Friday, April 22, 2011

A Midsummer's Night Dream: Fantasy vs. Reality

As Shakespeare's Hamlet has the theme of appearance versus reality, A Midsummer's Night Dream displays the theme of fantasy versus reality.  We can even see the theme of dreams in the title; the characters cannot seem to figure out if all of the happenings existed or if they were dreams.  Fantasy in this play is represented through the alternate fairy world.

The fairy world and the human world exist harmoniously, but separately.  Also, the humans are unaware of their existence due to the fact that they "work their magic" at night.  For example, the character Puck is the trickster of the play, and he gives the mortals potions, amongst other magic, that make the characters say and do things out of the norm for their particular character.  Also, both realms have similar conflicts regarding love.  However, since the fairy world is essentially regarded as the dream world, this creates conflict when the dream world interferes with real world perceptions of events.

Within both the fairy and human realms, love is out of balance.  When we are introduced to the fairy realm in Act 2, we observe that how Oberon and Titania have confusion in their relationship because both of them feel betrayed.  As a result, Oberon has Puck put a magic flower potion on Titania's eyes while she is asleep, makign her hall in love with the first person she sees when she awakes.  The same is also done to Lysander's eyes, which creates a huge problem when he awakes to see Helena.  To counteract all of the problems that inevitably arose from this, he adds the juice to the other characters' eyelids.  Here, we can see this as being problematic because the fantasy world augments and creates a false sense of reality for the characters.  In the end, the tension between all of the love triangles is resolved through the use of magic.

The Role of Women in Shakespeare's Plays

While characters such as in the Taming of the Shrew may lead one to believe that women could possess strong, independent characters in Shakespeare's plays, think again!  The roles women play in Shakespeare's plays essentially serve to highlight female sexuality, female submissiveness, and male power over women.  Women are essentially props used to drive the story line.

Going back to Taming of the Shrew and the characters Bianca and Katherine, we see completely opposite ends of the spectrum in reference to female temperament.  Bianca is the prized daughter because she is beautiful and obedient, making her the focus of male attention in the town.  Katherine is the exact opposite; she is rough, starkly independent, and emotionally unavailable.  However, we discover that once Petruchio wins Katherine over, she fits right into the mold that women were expected to fit into.  She didn't desire to become just another housewife, but the male power over her life forced her into that role.

In Hamlet, Ophelia is used by every character in the play.  Hamlet's mother, Gertrude, married Hamlet's uncle, Claudius, so he begins to align his mother's sexuality with Ophelia's, causing her to greatly suffer.   Hamlet uses her as the scapegoat for his anger towards his mother, Claudius uses her to spy on Hamlet, her father uses her to win the favor of the royalty, etc.  Also, Hamlet takes her virginity, and then won't marry her because of it.  She is obedient to all of the powers in her life, and unable to voice her own opinion, she falls into a deep madness.  She is shunned for no longer being a virgin, which was a big deal at the time if you weren't married.  Because of her sexuality, she is seen as a whore even though she was just doing as Hamlet wanted.


Richard III exhibits the male power over women because although Richard is an evil man and the women despise him, he somehow wins their favor through manipulatory flattery.  For example, he was the reason for Lady Anne's husband's death, but throughout her cursing him, he says that her beauty made him do it.  Before you know it, she is now Richard's wife.  He doesn't appear to actually love the women he encounters, but he does want to use them to gain greater power for himself as he pursues the crown.  Although these are just a few examples of women's roles in Shakepeare's plays, this is a theme that Shakepeare holds to in many of his plays.

Comparisons between the play "Othello" and the Movie "O"

Shakespeare's play "Othello" and Tim Blake Nelson's modern interpretation, "O", exhibit many similarities in their content as well as some differences.  Nelson's movie, "O," came out in 2001, starring Mekhi Phifer as Odin (Othello), Julia Stiles as Desi (Desdemona), and Josh Hartnett as Hugo (Iago). Some similarities that both the movie and play focus on are themes of racial tension, jealousy, manipulation, small props, and much more.

