Per the course objectives, I'm trying to continue to share Shakespeare globally. In order to facilitate this, I've written another Goodreads review, this time on King Lear. You can read it here. Once again, it doesn't cover anything you, my classmates, haven't heard me say before. I really feel like King Lear is a cautionary tale against bad parenting. If Lear and Gloucester alike had had a bit more compassion on certain of their children during various points in their lives, I think that much, if not all, of the conflict in King Lear could have been avoided. Edmund would have the validation he was seeking, so that would effectively cancel out his entire plot line. Cordelia would stay with Lear and care for him, so he wouldn't need to move in with Regan and Goneril. If he never moved in with Regan or Goneril, he would never be kicked out, he'd never lose his mind, and his life would probably be a great deal longer.
It wouldn't have made for a good play, but I can't help but think of these characters as real people. If these were real people, I would want Edmund to be loved by his father and accepted by his brother. I would want Lear to be kind to his daughters and to respect them as adults. I think that Lear is a very flawed individual as a whole (pompous, a poor leader, self-aggrandizing, etc). However, he could have cut down on his own suffering, not to mention Cordelia's, if he had wanted to be a father first, and God of the Universe second.
In Coppelia Kahn's paper "The Absent Mother in King Lear," Kahn asserts that the relationship between Cordelia and Lear is a reversal of the parent/child roles. Lear wants to be babied by his daughter, and his daughter wants to be an independent adult. Lear interprets this much in the same as a child interprets maternal abandonment. I'm not sure whether I agree with this interpretation, but I do think that Lear is a very childish man, and that he lacks the maturity to be a real father to his children.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Costumes, Part II
For my first costume post, I covered The Taming of the Shrew and The Winter's Tale. Today, as a tie-in for the final project, I'm going to focus on a modernization of Hamlet. Specifically, I'm going to be looking at Hamlet, Ophelia, Gertrude, and Claudius. I choose the costume pieces I do based very strongly on how I see the characters. In many ways, the characters are archetypes or stereotypes that I flesh out, using clothing as a medium.
Ophelia: The Manic Pixie Dream Girl
The phrase "Manic Pixie Dream Girl" was first coined to describe Kirsten Dunst's character in Elizabethtown. A MPDG is a girl who is quirky and spastic but still pretty in a traditional way. Her free-spirited ways usually inspire the uptight, generally nerdy male protagonist to shed convention and embrace life. If you've ever seen a movie with Zooey Deschanel, you've seen a MPGD. This is very much the way I view Ophelia, albiet in a much more tragic way than is generally portrayed. This Ophelia is a modern girl with a very pronounced romantic side. As such, her clothing is going to be fairly modern with some very classic details. Also, she's the kind of girl who can pull off thigh-high socks with her miniskirts.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Recording
So, yesterday was the audio group's first day working in the recording studio. I personally thought that it was really, really, really fun. But like, really fun. We ran into some technical difficulties, but the nice (if somewhat crotchety) bearded man working in the HLRC was very helpful in getting them squared away. I have little to no idea how these kinds of things actually work, so I'm glad that there are some people in the group who know what they're doing.
I'm reading the part of Polonius (there are way more male parts than female parts, and our group is like sixty-five percent female). At first, I was like "Meh. That's kind of a whatever part. Whatever." I was SO WRONG. Polonius is so much fun. He's kind of senile and isn't necessarily completely on top of things, and his assumptions are always totally off base. He thinks of himself as the wise old man, but he's really kind of a buffoon in a lot of ways. It's fun to play up.
At first, I was a little bit nervous about taking on this project. I've had many experiences where I've worked with people who were like "We're going to do this, and it's going to be awesome!" and then it was complete crap. I don't think that this will be complete crap.
