Dear class/Professor Burton,

This class has changed the way I think.

And I love school for that reason.

Thanks to my fellow students. You guys are awesome. It was great to learn your stories.

Thanks to Professor Burton. You are truly a genius.

Thanks to the tech people. The world is changing. And I'm glad I could take part.

Thanks to Shakespeare: I hope there is always room for you on my stage of life.

It's been real. It's been fun. It's been real fun.

Until next time, chloe-michelle

Dear Sarah,

I'M SORRY! It's like 45 minutes before the final presentation and I'm just getting this up. Totally my bad!

1. Gain “Shakespeare Literacy.”
   Demonstrate mastery over fundamental information about Shakespeare’s works, life, and legacy
• Breadth
• Depth  After math of class
• Performance Lear on Film/Fun with IMDB To Be CRAZY or Not to Be CRAZY! Happy Monday?
• Legacy :) Awesome Shakespeare goes to devotional Oh the things you can find on the internet.... OH! I forgot: 
2. Analyze Shakespeare Critically
   Interpret Shakespeare’s works critically in their written form, in performance (stage or screen) and in digitally mediated transformations. This includes
• Textual analysis (theme, language, formal devices) Themes for our Lost Play Levels of Thematic Analysis: for our would-be-play Lear. King Lear.
• Contextual analysis (historical, contemporary, cultural) 
• Application of literary theories BREIF Life-Theme-Analysis of the Tempest!
• Analysis of digital mediations I FREAKING LOVE SHAKESPEARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think I'm 4 years old at heart...
3. Engage Shakespeare Creatively
• Performance (memorization, recitation, scene on stage or video)
• Individual creative work (literary imitation, art, music, etc.)READ DESCRIPTION BEFORE YOU WATCH THE VIDEO
• Collaborative creative project Project Idea #2 Project Idea #1 (Because this is still the best)
4. Share Shakespeare MeaningfullyThis includes engaging in the following:
• Formal Writing. Develop and communicate your ideas about Shakespeare clearly in formal and researched writing.Well THAT wasn't so bad.
• Informal Writing. This mainly means through regular online writing
• Connecting. Share one’s learning and creative work with others both in and outside of class. Shakespeare goes to Psych class
5. Gain Digital Literacy
   Students use their study of Shakespeare as a way of understanding and developing fluency in 21st century learning skills and computer-mediated modes of communication. Those skills are grouped under the following categories.
1. Consume - Effective and independent selecting, searching, researching, woa
2. Create - Producing content that demonstrates learning and which can be shared for others to profit from. Chosen quote from M.o.Venice
3. Connect - Engage with other learners within and outside of the class to develop thinking and share more formal work The Tempest

That's about it, Thanks Sarah!

.....Almost there

I made a video for Shakespeare class!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   aaaaannnnnnnndddddddd now I can't figure out how to upload it. Great.......... :(

:) Awesome

Shakespeare. Hip hop. TED talks. 3 of my most favoritest things in one place. :) You wouldn't believe the things you can find on the internet.

http://www.nosweatshakespeare.com/blog/hip-hop-shakespeare/

READ DESCRIPTION BEFORE YOU WATCH THE VIDEO

Ok. So I may or may not have been a dancer in high school.

I may or may not have kept away from dancing since then.

This may or may not be a terrible representation of what I'm going for here......but.......

Here's what I think. I think Sarah had a BEAUTIFUL idea. I think everyone has their own story to tell. I think everyone has their own interpretation of Shakespeare. And I think we should play off that idea. This is Shakespeare to me:

In our lost play, William the Conqueror pretends like he's a super nice guy, but his heart is evil. He goes into battle with arrogance...then loses. So he's humbled. And then he sets off for the next battle. There's this scene. Where he is totally and completely confused. Contradicted. Humbled. Saddened. 

this. is. my. interpretation.

Well THAT wasn't so bad.

I've been dreading taking a stab at iambic pentameter since Professor Burton announced it in class. It's taken me 6 days, and finally here I am, writing. And you know what I discovered? I'm actually enjoying this! I know, right? Madness.

