall your houseless heads and unfed sides, your loop'd and window'd raggedness, defend you from seasons such as these?
O, I have ta'en too little care of this! Take physic, pomp; expose thyself to feel what wretches feel, that thou mayst shake the superflux to them, and show the heavens more just. (3.2.65-71). He's feeling for the first time what it's like to struggle and be poor, and he wishes, now that he knows what the poorest people go through, that he had done something more about it while he was king. It took losing his power and his mind to make Lear realize that he could have done something to help these people, which is Shakespeare's way of telling his audience that they should always try to better others' lives, even if they don't fully understand what others are going through until they experience it themselves.
The theme of It's important to show kindness to others, even in difficult times is heavily implied throughout Shakespeare's King Lear, demonstrating why caring about other people is valuable. His quiet, loving daughter Cordelia's love is explained by Kent after Lear banishes her, and Lear later apologizes to Cordelia, mending their relationship after a period of argument. His other daughters, Regan and Goneril, end up dead after they show no kindness to their father. Even Lear's own compassion was demonstrated through his sympathy for the Fool in his wild madness. Kent, also, showed great kindness to Lear despite Lear's hatred of him. Throughout the story, Shakespeare demonstrates that we should always try to be kind even when bad things may be happening in your life. After all, according to Albert Schweitzer, the meaning of life is to show compassion to others.
Works Cited:
Shakespeare, William. King Lear. Trans. John Crowther. Spark Publishing, 2003.
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One of the Greatest Poets
William Shakespeare one of the greatest poets was around during the renaissance. He was born on April 23rd 1564 and died April 23rd 1616 at the age of 52. He has wrote 37 plays and about 154 sonnets. Shakespeare was born to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, he was the third child out of six they would have. His father was a high placed official it was kind of like he was the mayor. Since shakespeare's father was in that position, he got to go to school without having to play the tuition. At the age of 18 he was married to Anne Hathaway, they had three children together. Susan was the oldest judith and hamnet were twins. But unfortunately Hamnet died at the age of 11 the cause of his death is unknown. In shakespeare's life there are seven years that have not been documented. The play was written from the legend in england. The play is kind of in the medieval times.
The text is organized form the different parts of the play. The play consists of 5 parts and 3 scenes in total. Since its a play there is no chapters. While reading some scenes will go on with the previous or they will go to another place with different people leaving no part left out to where a person will get a better understanding. The plot/storyline would have to have something to do with how king lear disowned the daughter he actually really truly cared about, then his other kin try to get rid of him and he wanders around lost trying to find the daughter he disowned. But there is not just one plot to king lear there are multiple. Having one being someone trying to blame a death on a person when they were not in the area at the time.
Another is is trying to take over a kingdom for their own needs. The play doesn't tell the reader exactly how much time is passed, but the reader can infer that it goes on to be 2 week or more which the play passes through. The beginning starts out with being in the palace of King Lear, with three characters talking about how king Lear felt about the Dukes. And it goes into asking gloucester that one other they were speaking to/about was his son. Having him say yes he is of my kin. The ending is when King lear passes away from the grief of his daughter dying. Also Kent and Albany talk about grieving for the losses that have just occured.
The narrative POV of a play is called the dramatic point-of-view, or fly on the wall. They say this because it's as if the narrator would be a fly on the wall only watching what takes play in that scene but could add no comment to what's going on. The whole play is written in a recent perspective. For the play the narrator is more observing. The play does not shift to different narrators,there is only one. The effect the author takes is that he does not leave any stone unturned and while you read you feel the emotions of the characters. The certain words that the author uses to where you can feel the emotions. It is as almost that you start to feel as you yourself are there. There is a lot of emotions that you can relate to and the feelings of having lost someone too. The purpose of this play would be so we could get a more complex understanding of emotions and the legend in history.
Round characters :
King lear- round, the king has two daughters more or so likes when they daughters practically worship him. Only really loves cordelia but got mad when she said she could not tell him how much she loved him. Dies from grieving for his daughter Cordelia at the end of the book. About in his late 50s.
Cordelia- round, youngest of all three of Lear's daughters, gets disowned because she wouldn't tell her father how much she loved him, was suppose to marry the price of france, he still weds her even without the money of getting for marrying her, marries her because supposedly he loves her, ends up getting executed at the end of the play. About at least 18 years old.
Goneril- Round, the eldest of the daughters, she wants to rule and get the kingdom, has an affair even tho she is already married, is very jealous because her younger sister is loved by the king more, when her younger sister gets disowned and is told to leave she sees it as a way to start with her plan and try to take over the kingdom. One of the villains in the play. About in her late 30s early 40s.
Regan- Round, the second eldest of the sisters, also having an affair with the same due her sister is doing, also married wants the guy all to herself though is very very jealous. She's more concerned tho with over throwing her father to take over england as the ruler. One of the villains in the play. About 36 to 40 years old .
Gloucester- Round, is the earl to the king, cheated on his wife to where he had a bastard son which makes him have a crime against adultery, does have a son that is with his wife, seems like a coward doesn't really know which of his sons he should actually trust, starts going down the wrong path, is the reason why king lear gets removed from the castle. At almost the end of play he starts to show that he is brave in some sorts of ways. About 55 years old or older.
Edgar- Round, the real son of gloucester,takes on many different characters throughout the play. Despite having him portrayed as someone who believed his other brother that he was the one that did the crime, decides to be someone who ends up at the aid of his father and king lear, acts like he's a knight during a certain point in time, but being all these different characters you could qualify him as a whole lot of things and they don't really the real characteristics of him. About 26 years old.
Flat characters
Edmund- flat, A kind of villain in the play, hates that he is a bastard child and he hates his father wants to take everything that his dad has, does a lot of tricks towards people in the play that usually end up working, messes with a lot of the characters. About 21 years old.
Kent- Flat, he's a noble that is very loyal to the king, even tho the king banishes him he disguises himself as a peasant, hes keeps on helping king lear throughout the play but gets in trouble a lot because he's very straight forward with everything he says and does. About 25 to at least 30 years old.