I'm reading the part of Polonius (there are way more male parts than female parts, and our group is like sixty-five percent female). At first, I was like "Meh. That's kind of a whatever part. Whatever." I was SO WRONG. Polonius is so much fun. He's kind of senile and isn't necessarily completely on top of things, and his assumptions are always totally off base. He thinks of himself as the wise old man, but he's really kind of a buffoon in a lot of ways. It's fun to play up.
At first, I was a little bit nervous about taking on this project. I've had many experiences where I've worked with people who were like "We're going to do this, and it's going to be awesome!" and then it was complete crap. I don't think that this will be complete crap.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Eye Gouging
There's been a lot of discussion about Gloucester losing his eyes, and whether or not it was an over-the-top punishment for his perceived crime. I kind of doubted it, and here's why. As far as Cornwall knows, Gloucester was a traitor. Going into this, I didn't know tons about penalties for treason, but I did know that people who were branded as traitors tended to be pretty harshly punished.
I googled the phrase "eye-gouging as punishment for treason," and I came across the book The Law of Treason and Treason Trials in Medieval France by S.H. Cuttler. I know that King Lear isn't set in France, but the time period is about right. Here's what he has to say on the subject: "Not all the penalties [for treason] were capital: one could be put on the pillory or on the rack, or have one's eyes gouged out. Because treason could take many forms, the punishment could be made to fit the crime."
It sounds to me like eye-gouging was a fairly normal punishment - at least normal enough to come up in a completely unrelated, scholarly discussion on treason. In fact, for a traitor, Gloucester may have even gotten off easy - a courtesy from Cornwall, who had to have been devastated and betrayed. Granted, Gloucester actually wasn't a traitor, so the fact that he lost his eyes for a crime he didn't commit was hugely unfortunate. That being said, if Gloucester actually was a traitor, we the audience would feel that Cornwall was completely justified. We might actually be surprised that Cornwall didn't kill him.
I suspect that Shakespeare would have been very aware of treason and its punishment. After all, he didn't exist in a vacuum, and the idea of treason was an especially big deal during the reigns of Henry VII though Elizabeth I. If historical accounts (and Phillipa Gregory novels) are to be believed, so-called traitors were getting hauled off to the Tower left and right.
I googled the phrase "eye-gouging as punishment for treason," and I came across the book The Law of Treason and Treason Trials in Medieval France by S.H. Cuttler. I know that King Lear isn't set in France, but the time period is about right. Here's what he has to say on the subject: "Not all the penalties [for treason] were capital: one could be put on the pillory or on the rack, or have one's eyes gouged out. Because treason could take many forms, the punishment could be made to fit the crime."
It sounds to me like eye-gouging was a fairly normal punishment - at least normal enough to come up in a completely unrelated, scholarly discussion on treason. In fact, for a traitor, Gloucester may have even gotten off easy - a courtesy from Cornwall, who had to have been devastated and betrayed. Granted, Gloucester actually wasn't a traitor, so the fact that he lost his eyes for a crime he didn't commit was hugely unfortunate. That being said, if Gloucester actually was a traitor, we the audience would feel that Cornwall was completely justified. We might actually be surprised that Cornwall didn't kill him.
I suspect that Shakespeare would have been very aware of treason and its punishment. After all, he didn't exist in a vacuum, and the idea of treason was an especially big deal during the reigns of Henry VII though Elizabeth I. If historical accounts (and Phillipa Gregory novels) are to be believed, so-called traitors were getting hauled off to the Tower left and right.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Friday Blogging
Right, so blogging. I'll be honest: I don't feel like I have much to say.
For the final project, I'm in the Audio group. We're doing a cut-down audio version of Hamlet, which could be interesting. One of the things I was considering was the possibility of creating background noises and music ourselves. That might be too hefty of an undertaking, I'm not completely sure. It's just that creative commons music is invariably awful and generic, because it's created to work with any number of unrelated audio/visual projects. Usually, though, with classical music, the performance is what's copyrighted. Yo-Yo Ma wants you to buy his CDs, so he's not going to let people use his music for free, but anyone can perform Mozart if they want to. I don't know if it's in any way feasible, but I think that some a capella vocals in the background could lend a nice ambience.