I began to think, "Well, this isn't so hard. If I had all the time in the world, I could write whole plays in this dang rhythm too." So my random thought of the day is: maybe Shakespeare was a wonder to the world not because he could write, but because somehow, someway, he made us remember him. Maybe there have been forty-thousand other people since his time that could write as well as he could, but for some reason we acknowledge him. :) Hope that one made you think. :)

So here is my attempt at Shakespeare-style-writing.Shakespeare might be laughing at me right now. *Disclaimer: I don't presume to elevate my work to Shakespeare's level. I'm not saying I'm good at this. I'm just saying it was easier than I thought. :) Just to clarify.*

So I decided to pick a scene from the end of Act 3. I imagined a scene much like Henry V on the eve of battle. Kind of a self-defining, cause-promoting speech. :) Happy blogging.

This night, a lightened deep, a forest sweep

Here to my eyes comes swiftly through my glass.

Where once a fogged and blinded mind did seek,

Tremendous fires have now refinéd me.

For those in flames and those with sword did strike

A new man did they mold and form of me.

Now darkness of thus forest seems to know

The trouble of heart burdens that do rest

On simple matter nigh, yet every piece.

And seems to make a mock of me tonight

As I hence leave behind dark glory days,

To be the man I once was held to know.

Themes for our Lost Play

So this post is going off my previous post: just applying to our play now.

Level 1
History. Done.

Level 2
I think our authorial intent should be focused around human nature. If we have a very serious connotation in the storyline it self, as with Henry V, we can use the events to shape our within-play themes. I think the focus should be on the actions of William, aka the Battle of Hastings. His character and the "life morals" will come through easiest that way.

Level 3
Theme within should defiantly be about good vs. evil. Mostly off Katie's question about William being the villain or the "good guy." I think the play would be SUPER interesting if we make him a bad guy. We can talk about human nature and want for power/influence. We could then use Nickson's idea about "the grateful hyena." In class we talked about the climbing action of the plot being a lost battle...and perhaps he learns something and then goes for Hastings....but that would make him a good guy.....hhhmmmm. Anyway, we could do a lot with good vs. evil.

Level 4
Thematic analysis for this play would most definitely be manifest through the events on William's "timeline." What about divine right? Appearing good (perhaps to his subjects/army), but "evil" at heart? Cruelty to subjects? Even just the theme of war? That might be really cool...

We will DEFINITELY need to touch on the subject of tragic flaw. Power would be a sweet one just because of his reputation...but...we'll see.

Shakespeare goes to devotional

Did you catch the Shakespeare reference in devotional this morning?
"Pottage by any other name is still pottage."

:) Man, Professor was right. Shakespeare IS everywhere.

Fear

Love's Labour's Lost is not on No Fear Shakespeare. Needless to say, I'm fearing.
 #sparknoteproblems

woa

Check it out. This is tiled "Shakespeare's Plays." Interesting, huh?

Levels of Thematic Analysis: for our would-be-play

Ok first I just wanted to start with the basics. AKA check out what I found on Wikipedia. :)

Classification of the plays

In the late 19th century, Edward Dowden classified four of the late comedies as romances, and though many scholars prefer to call them tragicomedies, his term is often used.^[190] These plays and the associated Two Noble Kinsmen are marked with an asterisk (*) below. In 1896,Frederick S. Boas coined the term "problem plays" to describe four plays: All's Well That Ends Well, Measure for Measure, Troilus and Cressida and Hamlet.^[191] "Dramas as singular in theme and temper cannot be strictly called comedies or tragedies", he wrote. "We may therefore borrow a convenient phrase from the theatre of today and class them together as Shakespeare's problem plays."^[192] The term, much debated and sometimes applied to other plays, remains in use, though Hamlet is definitively classed as a tragedy.^[193] The other problem plays are marked below with a double dagger (‡).Shakespeare's works include the 36 plays printed in the First Folio of 1623, listed below according to their folio classification as comedies,histories and tragedies.^[188] Two plays not included in the First Folio, The Two Noble Kinsmen and Pericles, Prince of Tyre, are now accepted as part of the canon, with scholars agreed that Shakespeare made a major contribution to their composition.^[189] No Shakespearean poems were included in the First Folio.

