1) How would you compare the Fool in the King Lear to Touchstone in As You like it?

Touchstone in As You Like It and the Fool in King Lear are very similar in the fact that they both bring wisdom and truth into the play, yet they are different as well. Touchstone does offer essential pieces of truth throughout the play like giving advice to Rosalind that everything in the world is impermanent and that every lover is a fool in the end. However Touchstone falls in love with Audrey and was more occupied with Audrey than he was at being the truth-barer of the play. In addition to that, Touchstone did say, “The more pity that fool may not speak wisely what wise men do foolishly.” (1.0, 71) I believe this holds him back from saying what he really wants to say to noble men and kings. The Fool in King Lear however, is much different; he bluntly points out the truth and stupidity of the characters without hesitation or fear. King Lear threatens to have him beat several times, yet he still continues to reveal the truth of what he thinks about him. Now one might think that this is because King Lear has lost his power and the fool is not afraid anymore, but he does the same thing to Goneril, the person who could cause him harm and who is very much in power. Touchstone in As you Like It is mild when compared to the Fool in King Lear.

2) What sort of insight does he offer to Lear in 1.4?

In this scene, the Fool shows insight to the situation Lear has placed himself into. The King had given away what made him powerful and respected and he refuses to admit he sent away the only person who loves him and cares for him sincerely.

3) Try to describe the idiom of his speeches and explain why he expresses himself as he does.

The fool in this play is not as crazy as he is made to look. He seems to be wiser than the other characters and also to know more. To the characters in the play, the fool is simply rambling on about nonsense. However, the audience can see that the fool’s words are very wise and he is probably the smartest person in the play. His speeches are full of valuable information and advice but are overlooked because of the way they are delivered. I think that the reason for this is that Shakespeare wants the audience to be aware of the issues and complications of the play but for it to be hidden from the characters. It would make a boring play if all of the characters knew exactly what was going on behind their backs.

When he first enters, the fool offers Kent his fool’s hat. This is significant because he is basically calling Kent, who is disguised as a poor man, a fool for being willing to serve King Lear who is also a fool. In lines 120-130 he gives Lear advice such as to speak less than he knows, have more than he shows, and not to believe everything that he hears. Kent then tells him that he makes no sense and that everything he just said is nothing.

4) How does he feel about Lear’s three daughters?

The fool doesn’t favor any of the daughters, but he does seem to have a slight disfavor of them in the dialogue:

“I marvel what kin thou and thy daughters are they’ll have me whipped for speaking true, thou’lt has me whipped for lying; and sometimes I am whipped for holding my peace. I had rather be any kind o’ thing than a fool: and yet I would not be thee, nuncle; thou hast pared thy wit o’ both sides, and left nothing i’ the middle: here comes one o’ the parings.”

In that verse it shows that even though he was speaking the truth, he is berated and punished. And to Goneril in that scene he says:

“Yes, forsooth, I will hold my tongue; so your face bids me, though you say nothing. Mum, mum, He that keeps nor crust nor crum, Weary of all, shall want some.”

It’s not flattering and had he been anyone else but the fool, he would’ve been punished. Goneril mentions that the Fool is an all-licensed fool, allowing him to act in such a manner without repercussion.

5) Why is the Relationship to them significant?

The fool’s relationship to King Lear and his family is significant because he is sort of the voice of reason or the voice of wisdom in the midst of everything that is happening. Lear is irrational and struggling with his power, Goneril and Regan are rapped up in trying to grab everything that they can, and Cordelia is so sweet and sort of naive that the fool is the only level headed and honest person close to them. If they respected him or even took the time to really listen to what he has to say, they would be much better off.

6) How does he feel about King Lear?

