Will Iago's Plan Work?

Iago has a plan to make Othello alone and miserable. He tries to make him isolate himself and ultimately separate with his wife. If he doesn't have his friends or wife, then he will be alone. Iago is a very honorable person in Othello's eyes. He is a man that he trusts and thinks has his best spirit in mind. Since Othello trusts Iago, Iago is put in a very easy place. Once he plants the idea of his wife cheating on him, Othello starts to go crazy and his plan is already working. However, like any man, Othello doesn't automatically believe him, he needs proof. Thus, Iago tries to bribe a woman to steal her hankercheif that Othello gave his wife as a present. She gets ahold of it and the plan officially can become detrimental to Othello.

Is He Black?

Black actors were not a popular or present thing during Shakespearian time. Othello is supposed to be a black person, and he does a good job of presenting that way. But there are a couple of things that makes the audience second guess his race. One thing is that in many different forms of lighting, Othello looks purple. His purple tint is due to the make-up of the time. They do a thorough job of completely covering Othello's body, even in scenes where he has his shirt off; however, his purplish tint is very questionable. Also, Othello has an Arabian accent. His looks and his accent are contradicting each other and makes it very confusing for the audience. Even though there are these tiny errors, the make-up artists do a phenomenal job of completely covering his arms, legs, chest, and face. He also has a very believable whig that resembles a black person's hair. Othello has a very distinct idiosyncrasy where he always rolls his eyes in the back of his head. This may be an idea for the character that he is playing, or it may be one of his odd characteristics that he cannot control. Overall, for the time that this movie is filmed, he is a believable black person.

Good work, Joanie.
Mr. Murphy

Is the Movie Correct?

The movie has many different take-offs from the original version of Richard III by William Shakespeare. One detail that is different is the scene when Richard tries to trick the men that he doesn't want the crown. He is supposed to come out with two priests on either side due to the fact that he was in "prayer." However, in the movie he just comes out with a prayer book and no priests. The book isn't even a prayer book, it is a novel that the cover is taken off. Also, when one of the characters is killed he is killed through the bed while with a woman. Also, another difference is that the princes never make fun of Richard. In the book, the princes sarcastically make fun and tease Richard; however, in the movie they get into the car and no jokes are tossed around.

Richard III Movie

In the movie version of Richard III there were many things that I liked. One thing that I enjoyed was the setting that they used. The director placed it in Great Britain in the 1930s. They replicated it very well with the multiple amounts of cigarettes always smoked and the costumes. The music also added was incredibly fitting for the era it was placed in, and fitting for the events occuring in the play. Even though they still used Shakespeare's original language, the accents used and the clever delivery by the actors and actresses. Another thing that I enjoyed was the casting for the play. Richard is a man who has a slight hunchback and has an evil smirk always on him. In the movie, they do not over-do it and over-dramatisize it so that is too obvious. Richard's mustache is also very fitting for his character. Finally, I also really enjoyed the delivery of the lines. Although it may sound silly, the actors did a phenomenal job by adding a lot of space between lines so that it could settle with the audience and it gave us time to comprehend what was going on. Also, they did a good execution with shared lines. One right after another was preformed so that the 10-syllable shakespeare style wasn't left out. However, there was one thing that I did not enjoy about the movie version of Richard III. Richard would sometimes talk to the screen as if he were talking to the audience. Although it might have helped clarify what was going on, it felt awkward and unorthodox as the viewer. I think the director should have had Richard purely talking to himself so that the audience could hear; however, not have Richard directly talking to the audience. In general, I really enjoyed the movie edition of Richard III.

Orations to the Soldiers

Richmond's oration to his soldiers is very different when comparing it to Richard's. Richmond starts off using positive words and treating his soldiers like his friends, not like they are beneath him. He says, "More than I have said, loving countrymen." He talks to his soldiers using nice words so that they can respect him and that he shows his respect and thankfulness for their commitment as well. Richmond then uses the theme of God's ultimate punishment as fuel to feed the soldiers' angry thoughts. "God, and our good cause, fight upon our side." He says god is with them and wants them to win, any soldier would agree that having god and religion for your victory is very important and reassuring. Especially in this community where prayer and sanctuary are so highly regarded and important, God is a very highly regarded figure. He then uses ideas like "for your wives and children" to hit a passionate note that all soldiers can relate with.