To wrap up, I'm going to share a painfully embarrassing example of my own stunning voice-over work. I was like sixteen, and word got around that I had studied voice-over in conservatory, so I got this tremendous opportunity.
For the final project, I'm in the Audio group. We're doing a cut-down audio version of Hamlet, which could be interesting. One of the things I was considering was the possibility of creating background noises and music ourselves. That might be too hefty of an undertaking, I'm not completely sure. It's just that creative commons music is invariably awful and generic, because it's created to work with any number of unrelated audio/visual projects. Usually, though, with classical music, the performance is what's copyrighted. Yo-Yo Ma wants you to buy his CDs, so he's not going to let people use his music for free, but anyone can perform Mozart if they want to. I don't know if it's in any way feasible, but I think that some a capella vocals in the background could lend a nice ambience.
To wrap up, I'm going to share a painfully embarrassing example of my own stunning voice-over work. I was like sixteen, and word got around that I had studied voice-over in conservatory, so I got this tremendous opportunity.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
AV Club
Quick Note on the Final Project: I've been listening to a number of audio representations of Hamlet. I've been looking at cut versions of Hamlet. There's not much online, but I'm trying to track down my script from when I was involved in a short production. I'm going to try to have some audio samples up on Friday, if I can figure out how Garage Band actually works.
Now, on to King Lear:
Edmund has been quite the hot topic lately, and I love it. He's such a deliciously complex character. Lear is a senile old bag, as well as kind of a jerk. In fact, I think that Lear is one of the worst literary parents I've ever read. If the majority of his kids grew up to be mean, selfish twits, it's probably because the he messed up somewhere. Gloucester is better, but not by much. He picked and chose which of his children to give affection to. However, his poor parenting gave rise to this amazing character. (Amazing from a literary standpoint. I wouldn't want to have lunch with him.) I feel like I can relate to him more so than any other Shakespearean character we've read. I mean, he does some horrible things, and I know he's supposed to be the villain, but I find him incredibly sympathetic. I'd like to share his speech from Act I:
Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thy law
My services are bound. Wherefore should I
Stand in the plague of custom, and permit
The curiosity of nations to deprive me,
For that I am some twelve or fourteen moon-shines
Lag of a brother? Why bastard? wherefore base?
When my dimensions are as well compact,
My mind as generous, and my shape as true,
As honest madam's issue? Why brand they us
With base? with baseness? bastardy? base, base?
Who, in the lusty stealth of nature, take
More composition and fierce quality
Than doth, within a dull, stale, tired bed,
Go to the creating a whole tribe of fops,
Got 'tween asleep and wake? Well, then,
Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land:
Our father's love is to the bastard Edmund
As to the legitimate: fine word,--legitimate!
Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed,
And my invention thrive, Edmund the base
Shall top the legitimate. I grow; I prosper:
Now, gods, stand up for bastards!
I love this speech. This speech is a banner for people who feel unwanted or disliked to rally around. I feel like everyone in the world can relate to this at some point in their lives. We all get rejected by people we want to love us. We all try to find legitimacy in who we are. Edmund claimss that he is a more legitimate son than Edgar, because there was love and passion present when Edmund was conceived. Edgar was the product of a passionless, but legal, marriage. Then there's this idea of custom. People do horrible, horrible things in the name of custom. Edmund was cast off and reviled from childhood because of custom. I say: Shame on everyone.
I hate the idea that some people deserve less than others because of factors they cannot control. I mean, in the 16th Century, there was this idea of divine right. Kings were kings because God appointed them to be so. There was the idea that you were born into the role that God appointed to you. I hate that idea. I think it's awful. Kids deserve to be loved by their parents, period the end. Gloucester might not have been an inherently bad guy, but he was not the ideal parent.