The Fool knows that King Lear is a near-sighted person who is not willing, and perhaps not able to look at his relationships with his daughters. The fool thinks Cordelia is the luckiest one for being banished away from the King saying, “Why, this fellow has banished two on’s daughters, and did the third a blessing against his will; if thou follow him, thou must needs wear my coxcomb.” (1.4, 89 – 92) He also thinks the King is a fool, and calls him as much to his face telling Lear, “That lord that counseled thee, To give away thy Land, Come place him here by me, Do thou for him stand, The sweat and bitter fool, Will presently appear, The one is motley here, The Other found out there” (1.4, 124 – 131) Technically he is accusing the lord that advised him of being a fool, but really here he is talking about the King, and even the king responds to that with, “Dost thou call me fool, boy?” (1.4, 132) In King Lear, the fool thinks Lear is the real fool and he bluntly spells this out.

What kind of place is a moated grange?

The dictionary definition for moat is a deep wide ditch, usually filled with water, typically surrounding a fortified medieval town, fortress, castle as a protection against assault and a grange is a country house. In Measure for Measure the moated grange is a country house that is surrounded by this swamp like area. It’s isolated from people and civilization. This setting suggests removal from society and this reflects the character of Mariana. She feels isolated and rejected, so the setting where she is first introduced is a mirror image of that.

How does this fit into the spatial world established in the earlier acts of the play?

This setting suggests removal from society, and reflects Mariana’s feelings of isolation and rejection.When we first meet her, she says she has ‘sat here all day’, another indication that she has little to do except think of her sadness. She is listening to a song reflecting her situation, where ‘seals of love’ were ‘seal’d in vain.’ However, unlike Isabella, she has not chosen to enter a nunnery. Although it is five years since Angelo abandoned her, she still loves him – the Duke tells Isabella in Act III sc i that instead of quenching Mariana’s feelings for Angelo, his treatment of her has made Mariana’s love ‘more violent and unruly’The moated grange is a temporary retreat, not the permanent enclosure and withdrawal that Isabella seeks in the nunnery.

Also The Duke Disguised as the Friar moves through the play, a dark figure, directing, watching, moralizing on the actions of others. 60-64 Acknowledge that

Atmosphere of ethical criticism centered around mysterious holiness, death philosophy,enlightened human insight, and Christian ethic.

What feelings does Mariana’s song express?

Mariana’s song suggest a feeling of loneliness. As if she is trying to reminisce about a relationship that she once had. She feels as though the relationship that she had with Angelo was misleading. In the song, she suggest that the lips that told her that they “loved” her abandon her. It also seems as though she is trying to look pass that and that the true love they have for each will bring them back together but it may be in vain.

How does Isabella’s description of Angelo’s garden further contribute to the thematic concerns already observed in the play?

The garden in this scene is the place that Angelo and Isabella are supposed to meet to have sex. The idea that Angelo is planning to perform an act of fornication with a woman that was not his betrothed breaks the very laws that he is trying to enforce. In the beginning of the play Angelo was completely against acts such as this, however, he soon began to feel an intense physical attraction to Isabella that he couldn’t ignore. His weakness in this situation makes the statement that no man is free of sin and able to resist temptation. The description that Isabella gives of the garden says that it is completely encompassed with brick. This idea of a secluded garden is reminiscent of the Garden of Eden. This also reinforces the idea that man is not without sin: Adam an Eve cold not resist the temptation of the apple, and Angelo, can not resist the temptation of sex with Isabella.

What dispute is brought for legal resolution in this scene?

The scene begins with Elbow a constable bringing forth Pompey (clown) the servant of Mistress Overdone and Froth a foolish gentleman before Angelo and Escalus to be judged. Elbow accuses the men of being unlawful and wants them to be punished. He insinuates that they work in a brothel and have done something to his wife. Elbow suggests that the bathhouse in which they work is really a brothel. The men are tedious in their explanations and defenses therefore Angelo leaves them to be dealt with by Escalus. Escalus wants to resolve the matter and starts questioning Elbow, Pompey and Froth. There are sexual connotations in the conversations. Pompey says “Once, sir? There was nothing done to her once” (2.1.138-140). Pompey defends himself and Froth against the allegations that they have done something to Elbow’s wife. Elbow says that these men, their house and their mistress are all suspected by the law. Escalus upon questioning Pompey and Froth about their occupations comes to the conclusion that they are indeed involved in something unlawful in Vienna. Escalus warns Froth to stay away from the tapster also known as Pompey because he is not a good influence. Escalus also informs Pompey of the consequences and punishment of his occupation.