Racial tension can be observed in both the play and the movie.  Othello is a black man who heads his army and is known for his bravery and valiant skill in war, and Odin is the star and only black basketball player on his high school team.  Although the racial undertone is more prevalent in the movie than it is in the play, it does serve to show that Othello/Odin is seen as different by the rest of the community.  Iago/Hugo are jealous of his success and want to essentially bring the cocky Odin and Cassio back to earth, and knows he can manipulate them using Desi and Odin's pride as the targets.  Iago/Hugo knows that he can use his skill and pick on the weaknesses in each character in order to get what he wants.  Secondly, a prop of significance in both the play and the movie is the handkerchief.  It was a gift, and when it ends up in the wrong hands, Othello/Odin becomes furious about it.  Also, Othello/Odin is manipulated into believing that Desdemona/Desi has been cheating on him and he promises Iago/Hugo that he will kill her for what she has done.  Despite his accusations, Desi/Desdemona holds true to her word when she says she hasn't cheat on him, but he still does not believe her and strangles her at the end of the movie.

The main difference between the play and the movie is the setting.  Othello is set in Venice and the island of Cyprus while there were wars between Venice and Turkey.  "O" is set at a modern day prep school where their basketball team is fighting for the state title.  In the play, Othello and Desdemona marry while in the movie, they are only high school lovers bound by a rubber band ring on Desi's ring finger.  Also, drug use becomes a factor in the movie that contributes to how the characters act; Hugo uses steroids and Odin uses cocaine.  While there are some differences between the movie and the play, Othello's plot guides O's storyline and makes for a very sad ending to this tragedy.

Lost Identities

Having a sense of identity is what separates humans from one another, but sometimes along our path in life, we can lose ourself.  Shakespeare's plays include many instances of manipulation, both good and bad, where the character begins to question who he or she really is, as well as other characters in the play.  The path to discovering oneself ends in either a joyous occasion or in a tragedy that the characters may not see themselves, but the audience is aware of their transformations the whole time.  Whether it ends in love or bloodshed, the true colors of each character is found by the end of the play.

1) In a Midsummer's Night Dream, fantasy is the primary factor in the loss of identities of the characters.  The driving force in this play is love, and the loss of identity can be seen in the humans when Demetrius essentially ignores Helena's obvious love for him, and Hermia ignores Demetrius' advances as well.  In the fairy world, Titania feels unacknowledged because Oberon appears to be paying more attention to the boy.  In the end, magic resolves all of these tensions.

2) In Hamlet, his father dies at the hand of his uncle, making Hamlet's mother go from appearing virtuous to becoming an evil person that drives Hamlet's impressions of others that he comes into contact with.  Because of this traumatic event, we begin to see Hamlet questioning himself and what is really the cause of his suffering and madness.  Is it the love he has for Ophelia?  Is it because of his mother marrying his uncle?  To justify the killing of Polonius?  In the end, we see a shift in him where he is not concerned solely about himself and his family, but with others; he finally has peace with himself for this.  Laertes avenges his father's death by killing Hamlet, and Hamlet avenges his father's death by killing Claudius.

3) In Twelfth Night, the disguises mask the true identities, as well as the genders, of the characters.  Viola disguises herself as a young man, Cesario, in order to seek service with Duke Orsino because Olivia is very consumed with herself and her own problems.  Olivia eventually falls in love with Cesario, not knowing that he is actually a she, Viola.  Orsino, originally tricked into thinking that she was Cesario, still accepts Viola as a woman when her true identity comes to light.

4) In Othello, Iago manipulates Othello into thinking that his wife, Desdemona, is an unfaithful woman.  He becomes more and more jealous and angry about this as Iago keeps telling him falsities.  At the end of the play, Othello ends up killing her because of her 'misdoings,' and then finds out that Iago had been tricking him the whole time.  Iago's true colors are shown to Othello at the end of the play and realizes all of the people who have been killed because of his manipulation.  Othello can't handle how his changed identity from a stoic, brave soldier to a cold-blooded killer; he ends up killing himself in the end.

