If you missed class on Monday or want to watch more of the 1969
production I showed in class, click on the link above (note that it’s somewhat out of
order, and they omit some speeches).
Answer TWO of the following:
Q1: Scene 3, between Sir Toby, Maria, and Sir Andrew, is completely in
prose, as opposed to the iambic pentameter of the previous Scene. Why do you
think this is? How does it change the sound of the dialogue, and how do you
think it affects the authors who interpret it? You might recall how the actors
performed this in the 1969 production. Did you notice a change in Scene 3 from
the rest? Should you?
Q2: Orsino’s opening speech in Act 1, Scene 1 is a love poem very
similar to the ones we read in our Elizabethan
Poetry anthology. Close read these lines and discuss how this is itself an
anti-sonnet sonnet: what is his complaint about love, and what is he hoping his
love sonnets/music will do for him? Again, read it like a poem and look for the
metaphors and imagery.
Q3: Read the dialogue between Viola and Olivia Act
1, Scene 5 carefully: though the exchange begins in prose, it suddenly switches
into imabic pentameter verse at line 238 with the line, “ ‘Tis beauty truly
blent, whose read and white/Nature’s own sweet and cunning hand laid on.” Why
do you think Viola switches into verse here, even though Olivia remains
speaking prose...at least until line 256, when she switches, too. Why would
Shakespeare switch the language: how are we supposed to ‘hear’ and read it
differently?
Q4: The Shakespearean actor Alan Howard claimed that Elizabethans used
language “like food, and they probably used words much more sensually, almost eating
words.” How do we see this sense of eating and drinking language in Act
One? Which characters most delight in words, not only what words mean, but how
they can be twisted into different forms—particularly in puns and innuendos. Why
might this be especially important in comedy?
Answer to Q2) Orsino seems to be using the metaphor of music in regards to love. It appears that maybe he sees his lady as musical and poetic. He is saying just like with having an appetite, what tastes good for a while begins to be “not so sweet now as it was before.” It seems as if he’s going to praise love, because let’s face it, who doesn’t love food, but he uses the food metaphor and being full as a way to show the inconsistency of love. Like maybe one time you don’t eat as much in a meal and get full, or you may gorge yourself and be full. There is never a consistent amount that makes you say, “oh yeah, I’m full.” Orsino even brings in the image of a sea and how the individual passions of a person are like flowing ricers; what once was valued is now devalued. He seems to turn optimistic when he uses the words “quick and fresh.” Fresh just sounds cleansing.
ReplyDeleteAnswer to Q3) I think the reason why language switches is because it sounds more poetic. When you switch from prose to verse, to me, it sounds more like a song. In a way, it’s kind of more beautiful and meaningful. Even the word choice differs. Using verse also displays a sense of “look at this because it is important” versus just saying what you mean. Olivia uses prose as a declaration or proclamation, whereas Viola uses verse as a way to showcase what she is trying to say, but in a more genuine way; prose could be argued that it sounds artificial in a way.
Yes, Orsino is using a popular metaphor of music/art as food--you can glut on it and get a stomachache. But not so with love, which is like an ocean--it swallows up everything you give it and asks for more. That's his problem--art is a poor substitute for love, since it offers cliched emotions that don't quite do justice to his real feelings. He hasn't learned to use language to express himself without restraint or artifice the way Viola has. He still loves "from the book" rather than from his soul.
DeleteQ2: Orsino’s opening speech in Act 1, Scene 1 is a love poem very similar to the ones we read in our Elizabethan Poetry anthology. Close read these lines and discuss how this is itself an anti-sonnet sonnet: what is his complaint about love, and what is he hoping his love sonnets/music will do for him? Again, read it like a poem and look for the metaphors and imagery.
ReplyDeleteA:It seems that Orsino might see his lovely lady as a muse for poetry.”Not so sweet now as it was before.” Yikes, someone is tired of their lovely lady. He gives us false hope as he seems ready to praise his lady, but then used food to refer of love being inconsistent. One time you don’t ask for seconds and everyone gets offended. In the story he seems to become more optimistic as he used the word “fresh” which to me means new.
Q3: Read the dialogue between Viola and Olivia Act 1, Scene 5 carefully: though the exchange begins in prose, it suddenly switches into imabic pentameter verse at line 238 with the line, “ ‘Tis beauty truly blent, whose read and white/Nature’s own sweet and cunning hand laid on.” Why do you think Viola switches into verse here, even though Olivia remains speaking prose...at least until line 256, when she switches, too. Why would Shakespeare switch the language: how are we supposed to ‘hear’ and read it differently?
A: The language changes in order to complicate things. I thought that was clear. The larger and more unfamiliar the words, the more poetic it sounds. Switching from prose to verse sounds like a song. The use of this diction is kinda complicated, but also beautiful. Using verse draws importance to the piece
In Q3, why does thelanguage get more complicated? And/or more beautiful? I don't think many people in the audience would necessarily hear the difference, even though we can 'see' it. So I think she is less trying to be more complicated than more sincere; the prose was her attempt to sound 'low' and stilted, while the verse shows her actual feelings and emotions as Viola (as opposed to Cesario). And it works--Olivia responds to it at last, and begins to fall for him/her.
DeleteQ3: I see two reasons as to why the dialogue makes a sudden shift during their conversation. The first relies more on the symbolism of them being unified in their poetic conversation. The way that Shakespeare handled this could be a manner of foreshadowing of the relationship between the two, Albeit unintended. However, I could also argue that this was merely his attempt at expanding his target audience from the common folk as the upper class patrons would prefer the verse over the prose.
ReplyDeleteQ1: The reason the entire scene is played out in prose form is due to the fact that Elizabethan society consisted of two classes. The lower class (common man/woman) listened to prose, language that was far more straightforward than verse form. However, the upper class listened to verse form which was more poetic. The reason why these character's themselves spoke in prose is because it purposefully fit their character narratives. Sir Toby was a nobleman, however, he was a drunk. Much like Toby, Sir Andrew was also a nobleman, however, he is a dolt and has trouble understanding the complexities of the upper class (Toby's useful idiot).
Great responses...and SHakespeare always has a reason for switching from prose to verse (or back again), which makes his plays so challenging and fun to read. When it's a case of the lower classes or fools, we can imagine why the language stays at the level of prose; but with Oliva and Viola, it's more tricky--and they're each doing it for a different reason. Olivia is showing that she refuses to tolerate Orsino's suit and isn't going to dignify his servant, either, whereas Viola is wearing a mask to disguise her class and rank. Yet as soon as she drops it and adopts verse, the dialogue takes a most unexpected turn!
Delete