Richard, on the other hand, has a speech that is very different. Instead of being friends with his soldiers and treating them nicely, he uses critical and offending names. He says, "Remember whom you are to cope withal, a sort of vagabonds, rascals, and runaways, a scum of Brentons and base lackey peasants." Calling your soldiers "scum" and "peasants" is not the way to win their respect. He also uses the same idea of talking about wives and daughters, except he uses it in a grotesque and offending way. He says, "lie with our wives, ravish our daughters." He doesn't try to make it passionate like Richmond does by saying "do it for them and for your love for them" he basically says, "do it for them so that they dont sleep around." It is very different and Richmond's way is much better and effective.

Anne's Speech

In act 4 scene 1 Anne speaks from lines 68-91 and it includes ideas and forms of the themes discussed throughout the play. Anne has been convinced by Richard earlier in the play to be his and she accepts a ring from him, she then says, "For never yet one hour in his bed/ did i enjoy the golden dew of sleep." She says how she made a mistake and she never felt comfortable with him and has known of his evil tendencies. In the beginning of this speech she makes a reference to Hamlet and says, "When scarce the blood was well washed from his hands." Hamlet is another play by Shakespeare and hands were used as a motif for creation and destruction. This happens in Richard III too because Richard has a tendency to destroy and kill people; however, we have yet to see him have anxiety about the blood on his hands. She then uses her curse and says, "Lo, ere I can repeat this curse again." She continues to curse him under God's ultimate punishment.

Hastings and Catesby

The conversation between Hastings and Catesby follows the theme of God's decisions. Hastings says, "God knows I will not do it, to the death." (3.2.57). Then Catesby replies with, "God keep your Lordship in that gracious mind." (3.2.58). This continuous theme of God and his knowledge shows up many times in the play. At this point they are talking about Richard holding the crown and how he soon will be king. God's inevitable punishment lies with Richard because of the back-handed, evil things he's been doing. Hastings says how he will not stand to see Richard be king when he says, "I'll have this crown of mine cut from my shoulders/ Before i'll see the crown so foul misplaced." (3.2.45-46). Richard is the only person that can handle the crown because his two brothers are dead and the princes are too young; however, Catesby later brings up the idea that Hastings should be king. He would handle it much better and be brilliant within the land. Hastings disagrees and shuns this idea.

I like the vote on your favorite play. Where did you find it?
Mr. Murphy

Joanie:
I think you mean "allusions", and yes it does. Good work.
Mr. Murphy

Queen Margaret

Queen Margaret's lines in act 1 scene 3 of Richard III has many illusions that refer to the major theme of God's inevitable punishment. Her first reference is when she says, "God's gentle sleeping peace." (306). She talks to Buckingham and Richard about how "sin, death, and hell have set their marks on him (the dog.)" (312). She is warning them of doing bad deeds and how at God's gate at their judgement day, he will know wrong from right and he will turn them away from the gates of heaven. She claims that she is a prophetess and that she knows how God truly wants things to be. She then continues with lines such as, "soothe the devil that I warn thee from," "all of you to God's." She does so, so convincingly that Richard then says, "I cannot blame her. By god's holy mother." (325). The idea of God's inevitable punishment holds people to their guilt and judgement of wrong from right. Richard is in a difficult place because he is in mist of doing many wrongs for the final goal of the title King; however, he cannot escape the guilt.

Richard and his Pick Up Line

I have heard many pickup lines in my life. A few funny ones have been the following: "Are you from Tennessee? Cause you're the only Ten I See." "Are you from Jamaica? Cause your Jamaican Me Crazy." However, Richard's strategy for picking up his brother's wife is something I have never even heard of. Shakespeare's tricky language makes Richard's pick up line very confusing and an enigma in itself; thus, I can see how it was difficult for Lady Anne to deny him. Even though, she should not even be considering Richard because he admitted to killing her husband. Even though he claims it was because he loves her so very much, Lady Anne should keep in mind that it doesn't matter because she loved her husband more than him. If I were Lady Anne I wouldn't have fallen for Richard's pick up line. Not only is it confusing, but if a man was trying to pick me up and I couldn't understand what he was saying, it would not be a successful relationship. Also, if I were in her position, I would still be grieving my husband's death and I wouldn't want to move on yet, especially with my husband's brother. There are too many odd factors going on with Richard, thus I would not have accepted that ring so willingly as Lady Anne did.

