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Shakespeare Group Play Notes:Henry VAll of Shakespeare’s histories are mostly based on Hall’s historical records and/or Holinshed’s Chronicles, which are (biased) historical records from the Renaissance. Shakespeare’s histories are not entirely historically accurate, but rather than focusing on this element as a criticism, it might be more helpful to ask why this is. To what end is he recreating history, and how does he characterize the nation, politics, and the monarchy? These ideas are important in Historicism (which deals with very clear ties between authors) and New Historicism critical viewpoints. New Historicism comes from the study of Shakespeare and looks at the historical context of when a text comes from and looks at forms of power and subversion. The text is a body that exerts force in its world, and the text you study is part of world of texts. It’s important to look at how the text is contained within this world.What you need to understand about Henry V, is that Henry IV (Henry Lancaster, Henry V’s father) took the crown from Richard II. Though by most accounts, Richard II was a terrible, cruel tyrant, this act of usurpation still caused a lot of turmoil. Technically (religiously) speaking, one cannot take a King’s crown because the King has been officially marked by Holy Oil, which is blessed and administered by the Archbishop of Canterbury. So, you may be physically able to take a physical crown, the “Golden Round” or “O,” which is the physical symbol of royalty, but one cannot wash off the Holy Oil that sets apart the allegedly “rightful” King of England. If you believe in Christianity, you are (unfortunately in some cases) believing in the idea that the royal family is”sponsored” by God. You can’t even decide to stop being a monarch even if you want to. England believes in primogeniture, which is a father-son line of royalty and allegedly means that God “signs off” on what family will rule (The Divine Right of Kings); however, if you look at the succession of English Kings, you will notice a great deal of cousins/usurpers. You also need to consider that, like Elizabeth, Henry V (Harry) was not prepared to inherit the throne because neither he nor his father were “supposed to rule,” so he spent his time partying and having no real responsibilities (unlike Elizabeth). This is why the “comic relief/clown” characters (Pistol, Nym, Bardolph, Mistress Quickly, Sir John Falstaff) are so interesting in relief of the hugely political/religious/militaristic aspects of the playtext. Themes and Questions:SO => these ideas lead us to the theme of What makes a king? (ceremony) – See Act IV.i.117-284 What makes a person’s identity? A national identity? “On, you noblest English” (III.i.17)“Into a thousand parts divide one man” (Pro. 1.24)“I will behave more like myself” (Henry IV III.ii.95)“Then should the warlike Harry, like himself / assume the port of Mars” (Pro.5-6)I will take France, “keep my state, / Be like a king” (I.ii.273-74)King with Two Bodies – corporeal body, and body of King as nation (hence “The King is dead (human body); long live the King (the political entity)”)How are we (the reader/audience) to view leaders, individuals?(consider the influence of author, actor, personal thoughts, critics)“On your imaginary forces work” (Pro. 1.18)“Tis now your thoughts which now must deck our kings” (Pro.1.28)Who is responsible for what aspects of the outcomes of war?(king, individual, church, God)“Every subject’s duty / is to his king, but every subject’s soul is his own” (IV.i.176-77)The guilty man “no wings to fly from God” (IV.i.168-69)“for as I am a soldier” (III.iii.5-60)“the sin [of falsely going to war be] upon my head, dread sovereign” (I.ii.96)How does a leader (vs. an individual) interact with his subjects?(church, political leaders/nobles, soldiers/low class friends)Uses prose with low class characters and poetry with nobles.The power of wordsWhy do they go to war? (Archbishop’s words)Why can Henry rouse the men? (words)Why do people (readers/characters) love Henry? (words)How does Henry use words with the traitors Scroop, Cambridge, and Grey?How does Henry use words with the French princess?He can’t speak French, or he won’t speak it? (Act V)Comic mispronunciation of Katherine’s nameSwitches between terrible and fluent French?? What’s going on there? Merchant of Venice Merchant of Venice is one of Shakspeare’s “problem plays,” which does not neatly fit into the category of comedy, tragedy, history, or romance. The classical definition of a comedy is a story that usually ends in stability, marriage, and order from chaos. It does end in a marriage, but there are certainly problems – not the least of which is what happens to the two most prominent characters: Antonio (the Merchant of Venice) and Shylock (the Jewish moneylender). The reader must ask who pays for the “happy ending” of this “comedy.”Both of these characters are of the middle/merchant class – not the nobility. In fact, the nobility is frequently the object of some ridicule or at least criticism in the playtext. It calls the Great Chain of Being, gender, ethnicity/race/religion, and class