Plays thought to be only partly written by Shakespeare are marked with a dagger (†) below. Other works occasionally attributed to him are listed as apocrypha.

Level 1

:) So there you have it. Once we find our would-be-play's genre....the theme(s) will be a bit more difficult.

Level 2

Obviously, there can are multiple ways to analyze each play; you can analyze and re-analyze authorial intent. So if we wanted to use this for our intent, we could try taking a Shakespearian play and changing the intent. For example, if you play off the fact that Romeo and Juliet were only acquainted for a single day, Romeo & Juliet could be a comedy: making fun of young, rash love. Just an idea...

• Unmerited but super cool site: http://shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/sonnetanalyze.html

Level 3

We might think about manipulating the theme within the play. Say you turn Merchant of Venice from a tale of forgiveness to a moral debate about justice/mercy. Totally different outcome, yeah?

• What Sparknotes has to say: http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/merchant/themes.html

Level 4

Thematic Analysis across plays. Much much harder. This takes a true Shakespeare whizz. I think this is adds AND takes away some of the reasoning behind people "finding new Shakespeare plays" or why some people "think this-or-that play doesn't belong to Shakespeare." Because Shakespeare definitely has themes across his plays...but could we nail them enough to make our would-be-play believable? .....not sure about that one.

• Check out the "Contents" pages of this book. Impressive. http://books.google.com/books?id=hjejOqMvUxsC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

Like my previous post about Anonymous suggested: we have the capacity to take something and make it our own! Ready...GO!

I FREAKING LOVE SHAKESPEARE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So this weekend I saw Anonymous (Could you tell?). Went into it a little skeptical. #1 Because some people's theories on the "true" writer of Shakespeare's plays = weird   #2 Because I love Shakespeare and didn't want my world tainted. And then:

IT JUST SO HAPPENED TO BE THE BEST MOVIE OF ALL FREAKING TIME!!!!!!!!

Ok. Fine. Not literally. But seriously it was probably in my top 5. SO SO GOOD! His signature may or may not be my desktop background right now. May or may not have already bought the movie...

Costuming
Win. All around. Every single outfit was designed for the character. They enhanced their personalities as well as showed general trends like social rank and situation.

Overall Setting
INTENSE! I seriously only noticed the music a few times because it went so well with the atmosphere. The movie was...I almost said dark, but it wasn't. It was just intense. Plot was fairly easy to follow but still made you think. AKA the scenes all made sense and flowed together really well, but the plot was intense enough to keep you engaged the whole time. AKA I felt like I was IN OLD ENGLAND! I seriously am going to make it to the Globe theatre someday. The movie made me feel like I was actually walking the streets and looking up at the Tower of London and standing on the floor section of the Globe. Some-freaking-day.

Characters
Well thought out. Especially Queen Elizabeth. Capturing such a complex women must have been the result of much thought.

Conspiracy Theory
The promotional posters for this play included the caption "Was Shakespeare a fraud?" I don't like that one bit. That's not an accurate portrayal of the movie AT ALL. It wasn't about Shakespeare being fake, it was about Shakespeare being REAL! It basically took a bunch of facts and made a story underneath all those facts. Make sense? Well...I hope so. It was a cool way to just look at Shakespeare in a new light. For example, it portrayed an intimate relationship between "Shakespeare" and Queen Elizabeth. Which isn't that big of a deal, right? WRONG! It makes so much sense: if the queen was a supporter, encourager, and lover of the theatre, it makes sense that her time period was so obsessed with these revolutionary plays and ideas that came from the Renaissance Era. Definitely doing more research on this one.