Food (and Drink) for Thought

In many of Shakespeare's plays, there lies a heavy emphasis on eating and drinking.  It is evident that in contemporary, as well as Elizabethan, society that people find eating delicious food and drinking alcohol are both very pleasurable experiences.  However, Shakespeare doesn't just use food and drink to show his characters enjoying themselves; he uses them as metaphors to paint a picture of what was going on during this time period and how the characters relate to each other.  Food and drink was also used to show the social status of each character.  It seems that Shakespeare uses them to portray the sweetness that is visible on the outside, but also the selfishness, position, or sour nature of what is going on below the surface level of the characters' problems.  Below are some of quotations from various Shakespeare plays that show food and wine as metaphors.

In Othello, Act 2, scene 3 has many references to alcohol, specifically wine.  Iago is speaking to Cassio, and he is drinking to encourage Cassio to drink with him, after trying to invite him into a conversation regarding Desdemona.  Although Iago seems to Cassio like he just wants a drinking buddy, we know that is not the case.  Alcohol greatly impairs one's judgment, and Iago is trying to get Cassio drunk and make him believe that he could have a relationship with Desdemona.  He is manipulating Cassio and the situation, using wine as the instigator:

ACT 2, Scene 3, lines 20-28
IAGO
And when she speaks, is it not an alarum to love?
CASSIO
She is indeed perfection.

IAGO
Well, happiness to their sheets! Come, lieutenant, I have a stoup of wine, and here without are a brace of Cyprus gallants that would fain have a measure to the health of black Othello.
CASSIO
Not tonight, good Iago. I have very poor and unhappy brains for drinking. I could well wish courtesy would invent some other custom of entertainment.
IAGO
Oh, they are our friends. But one cup. I’ll drink for you.
CASSIO
I have drunk but one cup tonight, and that was craftily qualified too, and behold what innovation it makes here. I am unfortunate in the infirmity, and dare not task my weakness with any more.


In Twelfth Night, Sir Andrew greatly embarrasses himself in front of Maria.  Sir Toby, always drunk, offers him a drink, to which Sir Andrew says that drinking a lot only gets him into more embarrassing situations.  Sir Andrew exposes how he is taken advantage of which reference to how much red meat he eats.  Foolishness and self importance are two themes that exhibited through references to food, especially in Twelfth Night.

Act 1, scene 3, lines 83-86
SIR TOBY BELCH
O knight, thou lackest a cup of canary. When did I see thee so put down?
SIR ANDREW
Never in your life, I think, unless you see canary put me down. Methinks sometimes I have no more wit than a Christian or an ordinary man has. But I am a great eater of beef, and I believe that does harm to my wit.
Lastly, there are many references to food and drink in Hamlet, but lines 19-25 in Act 4, scene 3 are particularly important to focus on.  In these lines, he is basically mocking the King and saying that Polonius is dead.  He explains how humans domesticate animals that we use to feed ourselves, but in the end we are really just feeding the worms.  A fat king and a skinny beggar are then put on the same playing field because they will both end up in the dirt providing the worms with bodies to feed on.
HAMLET:
Not where he eats, but where he is eaten: a certain
convocation of politic worms are e'en at him. Your 

worm is your only emperor for diet: we fat all
creatures else to fat us, and we fat ourselves for
maggots: your fat king and your lean beggar is but
variable service, two dishes, but to one table:
that's the end.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Similarities Between Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and "Twelfth Night"

Even though "Hamlet" is a dark tragedy and "Twelfth Night" is a romantic comedy, many of the themes in both of them overlap.  First, disguises are a major theme in both plays.  In "Twelfth Night," the characters wear actual disguises to trick the other characters.  Viola dresses up as Cesario, whom Olivia falls in love with.  Malvolio and Feste also disguise themselves.  In the end, the disguises don't really have an upsetting effect because they're accepted for who they really are.  In Hamlet, the "disguise" theme acts more under the theme of appearance versus reality.  Many of the characters in Hamlet appear to be good-natured, but below the surface-level they are dark, unjust, and selfish.