all into question. However, all characters are dominated by money. In dealing with the most visible racial/ethnic/religious “other,” one must understand that these roles were typically stock characters and played with rather stereotypical costumes. Any Jew in the Renaissance theater would have been played with a costume consisting of a large, hooked nose, a particular style of cloak, and a red “Herod” wig. A Moor would have been played in equally exaggerated ways. Jews in Elizabethan England were the subject of huge prejudice instituted by Richard II, who attempted to remove them completely from England. During the reign of Elizabeth, Jews were forced to live in ghettos, wear badges, at times could not own property, and were frequently relegated to either being a moneylender (which Christians could not be, as charging interest was considered the sin of usury) or medical doctor. Interesting that the stereotype of a “Shylock,” or a “Shy” exists today as under-the-table source of borrowing money, as does the “Jewish doctor” stereotype. In the Renaissance, they were considered an “alien race” – not citizens and were therefore subject to different laws, as the reader learns in Act V, when Shylock demands his bond. Many people consider this playtext to be racist; however, it is important to consider the speech of the Prince of Morocco (II.i.1-46) as well as the very famous “Hath not a Jew eyes” (III.i.53-73) speech of Shylock as relatively clear indications of Shakespeare’s awareness of racism. It is too easy an interpretation to write the text off as “simply” racist. On the other hand, in Merchant Shakespeare employs stereotypes (French, English, Venetian, Moorish, Jewish, Flemish, etc.) to make complex characters of which it is necessary to say more than:Shylock is evil because he wants to cut off a pound of Antonio’s flesh.Indeed some say that Shylock is victim of the text, and some call that an equally too simplistic assertion. Issues of feminism/gender:The father/daughter relationship is an issue in Merchant. There are only three (four if you include prostitutes) types of women in a Renaissance society: a maid (non-married virgin), a wife, and a widow. Women lived with their families and listened to their father’s rule until they were married at which time they moved into their husband’s house, where he was in charge politically. Men were probably frequently somewhat older than their wives, since men needed to be out of their apprenticeship in order to provide for a family. The age of marital consent was 12; however, the average age of a bride was 25, much like it is today. This patriarchal system mirrors the English royal system, which is part of the Great Chain of Being and helps to provide a phallocentric world-view for the West. Of course, Shakespeare is very interested in the results of challenging parental power, and this system is often as equally up for ridicule or debate in Shakspeare’s playtexts (Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado about Nothing, Othello) as much as it is the “way of the world” in others (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Measure for Measure, Romeo and Juliet, Troilus and Cressida), but Merchant looks at aspects of gender/sexuality in very interesting ways.Points to consider:Jessica and ShylockPower, money, property, loyalty, familial carePortia and the coffins Power of father to control daughter even after his deathPortia influences Bassanio’s choice??Portia and Nerissa as lawyersPowerful woman needs to dress as a powerful man to exercise power in society?The complex relationship between Antonio and BassanioGood friends?Homoerotic?Homosocial?About power over one another?What kind of Christians do we see operating in Venetian society???Othello – 1603 (right after Hamlet)Like in many of his works, Shakespeare is looking at the nature of evil; however, he is doing so in a way that reveals some serious and disturbing aspects of human consciousness and ability to manipulate. He is asking us questions about good guys and bad guys, and things are not always that obvious about who’s who. Othello was written immediately after Hamlet, which makes us read it in relief of Shakespeare’s so-called masterpiece (as if there’s only one). In comparison to Hamlet, who takes too long to act, Othello does not take enough time. In fact, while the plot of Hamlet unfolds over months, Othello takes place in only four days. Both plays have title characters that rely on confidants, but they do so in dramatically different ways. Hamlet- Othello- Friend:HoratioIagoEnemy:ClaudiusIagoAuthority Figure:ClaudiusOthello People in the Renaissance have a certain amount of anxiety about human passions (read: The Seven Deadly Sins), which come from the body and are generally regarded as similar to demonic forces that can over-flow and negatively influence the individual. Betraying some anxiety over this issue, Othello says, “passion cannot rule” (III.iii.123). Rather, reason rules over these passions, which can be seen in the root “rat” in Horatio’s name, as he is credited with being a “man / that is not passion’s slave” (Hamlet III.ii.71-72), but poor Othello has no such friend – only Honest