Albany- Flat, very kind person has a great heart tries to expose his wife her sisters husband and her sister because of what they are trying to do, is tired of how his wife treats him so cruel, his allies are actually trying to work against him but he does not realize any of that until its way too late in the play to do anything about it. About 46 years old.
Cornwall- Flat, he's a very bad man who is really mean and very very cruel to people, he helps with their plan to take the kingdom and rule over it, they are all trying to get king lear and his earl prosecuted for something they did no do at all. About 40 years old.
The Fool- Flat, is the one who always talks to king lear , always trying to bring up the mood making jokes and new songs he can sing throughout the play is loyal to the king. About 16 years old.
Oswald-Flat, obeys his mistress despite anything he gets told to do, he is more of like the manager to all of the servants in that household is very close to goneril is her servant. Kind of like a steward in a way. About 57 years old.
The settings of this play takes place in England, mainly around Britain. To understand why it would take place here is also the fact that is is based off of a legend that happened to be in england. Usually Shakespeare would put the settings where it came from. But also shakespeare came from england so in a lot of the plays he had written he would base them off of it or the surrounding countries like Scotland.
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How the Tempest Shows the Human Condition
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How Loyalty and Betrayal Affect the Tempest
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The Tempest by William Shakespeare
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Colonization in the Tempest
The Tempest is considered one of the greatest works of William Shakespeare; the play includes various themes and Shakespeare provides insightful social observation on the relations within Britain during the Elizabethan era. The Tempest clashes disputes such as hierarchy, power, individualism and colonialism, as well as challenging the viewpoints that there is only black and white and that an individual is either good or evil. The major theme in this play is colonialism.
For the period time of Shakespeare (1600's) many European countries were expanding their borders by taking over less developed countries, referred to as the colonies of the Americas. Though it started way before these years with the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus in the 1490's, the play is deliberated as a postcolonial play, though which we can find out mainly due to Caliban's protest against Prospero and his opposition to colonial power using the language taught by the colonizer.
Observing at the plot of The Tempest, there is representation of the Europeans through Prospero's actions, he arrives at Sycorax's island, moderates it and enforces his own culture to its people. Sycorax's island could be seen as a symbol of America, which suffered the same obligations that the island did. As Europeans did with Americans, Prospero takes away the power from Caliban and treats him as an evil, horrid, and deformed being, a disgraceful being, who in his eyes is not even a human. Prospero said, Thou Poisonous slave, got by the devil himself, upon the wicked dam, come forth (William Shakespeare).
In 1609 a fleet of ships set out from England, sailed towards the Virginia colony. One of the ships was parted during the forceful storm and ended up on Bermuda. These shipwrecked Europeans began colonizing the island and enslaving the Native population. Shakespeare's, The Tempest is based on this incident (British Colonial America Migration Timeline 1607 to 1783 (National Institute)) Virginia was the first territory to be colonized in America, Sycorax's island was a representation of Virginia. Prospero, Caliban, Ariel and Miranda characterized the colonizers and the colonized correspondingly. Prospero is an European who has taken charge of a remote island (he lost his dukeness of Milan), being able to do so because of his strong magic powers. With these powers, he sorts out a life for himself and gets local citizens (Ariel and Caliban) to work for him, and sustains his control by a combination of threats, spells and enchantments. He promises and assures them freedom someday. By taking responsibility of a place which is not his by applying his European power over the strange non-European creatures, Prospero can be seen as an evident symbol of post colonialism. Caliban, a Native of the island, regards himself as the rightful owner the place. Caliban states, This island's mine, by Sycorax my mother, which thou takest from me. He is forced against his will to serve Prospero and Miranda. Prospero extends to Caliban his European hospitality, teaches him language and in return is to show all the natural resources of the island by Caliban.
The Tempest explores the complex and problematic relationship between the European colonizer and the Native colonized individuals through the relationship between Prospero and Caliban. Prospero views Caliban as a lesser being than himself. As such, Prospero considers that Caliban should be appreciative to him for educating Caliban and lifting him out of "savagery." It simply does not occur to Prospero that he has taken rulership of the island from Caliban, because Prospero cannot imagine Caliban as being fit to rule anything. In difference, Caliban soon becomes conscious that Prospero views him as a second-class citizen fit only to serve and that by giving up his rulership of the island in return for his education, he has allowed himself to be robbed. As a result, Caliban turns bitter and violent, which only reinforces Prospero's view of him as a "savage." Shakespeare uses Prospero and Caliban's relationship to show how the misunderstandings between the colonizer and the colonized lead to hatred and conflict, with each side thinking that the other is at fault.
In addition to the relationship between the colonizer and colonized, The Tempest also explores the fears and opportunities that colonization constructs. Introduction to new and different people leads to racism and intolerance, as seen when Sebastian criticizes Alonso for allowing his daughter to marry an African. Exploration and colonization led directly to slavery and the conquering of Native people. For instance, Stephano and Trinculo both consider seizing Caliban to sell as a curiosity back at home, while Stephano eventually commences to see himself as a probable king of the island. At the same time, the expanded territories established by colonization created new places in which to experiment with alternative societies. Shakespeare conveys this idea in Gonzalo's musings about the perfect civilization he would establish if he could acquire a territory of his own.
Works Cited
- British Colonial America Migration Timeline 1607 to 1783 (National Institute). FamilySearch Blog, Family Search, 14 July 2014, 18:57, www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/British_Colonial_America_Migration_Timeline_1607_to_1783_(National_Institute).
- Shakespeare, William. The Tempest. T. Nelson & Sons, 1998.
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About White Inherited Privileges
Source I
The article talks about a white individual who basically explains he was born into a white family during the Apartheid era, which ensued in him becoming a recipient of white inherited privilege. This allowed him to receive an excellent education. But that he has not been capable to accumulate wealth or own land. That his voice and opinions are all he has, especially when living in a county like South Africa, which allows citizens to voice their opinions resulting in him being exposed to other people's opinions about people of white decent.