Left you wondering
There was a mystery about the play that made you take in everything....and yet.....left you wondering if anything was true. It was a truly unique feeling that I think gives validity to any "good" movie. If the writers can make you believe that somehow, somewhere, this might be true...they did a pretty dang good job at making their movie credible. (#harrypotter)
I found a cool blog about this girl who was left similarly interested: http://shakespearebyanothername.blogspot.com/

Left you pondering
My favorite favorite favorite thing about this movie was the feeling of pride I was left with. It is my personal, bias, and un-researched opinion that "humanities" is dying in today's world. No respect: When I go to the symphony, I'm surprised at the amount of people in jeans-and-a-t-shirt. Art museums are not exactly what you'd call a "hot spot." Our generation knows way too little about classical music. Plays are dying. Why does no one care about the fine arts anymore? 
So this movie reminded me...well...basically it reminded me why I love the fine arts. Because they are beautiful.  Because they leave people feeling whole. Because they have something to say.

Ben Jonson: Politics? My play has nothing to do with politics. I-i-i-it's just a simple comedy. 
Earl of Oxford: It showed your betters as fools who'd go through life barely managing to get food from plate to mouth were it not for the cleverness of their servants. All art is political, Jonson, otherwise it would just be decoration. And all artists have something to say, otherwise they'd make shoes. And you are not a cobbler, are you Jonson. 


Prologue: Though our story is at an end, our poet's is not; for his monument is everliving. Not of stone but of verse. And it shall be remembered. As long as words are made of breath. And breath of life. 
           I thought this was a super nice/fitting tribute to Shakespeare's name. :)




Shakespeare does it again. 400+ years later. 

Project Idea #2

READ THIS: (caution: slightly bad language. silly people. stop swearing.) http://www.collegehumor.com/article/5971108/omg-wwii-on-facebook

I found this a while back and I think it's just GENIUS! I LOVE the way a classic thing can be "translated" into our 21-century-pop-culture ways. It's so subtle but so so so good. Like the whole "Japan poked USSR." There is so much context in that one little phrase, because we all know what is REALLY happening, you know?

Well, I was thinking...what if we did this from a Shakespeare play. It would take some serious coordination and thought...but I think it would be really cool!!!!!!

Project Idea #1 (Because this is still the best)

Ok, I'm sticking to my guns here. I REALLY want to do that "pitch a Shakespeare movie" idea. It would just be great!!!!!!!!!!

Costumes
Music
Story board
Casting

I think with all the variety in the class we could pull of something REALLY cool...Plus, It would be so much more creative than just a short film. I think I've made one too many cheap-and-not-enough-time-and-effort-student-made-films in my life time...I say we try to avoid that one...Anyone else?

Lear. King Lear.

Main characters. Psych major. Gotta rant. Really sassy. Had fun. I sorry.................

Lear--Ok before anything else, I think it's LEGIT that Professor Burton named his son after King Lear. I think if I were a boy, I would so want that to be my name. Plus, I was reflecting on the legacy that would leave for him. And the more I started thinking...Lear is pretty awesome. I mean, yeah, he's probably a bit senile. Ok a lot a bit...but I think Shakespeare is able to do a lot with the Lear character. Mostly the idea that we are all imperfect and we all lose sight of the things we should really appreciate. Lear is HUMAN and I like that Shakespeare reminds me of that. Not all things are fairytales. Sometimes, life is about CHOICE!

• Evidence: uuummmmm I can't find the quote I want at the moment. I'll get back to you, Lear.

Cordelia--Poor girl? Not exactly......She at least could have told the old man she loved him. What's with this "I only love you according to our bond" crap? She makes herself sound like she doesn't love him at all. She could have played a better card...like an "You know how much I love you so I'm not going to say it" card. Which obviously she shouldn't have to say since she shows it, but come on, girl. Give your poor father a break. If you love him as much as every reader thinks you do, haven't you seen him start to loose it? I mean you don't have to be obnoxious and deceitful like the two evil stepsisters you got there, but honestly: can't you just tell the poor guy you love him?

• Evidence: "Unhappy that I am, I cannot heave my heart into my mouth: I love your majesty according to my bond; nor more nor less."       - I.i.

Goneril and Regan--can I just name them the two evil stepsisters and call it a day? Watch Cinderella. You'll get it. Well...I mean...I guess I can't blame them too much. It'd be pretty......uummm......annoying to have a senile man living in your house....it's never happened to me before...but HONESTLY people. It's your own father! Let him keep his 100 servants on his side of your freaking castle and let the poor guy rest. You don't even have to talk to him.

