Operation: Shakespeare and Other Cool Stuff

Hey yall!

I’ve decided to start putting my work online along with the breakdown of plays. So, it should pretty cool. 

I’ll try to make a move on this soon!

Later!

Victor

ps: For now I will just put this short play up.

The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics

By

Victor Torres

Final Draft

2011 vrtorres@indiana.edu

Cast of Characters

Charles Darwin: Tom

Emily Dickinson : Frankie

George C. Scott: Detective

Pete Postlethwaite: Coroner

FORWARD

This is to be read before the play or put into the

program.

“In our youthful years we still venerate and despise

without the art of NUANCE, which is the best gain of

life, and we have rightly to do hard penance for having

fallen upon men and things with Yea and Nay. Everything

is so arranged that the worst of all tastes, THE TASTE

FOR THE UNCONDITIONAL, is cruelly befooled and abused,

until a man learns to introduce a little art into his

sentiments, and prefers to try conclusions with the

artificial, as do the real artists of life. The angry

and reverent spirit peculiar to youth appears to allow

itself no peace, until it has suitably falsified men

and things, to be able to vent its passion upon them:

youth in itself even, is something falsifying and

deceptive. Later on, when the young soul, tortured by

continual disillusions, finally turns suspiciously

against itself—still ardent and savage even in its

suspicion and remorse of conscience: how it upbraids

itself, how impatiently it tears itself, how it

revenges itself for its long self-blinding, as though

it had been a voluntary blindness! In this transition

one punishes oneself by distrust of one’s sentiments;

one tortures one’s enthusiasm with doubt, one feels

even the good conscience to be a danger, as if it were

the self-concealment and lassitude of a more refined

uprightness; and above all, one espouses upon principle

the cause AGAINST “youth.”—A decade later, and one

comprehends that all this was also still—youth!”

The Free Spirit: 31- Nietzsche

2.

PART A

Creation

Lights up. A city stands before us. Rows and rows

of buildings stretch through the perspective of a

proscenium. The nights sky is red.

The action takes place in a dimly lit alley.

Bricks line the walls and give the alley an almost

archaic look.

TOM, a seventeen year old enters. He is wearing

dark clothes. He looks all around him. Afraid.

Tom begins to cough. He looks up into the night

and sees the red sky.

He whispers.

The first text should be read Shakespeareanly.

TOM

Frankie?…Frankie? Frank!…The light is too dim. Come

on Frankie, don’t leave me in the dark…

Off-stage we hear a voice.

FRANKIE

Close your eyes and find me. You’ll see my wave. A

zillion grains of sand, heavy with life,

But filled with air…Ageless in existence.

TOM

Perchance, don’t play games…the skies burn with

fire…

FRANKIE

Ah, ah, ah…one syllable too many. Speak within the

code or sleep underneath the ground…Do as I say and

say as I do. The rules…As a Sentinel-to-be…you

really should be…

TOM

You lie! You just spoke two over the line!

FRANKIE

Too true. Yet. I’m not the one in darkness…

FRANKIE, a seventeen year old leaps behind Tom.

She’s in brighter clothing. She gives Tom a little

nudge.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 3.

Tom jumps.

FRANKIE

Your diction needs work. Thankfully, you still have

more to learn. Keep within the beat…like we

talked…ba bum ba bum ba bum ba bum ba bum…What is

it? You look frightened? By me?

TOM

I…

FRANKIE

Ba bum…

(Pause)

TOM

You didn’t scare me. You gave off a sweet plume,

Drenched in the cliche of stupider men.

FRANKIE

I had no idea this was your scent?! Pardon me, this

aroma is for safe And salient blending, with thick

smoke and…Fire. But I digress. Why are you late?

TOM

Have I not been standing here this past hour?

FRANKIE

Perhaps. Yet I think you are not alone. Your bottom lip

quivers and you’ve displaced The motion of your feet.

Back and forth. Stop.

TOM

Let me guarantee. We are here, alone.