What kinds of people are involved in it?

This scene features a unique selection of characters. The reader gets a feeling of righteousness with Escalus and a comical encounter with Pompey and Elbow. A more thorough analysis of the characters involved is as follows:

Escalus is a wise lord who is a lot more merciful than Angelo. Amidst the comical dialogues of Pompey and Elbow his presence in the scene creates a serious tone. Escalus plays an important part in this scene because he has to judge whether or not Elbow’s accusations are legitimate and plausible.

Elbow is a simple-minded constable whose presence in the scene seems only for the audience’s amusement. He speaks in malapropisms, which is another tactic utilized by Shakespeare to show a dim-witted character. He is one of the two characters that alleviate the mood of the play with comedy.

Pompey is a clown and another character whose sole reason of existence is for comic relief. He works for Mistress Overdone and provides his share of laughs in this scene.  He is the other character alongside Elbow who eases the mood of the play with comical dialogues.

Froth is another foolish character along with Elbow and Pompey that provide laughs in this scene. He is accused of insulting Elbow’s wife, but gets pardoned really early in this scene.

What is the tone of the conversation?

Act 2, Scene 1 begins as a fairly serious scene with a discussion between Escalus and Duke Angelo in which they touch upon such topics as how severe the law should actually be, should it act as a “scarecrow” or should it be upheld to the highest degree, and  whether or not Claudio’s punishment–death–fits his crime of ‘passion.’  In other words, the two men are participating in a grim conversation, one that should be read or performed with a sense of drama rather than comedy.  Then, the scene quickly takes a drastic turn and wanders into the realm of comedy once Elbow, Pompey, and Froth–three dunces whose issues of so-called calamity prove to be too stupid and trivial for Duke Angelo to stay present for–add themselves to the mix, disputing whether or not Elbow’s wife is a ‘respected’ woman.  This ‘drastic turn into the realm of comedy’ from drama may be considered a form of juxtaposition, in which the comedic relief in this scene is heightened to aggrandized proportions due to said-drastic turn.

Furthermore, while on the topic of juxtaposition, what makes the scene even funnier, beside the use of malapropism–which will be discussed shortly–is the employment of the ’straight man,’ who, in this case, is Escalus.  The straight man’s purpose, as it is in most comedies, is to highlight the absurdity and obliviousness of the characters around him or her.  Escalus is, in this case, the only man who seems to be aware of just how ridiculous said-case could get at times.  Reading over the lines, it could even be interpreted that Escalus is deriving a sort of perverse enjoyment, as is the audience, out of the commotion at hand and goes on to egg the men further on so as to extend the foolishness at hand.  One such instance that may be perceived as Escalus manipulating the conversation into overtime is when Elbow threatens Pompey with a lawsuit, Escalus afterwards interjects–with a dry wit one may imagine–the following: “If he took you a box o’ th’ ear, you might have your action of slander too,” (2.1.180-181).  Escalus, feigning an earnestness and attentiveness, an ironic performance that falls on ignorant ears, acts as an instigator and throws out incendiary comments so as to tease reactions out of the men in order to further the amusement he, Escalus, is getting out of the silly commotion.

Now, as was mentioned before, there is also the use of malapropism in this scene.  Malapropism is when a word is unintentionally misused for another, a technique that is used to, for the most part, magnify the hilarity of a situation.  The most significant use of malapropism in this scene is when the Elbow and Pompey misuse the word “respected” for “suspected.”  So, when Pompey ignorantly claims such things as, “Sir, [Elbow's wife] was respected with him before he married with her,” (2.1.170-171) Pompey isn’t claiming that Elbow and his wife’s love for each other was an honorable one; no, what Pompey means to say is that Elbow had sex with his wife prior to marriage.  What is so funny about these characters’ vocabulary blunders is that they are trying to appear as serious men with legitimate points of argument, but are instead, unbeknownst to them, presenting themselves as unsuspecting fools.  Also, it is interesting to note that the word being misused is suspected and is being switched for respected, conflicting words that seem to sum up one of Measure for Measure’s prevalent themes: sordidness versus honor.

