Thursday, April 4, 2013

Act 1, Sc 2

We get a new set of characters.

These characters are unlike the first scene’s characters because they have JOBS.

This is contrasted with the lords and ladies of the first scene.

We can see here a distinction between the way that ARISTOCRATS are portrayed and the way TRADESMEN are portrayed.

This reveals how important social standing was in Shakespeare’s time.

In our culture, we value money and power (based on job) and fame.

In the world of Shakespeare, there is a different measure of one’s social value.

It is all about BIRTH and FAMILY and NAME.

As time went by, a new group of people started to get rich, even though they had no status - they were tradespeople - skilled workers who made things - they were like peasants (the higher class looked down on them) but they had money (sometimes more than the lords)

When these guys with jobs show up in Scene 2, they are funny - they’re weird, they’re not lords, they’re wacky and they’re kind of in the middle between HIGH CLASS and NOBODIES - they’re not really ranked “correctly”

Bottom is a key character - maybe the funniest character - big, loud, arrogant and confident - this is usually a recipe for a problem

These crazy guys are also ACTORS - and this is even worse - actors were totally frowned upon back in the 16th Century - they were seen as TROUBLE - plays were considered BAD because they attracted a group of rabble-rousers

Why is this group of actors in THIS story?

They fit into the time period - maybe, but they don’t fit the STORY

They might be COMIC RELIEF (when the main story gets deep or emotional there can be a heavy feeling, so comedy is added to make the story more entertaining)

This might be a comment about social status in some way...ie Bottom’s arrogance

In Mr. Lobb’s mind, there becomes a question - Can these story lines cross over?

I would start to look at how this could happen.

Flute has to play a female character because women weren’t allowed to be in plays back then - women had no rights and weren’t allowed in such nasty environments as theatres, except of course, to watch

We just found out how the stories will cross - the players will meet in the same wood where Hermia will meet Lysander! Remember, Helena will also be telling people about this - she will tell Demetrius - And I bet he will tell Hermia’s father, Egeus and he might report this to the Duke, Theseus!

This is looking like a great COMPLICATION

At this point, I would like you to WORK on something you owe me...

OR your poetry analysis - poet and a poem and you write a poem

OR you are reading Midsummer and doing the initial character profiles (quick)