Second, love is seen as a cause of suffering in both plays. In "Twelfth Night," many of the characters mention how they are in pain because of the love they possess for someone else, especially when the person they love doesn't return the love.  At the end of the play, some of the characters rejoice in their love, while others are still pained by love's nonexistence in their lives.  This is just one of the effects that Shakespeare's romantic comedies have.  In "Hamlet," Hamlet suffers because of the love between her mother and his uncle that destroyed his parent's marriage.  He also thinks he is suffering because Ophelia rejects him at the beginning of the play because she was complying with her father's wishes, prohibiting her to marry Hamlet.  Thus, Hamlet makes Ophelia suffer by treating her with disrespect; he is constantly unfairly comparing his incestuous mother to Ophelia.

Linked to the theme listed above, marriage is considered a bad thing in both plays.  In "Twelfth Night," Feste is against marriage because he believes that it is a foolish thing to do.  He basically says that people should enjoy in-the-moment happenings instead of being so future-oriented when involved in a romantic relationship.  In "Hamlet," marriage is seen as a bad thing because some of the characters didn't stay true to their promises.  Hamlet's mother, Gertrude, remarried her husband's brother after her husband's mysterious death.  Also, Ophelia was used by many of the characters, but she is used sexually by Hamlet.  He promises her that they will be married if she gives into his sexual requests, and once she complies with his wishes, he basically tells her that he would have married her if she didn't give in.  After that, she went crazy, was deemed non virtuous, and was no longer attractive to other men because she was no longer a virgin.  There are many other comparisons between these two plays, but these are three notable themes that must be paid attention to.

"Twelfth Night" and Contemporary Reasons Against Marriage

The relationship that the fool, Feste, in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" has with love is very dark and disapproving.  These concerns that he has are surprisingly similar to the views that many people have in contemporary society regarding marriage.  Feste has somewhat of an odd attraction with Olivia, seeing as how he is her jester, but he will not take her as his wife.  He believes that only fools get married, and he expresses this in Act 3, scene 1, lines 29-32:


No, indeed, sir; the Lady Olivia has no folly.  She will keep
no fool, sir, till she be married, and fools are as
like husbands as pilchards are to herrings; the
husband’s the bigger: I am indeed not her fool,
but her corrupter of words.


Feste believes that men are even more foolish to get married because of what Orsino said to Cersario in Act 2, scene 4, lines 91-101.  Here, Orsino is saying that a woman can't love like a man because their love is materialistic and fleeting.  It is interesting to note that while the other characters' "suffering" is induced by love, the fool remains independent.  However, Feste still has feelings that he displays through hidden meanings in his songs, especially in Act 2, scene 3, lines  45-51:


What is love? Tis not hereafter;
Present mirth hath present laughter:
What’s to come is still unsure.
In delay there lies no plenty;
Then come kiss me, sweet and twenty:
Youth’s a stuff will not endure.



While Feste is making fun of Sir Toby and Sir Andrew in this song, he is also singing about how Olivia should just enjoy the fun they're having together in the present instead of dwelling on what their future might be like or what it's expected to be.  Feste believes that she isn't a fool right now, but she will be when she eventually gets married.  In Act 1, scene 5, line 17, he says, "Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage," which is to make fun of marriage, saying that death is a good way to avoid having to be legally bound to another human.


Today, marriage also seems to be a foolish thing to do with over 50% of marriages ending in divorce.  One reason could be that the roles associated with "husband" and "wife" have shifted drastically; men aren't the only ones working outside of the home anymore and their masculinity may be threatened by this fact.  Financially, marriage can also be a burden.  In 2008, the U.S. News and World Report stated that how marriage can result in higher taxes because it can push them into a higher tax bracket than they would be if they were just single filers.  Also, marriage is limited to heterosexual couples, keeping homosexual couples ostracized.