Gloucester--I got nothin bad to say about you. You're just a nice guy. Thanks for introducing me to the theme of blindness in the play. Really quite cool...but I'm sorry about the eyes. You'll be happy to know there is a town in Massachusetts that bears your name. Known for it's fishing and resort center. Wonder who was thinking when they named THAT one. Thought you might be interested...

Kent--Wow. Hello loyalty. Way to go, dude.

Albany--Hey. Way to stick up for father-in-law there. You're a nice person too.

Cornwall--Dude. CHILL! Why you so angry all the time.


:) Well, I hope you enjoyed my complete and unnecessary SASS!.......but I don't feel THAT bad...because these are fictional characters. I'm hoping to expand on this post later but I REALLY gotta go do my Psych homework. :) Thanks for listening.

After math of class

So, like I said, I read King Lear in high school...

So, I go to class on Wednesday thinking I own the place, right?

So, I was wrong. When Professor Burton talked about Lear being senile and how a-king-giving-up-his-kingdom-before-he-is-dead should be a sign that something is already amiss...yeah...

MIND BLOWN!

So, I kinda re-thought the entire play.

So, Shakespeare (and Professor) does it again. Blowing the minds of college students again...and again...and again...

Lear on Film/Fun with IMDB

Ok first of all, I read King Lear my senior year of high school. . . ok so I kinda half read it/half read the NoFear version...but still! I more or less enjoy the play, even then. Pretty overall decent storyline. Shakespeare does it again.

Except, my image of the play is slightly tainted by the Michael Elliot movie. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0148376/  It was a pretty dark movie........which works, I guess, because it's a tragedy. I thought the movie was relatively good...but it was two years ago...but I think I'm still a little bitter toward this play because the gorging-Gloucester's-eyes-out scene was SUPER graphic. Ew. Other than that they do a pretty good job with it...if you are interested in watching a film version of it. Here's a clip of the end, if you wanted to get a sense of the darkness I was talking about:

I guess that's why I was a bit surprised when Professor Burton said he hadn't seen any versions he super liked yet. Perhaps we're in luck: congrats to Hollywood. A new version of King Lear is supposedly on it's way. We'll see if Professor Burton likes this one. :) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1371129/

Also, the kept thinking I knew the actor that played Lear. It was drivin' me crazy because I knew the other movie he did was GREAT. Then I remembered: It wasn't the same guy at all. It was Patrick Godfrey, the actor that plays Leonardo in Ever After. So I stalked him on IMDB, obviously, and found out that he actually IS in a Shakespeare play: Love's Labour's Lost. The movie. Of the Globe Theatre Version. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1710580/ THAT SOUNDS LIKE MY DREAM. *Sigh* Someday I'll make it to London. For now...I might just go see that movie...and until then...I guess BYU's production will have to be enough. *hehe*

Google Doc Link for Projects:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15Fkj4kBlzVvETc-hbKqO1g5fgyaSxR-juv9ykgw7ito/edit

Yup. That's pretty much it. Let me know if it doesn't work.

Oh the things you can find on the internet....

It was just too classic. I had to share.

To Be CRAZY or Not to Be CRAZY!

Talk about frustrating. Typed up all my notes about Hamlet as a draft. Then threw my notes away. Then draft didn't save. All Hamlet notes gone. LLAAMMEE!!!!! So here's at least what I remember:

I had quotes memorized that I didn't even know I had memorized. Wow. Impressive, Shakespeare. Way to change my world... subconsciously.

• "To be or not to be?"
• "What is a man?"
• "Are you honest?"