I tend to think that Lear was a terrible father. I mean, two of his three children turned out to be horrible, and one of them he banished for not sufficiently kissing up. I feel like good parents can turn out a bad seed or two, but if two out of three children grew up to be jerks (and the third is a boring Christ archetype introduced for the sake of the plot), it's probably because of less-than-satisfactory parenting.
Now, on to King Lear:
Edmund has been quite the hot topic lately, and I love it. He's such a deliciously complex character. Lear is a senile old bag, as well as kind of a jerk. In fact, I think that Lear is one of the worst literary parents I've ever read. If the majority of his kids grew up to be mean, selfish twits, it's probably because the he messed up somewhere. Gloucester is better, but not by much. He picked and chose which of his children to give affection to. However, his poor parenting gave rise to this amazing character. (Amazing from a literary standpoint. I wouldn't want to have lunch with him.) I feel like I can relate to him more so than any other Shakespearean character we've read. I mean, he does some horrible things, and I know he's supposed to be the villain, but I find him incredibly sympathetic. I'd like to share his speech from Act I:
Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thy law
My services are bound. Wherefore should I
Stand in the plague of custom, and permit
The curiosity of nations to deprive me,
For that I am some twelve or fourteen moon-shines
Lag of a brother? Why bastard? wherefore base?
When my dimensions are as well compact,
My mind as generous, and my shape as true,
As honest madam's issue? Why brand they us
With base? with baseness? bastardy? base, base?
Who, in the lusty stealth of nature, take
More composition and fierce quality
Than doth, within a dull, stale, tired bed,
Go to the creating a whole tribe of fops,
Got 'tween asleep and wake? Well, then,
Legitimate Edgar, I must have your land:
Our father's love is to the bastard Edmund
As to the legitimate: fine word,--legitimate!
Well, my legitimate, if this letter speed,
And my invention thrive, Edmund the base
Shall top the legitimate. I grow; I prosper:
Now, gods, stand up for bastards!
I love this speech. This speech is a banner for people who feel unwanted or disliked to rally around. I feel like everyone in the world can relate to this at some point in their lives. We all get rejected by people we want to love us. We all try to find legitimacy in who we are. Edmund claimss that he is a more legitimate son than Edgar, because there was love and passion present when Edmund was conceived. Edgar was the product of a passionless, but legal, marriage. Then there's this idea of custom. People do horrible, horrible things in the name of custom. Edmund was cast off and reviled from childhood because of custom. I say: Shame on everyone.
I hate the idea that some people deserve less than others because of factors they cannot control. I mean, in the 16th Century, there was this idea of divine right. Kings were kings because God appointed them to be so. There was the idea that you were born into the role that God appointed to you. I hate that idea. I think it's awful. Kids deserve to be loved by their parents, period the end. Gloucester might not have been an inherently bad guy, but he was not the ideal parent.
I tend to think that Lear was a terrible father. I mean, two of his three children turned out to be horrible, and one of them he banished for not sufficiently kissing up. I feel like good parents can turn out a bad seed or two, but if two out of three children grew up to be jerks (and the third is a boring Christ archetype introduced for the sake of the plot), it's probably because of less-than-satisfactory parenting.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Final Project?
Okay, so I don't know how many of you have things nailed down for final projects, but I would love to work on a theoretical production. I love doing costumes and hair and makeup design, and there's just so much that can be done as far as interesting interpretations go.
This is what I've come up with so far:
- The Tempest, a la Alice and Wonderland
- The Winter's Tale, a la Gone With the Wind
- The Comedy of Errors, set in Marseilles in the 1950s.
I'm open to other ideas. Would anyone be up for collaborating with me?
This is what I've come up with so far:
- The Tempest, a la Alice and Wonderland
- The Winter's Tale, a la Gone With the Wind
- The Comedy of Errors, set in Marseilles in the 1950s.
I'm open to other ideas. Would anyone be up for collaborating with me?
