Please choose one of the following discussion topics:
- Based on your understanding of history and that of Shakespeare's characters, how have the roles of men and women stayed the same in our time? How have they changed? Please address both questions!
- What kind of characters would be most loved by the nobility of Shakespeare's time, and why? Which characters would be more enjoyed by the lower classes, and why? Please address both questions -- feel free to use examples from your class play!
- Based on your understanding of drama and Shakespeare's time, why do you think the stage directions in his plays are so minimal? Does this lack of direction help or hurt a play's director, and why? Please address both questions!
Directions:
- Choose a discussion question, and answer it completely according to the directions. Indicate in your comment which discussion question you are answering.
- Use the pen name you provided at the beginning of the year.
- Use correct spelling and grammar at all times.
- In order to receive an "A," you must not only post your answer, but comment on a peer's ideas as well. Please remain positive and polite when doing so.
Due Date: This post will remain open for comments and discussion until Monday, April 01, 2013 at 5:00 PM; after this time comments will close.
#1
ReplyDeleteBased on my understanding of history and Shakespeare's characters, the roles of men and women have not stayed the same at all. They have changed quite a bit. Women used to be inferior to men in many ways. They couldn't speak out against them and had limited rights, whereas now, women and men are equal. Since men and women are equal, women are able to do jobs that only men once could. Men also do the jobs that only women once did, like cooking. We're all unique and equal. :)
I totally agree with you, women's right have change a lot over time, overall good job
DeleteI agree with you because , women have changed a lot. They have so many opportunities now then what they had before. I really like how you ended it. Good job.
DeleteI agree because back then, women were restricted from so many things such as voting, owning land, etc. But now, women are equal to men and they can do so much more than they ever could before. Now, women are even going out and doing things that men would normally do. And some of the most powerful people in the world are women.
DeleteI agree with you. In the end, men and women share equal opportunities and the same jobs whereas before our time we had specific positions and not everybody could do the same.
Deletefrom t_cute:
ReplyDeleteNo I do not think the roles of women and men have stayed the same over time,they've changed tremendously.Women are able to be free and do as they please. They can be president of the U.S.A if they wanted to.But but back in Shakespeare's time you were strictly responsible for house chores such as cooking,cleaning and taking care of the children.Times have changed.
and i also agree with I_like_candy.
I really like how you stated everything and I totally agree with you, but over all good job.
DeleteI couldn't agree more t_cute, its amazing how things have changed through out the years, and how we as women have earned our right of freedom to were we are able to do things on our own.Without these snotty nose men!
DeleteI totally agree with t_cute's post. Women have come a long way from back then and these are great examples of some of the things that are now available to Women.
DeleteBoxman Jr.
Question 1
ReplyDeleteThe roles of women's have change over the time of history during Shakespeare time women weren't allowed to do a lot or had really a lot of freedom but know day women's share the same set of rules man have (with some exemptions) like women can go to school, they don't have to marry, be house wife's, and they are no longer Seen as how we us to look at them back then. My point here is that women's right have dramatically change over time for the good of it.
I agree with your comment and think that women have come a long way since Shakespeare's time. Nice job!
DeleteQuestion 1 :
ReplyDeleteSome of the roles have stayed the same like house wife's. Some women now'a days still stay and clean the house, take care of the kids, and be a normal wife. The men have stayed the same some what. Men still go work, make the money ,and are head of the house. I don't know if people still have land as in vegetation and all , but that too. But we have changed. Now'a days women are allowed to own land, work, get an education, and be head of the house hold. Same with the men ,but it has changed more for the women.
#3
ReplyDeleteI believe Shakespeare used minimal stage directions to allow the actors more freedom. In doing this, Shakespeare permits the actors to portray their character’s temperament and emotions in their own interpretations. In order to really understand a character and their personal nature, one must delve himself in the character’s shoes. Shakespeare would not have been able to do this with each and every one of his characters, so he allowed the actors to create the stage directions for a more genuine feel.
I believe the shortage of use of stage directions helps directors because it opens up a door of opportunities for them. It permits the director to infuse his own emotions into the play and creates a variety of different interpretations.