How do the problems that are discussed relate to the thematic concerns of the play at large?

In this part of the play, the question of the legality of prostitution and sex is discussed.  Here we see Pompey who is a Tapster (pimp) being brought up in front of Escalus and Angelo, two of the three main authorities in the play.  Pompey is scolded for being a tapster and is threatened to be whipped if he does not stop working as a pimp.  In Measure for Measure the question of whether having sex when not married aught to be as unlawful as prostitution, arises.  In this play we see that many of the wealthiest gentlemen in the city back the brothels in the city; this being the reason why only the brothels in the suburbs are being shut down.  While these brothels are being shut down and no one is really being penalized for it, we have Claudio, a young man that gets his soon to be wife pregnant, who is to be executed for having sex with a woman that he didn’t pay by the hour.  However, after Pompey is confronted about being a pimp, he gets and empty threat and is on his way.

Another problem that we see in this section of the play is the issue with the power that certain people have, how they use it for amusement and how these people bring in a substitute for whenever they get bored with their authority.  Halfway through this scene Angelo (a deputy) gets bored of listening to Pompey and Froth rant on about the occurrences involving Elbow’s wife and leaves Escalus (a lord) to decide the fate of the three characters adding that he hopes that Escalus can “find good cause to whip them all” (2.1.136). This handing down of power without good reason for leave is also reflected in the play as a whole.  The Duke also leaves for poor reasons leaving Angelo in charge.  The Duke wants to amuse him self and see whether or not Angelo will abuse his power and because of this Claudio, a good and caring character is to be executed before his love gives birth to his child.

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Elbow and Pompey.  

The players: Farisha Ali (Escalus)Waleed Bokhari (Pompey)Paul Jurczyk (Elbow)Mikhail Karadimov (Froth)

Orlando and Oliver Reconciled, by Matthew Jones (Oliver), Gladys Esquijarosa (Celia), Ekaterina Vorobeva (Rosalind)

Reconciliation in As You Like It

 The circumstances in which the two brothers find each other again deserve both mythological and psychological analysis. Why is their reunion described rather than enacted? What kinds of symbolic resonance do Oliver’s speeches have? How does their meeting close the circle begun with the events that led up to their parting?

Throughout As You Like It, a dichotomy between the Forest of Arden’s pastoralism and the civilization at the Duke’s court is illustrated. However, the civilization surrounding court life is characterized by treachery, duplicity and even fratricide. One might consider the relationship between Orlando and Oliver to mimic the enmity of the two Dukes. Oliver’s description of his reconciliation with his brother emphasizes the contrast between the play’s two settings. Oliver had once plotted his brother’s death, but it is in the bucolic environment of Arden that their relationship is set right. Thus, the dramatic shift in their relationship confirms pastoralism’s power. 

If the Forest of Arden is a kenning or compound of the Biblical Eden and the Arcadia of Greek Antiquity, which are both pastoral ideals, then the instance in which Orlando saves Oliver must be considered a moment in the play that draws from both traditions: Orlando defeats both the snake, a familiar symbol of the Bible’s Devil, and the lion, which recalls Hercules’ victory against the Nemean lion. Thus, Oliver’s account elevates Orlando, by indirectly comparing him to both Christ and Hercules. Yet this description of their reconciliation, couched in mythological terms, is tempered by the credibility of Orlando’s reaction. Indeed, he does not immediately save his brother, but, quite justifiably, hesitates to save him: Oliver recalls that “twice did he turn his back” (4.3.128), thereby imbuing Orlando with a degree of psychological complexity.

The text is littered with religious and mythological references. Indeed, Oliver talks of his “conversion” (4.3.137), a word pregnant with religious meaning, and his ability to ward off the symbolic snake alludes to Christ. Oliver’s speeches serve not only to indicate the shift in his relationship with his brother, but are also necessary in the play as an opportunity for Oliver and Celia to fall in love. By choosing to talk about the scene rather than to actually show it, the play focuses on the reaction of Ganymede. The scene is important in how it shows Rosalind’s conflict between her impulse for emotion and her need to disguise herself. This conflict is somewhat funny, but the emotion that Oliver’s account generates in Ganymede is certainly touching. Moreover, the fact that Orlando sends his bloody handkerchief illustrates the depth of this seemingly innocuous relationship between Ganymede and Orlando, thereby betraying the play’s stance on sexuality.

