Mirror, Mirror, What Do You See: Self-Evaluation

For my college Shakespeare course, I have been assigned to finish up the semester's work by submitting a self-evaluation regarding my research on Shakespeare and his use of language and his contributions to the English language. Here we go!

1. Posts

A. Quantity: I should have posted several more times, according to the class criteria for the second half of the semester. I felt like I was ready to post three times a week once we switched to that policy, but I just couldn't keep up.
B. Content: I feel like I have posted useful and appropriate content relating to my studies of Shakespeare and the history of the English language. The posts since the switch in the semester have largely been focused on this study (with a couple "gee-whiz" posts in between.)

C. Format: I tried to create titles that were specific and focused on the subject at hand, while also being interesting or catchy. The design of the blog is fairly plain, which I felt like was beneficial so as to not appear cluttered or disorganized to the eye. I didn't use jump breaks, partly because I never understood how to install them in Blogger.

2. Research

A. Thematic Focus: My blogs regarding the research topic have a clear theme and they are explained in the hub post.

B. Thesis and Cohesion: My thesis was explained clearly and was supported by my posts regarding the research topic.

C. I put my main sources in the hub post, but I didn't use MLA format or formal citation (I wasn't sure of the rule on this.)

3. Personal and Social

A. Author identity: I have an "About Me" section, which shows my bio and some personal information. I didn't put a whole lot of pizazz/design in the blog, because I thought it looked nicer and was easier to read.

B. Documentation of Process: I feel like I have documented my process well, showing my thoughts and inquiries as I study and research different topics within the arena of Shakespeare and language.

C. Interactions: I didn't specifically ask for much input, besides one blog about the transformation of the English language, but I have commented on many students' blogs and have responded to several different comments on my blog.

4. Design

Appropriate to theme: The design of the blog was basic, lacking many bells and whistles, so I could have added more widgets that would contribute to the study of the English language and Shakespeare's contributions.

Evaluating Sarah Bown

Quantity: Sarah has many posts relating to her theme of art in Shakespeare; there are enough and varied posts to get a good picture of her research and her studies.

Content: She has a good mix of exploratory and expository posts, and certainly some are casual while some are analytical. I think she blends these two different syles well. There are many images showing different art representations of Shakespeare, and there are a couple examples of other types of media.

Format: She utilizes the Jump Break really well, some posts are tagged with subjects, and her titles are generally helpful.

Thematic Focus: The blog has a clear theme, but the hub post doesn't show much development (it simply labels the posts, without any links.)

Thesis & Cohesion: Her hub post details the thesis well, but there aren't any links to previous posts to make them easier to find.

Sources: Sources are appropriately cited and linked throughout the blog; no specific post of references linked to hub post.

Author Identity: Good "About Me" section, personal picture, personally connection to topics, and overall design of the blog.

Interactions: I was impressed with how well Sarah connected with other students through their comments on her blog. She interacted nicely and referred to outside interactions throughout her blog.

Design: The design is appropriate and interesting, and the side content is helpful and appropriate, not distracting in any way.

HubBlog

That's right: I invented a new word for this post, just like Shakespeare did over and over again in his writings. I'm not sure he would be proud of this one, but the fact remains--it's a new word.

So it's time to wrap things up nicely here on the Shakespeare blog for my BYU class. I am supposed to make a "hub post" that shows links to important posts regarding my topic of Shakespeare and words. It is also supposed to reference sources I've used that contributed to my writings.

The first post about words in Shakespeare was this one which discusses how Shakespeare brought hope for the future of the English language, and how he enriched the language and introduced more variety to the dictionary.

Another post that contributed nicely to my work is the post about "jaded." It was interesting to investigate a specific word and see different articles about where the word came from. It is a good example of a word that Shakespeare brought to life (although some articles and histories report that the word was already in use, Shakespeare certainly made it more popular.)

The most popular post regarding Shakespeare and words is this one about the dynamics of the English language. The Oxford English Dictionary added several acronyms to the dictionary recently, so I thought to start a debate/conversation about whether these additions are beneficial to the English language or if they dilute or corrupt it. Shakespeare certainly added many words to the dictionary, and people praise him for it. Does the same thing apply to the changes in the dictionary today?