All the criticism has reached a point where one would think white people aren't allowed to think or feel for themselves anymore, since they are painted to be nebulous, racist individuals. The review affects the individual on an emotional level, where he gets upset when he reads about how awful of a person he is, because he is white. The Apartheid era having left a mark on the soul of the citizens of South Africa, has caused that we view each other as races, and that wealth or poverty is defined by skin color, but not to forget it reflects a antiquity of oppression and injustice, where the perpetrators were not punished. Harm was committed and that cannot be undone with a vote or having an education or a job. The injustices committed cannot be indulged over by living next to all races and get on living in a nonracist society, because we live in such a society. We need to understand that anger follows, once we as humans experience pain. And as human beings the most hurtful thing is having to witness loved ones being humiliated, or subjected to injustices and feeling disempowered to help.
He even goes on to state that he too a white individual has been a victim and can relate to being hurt from a personal experience which angered him just because he witness someone close to him being hurt which had me feeling disempowered. Now one has to imagine how much collective amassed anger must be developing in black homes, where victims of pain, humiliation and disempowerment at the hands of white people during the Apartheid era reside.
He went on to explain that as a white person he tries to understand the hurt but that no matter how hard he does just never will.
REFERENCE: News24. (2018). White, privileged and ignorant. [online] Available at: https://www.news24.com/MyNews24/white-privileged-and-ignorant-20180410 [Accessed 19 Jul. 2018].
Source J
The article talks about Julius Malema Economic Freedom Fighters leader and the promise he has made to fight against white privilege. White people resent those who talk out about the subject of white privilege and that this can be seen by what is happening with the Democratic Alliance party leader Musi Maimane. Black people are not taken seriously and they will not be discouraged from fighting whiteness and white privilege and that there are different rules for the different races in South Africa.
The journalist replies to a march that took place in Johannesburg to Sandton where no weapons were allowed, where there was no intention or attempt to injure a white person, where roads weren't obstructed, where every single one of the participants followed the orders of the officers of the law as they lead them to their destination. Such a march can have them labeled as fascists. But as soon as white people participate in their separate marches in Pretoria where they are armed and have an intent to harm and cause havoc no journalist would dare to call them fascist.
Tshidi furthermore expresses white members within the African National Congress are not speak able to speak in an indigenous language, but we hear them say Amandla' a slogan which they have used throughout their lives but cannot put in the effort to pronounce it correctly. She discusses how lives were lost during the liberation movement for the people but never truly tried to learn or understand the languages of the people they are dying for. Worst of all ANC senior veterans are well known for promoting white privilege as there were cases of there being two families one white and the other black both arrived in Lusaka after being driven there together. They were then separated the black family being moved to the camps while the white to apartments.
REFERENCE: Madia, T. (2018). EFF won't be discouraged 'from fighting against whiteness and white privilege' - Malema. [online] News24. Available at: https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/eff-wont-be-discouraged-from-fighting-against-whiteness-and-white-privilege-malema-20180511 [Accessed 19 Jul. 2018].
Source K
The source talks about the reactions Musi Maimane received after his comments about white privilege and poverty, and him basically making comments to challenge these issues. Put off course by race has exposed our hypersensitivities and worst of all how far off we are from the rainbow nation we aspire to be when we started in 1994, as soon as one refers to colour in terms of race, black or white in a debate expect it to deteriorate into a finger pointing, name calling argument. In the view of the writer the TRC (Truth And Reconciliation Commission) was nothing but a merely lost opportunity, as it failed to serve its purpose all it did was put a plaster over a raw, deep septic wound and as a result racial groups today still feel the pain and anger caused by an era of oppression and separation as it was never truly dealt with.
He went on to explain that the DA feels it should be the ruling party now because the ANC has failed to unite the people of South Africa and refusing to take responsibly for its failures as a party and government. White citizens feel their sense of belonging is being threatened while the blacks feel disregarded by the binary talk of white and black, and still feel excluded and ignored. Maimane feels that racial inequality needs to be dealt with first. Because he fears if it is not done it could cause civil violence. But to avoid it he feels a solution to unifying South Africa could be found when all share their stories and listen to them with empathy because it takes one party to reach out when two parties are in conflict.
Oppression and persecution of blacks was a direct result of supremacist beliefs of white people caused by faulty race science created by white people, years of colonial settlement scratched aggregate structural Eurocentric domination in worldwide societies, economies, and politics. The sins from our forefathers are exactly that, our forefather's sins, they do not need us to apologies or even feel guilty for them as they are not ours. The writer then goes on to discuss that there are a large number of financially struggling whites and wealthy blacks but they are part of statistical margins. And that statistics prove to us that if life was a 400 meter race white people have a 4 second head start and a lot less hurdles to go over compared to their black counterparts.
The writer then goes on to admit having white privilege of dolls represent their skin color and image, hotel shampoos that cater for their hair type, haircare products that they can find in anywhere, nude referring to their stocks or makeup that matches up to their skin color but not to their son who's haircare products can only be found in the ethnic section. The writer even expressed they can go out and apply for a loan and mark themselves as white under the race category simply carries more weight than their pay slip because automatically it's assumed they've got more collateral. And that admitting privilege does not mean one undermines the value, talent and self-made successes of those without privilege many individuals without privilege have succeeded through their own efforts and talents.
In the view of the writer black poverty was contributed to by blacks being removed from their homes and their right to own land taken away from them while whites were granted legislated privilege to own land. The DA wants to right this by raising the standard of living of individuals left out from opportunity, by pushing forward land reform and restitution. The writer then addresses that black people are asking is white people acknowledge white privilege and realize it does not take away from honoring those who had to suffer to liberate our country, offering respect to those who built our country, or from placing belief that South Africa belongs to all that live in it. The DA believes reconciliation can bring real effect to the intention of our constitution and that our country's most powerful resource is its people and their energy working together in a shared hope and goal.