            This scene features a greatly changed Oliver. Initially, Oliver hates Orlando to the point of arranging his death, yet professes undying love in this moment. The scene also provides resolution to Rosalind’s earlier uncertainties, when she doubted Orlando’s love for her. The gift of the bloody handkerchief, certainly a visceral image, is a strong indicator and symbol of Orlando’s love for Rosalind: Rosalind has Orlando’s soul and his love. The scene anticipates further resolution in the play: the resolution of the various amorous intrigues and the resolution of the political turmoil.

Presented by: Nancy ( The Director/Camerawoman) Akosah,  Sharon (Silvius) Chan, Alison (Phebe) Drew, and Magdalena (Rosalind aka Ganymede) Sulewska

What do Silvius and Phebe contribute to the mix?

Silvius and Phebe show a relationship that exists outside of the traditional English realm in a pastoral setting. Here is a scene which starts out with Phebe and Silvius alone together having a conversation about Silvius’s proclamation of love. We can automatically compare this scene, to how Rosalind and Orlando start their first encounter. It was noted in our previous class session that women were not allowed to be left alone with a man, especially when they were both single. It was seen as an improper thing to do and which is why Celia was always present when Rosalind and Orlando were together. Silvius and Phebe just show the contrasting social expectations of a woman. 

Another thing to take note of is how once Rosalind tranforms into Ganymede, she was able to alone with Orlando in a previous scene. So, there is something liberating  about being in the forest which was looked at as a pure entity by the people who originated from the court.

Yet, there is a contradiction to this truth of the forest being a pure place for both men and women when we see Celia. Celia is not able leave with Corin in Ganymede’s presence . This is the interference of the courtly ways into the ways of the pastoral setting. Though Rosalind and Celia are in the forest trying to escape the ways of the court, they can’t help but still fall back into the social reforms thought to them when the were in a court setting.

Another thing to look at is how Shakespeare’s plays were acted out by male actors. We also noted how complex Ganymede is being that is a girl acting like a boy when in reality it is a young boy playing both roles. It calls into question the actor’s sexuality when playing the role.  It was an interesting dynamic added to the scene when we tried to label the sexuality of the young male actor. We, in today’s class, came to a view point that maybe the sexual preference of the actor might not need to be labelled. We took on the perspective of highschoolers and tried to understand Phebe’s love for Ganymede as a mere crush. Do you think that is the only possible way to understand Phebe’s understanding of love? Are we right to assume that this attraction between the characters deserves no label?
 

What is the significance of their names?

Most of the names are derived from the Latin language and Greek mythology. The four names we will be discussing in detail are Phebe, Silvius, Rosalind, and Ganymede.

Ganymede=

Derived from Greek Mythology:

            Beautiful Trojan boy whom Zeus carried away to be cup bearer to the gods.

            This is significant in the scene because Ganymede is Rosalind in disguise.

Rosalind= 

Derived from Latin rosa linda “beautiful rose.”

This is significant in that not only is Orland attracted to her, but when dressed as a boy even Phebe is attracted to her.

Phebe=

Derived from Latin phoibe “bright, pure.”

            This is shown in that she is a shepherdess, which in pastoral poetry are considered pure.

~Name in Greek Mythology of a Titan, and grandmother of the moon Goddess Artemis.

Artemis is the goddess of the wilderness, hunt and wild animals, and fertility. Virgin Goddess. Goddess of fertility.

Silvius= 

Derived from Latin silva “wood, forest.”

This is shown in that he is a simple shepherd, and makes sense because he is currently in a forest, where according to his name is where he belongs.

How fitting do you see these names for the respective characters in the play?

What complications arise in this scene when Rosalind/Ganymede enters?