In addition to the online sources I've linked to in these posts, I also used a couple outside literary sources to contribute to my research:

Necessary Shakespeare, by David Bevington

The Age of Shakespeare, by Frank Kermode

Oxford English Dictionary

The Riverside Shakespeare, edited by G. Blakemore Evans and J. J. M. Tobin

My thesis can be found in the most recent post before the current one.

Thesis

My thesis regarding my studies of Shakespeare is as follows:

Shakespeare was a great catalyst in the construction of the English language as we know it. His contributions to the English language appear to be greater than any other individual. However, English as we know it continues to change; the dynamicism that Shakespeare introduced to the language is as strong as ever, but popular media is the catalyst behind the current change--and this change is negative in the eyes of many people.

English is Still Changing!

I found this tweet this morning, and it made me realize: English is still a dynamic language and is changing/growing in vocabulary year by year.

What WOULD Shakespeare be thinking if he were around today? Would he really be crying? Do you guys think that the English language is becoming corrupted in our modern world? Or is it a good thing that we are adding such words to the dictionary?

Shakespearean March Madness

I have caught the March Madness bug (which is easy to do with Jimmer still around), and watched a lot of basketball today. I just randomly found this blog, where the author pits certain Shakespearean characters against each other and is asking us to vote for the winner. He has the showdowns set up in a bracket format (just like college basketball), and we can be a part of the madness!

If you love Shakespeare, his characters, the month of March, college basketball--or if you are just plain bored--check out the blog and toss your vote in!

Jaded

I have been researching Shakespeare's words, their origins, and how he has contributed to the English vocabulary. I came across a website full of words that Shakespeare "invented," and I was curious to investigate a little bit. So, I picked a word I was interested in--JADED--that was supposedly attributed to Shakespeare, and I looked into it a little bit.

I couldn't find anything about Shakespeare introducing that word, but I did learn about its origins a little bit. It was originally defined as "worn out, weary from overuse," and usually was applied to an old horse. Since then, it has become a more general term for anybody who is tired of something about life, who has been there, seen this, and done that. I think it's used quite a bit in modern conversation. In fact, one of my favorite bands has a song with the title:

Jaded lyrics (Aerosmith)

Hey j-j-jaded, you got your mama's style
But you're yesterday's child to me
So jaded
You think that's where it's at
But is that where it's supposed to be
You're gettin' it all over me X-Rated

My my baby blue
Yeah I been thinkin' about you
My my baby blue
Yeah you're so jaded
And I'm the one that jaded you

Hey j-j-jaded
In all it's misery
It will always be what I love and hated
And maybe take a ride to the other side
We're thinkin' of
We'll slip into the velvet glove
And be jaded

My my baby blue
Yeah I'm thinkin about you
My my baby blue
Yeah I'm so jaded
And baby I'm afraid of you

Your thinking's so complicated
I've had it all up to here
But it's so overrated
Love and hated
Wouldn't trade it
Love me jaded

Hey j-j-jaded
There ain't no baby please
When I'm shootin the breeze with her
When everything you see is a blur
And ectasy's what you prefer

My my baby blue
Yeah I'm talkin' about you
My my baby blue
Yeah I've been thinkin' about you
My my baby blue
Yeah you're so jaded
Baby
Jaded
Baby
You're so jaded
'Cause I'm the one that jaded you

I'm looking for more words to investigate; if any of you can attribute jaded to being Shakespeare's original word, let me know!

Word to the Man for his Words

For the remainder of the semester, I am focusing my studies and research upon the words of Shakespeare: which words he introduced into the English language, how he has been involved in the history of the English language, and how his words/phrases/contributions are still in effect today. The above image is a small sample of some words we can thank William for.

According to Boris Ford, the author of The Age of Shakespeare: "Before the arrival of Shakespeare to London, there was little hope for the future of English but by 1613, when Shakespeare's last work was written, the literature of modern English was already rich in varied achievements, self confident and mature." I am going to investigate how this was the case, try to debunk any myths regarding Shakespeare's contribution to words or phrases, and share all I learn.

Peer Evaluation: Joanna Barker

Number of Posts: 18!

Quality of Posts: She makes great posts, and they all seem to have good substance. Some of her posts are longer and full of text, and others have nice pictures, videos, or other supplementary stuff that keeps her blog interesting, engaging, and educational. She posts frequently, and she is able to make the posts beneficial and meaningful, which is hard to do.