The writer then goes on to raise their opinion that the DA wants to redress the issues of today, by firstly removing the ANC government and instilling its own polices that will attempt to dismantle white privilege, and close the inequality gap.
REFERENCE: News24. (2018). White privilege, black poverty and the DA offer. [online] Available at: https://www.news24.com/Columnists/GuestColumn/white-privilege-black-poverty-and-the-da-offer-20180514 [Accessed 19 Jul. 2018].
Source L
The article talks about Mmusi Maimane the DA leader, and him being put under attack by his own senior colleagues in parliament because of his comments of black poverty and white privilege having to be confronted. Members of the DA confessed they were afraid that his comments would alienate white voters before the next election and they are much needed since they need their votes to get control over Gauteng. MP Ghaleb Cachalia came to the aid of the party leader stating that the topic is complex and needs party leaders to gather and discuss.
The writer discusses how this internal battle inside the DA is a result of worry that arose from the confrontation. Worry that came from a place of fear as members felt that this would directly or indirectly affect their positions and the kinds of impacts it will have on their jobs as senior white party members in government and parliament while those who see the bigger picture with Mmusi said the ambush is on a bigger fight. About the candidate selection processes that should put more black people on the DAs seats in Parliament. The writer feels Mmusi's comments provided a platform to his opponents within the party to now challenge him on the diversity note. The article furthermore discusses Mmusi's talks of diversifying the lists and his comments about white privilege having created uncertainty in people about their positions feeling they may not be secure anymore.
The journalist goes onto point out there's a need for the DA to show diversification and that their lists will entail more black people. And that Mmusi's test of leadership will be on the results of the lists processes. The article furthermore went on to discuss how Mmusi has refused to apologies for his comments or for trying to change the party, since South Africa remains a unequal society in which black citizens remain left out of opportunities. And that the effects of apartheid are still seen today and the ANC has done nothing to deconstruct the inequality. Since the DA feels it can do what the ANC has failed at.
The journalist went to explain that the liberation of one race will not cause the enslavery of another, and the journalist feels that that's what white people fear, but that's not the case as he also feels if all people were to come together as humans and see the injustice to one we can then all work together to resolve and reprimand it. The same as if one was on site of a women being abused there would be no need for them to be women to get involved to stop the injustice. The writer goes on to discuss how inequality is still persistent in our country where a white child grew up to an expensive education while a black child to peanuts price. These being the systems that create the problems we have today and the only consistent measure for inequality we have today is race. The journalist even points out one can't even use income as a measure since the results will not be accurate because white South Africans still earn more than their black counterparts. This leading the point where we as people label blacks as poor because whites are rich but in reality black people are poor because of their history and a past of being separated that created injustice. And that we are run by a government that has failed to set up reforms.
REFERENCE: Cele, S. (2018). Mmusi Maimane feels pressure as 'white privilege' race row rocks DA. [online] News24. Available at: https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/mmusi-maimane-feels-pressure-as-white-privilege-race-row-rocks-da-20180506 [Accessed 19 Jul. 2018].
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Millennials in the Workplace: a Communication Perspective
Communication in the workplace is there to create relationships among co-workers. If a work group has good communication skills it could lead to better work productivity. As more millennials enter the work force there is concern about their work ethic. That is not the only concern people are having, they are also concerned how they are going to interact with older employees. Some organizations believe that they might have to alter their rules and policies to be able to fully apply the millennials skills.
Not all things about millennials are bad, millennials are more diverse than the older employees and they will have new perspectives about work issues. The first hurdle millennials face when entering the work force is the socialization into the organization. When newcomers come into the work force, they begin to assess their relationship with co-workers, supervisors and the organization itself. If there are issues among values between coworkers that could lead to lower productivity. Once the newcomer is deemed valuable then will coworkers ask them for advice, give them new tasks, and form working relationships.
Millennials differ from more senior workers because of their beliefs and values. Senior workers pride themselves in working up the chain to where they are now, while for millennials a career is not that important to them. Baby boomers were the original workaholics and did not have a good work- life balance. Millennials are way more focused on the so-called work-life balance than the baby boomers. This could cause some doubt from baby boomers in regard to the millennial's commitment to an organization. Millennials who realize they are being judge may make an effort to show senior workers they are dedicated.
Millennials could change the organization as a whole when baby boomers see how they prioritize their lives differently. Baby boomers may even start to rethink their own lives and what they can do to change it. What could also happen is baby boomers say it is the millennials turn to make sacrifices that deadlines are now their problem. Millennials like having open communication with their supervisors unlike baby boomers.
Millennials when entering the workplace want open communication. They want to be in the know and not left out on important decisions. This may stem from them being pushed to have good relationships with their friends' parents growing up. This type of open communication may feel like a disrespect to the senior workers. Opened communication between supervisors and workers could help make problem solving easier. When millennials have a good working relationship with their boss this may help millennials from not switching jobs as often.
Millennials expect that the work they do for a company be judged on the substance of their work and not on how long they have been working there. This could create conflict with the baby boomers who think totally different. In years to come baby boomers will come realize that the millennials made substantial contributions to the workplace.
Millennials thrive in working with teams, they find it to be more productive. Millennials do not have a hard time working in groups and are always actively helping. This could be a problem because this may lead to them not being able to work independently and make decision on their own. It also takes up much more time if team work is involved and managers do not like that.
Millennials are the first generation to be born into households with computers. This could be a good thing for the workforce because they know how to use computers and other types of electronics. Millennials could help implement the use of more electronics in the organization and could even help the baby boomers learn to use them. It is perceived that millennials grew up in good times in regard to economics. They were given material possessions from their parents. And to continue to live the way they are they must get a job. So that means that millennials parents pushed them to do good at whatever they were doing.
This article relates to the topics we have discussed in class because it talks about communication. Not just communication but how the different ages of people communicate differently to one another. It also talks about the relationship's coworkers have with each and how if there are good working relationships then as a group, they could be more productive.