Once Ganymede arrives, “he” creates a division between Phebe and Silvius. Before “he” arrived, Phebe was refusing Silvius’s love for her. It wasn’t until Ganymede arrive does Phebe begin to understand what love feels like and how rejection can hurt one’s feelings.  Phebe claims to not to have fallen in love at first sight when in reality she is just denying her true feelings in front of Silvius. You can tell that she is smitten with Ganymede by her last speech. Rosalind has created a love triangle with Silvius and Phebe. Rosalind has also started a look at blind love because Phebe likes Ganymede despite the fact that she is in love Ganymede’s womanly characteristics.

Also, it allows for a look at the cliches of what goes around comes around as well as you want what you can’t have. Rosalind makes a point of showing that she doesn’t like Phebe, yet Phebe continues to look at Rosalind longingly. Phebe is treated badly the same way she was treating Silvius in a bad manner. In class, we compared Phebe to how the common woman often times likes the guy who isn’t right for her and treats her badly because they are “in love” with the “bad boy” personna.
We are eager to hear your critique of our presentation, so please feel free to express your thoughts.

Richard II Act IV, Scene I

(221-319)

A Presentation by:  Monica Li, Adrianna Piotrowska, Kasey Rodriguez

1.What is the significance of this moment?

The significance of this scenario is evident that when Richard hands his crown to Bolingbroke, we witness the obvious misery within him, finally escape. The reason why this is so important is because while Richard knows he cannot possibly reign any longer as king, he is so fearful to give up the crown, as it is the only identity he has left. The reason why this scene is also so important is because the destruction of the mirror acts as an analogy to how Richard’s crown, in which he defined himself,  has been passed along to another, therefore, losing himself.

2. What do Richards request and his subsequent actions tell us about him?

Richards request and his subsequent actions tell us that is absolutly lost in regards to his identity. His request for the mirror to see his face is rather useless because he realizes that his grief lies within and the physical world is really nothing more then mere illusion. He is surprised when he says: “No deeper wrinkles yet? Hath sorrow stuck so many blows upon this face of mine and made no deeper wounds?” then suddenly realizing that it is his soul that has taken all the torment, not his physical self.

3. What do we learn about Bolingbroke from his actions and reactions?

What we learn about Bolingbroke from his actions as well as reactions is that he is not sympathetic to Richard all. He does not care much about the situation so he does not react as intensley as Richard does. He has already been offered the crown by Richard, so he does not fear or reject any of Richard’s requests and instead let’s him hear what he wants. He feels no that there is no threat present so he finds the situation rather amusing and does not find that he has a lot to say. (His lines are significantly shorter and simpler then Richard’s who is busy pitying himself.)

4. What larger symbolic resonance may the shattered glass have in terms of the play as a whole?

The symbolism behind the shattered glass is that Richards identity has withered away. While he wanted to give Bolingbroke his crown, he was, at the same time, struggling to let go of it. The reason for this is because his role as a king was the only sense of identity that he had left. Now, having given this up, he is driven mad with the idea of what really remains of him. When he shatters the glass, we understand, that nothing reamins of Richard at all. He understands that while the glass may show him his face, it does not show him his soul, which is really where the torment and misery lies; As he states: “Tis very true, my grief lies all within” (4.1.294-295). It’s obvious that there exists a reality past the physical world and that the mirror is just a useless tactic to try to gain a sense of self again. When he breaks it, it shows that he has given up in searching, knowing that his pain is only internal and has dug within him so deep, that he has completely lost himself.

An image of Shakespeare's first great comic actor

Every team will be creating content for this blog; every student will be commenting on the scenes and the insights into them that the teams bring.

Give me the glass, and therein will I read.

No deeper wrinkles yet? Hath Sorrow struck

So many blows upon this face of mine,

And made no deeper wounds? O, flatt’ring glass!

Like to my followers in prosperity,

Thou dost beguile me. Was this face the face

That every day under his household roof

Did keep ten thousand men? Was this the face

That, like the sun, did make beholders wink?

Was this the face that faced so many follies,

And was at last outfaced by Bolingbroke?

A brittle glory shineth in this face

As brittle as the glory is the face . . . (4.1.275-86)