Act 3 in class questions

2 fact questions 

-What actions did Paris took in Act 3?

-What are Juliet's parents reaction and solution towards Romeo killing a Capulet?

3 thinking questions 

-why do you think that the king decided to excel Romeo instead of killing him? 

-what plans might father Lorence come up with when Juliet went to the church for help after a small conflict between her and her parents?

-Does this hate between two families exists more obviously and strongly between Romeo and Juliet's generation or between the elders? With what evidence?

Question#6 from quiz:: the diary

        If I would be staging this scene when both Romeo and Juliet is writing their dairies , their emotions should be sweet and smiling. Juliet might be singing while writing down this be also afraid if someone knocks on the door. 

Romeo's diary:

   I went to the Capulets' house tonight despite of my friends misunderstanding about my feelings toward Rosaline, and how they were trying to stop me loudly to sneak in to the garden. Fortunately, i see my love standing out on the balcony. The yellowish moonlight softly sprays down the green, life full garden, insects chirping just like my heart beat, constantly pounding, whenever I think of her. Especially that moment when I saw her face, so sullen, but beautiful. I heard her voice, was she talking to me? Was she also thinking about me just like how I did? I could not bear one more second apart from Juliet. It was the most beautiful and the warmest night I have ever experienced. We were so close to each other yet so far. I would remember how she looked at me with her sparking eyes like a shinny star, I promise myself and my love, she will soon be my wife.

Juliet's diary:

 

    No clouds were covering the sky tonight, I could see the moon clearly on the balcony. The moon was so clear and obvious just like my love towards Romeo, couldn't be hidden, it is so strong and lovely that I could not stop thinking about it. Those cordial eyes looking straight into my eyes on the ball that day, unforgettable. It is defiantly a miracle or maybe we were just meant to be together, I saw my one and only under my balcony. What a surprise, I guess none of the Montagues have ever came so close to our garden. His hands warm, his kiss soft and our promise will come true. I can not wait another day to touch Romeo's face and listen to his voice. Tomorrow night, the wedding will be my day of happiness, having a person to rely on. O Romeo, my Romeo, Even though you're Romeo, I'm Juliet, nothing is between us. I'll see you soon again and we will never loose each other no matter what. 

Balconies

   The baclmoy scene in Romeo and Juliet have been the classic scene that have affirmed their relationship closer. It is an important milestone to the plot and to their love. Many versions of Romeo and Juliet have provided different views and different ways of presenting this romantic and classical scene from Shakespeare. The first version I have watched was the movie directed by Baz Luhrmann with Leonardo acting as Romeo. This movie has a more moder setting comparing to the other three movies I have chose. The balcony is also high up just like every other four versions being set up. There were small light bulbs all over the wall and the a swimmimg pool under the balcony where Romeo and Juliet kissed and made a promise to meet each other again. I have choose to mention this first version by Baz Luhrman because in my opinion, it is the most effective. Its lighting was extremly romantic because of the flickering reflection from the water in the pool. Words they spoke were also clear and emotional. How Juliet was still dressed in clean color shows her purity in love.

   The second version, which was not bad, is from Carlo Carlei made in 2013. Comparing to the first version, the lighting is warmer with the color orange surrounding the scene because of the fire pillars. These warm lights could represeent their strong sense of love that was burning and could not be avoided. A setting I really like about this balcony scene is the small maze garden, it could just simply be a bckground prop but it could also be foreshadowing how the distance between Romeo and Juliet was far and complicated. It will take a hard trip for Romeo and Juliet to be together.
    The third version called the Gnomeo and Juliet, is a animation. I really like the part wehre the director have chose to use colors to seperate and tell the difference between the Capulets and Montagues. Instead of saying Why is Romeo Romeo, Julier said, Why is your har blue. It is a more vernacular comparing to other versions using the exactly same lines from Shakespeare.
      The version that I think is the least effective will be the fourth version from Zeffireli in 1968 because the lighting was darker. The castle wasn't gold and shinny like most of the versions, the background music was also simpler. But it is least effective since Romeo did not try to climb up the balcony like the other versions. One thing I dislike about this version is how Juliet was dressed with less covered cloth and looks not as innocent comparing the previous versions I have watched.

In classing | Elinor Fuchs' reading

Elinor Fuchs' reading

3 concepts you understand from the reading 

1. Interpretation on the society's setting in the play. 

2. Observe changes in personality of character. 

3. Always feel what you're feeling as an audience. 

3 things you were confused about 

1. It keeps on saying planet, does is mean planet like earth, Jupiter? I was really confused at first with this word planet being used in the text. 

2. "Be someone who is aroused to meaning" I'm still not 100 percent sure on the meaning of this sentence. 

3. The text says to not forgot the changes, does these changes meant the changes on setting or on the characters, or both?

Block post#2 The Darkness Beforehand

Marinda Hsu

2016.09.10

Ms. Guarino

Lit & performance

                                                             The Darkness Beforehand

     King Claudius is overall an antagonist in the story Hamlet. During the movie we watched on Hamlet, the first scene started on the day and ceremony of King Hamlet's funeral. First of all, the lighting was dark under a cellar, which have created a feeling of conspiracy and darkness. In my opinion, it is also showing that something is hidden and not pure. A close-up shot was filmed towards Kind Claudius' face, his face was serious, evil and with unkempt facial hair. Shadows were filling up his face, he's quite just like Hamlet but not quite within the emotion of sadness, instead, the audience couldn't tell what exactly was going on in his mind in that specific scene. During the funeral, the queen was crying desperately over her husband's death but the new king—Claudius did not try to comfort her neither did show obvious emotion towards his own brother's death. According to these actions being showed, it tells the cruelty and cold-blooded personality in King Claudius. The actors have achieved the goal foreshadowing that the death of King Hamlet isn't simple. The background music also sounded heavy and suspenseful. 