A Strength: Joanna has maintained great focus on her learning objectives. She labels her posts, and keeps an organized list of all the labels and how many blog posts include each label. I think it is also helpful that she has her most popular posts displayed on her blog; it's a quick and easy way to find a few of the most interesting or commented-on posts. Good stuff!

An Improvement: The only suggestions I have for improvement are these: replying to others' comments and including links to outside articles. Joanna does reply to many peer comments on her posts, but there are many other comments that she could reply to and engage in nice conversation that could lead to more learning. Also, some posts don't link to much outside information. It's hard to find improvements, though, because the blog is great! Nicely done.

Mid-Term Evaluations

It's been a wild first half, and here's the report:

Learning Outcomes:

I feel like I have succeeded at several of my learning outcomes, and I have fallen short at some of them. I know that I have gained a great deal of Shakespeare literacy--especially considering where I started. I have read Henry V, Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet, and the Tempest, and this has expanded my Shakespeare knowledge and familiarity sevenfold. I feel like I have met my goals regarding Shakespeare literacy.

I haven't done as well on my second goal, which is to analyze Shakespeare critically. I haven't dug as deeply into his writings as I had hoped, so I will focus on that for the second half of the course. I want to have his writings under a analytical microscope; I want to discover new things about these plays, why they were written how they were, what was going on in the world at the time, and how they have been received since then. I will improve at my analytical efforts.

The other two learning outcomes involve engaging Shakespeare creatively and sharing him meaningfully. I believe I have done fairly well in these ways. I have not yet done a performance of Shakespeare stuff, but that will be done soon, thanks to my classmates. I have enjoyed especially my findings on the Taming of the Shrew, connecting it to John Wayne's McLintock. I also enjoyed sharing my findings on Romeo and Juliet in this post; I learned a lot from watching the modern adaptation of the play and seeing performances done by today's filmmakers and rock musicians alike.

All of my research and learnings have been based off of the actual plays written by the Man himself, off of the introductions to the plays in The Necessary Shakespeare, off of SparkNotes.com, and off of a variety of random websites, articles relating to Shakespeare and his works. I have really enjoyed (and have tried to connect my ideas to) a couple of my fellow classmates' blogs, including Whitney, Brooke R., Max,and Claire M. I thank them for their studies and their posts, as well as several others in the class that have found great things about Shakespeare.

My study of Shakespeare has been more engaging than any other study I have done on Shakespeare in my life. It has been most interesting to search for media representations of Shakespeare's works, modern adaptations, and unique performances of his stuff. I think my pattern has been to look at modern adaptations of his plays, but I want to tweak that and turn it into a deeper, more thought-provoking study. That is one thing that I will definitely try to improve upon for the second half of this course. I did the most studying on the Taming of the Shrew, and I would like to extend that until the end of the class and dig into more interesting aspects of the play. I also believe that these practices of study and research can benefit me as I search for interesting ideas and methods for being an English teacher in the future. I want to keep things interesting for my students and I want to know how to find cool things on the internet. This class has helped me with that.

I have done a good job at looking at modern representations of Shakespeare's plays, and I have also stretched myself to connect his works to other performances and ideas. I know that I need to do more in-depth study, analyzing, researching, and posting of thought-provoking and meaningful topics. I need to post more often, but also post more meaningfully. This needs the most attention for the remainder of the course.

In addition to the names listed above, regarding positive peer influence in this class, I should thank Cara C., Sarah B., and Johnny S., for their influence on my studies this semester. Cara and Sarah both helped me get into the class at the beginning by watching Henry V with me and talking about the movie. My fellow Johnny in the class has given me good ideas in class for studying Shakespeare creatively; he has shared his findings and has led me in good directions for my own findings. Thank you all!

So I have done some good things so far, but I need to do more, more often, and more meaningfully. Let's make it happen!!

Poor Prospero

Now my charms are all o'erthrown,

And what strength I have's mine own,

Which is most faint: now, 'tis true,

I must be here confined by you,

Or sent to Naples. Let me not,

Since I have my dukedom got

And pardon'd the deceiver, dwell

In this bare island by your spell;

But release me from my bands

With the help of your good hands:

Gentle breath of yours my sails

Must fill, or else my project fails,

Which was to please. Now I want

Spirits to enforce, art to enchant,

And my ending is despair,

Unless I be relieved by prayer,

Which pierces so that it assaults

Mercy itself and frees all faults.

As you from crimes would pardon'd be,

Let your indulgence set me free .