Iago. Iago’s motivation for the terrible things he does is very complicated. Luckily he outlines some of their details in his soliloquies, of which he has two more than Othello. As we know, when a character performs a soliloquy, s/he is 1. alone and 2. telling the truth. First soliloquy: I.iii.383-404Indicates that Iago suspects that with Emilia, his wife, “ ‘twixt my sheets [the Moor] / {H’as} done my office,” which is perhaps why Iago is eager to attack Othello through Desdemona.JealousySecond soliloquy: II.i.286-312The plan to have Desdemona advocate for Cassio’s re-instatement. Again, Iago’s plan mirrors what he thinks has been done to him since Iago has been passed over for a promotion. JealousyThird soliloquy: II.iii.337-362Destroying Desdemona by “turn[ing] her virtue into pitch” (II.iii.360). The third, if not fourth (Emilia) good person Iago will ruin by using their virtues against them. Racism – Othello is the first black hero in English literary history. 16th Century Venice was, though one of the most ethnically diverse places in Europe, a racist place, and Othello is an alien “other.” He is not a citizen and, therefore, has none of the rights or protections that go with citizenship. Interestingly the racism in the playtext, while fairly obvious and repeated often through labels like “the Moor” and various slurs, seems secondary to the character of Othello. All of the stereotypes that people in the playtext use to insult Othello are either physical, and therefore simply subjective products of their ethnocentric world, or character stereotypes, which turn out not to be at all true. While a gifted speaker, Othello is not guilty of the black magic spells Brabantio accuses him of, which allegedly bewitch his daughter into falling in love with a black man, nor is he the barbarian “other” the Venetians would have him be. He is, nevertheless, frequently referred to as “the Moor” and is an “other” as the political state of Venice would have him, though his soldiers and statesmen respect his martial abilities and noble reputation. In Othello, Shakespeare discusses the concept of reputation in interesting ways. Often one’s identity is defined by society, which is why racism is such a powerful force. Due to deserved prowess, Othello has arisen to the rank of General in the Venetian army and is repeatedly referred to as “valiant,” “noble,” and worthy. Strange, much like racism usually proves, that despite his abilities, he is still viewed as something less than his white counter-parts. Tragically, he becomes reduced to the stereotypes foisted upon him regarding his jealousy, somewhat mindless barbarousness/brutality, and manifestation of the sexual anxieties some characters feel towards him. The complexity with which Shakespeare uses the power of Iago’s dark ability to manipulate truth mirrors his ability to manipulate men, especially the goodness of Othello, exposing the strange, various, and destructive depths of man’s capacity for evil.Iago, like the master equivocator he is, vacillates as it suits his purpose between prizing reputation and considering it meaningless. One cannot forget, however, that his schemes would never work without his “honest” reputation and legitimate reliability on the battlefield.Pro-Reputation with Othello:“Good name in man and woman, dear my lord, / Is the immediate jewel of their souls” (III.iii.155-56)Anti-Reputation with Cassio:“Reputation is an idle and most false / imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without / deserving. You have lost no reputation at all, / unless you repute yourself such a loser” (II.iii.268-71).Other than his reactions to the jealousy he feels (and projects onto Othello), Iago is able to choose his identity to some degree. He says “I am not what I am” and “Virtue? A fig! It lies within us to be thus or thus,” and he chooses evil. All others in the playtext are therefore reacting to him. Shakespeare’s villains are the ones that create and manipulate situations. Seeming vs. being and Identity manipulation: (there are so many more examples)“Certain[ly], men should be what they seem” (III.iii.128)“I think you think I love you” (II.iii.311)“I’ll pour this pestilence into his ear” (II.iii.356).“Oft my jealousy / Shapes faults that are not” (III.iii.147-48)“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! / It is the green-ey’d monster which doth mock / the meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss […but…]” (III.iii.165-67).