Intro To King Lear
I completely forgot about needing to blog today. Usually I try to write my posts the night before, but I was so excited about my last post (of which there will be more similar posts), that I forgot.
King Lear. I have not had the best of experiences with King Lear. I once saw a live production of King Lear in Cedar City. My mom and I had driven up from Phoenix, which is about an eight hour drive. That part was fine. I like roadtrips and my mom and I have gone on several together throughout the course of my time living with her. We saw several other plays before we saw King Lear (my favorite being Bernard Shaw's Candida. Love the Shaw).
Anyway. King Lear. It was in an amphitheater, which, under normal circumstances is fine. Unfortunately, in this case it was raining pretty heavily. It was also extremely cold. I also had to pee really, really badly, and I couldn't go anywhere until intermission, which they saved until after Act III. It. Was. Awful. But almost none of my bad experiences were the fault of the production. The actors were fine, as I recall. Lear was suitably senile, which is a quality I like in my Lears. I mean, he does so many asinine things throughout the course of the play that it's hard for me to imagine him not completely senile. He's like somebody's great-grandpa who isn't allowed to drive or use the toilet by himself, but for some reason, he's been tasked with running a kingdom. Questions all around.
King Lear. I have not had the best of experiences with King Lear. I once saw a live production of King Lear in Cedar City. My mom and I had driven up from Phoenix, which is about an eight hour drive. That part was fine. I like roadtrips and my mom and I have gone on several together throughout the course of my time living with her. We saw several other plays before we saw King Lear (my favorite being Bernard Shaw's Candida. Love the Shaw).
Anyway. King Lear. It was in an amphitheater, which, under normal circumstances is fine. Unfortunately, in this case it was raining pretty heavily. It was also extremely cold. I also had to pee really, really badly, and I couldn't go anywhere until intermission, which they saved until after Act III. It. Was. Awful. But almost none of my bad experiences were the fault of the production. The actors were fine, as I recall. Lear was suitably senile, which is a quality I like in my Lears. I mean, he does so many asinine things throughout the course of the play that it's hard for me to imagine him not completely senile. He's like somebody's great-grandpa who isn't allowed to drive or use the toilet by himself, but for some reason, he's been tasked with running a kingdom. Questions all around.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Costumes, Costumes, Costumes
One of the things Professor Burton and I talked about in my self-assessment was finding more ways to explore Shakespeare creatively. Fun fact about me, I would love to move to LA right now and be a costume designer for a television show. Costume design, as you know, is really dictated by the needs of a production - you can't just walk into Neiman Marcus and buy six Nazi uniforms off the rack. So, for period costumes, or alternate world costumes, you have two choices: go to a costume house (and the quality can vary greatly), or design and make the costumes yourself. For modern productions, the costume designer will often go out and purchase a bunch of individual pieces of clothing to turn into outfits. Especially on TV (in movies as well, but not as consistently), characters often have signature pieces that they wear over and over again. Buffy had a necklace and Spike had his duster. Rick Castle has purple shirts. Detective Stabler has sleeveless undershirts. These are constant motifs that the costume designer chooses to include to say something about the character.
What am I getting at with this? Two things. One, I would like to be a costume designer, so if anyone knows anyone, let me know. Secondly, I've taken the initiative to design some costumes for some dream productions. I've put together costumes for The Winter's Tale, and for The Taming of the Shrew. I only did two key characters from each (I'm not made of time and no one is paying me for this - YET), but if you guys will bear with me, I'll walk you through the concepts for each show. This is kind of long (AGAIN), so I'm sorry, but I think it's at least one of my more interesting posts. Oh, and I should mention, these are my dream productions where I have no budgetary constraints whatsoever.