Shakespeare in Love, Blog 2

The academy award winning film Shakespeare in Love has made interesting advances in the themes we have read from the play Romeo and Juliet. The theme of the different types of love has been the basis of the movie thus far. William's love for Viola is quickly transforming into a form of true love. This has not yet completely happened, but once the choice of love over family comes into play, the result of true love or lust will show itself. As of right now, what William could feel for Viola could simply be lust; their relationship has not been tested yet, Viola still plans on marrying the man that her father has prepared for her. The love he shows for Viola also has a bit of romantic love. He writes her one of his most notorious sonnets that compares her to a summer's day. Writing of sonnets is a red flag for romantic love. Bawdy love also plays itself in their relationship due to the secretive sleeping around they do and his comical comments about her breasts that he admits to the "man" in the boat. Even though these themes of love tend to separate each other into different relationships and mean different things, I do not see why one relationship cannot have them all. A true relationship should have a bit of every type of love; however, the most important type of love, in the end, is true love.

Good blog, Joanie.
Mr. Murphy

Shakespeare in Love Blog 1

Shakespeare in Love is a well known play that received 7 academy awards. In the beginning 45 minutes of the play, we are already exposed to the many different forms of love that we were first introduced to in Romeo and Juliet. One form of love is romantic love. Shakespeare's first woman that we see him have a sexual encounter with claims that she wants him to write her a sonnet. Sonnet writing is an example of romantic love. Also, bawdy love is introduced. Shakespeare's first woman can also have the debate that it is bawdy love because Shakespeare walks in on her having a sexual encounter with another man. Not only is romantic and bawdy love introduced, but conventional love is also shown. Viola's parents are trying to arrange a marriage with her and a man whom they approve of. This man was shown at the party and she has no interest. Finally, we see the first glimpse of true love between Viola and Shakespeare. As soon as he hears her recite his monologue from his play, he chased after her and fell in love with her at the party. Many types of love are introduced in the beginning of Shakespeare in Love; however, it will be interesting to see which one will prevail.

Act 5 Scene 1

Act 5 Scene 1 is a huge scene in the play of Romeo and Juliet. This is the scene where Romeo finds out that Juliet has "died" and he plans his own death accordingly. One literary device used many times in this scene is shared lines. As soon as Romeo found out about Juliet's "death" he would quickly respond to Bathlasar, creating a shared line. This shows how Romeo's feelings are fired up because he has such true love for Juliet and he is concerned about her death; he needs to know information immediately. Also, a lot of personification is used in this scene. One example is when Romeo says, "misery had worn him to the bones." Misery cannot wear down anything. Another example is when Romeo says, "oppression starveth in thy eyes." Oppression cannot starve anything, this is an example of personification. The theme of love comes up many times in this scene as well. Romeo says, "but love's shadows are so rich in joy." Earlier in act 4, Romeo switched the theme of love and dark versus light, saying that light love is more difficult. Here, he is exclaiming how love's shadows can have many dark and hidden things to it, but it is still worth it. Finally, the theme of true love comes up because Romeo is willing to kill himself due to the fact that he cannot live without Juliet. Life has no meaning if she cannot be apart of his.

Great effort! Keep up the good work.
Mr. Murphy

Juliet's Lines 54-57

"O God, i have an ill-divinging soul! Methinks I see thee, now thou art so low, As one dead in the bottom of a tomb. Either my eyesight fails or though lookest pale." These four lines by Juliet in act 3 scene 5 come during a point where Juliet is saying a goodbye to Romeo that both of them hope is only temporary. She starts of the line with 'o' which means that there is an exclamation of emotion. The emotion depicted here is worry in her remembering of what she is doing. She is reflecting on her decision to choose Romeo and she calls herself an "ill-divining soul," which means a prophetic of evil. She is admitting to herself that she is evil for going against her parents' wishes. She then goes on to foreshadow Romeo's death. She says that she sees him in the bottom of a tomb and that he is very pale. These all reflect to the idea of death, which is what the ultimate ending is in the play. She is also saying that he might as well be dead to her because it might be impossible for them to be together. If he were dead, then she would have reason to kill herself and she wouldn't have to deal with her parents.