I agree with Hello123. Each actor has their own way of portraying characters that they play. I believe that that would be quite difficult if they were limited to many stage instructions. Shakespeare was wise enough not to set many boundaries on his cast of actors
DeleteI definatley agree with you about this.Shakespeare was very original so thats why he probably choose to be diffrent and do things his own way. It's really creative how he wants the readers or audience to creat there own vissual in thier head,but in some ways this could have hurt his plays,becasue sometimes it is confusing and it would be easier to understand what was going on if you knew the setting.It helps his play by makin it iriginal and creative.
DeleteQuestion 1:
ReplyDeleteThe roles of women in movies and plays have changed quite a bit, but some are still the same. When you see movies now, one of the characters is usually a married woman with kids. Most of the women in these movies are not housewives. There are some movies where they have women as housewives, but those movies are usually not about a modern day story,
Women now have more freedom to do and say what they please. They can marry at whatever age they'd like, they are allowed to have a job, and they are now looked at as independent human beings. Women's rights have evolved drastically over the years. Having this said, I agree with this kid 159.
#3. Shakespeare is one brilliant play writer. So brilliant in fact that he passed that onto his characters without limiting their personalities during each play. You see, limited stage instructions could benefit a director in numerous ways, the first being that each character doesn't look so stiff. Inflexibility in a play takes away from the actor's ability to well...act, which could really harm the play. The second reason might be the simplicity of adding the actor's personality into the piece to really convince the audience of that specific role. When an actor can portray the role to the best of his ability, it makes it not only easier to for them, but also makes it more inspirational to those who might be watching. Shakespeare thought that such talent should not be wasted because of the overuse of a few stage instructions, thus finalizing his decision to make just as much as they needed so that they could fulfill the rest of their roles.
ReplyDeleteMonroe98:
ReplyDeleteI think that characters who have lots of bravado and beauty would be the type of characters that Shakespeare would use as his nobility. They would need to have a confident air so that everyone would know that they were the ones in charge. For the lower class of character I think Shakespeare would use characters with a crude sense of humor that would balance out the nobilities stuffiness. In the play Romeo and Juliet, all the of the nobility wears grand clothing and speaks in riddles where as the lower class are dressed simple but add comedy to the play.
live_2_dance:
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1:
The roles of women in movies and plays have changed quite a bit, but some are still the same. When you see movies now, one of the characters is usually a married woman with kids. Most of the women in these movies are not housewives. There are some movies where they have women as housewives, but those movies are usually not about a modern day story,
Women now have more freedom to do and say what they please. They can marry at whatever age they'd like, they are allowed to have a job, and they are now looked at as independent human beings. Women's rights have evolved drastically over the years. Having this said, I agree with this kid 159.
Question 3
ReplyDeletei think that stage directions in his plays are so minimal because his plays are mostly just talking and not much action. I would believe that it may hurt a play's director-no direction to what to do or the position they're suppose to be in. In the book too
from PoohBear23:
ReplyDeleteQuestion#1
The roles of man of women stayed the same because like they talk about the same thing. But at the same time they do have different rows. Well they also change because men and women can't always have the same roleas a boy or girl and they might take different parts in the play like Shakespeare's. But men and women can play the same role if they wanted to. There roles are fun to do to.
from Sweetpeapps:
ReplyDelete1) To me I believe that the role of the men and women hasn't changed a lot in our time. The reason I say this is because they way people act out their roles, the drama, and the excitement of going to see the show is still the same. The way the women act like when their are snobie, dramatic, crazy, and very deceiving. They are different in our day is because they don't dress the same and they so more chrarateritics and emotion of a person. For the men to me they are they same as they were in the old days just a little more hip. They also dress different. But in all there is not a very big change.
Question 2:
ReplyDeleteThe character that would've been most loved by the nobility of Shakespeare's time would be Viola because she is the most "beloved femine creations" in the play Twelfth Night. She disguises herself as a male naming herself Cesario, and back then women dressing up as men or vise versa was hilarious and brought laughter to the audience.
In my opinion ,the Character that would be more enjoyed by the lower classes would most likely be the Fool, even though he doesnt look like a fool looks can be deceiving. The Fool reveals his level
of intelligence and maturity, which is unexpected in a fool. The Fools way of handling and doing things was entartainment to those in higher class, so his behavior and freedom of speech basically helped shape his character and who he is.