So I actually got the chance to watch the Kenneth Branugh's Hamlet. Movie party with Austen and Katie? Successful. Surprisingly interesting. Here are some funny quotes you missed:

• "This movie is 4 hours long???? Bummer. My attention span is about a half an hour."     -Austen
• "He's crazy."    "Are not we all?"      -Austen's roommates. We'll make Shakespearians out of them yet.
• After the 3 minute long nudity flashback: "Wwwhhhhaaaaaaaaaattt????????"      -Katie and Chloe'
• "What's with the black and white checkered room?"    "It represents the conflict in the play."    -AWESOMELY deep quote by Katie. I really hope you blog about that, girl.
• "Who is that?"      "The dead guy?"      "No, not that dead guy. The fresh dead guy."     -Austen

Ok ok. So Im a psych major. The whole "crazy" phenomenon had my mind goin' the whole time. It was driving me CRAZY. It was pretty cool to think about the falsities and the reasons associated with that theory. Here's my own brief analysis:

• Hamlet. NOT CRAZY!
• TOTALLY acting. His way of reasoning is way too brilliant to be out of his mind. The way he contemplates his life and his reasoning in Act 4, Scene 4 was SO cool. Defiantly faking.
• Plus, in both movies (Kenneth's and Mel Gibson version) they show Hamlet as being completely aware of the presence of Polonius and his parents in the confrontation of Ophelia scene. He's putting on a show for them. He's angry at Ophelia for giving up their love for her father's sake

• Ophelia. CRAZY!
• Maybe I'm biased (because, again, I've seen both the movies), but the scene with Ophelia's ranting song about the flowers???? Way too random. Especially in contrast with Hamlet, who has a purpose.
• Then again, if my lover just killed my father, acted insane, then threw me around a checkered room...I'd probably go crazy too. Can you blame the girl? 
• The whole "she fell in the stream, tried to save herself, and then her dress made her sink" quote from Gertrude in IV.vii.175? I don't buy it. "Incapable of her own distress"? Yes ma'am.

• I'm convinced they were really in love, by the way. There are even several references to the idea that Ophelia might be pregnant. 

Ophelia Syndrome
Pretty interesting...for me, that is. This article does a wonderful job of explaining things: BYU Magazine: Ophelia
Oh. and p.s. if you Google "Ophelia Syndrome," the results send you to a band's main page. Silly name for a band, guys. I guess Shakespeare IS everywhere. I bet Professor Burton would be proud.


Side note: why the gloomy burial scene? Ophelia was practically the princess of the castle. EVERYONE loved her. Why couldn't her grave be somewhere more fit for her loveliness?

I thought I caught a hint of forgiveness in the final moments of Hamlet's life. Was I imagining that?
p.s. I hope I have that much energy/important things to say when I'm writhing/dying on the ground.

I think I'm 4 years old at heart...

...because that play was the best thing EVER!!!!

Captivating. That's really all I can say about Merchant of Venice. I loved everything about it!

Mostly the theme of   timelessness.

The costumes really brought that out for me. I feel like a lot of casts (at least the ones I've seen portrayed academically) wear black. I assume it's mostly due to lack of budget, but I think the black outfits cast a dark dimension to the Shakespearian wonders. With MoVenice, though, the costumes actually enhanced the play. The top hat and the dress shirt of Antonia made me more captivated to the story. Although vivid and wonderful, the costumes were not distracting. This play could have been set anytime, anywhere.


Which leads me to my next point: I love the universality they chose. Although the message of religious prejudice/conflict was lost, the idea that we, as the audience, could imagine this play anywhere, made it easier to pull the "life themes" out. Suddenly I found myself focusing on "mercy can satisfy the demands of justice" rather than "look at the Christian and the Jew fighting." Don't get me wrong, there is much to be learned in that perspective too...but the timelessness was just too apparent to ignore.


I loved the audience participation. There was something about the add libbing (and the actor's REMEMBRANCE of using the add lib in the story) that made it so.......real? I was actually listening for slip ups. After all, BYU theatre has a good reputation. Just because it was a Young Company production didn't mean they could go-a-slackin' on the job. I was impressed. They're GOOD. I think I heard only one. A "Venice" instead of a purple-what-ever-we-chose.

Listen, I'm no drama fanatic...but if you ask me, that acting was GOOD STUFF!!!!!!!!!! I dunno. What do you think, Kent? You've had experience...and I only had 9th grade theatre class where we couldn't speak coherently, let alone act...but STILL! I LOVE THEATRE and I feel like I've seen a decent amount of plays to know that those actors were sincere. Their lines came from serious and deliberate character reflection...What else distracts from timelessness like bad acting...am I right?

