Let's finish up Act 2 with a bang. One comment should be focused on the usual: awe-inspiring moment when you think, "Yeowzers! This Shakespeare guy knows his stuff." The other comment should be focused on this: What character is most like you and why? Have some fun with that one.
Excellent! Super duper! Amazing! Wow! Fantastic! All of those words describe your performances today. I was thrilled. I hope you enjoyed the work you did; I hope you are proud of your performance; I hope you learned something from your peers.
Remember -- meet in LIB 207 on Friday. It's movie time! Yah.
17 comments:
Favorite Lines
Act 2 Scene 4 Lines 108-110
"She never told her love, But let concealment, like a worm i' th' bud, Feed on her damask cheek... She sat like Patience on a monument, Smiling at grief."
These words, spoken by Viola, express a different sort of love than that displayed by Orsino. Rather than loud and expressive, it is patient and quiet. I think these words are both eloquent and striking, since they in a way contradict Orsino's description of fading beauty and most probably fading love. This patient love of hers introduces a way that some love might not wilt with beauty. (The reference to fading and wilting beauty is from lines 37-38 when Orsino describes the beauty of women like that of roses.) I think it is a powerful simile as well and evokes a vivid image in my mind.
I am most like Viola because I am patient and do not necessarily say things directly. While I do not speak obliquely because I am hiding my love and gender from someone, there are parts of me that I keep to myself, which cause me to sometimes address things passively. Viola at times has to address things passively too in order to maintain her disguise.
Act 2 Scene 5 is what we called the "beast scene" during tech last year, and I dreaded it when we would work on it, but I really enjoyed re-reading it. The character of Malvolio is actually secretly layered, and I like seeing emotions in characters that are normally very static. Malvolio is one of those, I think and I like imagining him being actually happy, even at a prank.
The character I am most like is Fabian. I'm not that noticeable and my jokes aren't that funny, but I'm still smart enough to understand those jokes of people wittier than me (like Sir Toby and Feste).
Eric Slamovich
My favorite lines of this past reading came in Act 2, Scene 4, Lines 35-38: "Then let thy love be younger than thself, or thy affections cannot hold the bend. For women are as roses, whose fair flower being once display'd, doth fall that very hour". As Grace talked about, when reading (especially) lines 37-38, they very descriptive and they create an image in my head of what is going on and the immense portrait of love Orsino has for Olivia. Shakespeare is unlike most poets because he utilizes his skill of "show not tell". This is shown in lines 37-38 once again because instead of writing once women find love they immediately open to full bloom, he refers to the rose being display'd to sunlight: it blooms at that very moment. Therefore, Shakespeare illustrates his goal of having the reader search for the meaning of his writings, than allowing the reader to interpret his readings without any difficulties at all.
I consider myself to be the most like Sir Toby because I am able to make the best out of anything. We both sometimes say comments that not everybody may understand, but like Sir Toby I know we understand our irrational comment in our mind. Sir Toby and I try to make the best out of everything we can, if that means making some jokes or plotting devious plots against our enemies. Although I am not an alcoholic, Sir Toby and I do share similar character traits.
Though they are not as beautiful to read or as poetic as Shakespeare’s other lines, I loved Act 2, Scene 4, Lines 86-90 and 103-107 (spoken by Viola). It was when I read this scene when I could really see the comedy coming through in the play. In these lines, Viola is rather obvious about her gender and love for Orsino, but he goes on and on about Olivia. Orsino even realizes Viola must be in love because of the way she speaks of it, but he still has no idea she is in love with him. The banter between the two is pretty hilarious when you take into account how obvious Viola is being about her feelings. Shakespeare was very crafty; his words create a funny and ridiculous scene but still make it seem plausible that Orsino is oblivious and has not yet figured out Viola’s identity and intentions.
Like Grace, I consider myself to be most similar to Viola. I agree that she seems more contemplative and keeps to herself more than the other characters. She is also sharper; she immediately realized Olivia loved her after the ring was sent, and took great pains to ensure she would be safe and accepted on Illyria (by becoming a man). However, Viola does allow herself to be swept up in the moment – but I can definitely be that way too.
I realized if I was going to speak on the play's comedy, I needed to mention the following scene too (Scene 5)! It is a massive gathering of the play's funniest characters playing off of Malvolio's layered (like Amalie said) personality.
My favorite part of these scenes was Scene 4, lines 92-101. Spoken by Orsino, the text contains an incredibly contradictory pair: powerful love poetry and rather blatant sexism. In lines 99-101, "Make no compare between that love a woman can bear me and that I owe Olivia." this odd combination is particularly evident. Orsino says so much about his love for the woman of his dreams, yet the emotions of women as a whole can never compare to his own. Very reflective of the times in which the piece was written.
I think I am most like, believe it or not, Sebastian. Of course, having had the chance to play the role allowed me to associate with it. As of the end of Act II, despite the fact we have seen very little of him, two things we know about him are that he is humble and that he honors and respects his family. These are two traits that I strive to have, and why I (hope) to be most like Sebastian.