- Myers, K. K., & Sadaghiani, K. (2010). Millennials in the Workplace: A Communication Perspective on Millennials' Organizational Relationships and Performance. Journal of Business and Psychology,25(2), 225-238. doi:10.1007/s10869-010-9172-7
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Frida Kahlo: Tenacity in Vibrant Color
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Gender Identity in “Twelfth Night”
Gender identity and alternative sexuality tend to differ, in the reading of the Twelfth Night and the Globe production, because of certain scenes with comical relief. The play portrays itself as comical due to its all male cast having both female and male characters. While the written version of the play was always less humorous, because the gender roles were set with a traditional cast of female actors for female characters. According to the Bulman article, the written play and the Globe production took a true Elizabethan approach bycasting an all male cast for the production of the Twelfth Night play. The roles of Olivia and Viola in the Trevor Nunn version of the play, showed the audience a female on female homoerotic relationship between Olivia and the actress who played the role of Cesario.
Which was a trait the written version, and the Globe Production, attempted to avoid by making the characters all males.
According to the Bulman article, the all male production and the written version differ from the Trevor Nunn Film because of its comedic effect. The Bulman article explains, Drag is a sly parody of femininity (pg.84). The drag aspect of an all-male cast discussed in the Bulman article involved actors dressing up in drag adding certain comic benefits of drag (pg.84). The all-male comedic aspect of the play is something the Trevor Nunn film version of the play missed with the choice of a traditional cast.
A scene that I believe failed to make its original point because of the traditional casting choice in the Trevor Nunn film version of the play, was the scene where Malvolio addresses Olivia about the letter. He confesses his love in the process and I believe it loses some of it's humor because of the male to female interaction.
A scene that was improved by the casting in the Trevor Nunn film version of the play was the scene where Viola, disguised as Cesario, began to engage in a kiss with Orsino while Feste sang a soft song in the background of the same room.
We men may say more, swear more, but indeed
Our shows are more than will, for still we prove
Much in our vows, but little in our love. (2.4 100-105)
This scene was definitely improved by traditional casting because of how awkward the situation was. It is even relatable because many heterosexual couples have experienced the awkwardness of a third wheel being involved.
If I were in charge of producing a version of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night I would use
continue to use the Elizabethan approach to cast for the play. The reason being is that it is a remarkable experience when so many people are on board with this type of a production. The Bulman article touches on this a bit when it is explained how much more casual and in the norm these types of productions were to people of the era. It was originally supposed to include children, but because of the taboo aspect of the scenes in our westernized day in age, it would never be accepted. Same goes for the ignorance of male to male sexuality. Many viewers of these Shakespearean plays were able to truly connect and relate with these characters to a certain degree. This brings me to modern America, where we can not fully accept the way many people choose to live their lives.
I suppose there are people who would like to see a more traditional approach because of
the way they may view gender identity and sexuality, but I don't see an issue in the latter.
Although a traditional cast does make gender identities easier for first time viewers to
understand, it sacrifices the humor elements in the play that are addressed more directly in an all-
male cast production. The humor in the play would diminish completely if it weren't for the play containing an all male cast, and would seem perplexed and in some parts, unnecessary.
In reference to characters that I would develop better, I would probably have to chose the random towns people throughout the play. They are introduced but have only a small role in the play. While they are trying to commit murder at one point, I feel like that gives them enough of a reason to develop their characters.They provide comedic relief in the play where some might feel uncomfortable in other scenes. This provides a sort of compromise so that it can appeal to a larger audience.
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Twelfth Night Film Essay
Issues of gender identity and alternative sexualities register differently when reading twelfth Night than in viewing the globe production by James Bulman in Bearding the Queen: Male Cross-Dressing at the New Globe. When reading twelfth Night, gender identity and sexuality is used as a concept for self-identity. The way Viola cross-dresses as Cesario helps in showing how much she benefited when she was a woman than when she was a man. Dramatic irony quotes such as A little thing would make me tell them how much I lack of a man (III, IV, 255-6) reoccur throughout the play and is seen as a reminder that the characters have an underlying femininity. Viola goes through a change of identity and just like her name her behavior disrupts the conservative female behavior. She lived in a male authoritative society alone after she lost her brother and father which was hard. However, she works as a male and takes on the male attire, the male dress is seen as practical means of survival although she identifies herself as a female. By cross-dressing Viola replaces herself as male and takes control of her own life.
On the other hand, viewing the globe production by James Bulman in Bearding the Queen: Male Cross-Dressing at the New Globe, issues of gender identity and cross-dressing are seen as performative as opposed to innate (Bulman 75). Gender is seen as a sexual desire and a cultural construct as opposed to just a simple difference in biology. This means that gender is identified by situational behavior and external code of conduct rather than an interior and essential gender identity.
The second way when reading twelfth Night issues of gender identity and sexuality is seen through extra-textual cross-dressing. Gender coherence of characters is seen in a dramatic text and can be displayed through cross-dressing. By using such a character in the text, the character is forced at different times to play the roles of both female and male. Using double entendre and dramatic irony helps to enhance the character's relationship with the readers. The way that Cesario as Viola is resourceful, empathetic and can show different desires when it comes to different characters shows that the representation of the cross-dresser is positive.
Issues of gender identity and alternative sexualities register differently in viewing of the globe production described by James Bulman in Bearding the Queen: Male Cross-Dressing at the New Globe are however different. Cross-dressing is seen as a way of adding comic effect to the play. According to Bulman Drag is a sly parody of femininity (84).This means that the actors are cross-dressed and dressed in drag so as to add what Bulman calls comic benefits of drag (84). Therefore, the play avoids the choice of a traditional cast of the play and also the all-male comedic aspect.
According to James C. Bulman notes, the all-male production differs from a traditional version, in which men play men and women play women as it casts an all-male members for the plays(76). The Elizabethan stage is different from the traditional version where each gender would play their gender roles. This means that it was an all-male cast and wore Elizabethan dress as the male cross-dressed. The Elizabethan stage or an all-male production is a stage where considerable multiplicity and fluidity is seen when it comes to channeling sexual energies.