#1 From my understanding of Shakespeare and history I would say that the roles of men and women are not the same form back then. In fact I would say that they have changed quite drastically. Back then men had all of the power and the only say in anything while the women could not do anything unless they had a man's approval. Most of the time in the Shakespeare plays, the women were merely an object of desire and hardly ever really did or said much that affected the story compared to the effect the men had, with some exceptions. Of course nowadays women have much more power and responsibility seeing as they can get jobs, vote, run for office and go to the moon. A lot has changed from those ages to modern times and the roles women have today is definitely one of those big differences.
ReplyDeleteBoxman Jr.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteNintendo144gms March 31, 2013 8:25 P.M.
DeleteI agree with that statement because in the past, women were not used in politics, businesses, or any other work that men does. But in the 20th century, they fought for their rights and paved the way modern women are doing today.
3.) Shakespeare's plays have minimal stage directions because he used to direct his plays himself. Shakespeare, instead of flourishing his stage direction, put more effort into the actual content of the play. This way of writing enabled an actor/director to manipulate the play, altering it to fit personal visions/ideas. I think that he didn't write so much stage directions so the plays could be acted out at any time. The plays did not require a certain stage, and this quality made his plays, in my opinion, very easy for directors to work with.
ReplyDeleteFor a director,I think the fact that there isn't a lot of directions enables them to create and portray their interpretations more freely without altering the classic idea/vision of the author.
I belive that Peter will be perfered favorite for the lower class because he os in the palace and he brobley stays their as a 24 hr servent who would most likely know secrates about the royal family. and the nobal people would be lor cabulet because he is very respect full and from my point of view fair.
ReplyDelete1) The roles of men and women have both changed ever since that time. The role of men has not changed much, but the role of women has definitely. Back in the day, women did not have many educational opportunities as I mentioned in i_like_candy's post unless they were of nobility. Women of nobility had private tutors, but now any women can apply to a college or school and get an education. Women back in the days also did things like chores, but now even men do things like chores which weren't common back then if they did it at all. These days men and women are equal in power and in what they do.
ReplyDeletei agree that men are women are pretty close to equal.
DeleteSome roles of women and men have. The roles of men have stayed the same because men have always had to work hard and provide for their family. Also some women still are stay at home moms. Their roles have also drastically changed. For one men do more housework suck as cooking and cleaning but back then those thing were unheard of. For the women all they mostly did were housework and taking care of their families but now a days most women work and have to provide for their families.
ReplyDeleteNumber 1
ReplyDeleteQuestion# 1
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the roles of women have stayed the same also. Back then, women had fewer rights and had jobs such as knitting, being a housemaid, taking care of children, and other domestic jobs, In Shakespeare's time women were also less bold than they are now.
Now women can vote, run their own businesses,and serve in the military. Women are also bolder than they were in Shakespeare's time. The can go out on their own, be independent, they have bolder tongues, and less restricted and more active in today's society as business women.
Nintendo144gms March 31, 2013 8:51 P.M. Question #2
ReplyDeleteThe noble class in Shakespeare's time would love Capulet and Paris, whereas the poorer class would enjoy Mercutio and the Nurse. Because in the richer class, some of them wanted to be respected and to act in a noble way toward one another, and Capulet and Paris seemed to fit that description. The character description at the beginning of the play describes Capulet as "prudent" and "commands respect and propriety," and shows Paris's character as "he behaved very presumptuous" to his wife-to-be. Also for the poorer class, they sometimes like humor and sometimes hates the "fashions" that the nobles get. so Mercutio fits into that category because he "hates people who are... obsessed with the latest fashions," and the Nurse "provides comic relief with her frequently inappropriate remarks and speeches."
