Black = Hamlet's Symbol

There is sometimes a color theme or a set of symbols for a story. I believe (from watching and reading along) that it would be appropriate to pair Hamlet with Black. In fact all the mentions of this were very interesting, because in each incidence this same color means something different. The movie also brought attention to this.
Black = Hamlet's Morning
At the very beginning Hamlet is morning his father's resent death, so he wears the traditional color.
In Act 1, sc. 2 this is described in many ways: nighted color, inky cloak, solemn black. And all these point to the "forms, moods, shapes of grief... the trappings and the suits of woe."
Black = Claudius' Damnation
King Claudius, in his soliloquy of remorse and repentance, sees at least in part the wickedness of his murder. In Act 3, sc. 3 he says, "Oh wretched state! Oh bosom black as death!"
Black = Gertrude's Realization
As Hamlet is trying to show his mother the faults of Claudius, she looks inward instead and sees her own part in wickedness. In Act 3, sc. 4 she says "Thou turn'st my eyes into my very soul, and there I see such black and grained spots as will not leave their tinct."
Black = Hamlet's Funeral 
I also loved the end of the movie. I found it ironic that Hamlet received the kind of funeral that he had wished for his father. It had all the army in striking black and a gun salute. It ended with a bang, but was it a good resolution? Hamlet didn't really get his revenge, all his "playing madness" was really what lead to his own downfall.

Shakespeare is English

Just a thought while watching the Kenneth Branagh version of Hamlet.
I decided that it is totally distracting when Shakespeare actors don't have an English accent.
Polonius' servant  Reynaldo was played by Gerard Depardieu, a french man.
Funny how it just sounds wrong when it is not in an English accent. Some times I even pretend an accent when I read out-loud, it just seems better.

The Merchant of Kindergarten

I was really interested to see how the heavy themes of The Merchant of Venice could be shown in a meaningful way to children. I attended a production that did just that. It was fandantastic!
1st - They made the play anachronistic.
They used both period looking props and modern props. They used Shakespearean language, but they incorporated modern words that children could relate to.  It was especially interesting when they asked for names of places and a name for money that they could use in their lines. This participation was very effective.
2nd - There was good humor.
Though we had talked about how a "comedy" isn't always funny, this one did a good job of bringing in some humor. My favorite part was that the picture of Portia that was in the led box was actually her senior picture! Little details like that really made me laugh.  
3nd - I was blown away by the acting.
It was amazing to see how well the actors were able to work with these new words. They didn't miss a beat every time they had to say something about the faraway land of Narnia, or how Antonia owed so many Galleons.
It was also amazing to see the actors working through all the distractions that a kid's show comes with. They called up helpers from the audience throughout the whole show, and even when the children started wondering with props or didn't do what they were asked, the actors were still able to smoothly pull it off.
I was especially touched by the portrayal of Shyloc's character. I was able to meet Andrew Foree before the show (as I was waiting in the stand-by line. Lucky I made it in!) and he was such a happy-go-lucky kind of guy, who really interacted with the kids easily. But when the show started, he took on the role so naturally. I was blown away at the very end when he was forced to convert to the dominant party. The emotion was so profound in his person. Not just his face was sad and hurt, but his whole body moved as if he had lost his own identity. And it was true; that is exactly what happened.
4rd - The messages made me think.
At the beginning and end, the actors introduced the idea of bullying and making fun of another person. At the end, they asked questions about weather that was OK. It made me think. It was such a simple way of portraying the story, but it was profound at the same time. I think everyone, no matter the age, learned something from their show.

The Tempest: Not A Tumultuous Ending

Reading The Tempest was an adventure. I can say, like Miranda, "O, I have suffered with those that I saw suffer." I loved the journey, but I especially loved the ending.  Prospero had put his brother through an ordeal with the tempest, the shipwreck, and the spirits that he controlled. This most people would say is his way of getting revenge on his brother (his brother Antonio usurped the dukedom of Milan from him). Even though he has the opportunity to, we do not see Prospero killing his brother, instead just lets him off the hook. He does take Milan back, but no one gets killed and the family returns to Italy together.
I found that this ending reminded me a lot of a biblical story. Joseph of Egypt did about the same. He put his brothers through an ordeal to see their characters. When he saw that his brothers had learned their lesson and that they felt remorse, Joseph revealed himself and the family was reunited. This happy ending was a good example of a traditional romantic story by Shakespeare.

All The World's A Stage

The discussion in class prompted me to think back on my high school days (glory days everybody!). I did a lot of theater and I thought I would share a little about the behind the scenes of the life of an actress. Especially because it is that perspective that helps me understand better what all effects performance and the whole play experience.

1st: The Stage

In 2009 I participated in the Nauvoo Pageant. It was one of the best experience of my life so far. The production was difficult however, because we had a raked stage. This is where the stage is on an angle, or slope, and the audience is flat. It is opposite to what we normally see in theaters these days. Oh, and it was outside, so the slope we were using was more like a hill. Imagine dancing and performing on an incline! It was a workout, not to mention the sprained ankles we had.

But, I think this set up was especially good for when we were depicting the saints building the temple. It really was work, and the audience could see it.

2nd: The Audience

The people just sitting and watching are as much a part of the performance or event as the people who put on the show. They also affect the performance in a way that the actors can only tell. In my cast of "Foot Loose" our directer would talk about the energy of the audience. Laughter and clapping really is awesome encouragement to performers, we would act just a little different for every audience because of how they were responding. It was always interesting to see when the audience would laugh, because they would pick up on different jokes and background humor. 

Anyone else have experience with this? Have you ever gone to a show more than once and seen the difference? 

I think that is exactly why it is fun to go to different productions of the same Shakespeare play (especially because there are a million out there). Because everyone has a different flavor.

Christianity in Shakespear?

The Merchant of Venice starts out with Bassanio owing his dear friend Antonio money, and yet needing more. Antonio is more than willing to help his friend, and replies thus,
"...within the eye of honor, be assured my purse, my person, my extremest means lie all unlocked to your occasions." (Act. 1, sc. 1)
To me this shows the extremely loyal friend that Antonio is, and honestly reminds me of Jesus Christ.
He is called "my best, my Heavenly Friend" in the humn "Be Still My Soul". Christ is our advocate. He offered up everything to ransom us from sin, even His mortal person, as he suffered in Gethsemane and hung and died for us on the Cross at Golgotha.

On that note (punny :), I was also thinking that if Antonio was reflective of Christ, than Bassanio might represent us. In fact his has a righteous attitude of gratitude and humility, and therefore can be linked to how we are completely dependent on Christ.
Bassanio says, "Nor do I now make moan to be abridged for such a noble rate, but my chief care is to come fairly off from the great debts wherein my time something too prodigal hath left me gaged. To you Antonio I owe the most in money and love, and from your love I have a warranty to unburthen all my plots and purposes how to get clear of all the debts I owe."
Shakespeare's use of the word "prodigal" also points in that direction because it makes me think of the parable of the Prodigal Son. This parable is of course representative of our debt to Christ. We cannot, return to live with Heavenly Father by ourselves because we all sin and are unfit for Heaven. It is here that Jesus Christ steps in and takes upon Himself all imperfections and makes us whole if we repent. It is through Him that we can return and live with our Heavenly Father, if we repent.

This is also reflected in another hymn I Stand All Amazed
This is how I have begun to wonder if Shakespeare was Christian, or maybe I am just reading into the characters and lines a little bit and have seen something that he didn't even intend. Maybe that's why they say "beauty is in the eye of the beholder".