I agree with Bulman's thesis that a traditional version would not be the same and it would have eliminated the pun and the comic relief of the cross-dressed men. The casting of Viola disguised as the page Cesario is proved to be more acceptable as in the globe performance, the all-male cast acted as an alienating device to identify with sexual desire and gender identity. The audiences were receptive to the gender provocations in a popular venue like the globe which heavily appeals families, tourists and school children.
If I was producing a version of this play, I would you cast it with regards to gender the traditional cast for the play. This is because a traditional casting would is simple and it will appeal to majority of the audiences. By casting male-male and female-female in their true gender, the audiences would have it easy to understand issues of gender identities and alternative sexualities in line of who is male and who is female. However, the traditional casting would have its disadvantages as the element of humor in the play is sacrificed which is addressed in a direct way when an all-male cast is featured.
The main factor which would impact my decision on the type of production would be the type of audience attending the play. Possibly, if the play was to be produced to an audience that is familiar with Shakespeare and Twelfth Night, I would have considered an all-male production. This will help increase the cosmic effect and potential humor throughout the play. Therefore, this means that my choice of casting will depend on the circumstances as well as the audiences involved in the play.
Another way in which the audience would impact my choice of casting is that those who have read or are familiar with Shakespeare and Twelfth Night would embrace the homoerotic undertone during the production. For example, when reading twelfth Night Antonio when talking to Sebastian says that I could not stand behind you. My desire, /more sharp than filed steel, did spur me fourth (3.3.4-5). This way, Antonio and Sebastian's relationship can be seen to be embracing a homoerotic undertone. However, when it comes to the production Antonio can be seen as a mentor and even a care giver to Sebastian. Therefore, first time audiences would have a problem when it comes to identifying the homoerotic nature of Antonio and Sebastian's relationship.
References
Bulman, James C. ""Bearding the Queen: Male Cross-Dressing at the New Globe."" Shakespearean Performance: New Studies (2008): 74-91.
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Twelfth Night. Boston; New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1928. Print.
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Twelfth Night Film Essay. (2019, Jul 29).
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Twelfth Night – Orsino
In William Shakespeare's play, Twelfth Night, Orsino, is a dramatic, moody, love fool that pines away for the stunning Lady Olivia (who wants nothing to do with him) for most of the play but ends up with the beautiful cross-dressing Viola. Orsino is a wealthy bachelor that has the role of power as the Duke of Illyria. He seems lazy and doesn't want to do anything for himself, which, puts emphasis on his class in society.
We get our first look at the Duke in the opening scene and its pretty telling, Shakespeare writes:
If music be the food of love, play on,
Give me excess of it; that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken and so die.
That strain again;it had a dying fall;
O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound,
That breathes upon a bank of violets,
Stealing and giving odor.Enough; no more;
'Tis not so sweet now as it was before. (2)
Orsino commands his musicians to play because the music feeds his desire for love, then interrupts and demands that they stop, saying, Enough; no more / 'Tis not so sweet as it was before (2). This quote tells us that Orsino is dramatic in his words, powerful, self-absorbed, and a bit moody.
Orsino says he's in love with Olivia but there's evidence that he is really not. When he shares his thoughts on when he first saw Olivia, Shakespeare writes, That instant was I turned into a hart; / And my desires, like fell and cruel hounds, / E'er since pursue me (2-3). Orsino said he was turned into a hart (a deer) and he was pursued or hunted by his desires, which were like the hounds. Orsino doesn't imagine Olivia in this pursuit as much as he fixates on the pursuit of himself in the fantasy. Notably, there are a lot of personal pronouns spoken, me, my, and I when the Duke speaks. The Duke is more about himself than Olivia.
In movie, She's the Man, Duke Orsino doesn't even appear in the movie until is well under way. The movie is more Viola/Sebastian driven and Duke has very little lines compared to its Shakespeare counterpart. Duke doesn't come across as dramatic and he is still the love fool who pines away for Olivia. He really puts the fool in love fool because Duke gets tongue-tied, he's bumbling and can't speak more than a couple words when Olivia is in the vicinity.
Viola Hastings is a girl who plays soccer for the Cornwall College team until her team gets cut. Her twin brother, Sebastian, is enrolled at Illyria but skips out when his band gets a gig in London. Viola then decides that she's going to prove that girls are just as good as boys and decides to join the team at Illyria, as her brother Sebastian so she can beat the Cornwall team.
Our first look at Duke in the movie, is when Sebastian/Viola makes her way to the campus of Illyria. Duke is in his dorm room along with his two buddies. They don't take very well to Sebastian and as for first impressions go, Sebastian doesn't make that great of one. Duke is the soccer team's striker and acts as though he is better than Sebastian. Sebastian asks Duke when the soccer tryouts are, and Duke responds, Noon, you play? And gives an incredulous look toward Sebastian. Duke and his buddies make fun of Sebastian.
Duke says he is in love with Olivia in this movie, but is he? Here too, shows evidence that he truly may not be. You must delve a little further into the movie. Duke meets Viola at the school carnival when he buys tickets for the kissing booth, that Olivia is working at. Viola relieves Olivia from her shift right before it would be Duke's turn for the kissing. Olivia leaves much to Duke's dismay but is attracted to Viola and becomes a bumbling mess. Later, Duke and Sebastian are at the gym working out, Duke tells Sebastian that he wants to ask Viola out to dinner but when Olivia decides to try to make Sebastian jealous by asking Duke to dinner, Duke once again bumbling and takes Olivia up on her offer.
Olivia: So do you have plans tonight?
Duke: I'm free...
Duke to Sebastian: I'm going out with Oliviaaaa
Sabastian: I thought you liked Viola?
Duke: Dude, c'mon what would you do?
If Duke truly was in love with Olivia, why did he enjoy kissing Viola so much? The gym scene really shows how fickle Duke is, going from wanting to ask Viola out for dinner to Olivia asking him out for dinner and he so quickly forgets Viola.