This is the final soliloquy from Prospero in The Tempest, and it reveals how conflicted and restricted Prospero felt. He laments the loss of magic and the feeling of bondage he is experiencing. I couldn't help but feeling some sympathy for the man; his emotions seem so real and true to even our day here in the 21st Century.

Prospero has one thing on me, since I can't quite control the elements, but he does feel a lot of things that I've felt: anger, self-pity, blaming others, desire to be in charge of others, etc. "The Necessary Shakespeare" described Prospero's plight in a nice way: "He must overcome the vengeful impulse he experiences toward those how have wronged him...he seems even sexist and racist in his arrogating to himself the right and responsibility to control others in the name of values they may not share." I thought that was a nice analysis of the protagonist Prospero from the Tempest.

As a side note, some say that this epilogue is a representation of Shakespeare's own feelings, as it may have been the last play he wrote by himself. Any comments from my fellow Shakespeare bloggers?

Romeo Lives On!

I watched the 1996 version of Romeo + Juliet starring Leonardo DiCaprio, and I thought it was kind of weird. However, it reminded me why this Shakespeare play is still around in popular media: the ideas, story, characters, and conflicts are as real today as they were back when the bard wrote the play. Love, family, feud, battle, death, but especially love.

The movie used the dialogue from the original play. This is what caught my attention, and it got me into the movie. My feelings towards using the original dialogue changed throughout the movie. At first, it made the story seem kind of weird. People don't really talk like that nowadays! The Capulet's and Montague's were at a gas station talking really weird and pulled out guns (made by the "Sword" company, so they could call them swords and keep the original text) and started shooting each other. However, as the movie progressed, I realized something: the original text fit perfectly with the story represented on this modern stage! It opened my eyes to the fact that Romeo and Juliet lives on in so many different ways in our society even today. Shakespeare was wise enough to write about topics that touch the human race, have always touched it, and will probably continue until the end of time.

For your enjoyment, here is a YouTube video of the rock band "Killers" playing a song about Romeo and Juliet:

Gnomeo and Juliet

For those of you not knowing what to do on your Friday night--choosing between Shakespeare and a night on the town can be so difficult--worry no more!

Today is the opening night for Gnomeo and Juilet, a modern adaptation of the play with almost the same name. This version features lawn gnomes as the actors. I don't know if I can get myself to watch this, since I'm still scared of lawn gnomes from the Goosebumps television show, but maybe I can man up and check it out!

Here is the movie trailer:

Romeo, Romeo, Why Choose Romeo??

I am reading Romeo and Juliet this week; I haven't read it for a good 9 or 10 years, and I wanted to get back into it and research in depth regarding the play. My big question is this: why is it so popular--maybe even the most popular Shakespeare play of all? I want to, once again, look at a modern presentation of the play, so I am going to watch the 1996 film adaptation of the play starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

In the movie, the Montague's and Capulet's are represented by two major business empires, and they fight with guns instead of swords. I heard that BYU's theater department did a Romeo and Juliet play based in the "Gilded Age," and I'm curious to see how that play was received and compare it to this modern film adaptation. Did anybody go see that play last semester? What were your thoughts?

Shakespeare vs. John Wayne: Continued

I watched Mclintock last night, and it was actually really easy to find similarities to Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew. It starts with the leading lady. Her name in the play is Katharine; in the movie? Katherine. She is a wild woman, uses short, snappy responses, and is particularly stubborn and ornery with G.W. Mclintock, her husband (played by John Wayne). In one scene, their housekeeper says something to Katherine, and she looks at Mclintock with disgust and says, "Are you going to stand there with a stupid look on your face while the hired help insults your wife?" This reminded me of Katherine in Taming of the Shrew; her responses are so feisty and biting. For example, in the first act of the play, Petruchio says, "Good morning, Kate, for that's your name, I hear," to which she responds, "Well have you heard, but something hard of hearing. They call me Katharine that do talk of me."

The western movie was all about Katherine being stubborn, feisty, shrewish, and especially short towards her husband, G.W. Mclintock. It also shows a lot of the interaction these two had, and although they were already married at the beginning of the movie (in contrast to Petruchio and Katharine), I couldn't help but make connections between the two performances.

Wild Women!