There are many similarities between Feste's reserves against marriage as well as contemporary society's views against marriage, but there are a few fundamental differences due to the time periods.  While marriage is still assumed to be the next course of action for many couples today, it is not the single acceptable course of action for couples.  Just because you're married doesn't mean that you need to get pregnant as soon as possible, or have kids at all.  Also, divorce is not nearly as stigmatized as it used to be.  Even just 20-30 years ago, divorce was practically unheard of in communities.  Both time periods have their pros and cons regarding marriage, but Feste's view on marriage is one that many people hold in contemporary society.

Comparison between 'Twelfth Night' and 'Loving Outside Simple Lines' by Sonya Bolus

Shakespeare's play, "Twelfth Night," has a true happy ending where true love really sees the soul of the person.  In Act 5, scene 1, lines 313-319, Orsino states to Viola:


"Your master quits you, and for your service done him,
So much against the mettle of your sex,
So far beneath your soft and tender breeding,
And since you called me “master” for so long,
Here is my hand. You shall from this time be
Your master’s mistress."

Here, we can see that although Orsino knows that Viola was disguised as Cesario, but he still accepts her as a woman because he is truly in love with her.  In U.S. society, too many people see the person for what they look like on the outside, not the character of the person.  It needs to be recognized that there are other ways to love a person besides what is considered socially acceptable.  In comparison to Orsino and Viola's relationship in "Twelfth Night," Sonya Bolus' essay, "Loving Outside Simple Lines," is a personal narrative which describes her butch lesbian lover taking the necessary medical steps to go from a woman to the sex she identifies with, which is a man.  This essay was particularly powerful for me to read because I am heterosexual and didn't have a firm understanding of what being in love is like between two people of the same sex.  Bolus goes through many of the painful changes along with her partner's sex change, questioning herself, her sexuality, if she made her lover want to do this, etc.  However, she explains how these challenges have changed her for the better:

"[...] you inspire me to look with courage at my self-definitions.  I see how they are true to me.  I also see how they sometimes limit me.  Though they have often given be security and a means to self-awareness, I notice parts of myself I have suppressed: the attraction I once felt for men, the desire I feel now for other femmes, the need to examine my own "othergenderedness" (Bolus, 3-4).

The quote above greatly compares to Orsino's acceptance of Viola because even through all of the different "transformations" that both of them have gone through, he still accepts her as a woman because he loves her, first and foremost, as a person.  The rough patches they went through allowed them to reflect on their own values and discover what is really important to them.  After comparing the famous Shakespearean play, "Twelfth Night," and the contemporary essay, "Loving Outside Simple Lines," by Sonya Bolus, our society needs to reevaluate what is important and discover their own 'self-awareness' before judging those who question U.S. society's hegemonic sexuality value systems.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Theme in Hamlet: Kingliness

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, we observe the theme "Kingliness," which concerns the question: what makes someone a good king?  With the death of Hamlet's father, the new King becomes his brother, Claudius, whose faithfulness comes into question when he marries Gertrude, Hamlet's mother.  Claudius is someone who enjoys flattery and power, and throughout his statements associated with Kingliness throughout the play, we can see how he manipulates others into believing that the fault lies with them and not the King.

Claudius:
Act I, scene ii, lines 6-7
"That we with wisest sorrow think on him
Together with remembrance of ourselves"
--  Right after his brother dies, Claudius makes this grand speech trying to align himself with the Danes by representing everyone.  Although Claudius seems to be sorrowful, he immediately begins to assert his new title in these lines.  Here, he uses the "royal we," which refers to a single person holding a high office.  "Ourselves" here means "myself."  This quote is basically saying that while it's appropriate to mourn the late King, he must still think of himself, and therefore he has married Gertrude, his brother's wife.  He explains this very briefly, almost as if doesn't want people to recognize that something fishy is going on, before proceeding with matters of the state.

Horatio:
Act I, scene ii, line 186
'A was a goodly king
-- Horatio skipped school to attend the King's death because he wanted to express his admiration for the late king.  I believe this is representative of what people outside of the monarchy thought of the king.  Horatio is trying to repay his respects to the King as well as his classmate, Hamlet, who is overcome with emotion from the death of his father.  Horatio is a very good friend to Hamlet, and that consistency and loyalty to him remains throughout the play.