As we have seen, Feste is arguably one of the wittier and more insightful of all of the characters in this play. A few lines in particular (2.4.71-76) stood out to me as emphasis of this point. These lines are delivered after Feste has serenaded Orsino and has just been told to leave. They are phrases purposefully designed to appear as if he is simply gushing praise for the Duke, and yet are laced with slights that allude to Orsino's true nature. My favorite few words are the passage are as follows: "thy mind is a very opal". Does it not sound full of praise, comparing the Duke's mind to a jewel. Yet a mere 2 inches away, the book provides us with a definition of an opal... "a semi-precious stone which changes color in different lights". it gives us a hidden confirmation that as someone said several classes ago as we read the opening scene (sorry I forget who), Orsino is not so much infatuated with Olivia as infatuated with being infatuated. If the light changes, so may his mind. The usage of the true meaning of words, such as this passage and particularly this line, is in my opinion the greatest genius of Shakespeare.
Although I am slightly hesitant to admit it, I feel that I am in some ways similar to Duke Orsino. Not only because I am in fact a self-proclaimed Count, but also because he is blinded by his passion. Although ot necessarily pertaining to matters of love, but I do often find myself becoming so engrossed in what I am involved in that I fail to see what else is around. Or which of my servants is actually a girl, if you will accept the allusion/ metaphor.
Favorite Lines 2.4 85-101
I really liked reading this conversation between Viola and Orsino because of how it shows, as Micheal said, the duke being "infatuated with being infatuated".
lines 85-86:
Viola- But if she cannot love you, sir?
Orsino- I can not be so answer'd
I may be interpreting Shakespeare's words incorrectly but I believe what Orsino is saying is that he can not even consider the possibility that Olivia could not love him, and that there are possibilities for him other than being loved by her. When Viola suggests that there may be another woman who loves him as much as he loves Olivia, he brushes it off saying that there is no woman who "can bide the beating of so strong a passion". Orsino has become so caught up in his infatuation with Olivia, he will not consider any other paths his life could take. Like we discussed in one of our first classes, it seems like Shakespeare is making a point about a common human flaw.
Like Michael, I have been able to relate the most to Orsino throughout the entire play. Not because I become ridiculously obsessed with people, but just getting caught up in anything that is important to me and focusing only on it. Mary gave and example in class by describing seniors who had just gotten in to college and freaking out, saying whatever school they got into is perfect and exactly what they want. That's something I do all the time with any achievement or opportunity, either negatively or positively.
2.4.50-65 (Feste's Song)
As a songwriter myself, the lyrics in Feste's song really moved me. Lyrics are generally constrained by the paradigm of rhyme - the songwriter writes one lyric that he likes and then writes a "throwaway" lyric to follow it because he can't think of a better rhyme. Shakespeare doesn't. Every line has a potency and an ability to send chills down the spine; it conveys a stark sadness, one untouched by unnecessary flowery phrases or references to "you." Instead of clouding the viewer's perception of the song with a story of how the emotion came about, it lays out the emotion and only the emotion, one that Orsino seems to relate to on a deep level.
I think I am most similar to Feste. Superficially, we both enjoy logic and wordplay as well as music. Deeper, though, both of us are insightful but choose not to act upon it unless forced to. Feste knows what's going on in almost everyone else's life, and could probably offer them advice if they asked. In much the same way, when people get to talking to me, they are surprised by the depth with which I understand things (not to put myself up). Both of us are relaxed in how we carry ourselves and are quick to make a joke at a somewhat uncomfortable situation, but neither of us enjoy the high-strung drama that seems to drive Orsino and the like.
2.2.165-166
To me, these two lines are the most interesting in the entire play. Just as the reader beings to believe that the plays plot has been established, the witty William Shakespeare throws in another unforeseen twist. Shakespeare gets Malvolio to fall for the letter prank (conceived by the knuckleheads, Maria, and Feste), thus forcing Malvolio to change his identity to someone more eccentric. Shakespeare also reveals Malvolio's love for Olivia and desire to be with her. He demonstrates this by taking up the challenges listed in the letter. Using only two lines, Shakespeare is able to manipulate the audience’s perception of a character and turn it on its head. Brilliant!
The character I relate to the most is Sir Toby Belch. Like Sir Toby, I like to hang out with my friends and make am comfortable making a fool of myself. However, we both (almost) always have a witty retort and speak our mind to people we dislike. Sir Toby and I also like to go to parties (although Sir Toby more than myself).
My wowzers moment came in Act 2 Scene 4 Lines 50-65 when Feste is singing.
When i read this song I just imagined not as if Feste was singing it, but rather if Shakespeare was singing it. Shakespeare is brilliant in all of his writings and he displays it here because he uses a song to establish his knowledge and flow. The song has so much meaning and extravagance to it. When Feste is singing this song and you think about it you cannot help but to think of what Shakespeare was imagining when he was writing it. The eloquence of these lines just jumps out at me and it really reminds me why I enjoy reading Shakespeare. It is passages like this that display his brilliance.