“One not easily jealous, but being wrought” (V.ii.345)“To be once in doubt / is once to be resolved” (III.iii.179-80)The Tempest The Tempest is a romance. It is Shakespeare’s final playtext, and there are some critics that think that he played the role of Prospero. Prospero’s final act when he says “I’ll drown my book” is possibly indicative of Shakespeare’s retirement from writing just as it is Prospero’s retirement from the magic of words (V.i.57). This playtext is largely concerned with the question of the Human Condition, or what it means to be human. This question is a big idea during the Renaissance, even as it is today. Harold Bloom argues that Shakespeare “invented” the more complete notion of the exploration of “the human.” Inside this enormous question are some other large questions like: What does it mean to be civilized? Stephano and Trinculo are from civilization. Are they symbols of civilization?Language is a civilizing force – who learns it and uses it in the playtext? How?Are people inherently good or evil? Caliban is a naturally occurring creature. Is he evil? Are his actions justified?Is morality an aspect of civilization? Must these terms go together?Is Prospero morally upright? Are people more influenced by their nature or how they are nurtured?Caliban was nurtured, right?Brothers of Naples betray each other?What are we to make of a ruling class or rulers in general? Where does their power come from?To what extent do we accept slavery, subservience, class systems?Some of these issues are no doubt Shakespeare’s effort to explore society’s anxieties over the place of English imperialism and its relationship with territories that the newly dominant (post 1588) Elizabethan Navy could now reach. Considering that England occupied some or all of: Hong Kong, India, Afghanistan, Africa, Australia, Canada, Greenland, the American Colonies, the West Indies, and other places from 1588 until 1998, it is not surprising that literature would deal with fantastical aspects of “undiscovered countries” and the strange indigenous peoples the West encountered there. Central to these issues are the questions of power/agency and subservience. We see this in the intensely complex characters of Caliban and Ariel who are very powerful entities in their own right; however, are controlled by Prospero in a variety of ways. We also cannot help but compare the power structure of the island to the political structure of Naples and the male/female dynamics of a phallocentric, Western world. Caliban, who claims to despise his captor, Prospero, laments his lost natural state of dominion over the island and spits his anger at his master frequently in the playtext (I.ii). However, it is interesting to note that he is instantly willing to swear allegiance to Stephano for fear of his perceived power but, more importantly, the possibility that Stephano can free Caliban from the rule of Prospero (II.ii). Stephano and Trinculo like Sebastian and Antonio are subjects of King Alonso and will do anything to relieve themselves of their masters – including murder. One cannot help but compare these two disparate types of characters as foils. In sharp contrast to the earth-bound, strange, fish-like, moon-calf of Caliban, Ariel is an air spirit. The root of spirit is “spir,” which means “breath.” Prospero controls Ariel with words, and Ariel frequently sings words as he goes about his magical business. While the conversations between Prospero and Caliban consist largely of threats and curses, Ariel speaks to Prospero nearly as an equal. In fact, Ariel asks some of the most important questions about mercy and humanity in the playtext, which cause Prospero to reflect on revenge, his own designs, and power. Prospero teaches Caliban the power of words and language; however, Caliban proves too dangerous for Prospero and his daughter, which results in his enslavement. Prospero teaches Miranda language also, and therefore she is equipped to converse as an equal with Ferdinand as well as to deal with his flattery in III.i. The power of language as a civilizing force is given to Caliban, the “natural” “man” on the island, which should be reminiscent of Genesis wherein God gives Adam the power to name the animals. Caliban learns to name things and has the power of knowledge. Much like in many archetypical texts, what he does with this power is left to his freewill, nature, innate character, etc. Caliban, who has some truly beautiful speeches in the playtext, still offers his speech and knowledge to those who do evil (III.ii.135-143). Along with the fantastical characters up for study, one must push the idea of human power structures further in consideration of the father/daughter relationship between Prospero and Miranda. In consideration of the roots of their respective names, one finds that Prospero means “to prosper” or “to hope,” and Miranda can mean “to wonder” or “to remember.” This is interesting in light of their functions and attitudes in the text where Prospero has knowledge of the past, political injustice, and betrayal, yet he is prospering (in exile) and perhaps hoping for his daughter’s future, though he seems to have a generally gruff and pessimistic, protective attitude (perhaps assumed, as it is with regard to Ferdinand). Miranda is in awe of other humans, love, different places and possibilities as is clear from her famous “O brave new world / That has such people in’t” comment (V.i.183-84). Is she also the constant reminder for Prospero of the pains of his life in Naples and the symbol of what can be lost in conflict with possibility for human greed and frailty?Following Caliban’s acquisition of a new master in II.ii, Miranda acquires the promise of a husband in III.i, which brings up some interesting issues for feminist critique and commentary on power and patriarchy. Macbeth – circa 1606Shakespeare allegedly wrote Macbeth for King James I, who