What am I getting at with this? Two things. One, I would like to be a costume designer, so if anyone knows anyone, let me know. Secondly, I've taken the initiative to design some costumes for some dream productions. I've put together costumes for The Winter's Tale, and for The Taming of the Shrew. I only did two key characters from each (I'm not made of time and no one is paying me for this - YET), but if you guys will bear with me, I'll walk you through the concepts for each show. This is kind of long (AGAIN), so I'm sorry, but I think it's at least one of my more interesting posts. Oh, and I should mention, these are my dream productions where I have no budgetary constraints whatsoever.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Midterm Evaluation
This is going to be a long one, I can feel it already.
1. How Have I Gained Shakespeare Literacy?
I've read all of the assigned plays, including a couple that I was entirely unfamiliar with. With the help of my group, I explored themes and analyzed characters in ways that I would have never considered, if left to my own devices.
2. How Have I Analyzed Shakespeare Critically?
I think I've done a relatively good job with the analysis I've done. If you look back on previous blog posts, you'll probably see that I've focused on the characters, and how the characters function within the constraints of the plot. I tried to look at these plays as I would any other piece of literature, and not put it on a big pedestal because it's Shakespeare. I'm coming to the conclusion that Shakespeare didn't view his characters as real people, but as vehicles to further the plot to his liking. Additionally, I spent a lot of time connecting Shakespearean text to modern social issues.
3. How Have I Engaged Shakespeare Creatively?
I saw two live productions: one good, and one really so-so. I connected the things I saw to my own understandings of the play, as well as my expectations for decent theatre. There's this interesting idea that permeates through classical performance of any kind: if you stand really still and talk really loudly and really slowly, then it's powerful, and the audience will be moved through the power of your words. I am here to tell you that is not the case at all. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Theatre is a visual medium, which means you can't neglect the visual aspect of performance.
I also watched 10 Things I Hate About You, a modern incarnation of The Taming of the Shrew. I felt it was a really good adaptation for several reasons. It made Shakespeare accessible to a younger, modern audience. It maintained the plot while removing some of the themes that wouldn't be acceptable to a modern audience. It stayed true to the intended comedic feel without alienating viewers.
4. How Have I Shared Shakespeare Meaningfully?
Well, I blog. I blog a lot. I've also had a number of really productive and insightful conversations with my group. Outside of class, I've spent a lot of time talking to my husband about what I'm learning. Through Facebook, I connected with other family members and friends, and was able to engage in a really great dialog about social issues, connected through Shakespeare. Through GroupReads, I was able to converse with people outside of my immediate circle about Shakespeare, and was able to gain new perspectives.
Self Directed Learning:
Well, again, I blog a lot. I also write a lot of blog comments, in an attempt to contribute to the conversation. I spend a lot of time discussing social issues as introduced by Shakespeare's themes. I spent a lot of time trying to research the background of each play, so I could understand the themes and issues that would have affected Shakespearean viewers. For example, it was really helpful to know that Love's Labour's Lost was written for a group of barristers, because barristers would have been well-educated and would have been more likely to enjoy the hyperintellecualization of the play.
I don't expressly know how a person can measure one's own learning. That being said, I think I've done a good job of documenting the questions I want to explore, figuring out an answer (even if it's not the right answer), and coming back to report. I've utilized web resources like Wikipedia and Sparknotes to give me context, and I've shared my thoughts with other well-informed people.
Collaborative and Social Learning
I think that Kellan and Melanie have helped me a lot. They're very consistent in their blogging, and they always have interesting things to say. It's clear that they are really reading and critically thinking about each play that we're assigned. I think our group is generally working pretty well together, although some of us have experienced some technical difficulties with the blogging that have made things more difficult.
I've already spoken pretty extensively about how I'm involving others outside of class, but I'll do a quick recap: I talk to my husband about what I'm reading and learning all the time. I've connected with other family members and friends on Facebook. I wrote my own Goodreads review and commented on other reviews.