Rosencrantz:
Act III, scene iii, lines 11-23
--  Claudius is expressing his dislike for Hamlet and the danger he represents to him, to he wants Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to take him to England.  Rosencrantz, in these lines, is creating a link between the King and his people.  He is trying to express that when a King dies, it has the ability to take down his followers with him.  A King has influence in the country's lives, and with his death comes unrest.  The citizens aren't really sure what to expect from the new leadership.

Claudius:
Act IV, scene iii, lines 4-5
And where 'tis so, th' offender's scourge is weighed, but never the offense
--  Claudius recognizes the power that Hamlet has over him, so he has to carefully figure out how to remove Hamlet from the picture without causing civil unrest.  The people love Hamlet, and as this quote states, the citizens will pay more attention to the punishment Hamlet receives, rather than the crime he has committed.  Claudius knows that he must act calm and "kingly," in his orders so he does not upset the people even more, because they find him to be deceitful.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Theme in Hamlet: Free Will vs. Destiny

A reoccurring theme in Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, has to do with the character's interpretations of effects that free will or destiny plays into life's events.  Free will is defined as, "the power of making free choices unconstrained by external agencies" while destiny is defined as, "an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future" (Princeton Online Dictionary).  The first scene sets the stage for discussions regarding free will and destiny, but will carry on as the reality of the characters becomes more apparent to the others throughout the play.


Act I, scene iii - lines 17-18
LAERTES:
"His greatness weighed, his will is not his own
For he himself is subject to his birth."
-- Since Hamlet is the Prince of a royal family, his future is laid out for him the day he is born.  Since he is a man, he will one day run his country, Denmark, so the decisions he makes will not just be in his own interest, but in the interest of the people in his country.  Among the many decisions that will be made for him, a huge decision made for him is that he cannot choose who he marries.  This makes things complicated, for he is attracted to Ophelia, and her brother, Laertes, makes sure she remembers these facts.


Act I, scene iv - lines 31-38
HAMLET:
"These men carrying, I say, the stamp of one defect,
Being nature's livery, or fortune's star
Their virtues else, be they as pure as grace,
As infinite as man may undergo,
Shall in the general censure take corruption
From that particular fault.  The dram of evil
Doth all the noble substance of a doubt,
To his own scandal."
-- The footnotes state that nature's livery or fortune's star refers to 'nature's equipment (i.e. "innate"), or a person's destiny determined by the stars.'  Hamlet is saying that people can be born with defects that changes them.  However, one flaw can bring you down; it can make you look bad to others even if you're still a gifted person.  One doubt from the public can ruin one's reputation.  While destiny may give you certain gifts or defects, the free will of those around you can capitalize on those gifts or defects in a favorable or negative way.


Act I, scene iv - lines 90 - 91
MARCELLUS: "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark."
HORATIO: "Heaven will direct it."
-- While what Marcellus states can be seen as an omen, Horatio's statement discusses the effect destiny has on our lives as well as the natural order of society.  They believe that something is not well with Hamlet, so they can either let him be and see what becomes of Denmark, or they can follow him to see what happens.  They chose to follow him and I believe this may eventually lead to more decisions or assumptions being based off of free will instead of destiny because, in a way, they are choosing to see what they want to see by following him.

Theme in Hamlet: Appearance vs. Reality

A reoccurring theme in Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, is appearance vs. reality.  The characters appear to portrayed in a certain way to the public, but how they are in reality is much different.  Many of the characters have hidden intentions.  While this theme of appearance vs. reality is evident throughout the play, I will examine a few lines from the first scene so they can be revisited after we finish reading Hamlet.

(Act I, scene i - line 41)
Bernardo:  "In the same figure like the king that's dead."
-- Here, Bernardo is saying that the ghost that keeps coming and going appears to be the King.  Afterwards, Horatio doesn't believe them until he sees the ghost for himself.  Since the King is dressed in his armor, Horatio believes that his could mean that Denmark may be in trouble with another country's army.  As the ghost appears to be a harmful message, he is really just trying to help out.

