Of Music and Midsummer, Part II

Mendelssohn’s music was also adapted into a ballet. (I was going to say that Shakespeare probably hadn’t imagined any of his works being performed by something so strange as men in tights when I remembered that he himself probably wore tights, too.)  I thought the fairies’ wardrobe interpretation in this clip was interesting—like they were trying to recreate them from Romantic paintings. (See Joseph Noel Paton’s painting of Act II, scene i and you’ll know what I mean.)

Of Music and Midsummer, Part I

So, I learned something new last night about Shakespeare! Did you know that it was because of him that the Wedding March (you know… “Here comes the bride,/ Big, fat and wide…”) came into existence? Who would’ve thunk?

As it turns out, A Midsummer Night’s Dream was Felix Mendelssohn’s favorite play (name sound familiar, Music 101ers?), and he started writing music for it at age 17. His opus, which was integrated into Midsummer Night productions, included the world-famous Wedding March as well as one of my favorite parts: a braying donkey sound made by violins in tribute to Nick Bottom. (I’m ignoring any anti-violin wisecracks springing from that comment!—It was fun to play, though I will admit that violas* would have given it a more authentic sound.) ;]

The donkey sound comes up at 3:12 and 8:30, if you just want to listen to that. This recording doesn’t have the Wedding March in it, but the ballet clip that I’ll post does. 

When the camera changes perspectives, I like to think of it in terms of different approaches we take to Shakespeare’s texts: for example, the focus on one instrument would be our focus on one character, while the focus on all the orchestra at once is like stepping back to view a play as a magnificent symphony of words and ideas. I thought of the director as a symbol of how we try to see Shakespeare’s personal beliefs, and the outcomes he sought to accomplish with his writings.

*You may replace “violas” here with any other instrument—except violins. :]

Midterm Status

A.    Learning Outcomes

1.      Shakespeare literacy

2.      Analyze Shakespeare critically

 http://manwaringmoriah232.blogspot.com/2012/02/right-to-bear-arms-in-elizabethan-times.html

3.      Engage Shakespeare creatively

 http://manwaringmoriah232.blogspot.com/2012/01/talent-or-farce.html

4.      Share Shakespeare meaningfully

 http://manwaringmoriah232.blogspot.com/2012/02/merchant-of-venic-for-kids.htmlhttp://manwaringmoriah232.blogspot.com/2012/02/merchant-of-venic-for-kids.html

5.      Gain digital literacy

The fact that I have created a blog and started to use it is a pretty big step for me, since I’m not really a computer person and prefer not to spend my time in front of a screen.  Although I haven’t yet been able to post videos, at my least links and pictures have worked.    

Evaluation of my blogging:  I have not been blogging as much as or as well as I would like to, and I’m having a hard time fixing that because of the heavy course load I’ve taken this semester.  There’s so much I have to do and so little time; I’m just overwhelmed.

B.     Self-Directed Learning

I have not really taken charge of my own learning about Shakespeare, except in the way I think.  As we’ve been reading and discussing the assigned plays, I have been actively trying to form a new of opinion of Shakespeare, and it has been helpful to see the way other people perceive him or what they think about the meanings of his writings.  I’ve seen others doing a better job at directing their own learning, and it is pretty neat to see the way they apply Shakespeare to the things they’re interested in, such as Austen applying it to his advertising/media/social cognition interests.  I feel that I need to improve in every aspect of this class, including being a better self-directed learner, and I’m excited to do this with the individual play.

C.     Collaborative & Social Learning

It’s been really neat to see others’ perspectives on things—I guess that’s something I really find value in.  I have involved my roommates with Shakespeare; I’ll talk to them about some of the things we cover.

Well, I know I have a lot to work on.  I’m going to make it a goal to blog three times a week but no less than two and to read/comment on others’ blogs six times a week.  In order to accomplish this, I will dedicate a half hour to blogging at 3:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

I will give myself 2 hours on Mondays at 3 to read/delve into Shakespeare and write about insights I have, correlations I’d like to make with the real world, and things I’d like to look up and learn more about.

"The Right to Bear Arms" in Elizabethan times

 

I was reading up about Shakespeare’s background (http://www.william-shakespeare.info/william-shakespeare-biography-mother-and-father.htm) and found this interesting information about what it meant to “bear arms” in his time.  It was something both Shakespeare and his father aspired to and eventually accomplished, and I just thought it was interesting.

 

During the Elizabethan era, the right to bear arms meant that people could be counted as part of the gentry.  When they had a coat of arms, they were allowed to call themselves gentlemen, but they could only receive it by paying a lot of money and receiving the sanction of (I think) the town officials.  Now we are freely entitled to the right to bear arms in America—which, if we read it with the Elizabethan interpretation, means that we’re entitled to be gentlemen and -women in America—to show proper and equal respect for others and to receive it of them in everything we do.  Even in the case of Sir Thomas More, whose political opponents went so far as to conspire against his life, he was treated with (relative) respect although he was in jail.  Like Mark DeMoss said in his BYU forum address, it’s important not to be uncivil toward anybody.