While diving into Taming of the Shrew this week, I have been thinking a little bit about the idea of a man having to "tame" his wife or potential wife. Of course, for Petruchio, this was initially due do his desire for wealth, but he eventually became attracted to Kate for her colorful personality. Why is this?

And why am I so attracted to the same thing in my fiancee? That's something I might want to think about.

Anyway, the same transformation occurs with John Wayne and his fiery shrew of a woman in "McClintock," so here is a clip from the classic western film loosely based upon Shakespeare's original Taming. If you don't have six minutes to sit and watch, skip forward to the final minute to see the muddy showdown:

It's a real compliment to Shakespeare to say that, centuries later, his ideas would be revisited in a country western film with a man like John Wayne.

Taming of the Shrew and Spankings from "The Duke"

With all this talk of Taming of the Shrew (and since I chose to read and study this one for my comedy play), I have been wondering why the play is still so popular even today. I was wondering how many modern adaptations in the U.S. have been made of the play, and I found this list:

"Kiss Me Kate"--1948

"10 Things I Hate About You"--1999

"Deliver Us From Eva"--2003

That list seemed kind of short and incomplete, so I was trying to think of other movies that had a similar storyline, and it didn't take long before I found one: "McClintock," a John Wayne classic! I love John Wayne movies--not ashamed of it--so I have decided to try to connect plots and characters as much as possible. For those of you that have not seen this one, check out the IMDB plot summary and see if that tickles your fancy. I will be writing a blog about my connections!

Anybody have any other beautifully-connected or even loosely-based modern adaptations of the Taming?

Henry V Movie!

We will be showing Henry V Tuesday night, January 25, at my apartment at 6:30 PM. For those of you who are reading this play, it might be a great opportunity to interact with Henry V in a different way. If you are interested in coming, it is 2 hours, 17 minutes, and we may have some sort of food items to enjoy! My address is 377 North 750 East in Provo (Colony Apartments). Please respond to this post if you are going to come! (after 5,000 people, we are going to have to shut the doors).

Shakespeare Learning Plan

Here is what I hope to get from this class this semester:

1. Gain Shakespeare Literacy. I am planning on reading 7 plays this semester: Hamlet, Henry V, Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. This will help me get a good feel for some Shakespeare works. To help me gain a deep understanding of one play, I will study Taming of the Shrew in great detail. I also want to watch the modern renditions of these plays (where available) and see how Shakespeare is visible in today's world.

2. Analyze Shakespeare Critically. I'm going to read, read, and read about these plays: their context in history, how they have impacted society since that time, and how they have seeped into media in the world today. I will have my feelers out in the internet trying to pull in as much information as I can and finding as much Shakespeare stuff as I can. These studies will lead me to a well-thought out research project on Taming of the Shrew specifically.

3. Engage Shakespeare Creatively. I will record a personal performance of a Shakespeare scene and post it on my blog. It's gonna be awesome. I will also volunteer in class for recitations.

4. Share Shakespeare Meaningfully. My formal writing, as discussed above, will be designed around all of these texts, and most deeply around Taming of the Shrew. My informal writing will be based on my blog posts, and they will be more frequent and meaningful than they have been thus far in the semester. I am already enjoying reading others' blogs about Shakespeare, and I will do so more thoroughly and engage in lively conversations multiple times each week about this beautiful stuff.

Incest in Hamlet

Gertrude marries Claudius, the brother of her late husband Hamlet. Is this incest? Here is a link from the University of Victoria comparing it to the biblical idea that man and woman become one flesh, thus the husband's brother becomes the wife's brother as well. This idea comes from Ephesians, and it was probably a very familiar verse to the people in Shakespeare's time.

"Incestuous sheets?" I agree, it's disturbing and I think it's incest. Comments?

It's Time to Man Up

I have been avoiding this Shakespeare class for a couple years now, but the time has come to buckle down and do it. I don't know why I've been so intimidated of studying Shakespeare, but maybe it's just because I haven't read tons of his stuff and I haven't gotten into it. Maybe it's because it's all about love, or tragedy, or men dressing up like women and talking like them too.

But maybe I like all of those things.

Hopefully this blog will become a nice site full of my thoughts on our Shakespeare readings, video clips relating to Shakespeare, links to interesting information on the man and his works, and an all-around electronic representation of my knowledge of the great legend. I hope it can be a refreshing way to learn Shakespeare, and one that will instill a passion in my life for him.

Keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle, because it's gonna be a wild ride!