In the She's the Man, Duke seems to be less self-absorbed but more sensitive. There are less me's, I's, and mine's. Duke is also there for a little comedic relief. The movie is also very Viola/Sebastian centric. We follow their perspective the entire time and there's very little supporting character story or intervention.
In, Twelfth Night, its central story is the Viola/Sebastian, Orsino, Olivia love triangle, we see more perspectives in the changing of the scenes. The cast of supporting characters have their own side stories going on that are just as entertaining as the main story. It makes the play seem so much larger.
In conclusion, Shakespeare's comedy, Twelfth Night and the light-hearted teen movie She's the Man, have many lessons to be taken away. Be yourself and love is sometimes tragedy.
Cited Works:
Shakespeare, William. Twelfth Night Or What You Will. McAllister Editions, 2015.
She's the Man. Directed by Andy Fickman, written by Ewan Leslie, Karen McCullah Lutz, and Kirsten Smith, performances by Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum, DreamWorks, 2006.
Twelfth Night, or What You Will
Shmoop Editorial Team - https://www.shmoop.com/twelfth-night/
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Gender in “Twelfth Night”
In Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night, we are introduced to romantic comedy and romantic play as one of the main focuses. Even though this play has a happy ending resulting in the various lovers finding one another and getting married. Shakespeare shows us that this play is also a story of homoerotisism. In this analytical essay I will be focusing on the gender roles in this play and how gender causes a sexual mess between characters. It is argued that William Shakespeare was bisexual himself (an analysis of his sonnet 18) which could possibly tie into the reasoning for this theme in Twelfth Night. More than any other Shakespearean play, the characters in Twelfth Night display a remarkable degree of gender and sexual ambiguity.
Twelfth Night self-consciously creates humor and enjoyment for the audience out of the possibility of same sex attraction. In Twelfth Night we see how Viola dresses as the male Cesario to try and get into Orsino's court. During the Elizabethan period women were not allowed to act professionally, and female parts were often performed by men, So Viola would have actually been a male actor dressing as a woman who was dressing as a man. The casting for this would have been a younger male who had feminine like features due to the fact that Cesario had very feminine features
Gender is one of the most obvious and much-discussed topics in the play. This could be argued by people that Twelfth Night is one of Shakespeare's so-called transvestite comedy plays because a female is disguising herself as a man. Which as a result causes a very very rough sexual mess between the characters. We see Viola falling in love with Orsino, but she can't say anything about it because she is supposed to be a man. Orsino is in love with Olivia, which turns to Olivia falling for Viola who is disguised as Cesario. Which over the course of reading this play opens up the homoerotic subtext in the play, which is you didn't guess is Olivia falling in love with a woman (even if she thinks that Viola is a man). Something else that is brought to our attention is the fact that Orsino is constantly talking about Cesario's beauty which suggests to the reader that he could be attracted to Viola eben before her male disguise is taken off. This homoeroticism is also echoed in the minor character Antonio who is very, very clearly in love with Sebastien.
Even at the end of the play we are left in a fog of confusion especially focusing in the relationship of Orsino and Viola. I believe that when Orsino declares his love for Viola it suggests that hr likes to prolong the pretense of Violas masculinity. This is even after the fact that he knows about Viola being a woman he says to her Boy, thou hast said to mr a thousand times / Thou never should'st love woman like me (V.i. 260-261) He also then says in his last few lines is Orcino declares Cesario, come- / For so you shall be while you are a man; / But when in other habits you are seen. / Orsino's mistress, and his fancy's queen (V.i. 372-375) . This shows us that even when everything is out in the open, Orsino continues to address Viola by her male name of Cesario. We can only wonder if Orsino is really in love with Viola it is he is more interested in her male persona.
Viola was able to shed the societal expectations by disguising herself as a man. In the article written by Casey Charles it states that this theme of same sex is neither a uncomplicated promotion of a modern category of sexual orientation nor, from a more traditional perspective, as an ultimately contained representation of the licensed misrule of saturnalia. In Twelfth Night the representation of homoerotic attractions functions rather as a means of dramatizing the socially constructed basis of a sexuality that is determined by gender identity. Within the context of early modern theatrical culture, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night functions as a dramatic critique of the ideal norm of imperative heterosexuality in three interrelated ways. First, the effects of Viola's cross-dressing point to the socially constructed nature of gender in Shakespeare's play. Secondly, Shakespeare's drama interrogates the exclusionary nature of the constructed categories of sex and challenges the symbolic hegemony of heterosexuality by producing representations or ""citations"" of same-sex love between Viola and Olivia as well as Antonio and Sebastian. Lastly, I will argue that the final act, through a series of improbable turns of plot and phrase, exposes the failure of heterosexual ""regimes ever fully to legislate or contain their own ideals.""
The homoerotic element of the play, while troubling and disruptive in its dramatic development, may not have the power in this final scene to overcome fully the symbolic dictates of compulsory heterosexuality, at least from a perspective of formal kinship relations. Yet even if homoeroticism triumphed in Twelfth Night and Viola walked off stage arm-in-arm with Olivia and Sebastian with Antonio, the problems of the irrationality of desire and the instability of identity would not vanish. Desire is not erased by the successful disruption of gender boundaries; it continues to haunt the subject despite the performance of the most fantastic of love's imaginings. Yet the interminable nature of desire and the fantasies of love that are desire's dialectical counterpart serve as important catalysts for the subversion and displacement ""of those naturalized and reified notions of gender that support masculine hegemony and heterosexist power"" through strategies of gender trouble. The play stresses that gender is something that can be influenced or that one can influence based on how you act, rather than something you are based on the genitalia you are born with.