Question# 1
ReplyDeleteI think that the roles of both men and woman have changed. The roles of weman are now differnt becacuse, in todays world man and woman can both have the same dream and both have the same changes of reaching there dream. I say this because, befor man had more opportunity then wamen for an example men did not just have to stay at home and clean. I belive that men and women are equal but, I feel as if the world as not accepted the facts. The roles of men have changed because, men now can make a choice to play a role that was once just for wamen. Like how you have the wife go to work and the dad stays home to take care of the kids. I think that it is not far how wamen have to prove there self in there work fore, like my mother has been working for over 20 year to get to where she is today but, for a men to work up to where she is he can get there and half the time and get paid just because of the sex that you are.As the world begains to change I hope that we as one can come togather and just face the face, that wamen are equal to men.
lexisssimone:
ReplyDeleteShakespeare's plays are so minimal because, he didn't focus as much on the stage directions as much as the character itself. He wanted to show the characters personality and emotion more than just their movements. I don't think it harms the character because Shakespeare was such a great writer and although there wasn't very much movement in his plays there was a lot of strong emotion that made up for the other flaws, if any. There was just enough movement to make the play satisfactory.
JC:
ReplyDeleteQ1) Williams’s stage directions paint quite a picture—a clear physical and emotional setting for his characters. Just from his stage directions, we already know quite a lot about the characters and their relationship. They speak for the playwright when he is not there. They provide details about how the writer has imagined the environment and atmosphere. They describe critical physical aspects of the characters and settings. Stage directions can also be critical in the intended tempo and rhythm of the piece. So in conclusion, William doesnt need may stage directions because the ones that are there paint a clear picture for the reader or acter.
Q2) In all plays there are stage directions, which is very important in drama. Stage directions allow the actors and directors acting out the play to follow a certain way of doing things, and to let the actors know when to come off and on stage but more importantly what to look like, act like, how to deliver lines and even what lighting and sound is need at certain times. Stage dircetions in hamlet may be mimimal but they still help. stage dircetion is the form that you pour concrete into to make your show solid. If you dont any ANY then it will be very weak. Even though that Williaims stage direction is small, he doesnt beat around the bush in trying to tell you how the scene should go. As an actor I believe that even the building of your character is stongly built from how the stage directions are made.
jeremy:
ReplyDeleteI don't think the characters stayed the same because women back in the day couldn't stand up for there self they had limited rights, but know every gender has equal rights. They changed by know women can do anything they please everybody have equal rights.
cameron:
ReplyDeleteanswer to question 1
I think the roles of women have morally stayed the same. women back then cook and clean while the man comes and provides for the family. Basically they have stayed the same and many still have the same principles in their household. you still can find housewives that have no job and take care of the children while the husband is at work. How have they changed ? well women have gotten more rights and become more independent and can now work. that's where the evolution of the single mom plays a role. she provides without a male figure. so as times evolved ,women have become ultimately less reliant and more independent
AC:
ReplyDeleteBased on my understanding of history and that of Shakespeare's characters, I would say that the roles of women and men have stayed the same to a certain extent. For example, men being the one to ask you on a date or ask you to marry them. Other than that the role of men and women have changed drastically. For example, back in Shakespear's time men were at a higher role than women. Women had little to no rights. In current times, women have the same rights as men, and men and women have the same role in life.
Comment on t_cute:
I agree with your statment. Women have so many more opportunities now than they did in Shakespeare's time period. It's awesome how society has changed its' way of thinking over time.
Jams:
ReplyDeleteBased on my understanding of (and experience in) drama and Shakespeare's time, I think Shakespeare may have had so few stage directions in his plays because, as an actor, he knew that a good, imaginative director would appreciate not being hindered by inclusive stage directions; he knew that a creative director can decide what should transpire on stage for the best effect. Also, upon someone reading his work, the reader is able to enjoy the piece without having to stop and think about where each character is on stage and what they're doing; the reader can just read the words and imagine the scene however they wish.
ReplyDeleteIloveham23:
#3 I think that there is so little stage directions in Shakespeare’s plays because Shakespeare wanted his plays to be “real”. Since his scripts mostly contain dialogue and soliloquies, that’s enough because adding stage directions to the script would probably take the meaning out of the lines. I think that Shakespeare wanted his actors to act out whatever they thought their lines meant. Shakespeare is very famous for his plays and the powerful dialogue he wrote in each of them. I think it’s more important to show the emotion in the dialogue and act it out how that actor interprets it, not how the script says to do it, because it would be fake and no one would see the beauty in Shakespeare’s plays. This lack of direction is important to the director because the director doesn’t want to tell the actors what to do. He/she wants them to figure out what kind of character they play and to act out what their interpretation of that character is.