took over for Queen Elizabeth in 1603. He was obsessed with witches and wrote his own “nonfiction” book about them. Also, Banquo is an ancestral relation of James I, which makes the witches’ prophesy about Banquo being the father of kings true. Apparently, however, it was recorded that James I did not like the play .Macbeth is largely about the possibility of a good person to be seduced and corrupted by evil – specifically excessive ambition. Like in many of his works, Shakespeare is looking at the nature of evil; however, he is doing so in a way that reveals some serious and disturbing aspects of human consciousness and ability to manipulate or hide true intentions and what this behavior might do to the soul or conscience. He is asking us questions about good guys and bad guys, and things are not always that obvious about who’s who. Consider the following quotes about identity, false-facedness, appearance vs. reality:“There’s no art / To find a mind’s construction in the face” (I.iv.11)“False face must hide what the false heart doth know” (I.vii.81)“Let the eye wink at the hand” (I.iv.52)“To know my deed t’were best not to know myself”“Look like the innocent flower, / But be the serpent under’t” (I.v.65-66)“There’s daggers in men’s smiles; the nearer in blood, / The nearer in bloody” (II.iii.140-41)“Make our faces vizards to our hearts, / Disguising what they are” (III.ii.34-35)Gender issues and Stereotypes:There are only six women in Macbeth, which is actually a lot compared to some of Shakespeare’s playtexts, but the types of characters in the playtext are extremely interesting. Lady Macbeth and the Weird Sisters are interesting female characters to say the least. The Old English word for time is “wyrd.” While the Weird Sisters certainly are weird by most standards, their name refers to their ability to “look into the seeds of time,” although some critics argue that they really offer no supernatural information at all in the text but simply provide Macbeth with information that causes him to force his own evil fate to come about (I.iii.58). Considering the Weird Sisters associations with time and fate, it is easy to see some connection between them and the Three Fates of Greek mythology. Many people are quick to blame Lady Mac for the descent to evil that the Macbeth’s experience; however, it is important to carefully read and re-read Macbeth’s first soliloquy (I.iii.127-142) as well as I.v.1-30 wherein Lady Mac reads Macbeth’s letter and discusses the idea of Macbeth becoming King. In I.v.15-30, Lady Mac states that it appears Mac will be King based on all supernatural, witch-given accounts. She “fears his [good] nature,” which will not allow him to “catch the nearest way” to the crown, but it is arguable that she is simply motivated to help Macbeth achieve greatness: “Thou wouldst be great” (read: you want to be great), “are not without ambition, but without / The illness [read: wickedness that] should attend it” (18-20). Even though Mac seems shocked by Lady Mac’s statement that Duncan will never leave Inverness Castle (I.v.61), if you re-read his soliloquy in I.iii.127-142, you’ll notice that he is thinking of “fantastical” murder in line 139. He then sends word to his wife, and in the letter, which states that he is telling his wife about the witches and his promotion so that she can “rejoice” and not be “ignorant of what / greatness is promis’d thee” (italics mine) (I.v.12-13). Certainly there are great many other things to consider in the Macbeth’s series of terrible actions; however, these lines indicate that he acts on behalf of her, and she acts on behalf of him. Manliness is under the microscope in this text as much as issues of strong women. Repeatedly, the definition of manhood is up for debate. Consider the following lines in regard to gender stereotypes:“When you durst do it, then you were a man” (I.vii.49)“I dare do all that becomes a man; / Who dares do more is none” (I.vii.46)“My hands are of your color; but I shame / To wear a heart so white” (II.ii.61-62)“What? quite unmanned in folly?” (III.iv.72)Femininity: “You should be women, / And yet your beards forbid me to interpret / That you are so” (I.iii.45-47) “ ‘Tis not for you to hear what I can speak: / The repetition in a women’s ears / Would murder as it fell (II.iii.86)“Unsex me here” and “take my [mother’s] milk for gall” (I.v.38-54)“Such will I account thy love” (I.vii.38-39) (meaning temporary as lost courage)Furthermore, in light of gender issues, Macbeth, who is allegedly reluctant to murder Duncan, proceeds to murder his very good friend, attempt to murder his friend’s son, murder Macduff’s family, as well as start a war. He has less and less guilt as he continues down the path to tyrannical, gruesome rule. Conversely, Lady Mac, whom many readers (wrongly) perceive as purely evil, has a great deal of difficulty later in the playtext dealing with her own guilt and complicity in their heinous acts. Note as the playtext runs, the Macbeth’s have less and less time on stage interacting with one another. Consider also: FateNatural/supernaturalCourage/morality/loyaltyGuilt ................
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