In conclusion the theme of gender relations in Twelfth Night is seen because even in culture today men and women are treated differently based on their genders no matter the type of person they are inside or attitude wise. The theme of gender in Twelfth Night allows the readers to see that nothing can stop how a person feels for someone else. This taboo idea of same sex relationships have been frowned upon from the beginning of time and it is only till recently that they are beginning to be accepted even a little bit. Shakespeare is opening that can of demons that are still affecting many people in the LGBT community today, only difference is today we are making the change, people are dressing freely the same as they are loving freely and nothing will stop that. Shakespeare's legacy continues to influence the modern culture because his plays were based on themes that any person reading them can easily relate to, and continue to relate to even till this day. Shakespeare's universal themes will always be talked about in every generation for many years to come.
References:
Charles, Casey. Gender Trouble in 'Twelfth Night.' Theatre Journal, vol. 49, no. 2, 1997, pp. 121“141. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3208678.
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Twelfth Night. Boston ; New York :Houghton Mifflin, 1928. Print.
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Homosexuality in “Twelfth Night”
In modern society, homosexuality is a highly controversial topic. While nations are making progress towards equal rights, seventy-three countries still view same-sex relations as illegal. However, today's society is far more progressive than Medieval England where homosexuality was strictly frowned upon by law, and perpetrators received a wide variety of severe punishments, ranging from exile to the death sentence. Even though society was against the idea of homosexuality, Shakespeare explores the concept that homosexuality is not morally incorrect and it is an innate characteristic that one does not choose; instead, it is a characteristic that you are born with and discover about yourself as time goes on. Critics of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, such as Jami Ake in her article Glimpsing a 'Lesbian' Poetics in Twelfth Night, often focus on the prevalence of homosexual relations between characters in this post-Renaissance time period. Her argument that homoerotic relations are prevalent in Twelfth Night is corroborated by the relationships of Duke Orsino and Cesario as well as Viola and Olivia. Shakespeare's Twelfth Night uses dramatic irony, imagery, and characterization to suggest that homosexuality is not morally incorrect.
In this play, Duke Orsino falls in love with Olivia but she swears off men while she is mourning the loss of her brother. Viola, who disguises herself as a man, Cesario, starts to work at Orsino's house. While serving the Duke, Viola falls in love with him but can't pursue the love because Orsino believes that she is a man. Orsino and Viola become closer and Orsino confides in Viola to take love messages to Olivia. However, Olivia, who has sworn off men, falls for Viola, who she thinks is Cesario. In the end, Olivia ends up marrying Sebastian, Viola's twin brother and Orsino marries Viola, after finding out that she was disguised as Cesario the whole time.
Duke Orsino and Cesario's relationship clearly depicts homoeroticity in the play. By rejecting Olivia, Viola shows her desire for the Duke, stating State is only desperate for her master's love. This quotation depicts that Viola is interested in Orsino. In the other side, Orsino also develops feelings for Viola, who is disguised as Cesario. The Duke gives Cesario the important job of wooing Olivia on his behalf. He trusts Cesario with persuading Olivia to love the Duke which shows how close they had gotten. In this letter, Duke Orsino states:
Dear lad, believe it;
For they shall yet belie thy happy years
That say thou art a man. Diana's lip
Is not more smooth and rubious, thy small pipe
Is as the maiden's organ, shrill and sound,
And all is semblative a woman's part. (1.5.32-37)
In this letter, Orsino shows how he truly views Cesario and how he is attracted to him. While it is true that straight people can find characteristics of people with the same gender attractive, they usually don't gush about it. Orsino illustrates how he finds Cesario's lips more rubious and smooth than Diana's and how his features are semblative [of] a woman's part. The descriptions he uses to describe Cesario shows the romantic and sexual tension he feels for Cesario. Orsino is attracted to aspects of Cesario.
While it is evident that Orsino has feelings for Cesario throughout the play, his love only becomes open when he discovers Cesario is of the opposite gender. His attraction for Cesario becomes clear in Act V when he finds out that Cesario is, in fact, Viola. After Viola's identity is displayed, it is still evident that Orsino has an erotic interest in Cesario because he continues to refer to her as Cesario.
Cesario, come;
For so you shall be, while you are a man;
But when in other habits you are seen,
Orsino's mistress and his fancy's queen (5.1.30).
Even after Cesario comes out as Viola, Orsino still refers to her as Cesario. This proves that he is more comfortable with Cesario than Viola and makes it unclear who he is truly attracted to. Before Viola's identity was revealed, Orsino didn't openly convey his feelings because he was scared of society. When he found out that Cesario was a female, it gave him permission to be attracted to Cesario without society's criticism. This proves that Orsino loves the boy in Cesario more than the woman in Viola.
In addition to Duke Orsino and Cesario, Olivia and Viola also depict homosexuality and homoeroticism. Even though Olivia had plans to reject off men for several years while she was mourning the death of her brother, she is still attracted to Cesario.
Thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs, actions and spirit,
Do give thee five-fold blazon: not too fast: soft, soft!
Unless the master were the man. How now!
Even so quickly may one catch the plague (1.5.48)?
Olivia is attracted to Cesario's feminine features, especially thy tongue, thy face, thy limbs. In Act II, Malvolio delivers a ring to Cesario on behalf of Olivia, showing that Olivia had fallen in love with Cesario. In the end, Olivia marries Sebastian, thinking that he is Cesario, when he is in fact Viola's twin brother.
Both couples demonstrate homosexuality and homoeroticism in Twelfth Night. Orsino is attracted to Cesario but refrains from expressing his feelings openly until he finds out that Cesario is actually a female, Viola. AfterViola's true identity is revealed, Orsino is more comfortable with expressing his true feelings but still refers to her as Cesario, showing that he fell in love with Cesario not Viola. Furthermore, Olivia shows this pull towards someone of the same sex. From the way Olivia describes Cesario's features, it is evident that Olivia is attracted to the physical and emotional qualities of Viola rather than Orsino's masculine qualities. While medical society was against the idea of homosexuality, Shakespeare effectively portraits that having relations with someone of the same sex is not a crime. His risk in writing this play in contrast to society's beliefs shows that he was a more open thinker and ahead of his time. It's possible that other plays of Shakespeare's show this progressive idea as well as others.
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