(Act I, scene ii - line 76)
Hamlet:  "Seems, madam?  Nay, it is.  I know not 'seems.'"
-- When Hamlet is speaking to his mother about his father's death, he says in this quote, "I don't seem sad, I am sad."  Most men, especially those with status such as Hamlet, should not behave in such a depressed manner.  Hamlet's mother is basically telling him to get himself together and to not be such a weakling, by saying that although being sad about a father's death is common, it is even more 'particular' to him.  There's greater grief inside of him than what appears on the surface.

(Act I, scene v - lines 45-46)
Ghost:  "So to seduce! - won to his shameful lust the will of my most seeming-virtuous queen."
-- The ghost is basically telling Hamlet that his mother may appear to be the truthful, moral woman that a queen should be, when she is actually a dark person.  She was seduced by Claudius, his brother, who had poured poison into the King's ear.  Gertrude turned out to be very deceiving, and that played greatly to the death of her husband.

(Act I: scene v - line 138)
Hamlet:  "It is an honest ghost, that let me tell you."
-- Horatio thought it was necessary to tell Hamlet about his father's ghost meandering about, and let him know what he thought the armor he was adorned with actually meant.  This ominous ghost that people are seeing about town is stirring up an uneasy feeling.  However, Hamlet is trying to reassure Horatio who believes the ghost carries evil with him.  Hamlet lets him know that his father's ghost is a real ghost; it is not a demon.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Similarities and differences: The Taming of the Shrew vs. 10 Things I Hate About You

Over the years, there have been countless remakes and different interpretations of the various plays written by William Shakespeare.  The 1999 movie, 10 Things I Hate About You, is based off of the Shakespeare play, The Taming of the Shrew.  Although there are obviously many similarities between the movie and the play, there are also a few notable differences.  Below I have not included every single similarity and difference between the movie and play, but I included examples that I found to be most prominent and most interesting.

Seeing as how The Taming of the Shrew was the inspiration for 10 Things I Hate About You, there are many similarities between the two.  The names of the main characters are very similar.  In the play, the "shrew" is Katherine, or Kate, and the tamer of the shrew is Petruchio.  In the movie, and Julia Stiles' character's name is Katarina, or Kat, and Heath Ledger's character's name is Patrick.  Katherine's sister, Bianca, continues to use the name in the movie.  Kate and Kat are both hard-headed, abrasive women who are out-shined by their sisters, Bianca.  Another similarity concerns the roles of Hortensio and Lucentio.  Hortensio/Joey is very rich and is very full of himself, while Lucentio/Cameron is smitten with Bianca for who she is.  Both Lucentio and Cameron pretend to be tutors in order to spend time with the Biancas.  Also, there is no mother in the picture.

The main difference between the play and the movie concerns the setting and the plot.  Although the plot is similar, it is a completely modernized interpretation.  The play takes place in Padua, where Kate and Bianca reside in their father Baptista's home.  In those times, the eldest daughter was to be married first.  However, Bianca is the favored, beautiful daughter while Kate has been put on the back burner.  Because of this, Kate feels alienated, and therefore she alienates all of those around her - hence the term "shrew."  Bianca has many suitors, but cannot get married until her sister does.  The movie takes place at a high school in California, where both Kat and Bianca attend.  Their father thinks Bianca is an angel, so he doesn't want anyone to date her.  A rule is then created: Bianca can't date anyone unless Kat is dating someone.  Essentially, Kate is to be "tamed" so she can marry, and Kat is to be "tamed" for her anti-social ways.

Another difference between the play and the movie concerns the "codes" that Bianca and Lucentio share.  In the play, Lucentio is teaching Bianca Latin, whereas in the movie, Cameron is teaching Bianca French.  Lucentio and Bianca share code words and almost speak in metaphors so Hortensio cannot understand them, and it's very funny in the movie because Cameron is trying to instruct her even though he doesn't know French, while Bianca gets frustrated and speaks to him in terms that aren't in the book.  She was expecting him to ask her out, but he couldn't understand what she was saying.