The character that I think I can really relate to is Sir Andrew because he is just a laid back funny guy that enjoys life. He gets caught up in things every once in a while which I can tend to do, but for the most part he is just a goofy character and enjoys life.
Act 2 Scene 4, lines 35-38
"Then let thy love be younger than thyself,
or thy affection cannot hold the bent.
For women are as roses, whose fair flower
Being once display'd , doth fall that very hour."
This poetic and majestic line stuck me the second after I read it and I new that this would be my favorite line. In these lines, Orino is speaking to Viola about his beliefs of love. It appears to me that he is very closed minded in his views towards love. He believes that if a women was older then he, the relation would be unstable and not be able to "hold the bent." Furthermore, the simile in lines 37-8 created a striking image in my mind that I felt surprisingly attached too. These lines I believe, are the first example in this play of one of Shakespeare's beautiful similes. (correct me if I'm wrong)
I believe that I am the most similar to Sebastian than to any other character not just because we are both twins. Although we haven't seen him to much in the play, he seems very similar to me. First of all, he follows his heart which to me is a characteristic I think I embody. His humbleness, a quality I strive to have, is another unifying factor. Finally, similar to what Ross has said, his respect to his family is a characteristic that I have and carry out in my life.
My favorite part of the reading was near the end of scene 5 where Malvolio reads the letter and gathers his yellow stockings to wear. Going off of Kyle's point once again, this part of the scene throws another twist to the play. It adds more conflict to the plot as whole. This also comes into the theme of comedic relief for the play. Just knowing that Olivia didn't actually write the letter is a cause for some controversy; which in this case it's going to be funny scene.
I think that I'm most like Sir Andrew. I think that we share the similarity of being that guy who is in the spot light - kind of laid back as Eric said- but i make a moment of everything. Like Sir Andrew I'm that person who just enjoys having a good time and enjoys life in general.
Act 2 scene 5, lines 148-166
It's a really long set of words so I won't rewrite it, but it is basically Malvolio's excitement over Olivia's newfound love for him, even though he doesn't know that Maria really wrote the letter. This passage of Shakespeare is probably the most honest writing I've ever read. He perfectly conveys the emotions of new love, both the excitement and potential fear. However it is a rouse, so while keeping the wording honest Shakespeare still maintains the theme of deceit running throughout the play.
I think I am most like Maria because she is somewhat manipulative. I'm pretty good at picking up on people's emotions, like Maria, and I'm also very good at getting revenge. While Maria's a servant, she also maintains her independence, something that I feel I try to do as well.
Favorite lines: Act 2, Scene 4, lines 20-21
"It gives a very echo to the seat
Where love is thron'd."
I loved these two lines because it was a great imagery for what "love" and "the heart" is. Love is generally known to govern the heart and I loved how Shakespeare took this literally and gave "love" an actual throne. It also rings true with what I believe about love: how it controls the heart and does things to our minds and beings that sometimes we don't like.
I can relate most to Viola, like many others who have already posted on this. We both like to have a sense of control over certain situations and like to have an understanding of everything that is going on around us. We also both like to assess new situations thoroughly before speaking out or doing something major. Like Grace, I am not hiding my entire identity from society, but I tend to think before I act on something, which I think is a very important quality of Viola.
This is Midori
Act 2 Scene 4 lines 113-116
"Was not that love indeed? We men may say more, swear more...we prove much in our vows, but little in our love."
I love this part, because Viola makes such a beautiful speech that it is basically a love poem. Even the structure is changed, with the beginnings of each line capitalized. Not only is it so poetic, it says so much. She's able to convey what she feels for Orsino and also point out this greater trend in society. I love that Shakespeare, by creating this smart passionate female character, is able and willing to show the imbalance of power between men and women. Even after Viola has delivered this beautiful speech about how Orsino's and other men's show of love is not as strong or deep as a woman's love can be, he goes right back to telling her to go woo Olivia for him. It's as if Shakespeare is pointing out this huge in Orsino and males in general and then making fun of him by making him completely oblivious.
If i had to choose a character I am most like I would choose Viola, because she thinks about her actions and is one of the only characters who considers the feelings of others.
I think the most interesting part of Act 2 Scene 4 is lines 91-101 and the conversation that follows. In this passage Orsino is saying that a woman can never love as much as a man and specifically that Olivia could never love him as much as he loves her. This passage clearly shows that Orsino is not in love with Olivia but clearly with the idea of being in love. It is also interesting to see Viola's response unfold as she almost reveals her secret and then makes up an elaborate story to defend her original claim. Her lines, at least to the audience, show clearly that Viola is madly in love with Orsino. Oh how I love the conflict!!!!!!
I would say that I am like Viola. She is witty, adaptive, smart and manipulative and to some extent i think that i embody all of these characteristics.
Post a Comment