Segwaying right along: ANTONIA!!!!! I first heard the main role would be played by a girl before the play even started. All I could think was, "Oh great. If Kent hated LibriVox version of woman-plays-male-role, this is going to be interesting..." However, BYU-Theatre does it again. (Can I just say I love our Performing Arts here? Time and time again they deliver. No where else in the world. I swear...) Katie Jarvis was phenomenal. I think I'm going to carry her around in my pocket with me and let her read all the Antonia parts whenever i re-read the play. I never pictured Antonio being so...animated? She was so much of a classic character, I found myself wanting to listen to her more. Which is interesting for this play because I thought a lot of it was centered around Shylock. I'd never really focused on him that much before. Kinda cool...

The kids! What a way to change things up! I talked to Professor Burton afterwards and he said he actually saw it twice. He commented that the kids in the previous show's performance had a bit more attitude/excitement in their roles. I thought the kids in Saturday's version were a bit timid. (Can you blame them?) I guess nothing adds to timelessness like the innocence of children's character.

LOOK HOW MUCH DIFFERENCE THEIR COSTUMES MAKE!!!!!!!!
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FEEL!

OH! I forgot:

Here are some things I found in relation to my previous post:

According to the English Phrase Finder: Shakespeare COINED the phrase "love is blind." Cool. I never knew. Supposedly, it appears in Two Gentlemen of Verona and Henry V as well. Three points for Team Shakespeare.
Also, this quote was included on that cite:
Modern-day research supports the view that the blindness of love is not just a figurative matter. A research study in 2004 by University College London found that feelings of love suppressed the activity of the areas of the brain that control critical thought.


HEH HEH! Psych Experiments for the win! Except I feel like that kind of goes AGAINST my previously posted portrayal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .hhmmm. . . . . . . .oh well. :)

Chosen quote from M.o.Venice

But love is blind, and lovers cannot see

The pretty follies that themselves commit.

                              -IV.xi.41-42

ATTENTION: The following is a matter of personal opinion, based off previous observations. This is NOT the end-all-be-all explanation. :) Just keep that in mind.

Love. Wow. What an intense subject. Mostly because I feel like love is very different to every person. Specifically, every relationship. Not even just romantic relationships, but all love.

I do concur. Love IS blind. But not necessarily in a bad way. I think that the cliché, pessimistic interpretation of this quote is: "people who are in love do dumb things." And while it may be true that as soon as a loved one enters your life, suddenly everything in the world seems to center on them...I don't think that's what "love is blind" means. 

Rather, I view it more of "love MAKES you blind." To the faults of your lover. When you're in love, the world seems to be perfect...THEY seem to be perfect. You don't recognize all their flaws because--(here is the important part: )--you choose not to. When you're in love, you have the best attitude. You're always on your best behavior. You don't read into the little things that come up because you are so busy focusing on all their...awesomeness! 

And sometimes, that goes away. "Why?" you may ask. Well..........hhmmm......I can't speak from experience because I've never been married: but all that I've heard in my 19.75 years of living says that people "fall out of love" because they STOP choosing. Stop thinking that their love is amazing. They start focusing on the negative things, and of course we've all heard a billion times, "That which you focus on will increase."

Side note: This in no way relates to divorce. OR marriage. That's an entire subject of it's own. All I'm saying is that I think love means that you see a person in a good light. Because EVERYONE has flaws. You choose to love someone, even a best friend, because you prefer them.  You love them as a whole-person-package. You like the things you DO see. Even the flaws. You look beyond those. To love. Commitment or divorce is a very different thing: we're just talking about love. Deep, raw, love. 

Then again, I don't believe it's entirely a choice. I think all of us here have had crushes on people we don't want to...but perhaps that's just the initial attraction? 

Perhaps love IS a choice. Perhaps we get what we put in. Perhaps love is seeing someone how God sees them: for Christ loves everyone. Even through all, and I mean ALL, of our flaws. And if He can do it...we can too, right???