O, I am a Fortune's fool!

In Act 3 scene 1 Romeo kills Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, after he has married Juliet. Directly after killing him he says, "O, I am a Fortune's fool!" In the guide to shakespeare, the word "O" declares an exclamation of emotion. One can read this in many different ways. Emotion can be used in a melancholy sense, an agitated, pain, or in many other ways. Here, I believe Romeo is using "O" to exert his frustration of his stupidity. He is perfectly aware of the new rules laid out because he says them a few lines earlier when he tries to break up the fight. In this sentence, Shakespeare capitalizes the word fortune to make it Fortune. This could mean he is using personification and making the word fortune into an actual person like figure. Fortune in this sense is his future. He says he is a "Fortune's fool," which means that he is foreshadowing that he knew that marrying Juliet would result in something unfortunate, and now it has happened. The book claims that "fool" means a plaything. This statement is a product of his life being played with by a puppet like figure (Fortune) which ends up being his true love. His true love for Juliet is so strong that he will do anything and kill anything so that he can defend it, when in reality, he ends up hampering the ability of the relationship to work because he is now ostracized from the community.

Friar Lawrence and Foreshadowing

Friar Lawrence starts off his speech by talking about the coming of daybreak. A continual theme throughout Romio and Juliet is the change of light and darkness. Night and darkness are similar things along with day and lightness. Light is a symbol for true love, Juliet. "the sun advance his burning eye, the day to cheer and night's dank dew to dry." When Shakespeare says this he is foreshadowing the coming of Juliet into Romeo's life. She is the sun and will change the darkness's dew (bawdy love) and make it into true love. Friar Lawrence then digs into the idea of a woman and her tomb. When he says, "what is her burying grave, that is her womb." He is foreshadowing how Juliet is digging her own grave. When she decides to marry Romeo, she knows the consequences of her family and of the pressure the community puts on them, so in the end she will die of it. The idea of the "womb children" foreshadows how it is the romance between Romeo and Juliet that will kill them. This shows this because romance brings marriage which results with a family. Each of these steps puts the stress on an even higher level, so kids and marriage will be the ultimate death. Finally, he says, "revolts from true birth, stumbling upon abuse." This foreshadows how Romeo and Juliet were made for each other ever since they were born and they have no choice but to take the consequences of abuse for their love. Friar Lawrence's speech in Act 2 scene 3 is full of foreshadowing.

Mercutio's Speech

Act 1, scene 4 includes a very long speech by Mercutio about love. The theme of love is very apparent in Romio and Juliet and in Mercutio's speech, he talks about the bawdy love. Bawdy love is more sexual and involves less feeling than true love. The whole speech he talks about a girl that will tempt men and lead them on so that they cannot stop thinking about her, and then she will drop them and show how her feelings were false. We know that Mercutio talks of this woman or type of love with negative connotation because he uses words like "gnat, worm, old grub, and hag" to describe her. Mercutio uses many conceits to describe her as well. Another conceit he uses is describing her love as a plague. It is something that is very addictive and easy to catch; however, it is very bad and is harmful to the body. He compares her to an "agate stone." He also talks about her as a comparison to Cinderella. He says her "chariot is an empty hazelnut" and her "time out o' mind the fairies' coachmakers." These are all related to the story of Cinderella. Mercutio also talks about the type of people this woman messes with. He says lawyers, ladies, and soldiers. These are people of all kinds-- lawyers and soldiers especially are highly regarded positions. Alliteration is also used in his last lines when the last words of each line is, "bodes, backs, and bear."