      This first scene of the movie Hamlet and the first appearance of King Claudius is important due to the image the director wanted to show his audience. Through out a specific scene's color tone, actors' body movement and the background music, the audience could interpret a lot of ideas that are helpful and logically suspending to the events happening later on in the plot. For example, another more modern movie we watched in class, Ophelia have been showing her rebellious attitude towards her elders especially when they mentioned how her relationship with Hamlet was fake and won't work out. Ophelia was also imagining how she jumps into the water when she felt embarrassed and upset about his father's conversation with Hamlet's mother and step father. This is a clear foreshadow to Ophelia's death that have occurred in the story. On the other hand, the first appearance of King Claudius in the movie, have gave him a dark, mysterious impression for the audience that will help create the big picture of him in the whole story as an antagonist. The first impression is important as we watch a movie or play, it creates a different point of view and perspective on the specific character when we judges his every single movements being made during the story according to his overall image. 

       According to what we have learned in class, a play or a plot most likely would contain its given circumstances, objectives/motivations, obstacles and a resolution in the end. The first scene of the movie have listed out the given circumstances including the setting, the immediate past on the death of King Hamlet, and a few relationships. The potential future could be told through out subtle observations on King Claudius's mysterious facial impression and Hamlet's face showing how it was unbelievable for him to accept his father's death. Back to King Claudius, his objectives are shown in this first scene of the movie. We as an audience could tell clearly that he is an evil man with lots of negative thoughts going on comparing to the other movie where King Claudius was more of a hypocrite that was wearing warm colors and smiling to crowds in a resplendent castle. In my opinion, the director have successfully show the audience in the first scene each character's objectives, potential future and questionable relations ship. 

      

Interesting scene in Hamlet

Hamlet Act 3, Scene 1

    

 The most interesting scene in Hamlet for me is Act three's first scene where Hamlet have the speech To Be or Not To Be and where he was having a conversation with Ophelia. It is memorable because the monologue To Be or Not To Be is impressing, strong, and famous. Hamlet was showing complex, mixed emotions within this scene, including sadness and a strong feeling of struggle. When I was listening and watching this scene, my brows knits, I was really attracted to the strong expression in the scene. At that moment, the speech leaves me a huge space to interpret. Another reason that I think the scene is interesting, is because of Ophelia's appearance that isn't often in the story. Ophelia and Hamlet's actions made me wonder if they're true love and questions a little bit on their relationship; therefore, every time Ophelia appears in the story, I pay more attention to it. Since romance and love isn't a big theme in Hamlet, Ophelia's existence is like a strike of light in the tunnel. 

To Die or To Live With Pain

Marinda Hsu 

Lit & Performance 

Ms. Guarino

2016.9.4                                                                       

To Die or To Live With Pain            

  "To be or not to be" is a question Hamlet asks himself after his father's death and how he have experienced cruelty and reality in a short period of time. This monologue, to be or not to be, became a debatable question Hamlet's audience and reader have over years until today. As what I have seen on internet, some thinks that this is about concernments on suicide, some thinks that it is describing Hamlet's interior struggles on to live with pain or to end pain in life by killing himself, and also how Hamlet is telling the reasons why people choose not to die. Another explanation is how Hamlet was struggling if he should revenge his uncle or not. Moreover, To Be or Not To Be also shows how the meaning, realtionship between death and alive is not purely, clearly oppose, this speech is blurring and making a deeper view on a question choosing to die or not.         

        As Benedict Cumberbatch have said in the interview he had after acting the role Hamlet, Shakespeare made To Be or Not To Be a solo speech so the audience could empathize Hamlet; which, I agree on. A conversation is clearly between one character and another; in comparison, a monologue could be telling the interior thoughts of the character. A monologue also makes the audience focus more, empathize more as if they were the character, whoever that is the only one on stage speaking those words. 

"To die, to sleep--No more--and by a sleep to say we endThe heartache, and the thousand natural shocksThat flesh is heir to. 'Tis a consummationDevoutly to be wished."
               This quote shows how living could be painful and difficult. Hamlet describes death like going to sleep, but a sleep where you do not know what kind of dreams you recieve. Another part he mentioned that "No traveller returns", this show another concern and struggle one will have while choosing to live or to die, since death, this sleep is still unkown for a live person. You won't be sure if you'll wake up again from that sleep. Therefore, Hamlet is saying even though life is tough, but people back off while thinking about this unknown choice. 
           "Thus conscience does make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolutionIs sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought,And enterprises of great pith and momentWith this regard their currents turn awry,And lose the name of action", this quote shows how some became a coward in front of death because the fear of it is bigger comparing to all other pressures one is facing in reality. In my opinion, Hamlet shows his pessimistic strongly in the end of the To Be or Not To Be speech. Saying how all these struggles on suicide and oppression in life makes a person choose to do nothing and important plans were gave up. 
          It is important for the audience to empathize Hamlet during this point so they can understand Hamlet's thought, wisdom and his extraordinary philosophy after what he have experienced in life with betrayal and conspiracy from his mother and uncle in the story. To Be or Not To Be defines the internal pain Hamlet is suffering that it reaches the point where he was considering to suicide.