What do YOU think??????

I'd love to hear. Thanks for listening. -CMS

Happy Monday?

Wow. I was hoping I wouldn't have to admit this, but I'm kind of a nerd for Shakespeare right now. I bought Merchant of Venice tickets today and got pretty excited.

Also, I read Merchant of Venice with NoFear Shakespeare in hand. Don't tell Professor. I know I may be disqualified for reading Sparknotes.....but it was actually a REALLY cool experience for me. :) Don't judge me. I'm not a slacker! Haha I read the original text too!!! Here's the thing: my interpretation was different than their interpretation. And it wasn't like either of us were wrong...they both worked....for me at least. I guess what I'm trying to say is that Shakespeare is so awesome that his works can be interpreted so many different ways, and yet they all make sense.

....well.....they make sense in my mind at least. :)

Shakespeare does it again. Like I said, he knows his stuff.

Shakespeare goes to Psych class

I'm just sitting here reading my Social Psychology text book following our classroom discussion today about Perception. Basically, we perceive situations based on our background.

For example: if you "prime" a subject with certain words, they recall specific memories. So, your mind effects what you distinguish.

Or: the mood of a person affects their perception of their past moods. So, your senses change your perspective.

AND THEN: right in the middle of the text, I read:

"The error of our eye directs our mind: 

What error leads must err."

-Shakespeare, Troilus and Cressida, 1601-1602

AWESOME! Shakespeare and Psych at the same time. He really knew his stuff.

It's about time I do things right

• SO I may or may not have COMPLETELY misunderstood that we had to go through the Learning Outcomes. So this is me picking up the slack:
• 
  
• 1. Gain Shakespeare Literacy
  Demonstrate mastery over fundamental information about Shakespeare’s works, life, and legacy

  a. Breadth READ EACH ASSIGNED PLAY IN IT'S ENTIRETY!!!!!! 

  b. Depth still thinking about which play I want to read after all the assigned ones. Hopefully, one will appear naturally through my analysis.

  c. Performance watch at least one visual representation of each play I read

  d. Legacy (history, scholarship, popular culture) I want to do some heavier research about what OTHER people are saying about Shakespeare. Hopefully, I can choose one main quote from each play and study that part's contemporary work more in depth. Especially on the character analyses I do (see Outcome 2c).
• 2. Analyze Shakespeare Critically
  Interpret Shakespeare’s works critically in their written form, in performance (stage or screen) and in digitally mediated transformations. This includes 
  a. Textual analysis Psych major. TOTALLY doing character analysis.
  b. Contextual analysis (historical, contemporary, cultural) Research on the time period.
  c. Application of literary theories This one will be a BIG one for me. I want to analyze life themes within and across the plays. I have SO MANY annotations in my book. I intend to link them all together.
  d. Analysis of digital mediations post responses to each movie/play I see
• 3. Engage Shakespeare Creatively
  a. Performance memorize my pulled quote (see Outcome 1d).

  b. Individual creative work alright. this one is me going out of my bubble......I used to dance....so with my character analysis..............I'm going to try to portray the emotions through dance.   ?????? we'll see how this goes

  c. Collaborative creative project   hhhhmmmm....I'll get back to this one
• 4. Share Shakespeare Meaningfully
  a. Formal Writing. Develop and communicate your ideas about Shakespeare clearly in formal and researched writing and through a format and medium that puts your ideas into public circulation.

  b. Informal Writing. This mainly means through regular online writing

  c. Connecting. Share one’s learning and creative work with others both in and outside of class.

  5. Gain Digital Literacy
• Students use their study of Shakespeare as a way of understanding and developing fluency in 21st century learning skills and computer-mediated modes of communication. Those skills are grouped under the following categories.

  a. Consume - Effective and independent selecting, searching, researching, 

  b. Create - Producing content that demonstrates learning and which can be shared for others to profit from.

  c. Connect - Engage with other learners within and outside of the class to develop thinking and share more formal work.

  I guess all I want for these is to really engage in Shakespeare. I want to talk to random people about it like Rebecca did. I want to think about my responses....not just do random blogs.