Joanie:
you don't have to summarize the play for me. I've read it a few times. Tell me about your interpretations, let me know when you recognize a theme or something else we've discussed in class. You can also use the blog to ask questions.
Mr. Murphy

Romeo and Juliet Blog 2

Act 1, Scene 2 of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is 105 lines that start Romeo's conquest for love. It starts out with Capulet and Paris having a discussion about how Capulet wants his daughter to get married. His daughter is only 14 years old, and he says, "in two more summers" that she will be ready to get married. He brainstorms with Paris and he decides that he wants to have a dinner party where he will invite many people so that his daughter can choose which man she is fond of. However, I think that Capulet has a hidden agenda with his plans for his daughter. He says, "My will to her consent is but a part... Lies my consent and fair according to voice." Once he sends his servingman out to invite the guests, the servingman runs into Romeo and Benvolio. Romeo is in a depressed mood and is also very mad about his 'love' sickness. The servingman asks Romeo to read aloud the list for the dinner, and Romeo comments about how he is not on it. The servingman then suggests that he shows up to the party anyway by saying, "If you be not of the house of Montagues, I pray come and crush a cup of wine." Benvolio strongly suggests that Romeo goes to the dinner so that he can get over his love sickness and see the numerous fine ladies at the dinner; Romeo agrees.

One of the literary devices used in this scene is alliteration. Benvolio says, "And she shall scant show well that now seems best." The repetition of "sh" is done purposely for emphasis. Another example of alliteration is when Capulet says, "fresh funnel." Also, parenthetical phrases are used in Act 1 Scene 2. One example is when Romeo says, "And these who, often drowned, could never die." The 'often drowned' part is the parenthetical phrase because it can easily be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence. Also, shared lines is a very common thing in this scene. When Romeo and Benvolio first come onto the stage Bevolio says, "For what, I pray thee?" And directly after a shared line occurs where Romeo says, "For your broken shin." Act 1 Scene 2 is the first moment we see Romeo take action for his love by agreeing to go to the dinner.

Romeo and Juliet Blog 1

In the first 65 lines of the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the scene is set at the house of the Capulet. Sampson and Gregory

Repetition is a common literary device used in these first lines. The idea of carrying coals is repeated many times in the first 5 lines. Also the reoccurance of bitting a thumb shows up multiple times. This idea of bitting a thumb is like flicking someone off or showing them the bird. Another literary device used is alliteration. Examples are, "pretty piece of flesh," "weakest goes to the wall," and "we'll not carry coals." All of these examples of alliteration add emphasis on the words and their meanings. Emphasis is another strong literary device that can be used when reading shakespeare, especially when acting it out. When Abraham and Sampson are bickering about biting their thumbs, certain emphasis can be placed on different words so that the meaning of the sentences change. When one emphasizes, "I am not biting my thumb at YOU." This still infers that Sampson is biting his thumb; but, when he says "I am NOT biting my thumb at you," this could mean that he is not biting his thumb at all. Conceits are also used in this scene in one of Sampson's lines when he says, "True; and therefore women, being the weaker vessels, are ever thrust to the wall." The parenthetical phrase is "being the weaker vessels." The first 65 lines of the first scene start off the play with a bang including a ton of fighting and tensions that have potential to escalade.

Ok Joanie: what about turns, conceits, etc.
Mr. Murphy

Sonnet 147

"My love is as a fever longing still,
For that which longer nurseth the disease,
Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill,
Th' uncertain sickly appetite to please:
My reason the physician to my love,
Angry that his prescriptions are not kept
Hath left me, and I desperate now approve,
Desire is death, which physic did except.
Past cure I am, now reason is past care,
And frantic-mad with evermore unrest,
My thoughts and my discourse as mad men's are,
At random from the truth vainly expressed.
For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright,
Who art as black as hell, as dark as night."
-Shakespeare sonnet 147.


The theme of this sonnet is love. Shakespeare's love for this woman is extremely present and it is like an uncurable disease; he cannot get rid of it. No matter how many 'doctors' or 'prescriptions' he receives to cure his love sickness, it is not possible. Shakespeare does not directly talk about his lover's beauty; however, since his love is so deep, it is apparent how her looks don't matter. One example of a paradox used in this sonnet is the first line, "My love is a fever longing still." Love and a fever seem like two unmatchable things; however, when one thinks about the underlying meaning they can see how love can be a lot of work and especially difficult when your lover doesn't love you back. The turn in the sonnet is on the 11th line when he starts to change his perspective and uses the word 'bright' which has a more positive connotation.