Looking Ahead
I feel like I've met the learning outcomes insofar as that's possible at this point. I have a couple of ideas for my final project. The one I'm most passionate about is designing a dream production. I want to design the costumes, and maybe someone could do the set, and someone else could do the hair and makeup, since we're supposed to be collaborating. Then, to share globally, we could post our designs on DeviantArt.
1. How Have I Gained Shakespeare Literacy?
I've read all of the assigned plays, including a couple that I was entirely unfamiliar with. With the help of my group, I explored themes and analyzed characters in ways that I would have never considered, if left to my own devices.
2. How Have I Analyzed Shakespeare Critically?
I think I've done a relatively good job with the analysis I've done. If you look back on previous blog posts, you'll probably see that I've focused on the characters, and how the characters function within the constraints of the plot. I tried to look at these plays as I would any other piece of literature, and not put it on a big pedestal because it's Shakespeare. I'm coming to the conclusion that Shakespeare didn't view his characters as real people, but as vehicles to further the plot to his liking. Additionally, I spent a lot of time connecting Shakespearean text to modern social issues.
3. How Have I Engaged Shakespeare Creatively?
I saw two live productions: one good, and one really so-so. I connected the things I saw to my own understandings of the play, as well as my expectations for decent theatre. There's this interesting idea that permeates through classical performance of any kind: if you stand really still and talk really loudly and really slowly, then it's powerful, and the audience will be moved through the power of your words. I am here to tell you that is not the case at all. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Theatre is a visual medium, which means you can't neglect the visual aspect of performance.
I also watched 10 Things I Hate About You, a modern incarnation of The Taming of the Shrew. I felt it was a really good adaptation for several reasons. It made Shakespeare accessible to a younger, modern audience. It maintained the plot while removing some of the themes that wouldn't be acceptable to a modern audience. It stayed true to the intended comedic feel without alienating viewers.
4. How Have I Shared Shakespeare Meaningfully?
Well, I blog. I blog a lot. I've also had a number of really productive and insightful conversations with my group. Outside of class, I've spent a lot of time talking to my husband about what I'm learning. Through Facebook, I connected with other family members and friends, and was able to engage in a really great dialog about social issues, connected through Shakespeare. Through GroupReads, I was able to converse with people outside of my immediate circle about Shakespeare, and was able to gain new perspectives.
Self Directed Learning:
Well, again, I blog a lot. I also write a lot of blog comments, in an attempt to contribute to the conversation. I spend a lot of time discussing social issues as introduced by Shakespeare's themes. I spent a lot of time trying to research the background of each play, so I could understand the themes and issues that would have affected Shakespearean viewers. For example, it was really helpful to know that Love's Labour's Lost was written for a group of barristers, because barristers would have been well-educated and would have been more likely to enjoy the hyperintellecualization of the play.
I don't expressly know how a person can measure one's own learning. That being said, I think I've done a good job of documenting the questions I want to explore, figuring out an answer (even if it's not the right answer), and coming back to report. I've utilized web resources like Wikipedia and Sparknotes to give me context, and I've shared my thoughts with other well-informed people.
Collaborative and Social Learning
I think that Kellan and Melanie have helped me a lot. They're very consistent in their blogging, and they always have interesting things to say. It's clear that they are really reading and critically thinking about each play that we're assigned. I think our group is generally working pretty well together, although some of us have experienced some technical difficulties with the blogging that have made things more difficult.
I've already spoken pretty extensively about how I'm involving others outside of class, but I'll do a quick recap: I talk to my husband about what I'm reading and learning all the time. I've connected with other family members and friends on Facebook. I wrote my own Goodreads review and commented on other reviews.
Looking Ahead
I feel like I've met the learning outcomes insofar as that's possible at this point. I have a couple of ideas for my final project. The one I'm most passionate about is designing a dream production. I want to design the costumes, and maybe someone could do the set, and someone else could do the hair and makeup, since we're supposed to be collaborating. Then, to share globally, we could post our designs on DeviantArt.
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