FRANKIE

Stop.

TOM

You were followed up to now. A minor-

FRANKIE

Yet necessary precaution. I see. However, I do not know

why in such Great times of our clan’s success and

volume- Hordes of soldiers, willing to burn their past,

And live off of the visceral entrails Of their own

youthful spirits- now enlist Their services to an

upright command, And strategic will of the burnt image

They wished to destroy. It’s a paradox. An oxymoron, a

paradigm, a lie.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 4.

TOM

(Aside)

I cannot tell if this is a test or If by some strange

means the rumors are true.

Is now the time to be doubtful for our Fools and

enemies to see and conquer? Look into the sky and tell

me you see No change. Tell me you see nothing. Red

streams, Black clouds engulfing the stars and the moon,

the bulge of the night losing perspective. Everlasting

vertigo. This is now.This is what I see. This is what I

see.

FRANKIE

I’m afraid then. You are lost. Inflated. With even

falser dreams than those we chose To burn. I suppose

you were one who did Not make it. For that is how I see

you.You are nothing to me now, but a flat, Dead body;

rising to the surface just A moment. Then. Sinking back

down to hell.

TOM

So strange. I must admit, I had my doubts, But this is

proof of the uncertainty. And insanity. So it would

very Much satiate my will to cure you now.

Tom takes out a gun. Frankie raises her hands.

FRANKIE

Is this a joke? Have I missed the party?

TOM

Your activity has been strange lately. The Clan has

taken notice. However,Your work tonight seems to

suggest other-

FRANKIE

Wise of you to think on it. But you and I are one in

the same. Split from the same Seed.

TOM

You’re nuts.

FRANKIE

Funny, but no. I mean sincerity, We are from the same

muscle contraction. Every tissue, fiber, cell: is both

you, And me. We are compelled by the same voice.

TOM

Why then, do you act as though you lost your Mind?

This text should sound locomotive.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 5.

FRANKIE

Me? My mind? I, my mind? Not I, my mind?! Damn you! I

lost my mind?! Forgive me for breaking formality.

Unlike many others, I give respect. Call me a liar or

whatever Killing me will Lead you to Nothing Me?!

TOM

Why do you assume I don’t give respect? My time has

been spent in service. Doing what I could to hold, To

protect and honor, To learn. I…I believe That…

This text should be a rhythmic poetry slam.

FRANKIE

Then let me be frank. I dreamed last night…

TOM

You had a dream?

FRANKIE

Yes Tom. A dream. I dreamed about the world. I saw the

Earth. I saw everything. I saw humans. Walking in rows,

walking far and speaking tongues of “hello’s,”

“goodbyes,” and “this weekend doesn’t work Phil.” I

watched the kids sipping espresso and discovering The

Kinks. Smoking marijuana for the first time in a small

room. The naivety of believing the female orgasm to be

a myth. Sitting in large moon cut circles reveling in

the cigarette burns and razor blades of adolescence. I

saw their hope and I hoped for them. Because they had

no idea. That’s not all Tom. I saw the parents. The

middle aged. The “god I hope fifty is the new

thirty-five” generation. I watched them change channels

and “wear heels” under the notion that success is a

measurable and tangible entity out there in the world.

These people were on their last peg of “this year I

will be famous”- or worse, they find out the truth. Too

old to change the world, too young to realize it’s all

bullshit. They sat and waited. They figured themselves

too old to fix anything. After all, “everything was

different twenty years ago.” They sat and waited.

Distracted by the innocence of helplessness. Throwing

paper towards the church. They sat and waited.

Distraction. They waited until they could sleep soundly

six feet under, only to discover that god doesn’t

exist. I saw the old. The once stock yard workers in

blue collars. The Sunday catalogers of Sears Roebuck.

The generation of clean meat and American made

porcelain. They lived under the city and past houses.

They lived for nostalgia and bland foods. Too young to

let go, too old to not be dead. Everything they once

knew has died or is dying. Friends last lifetimes, but

people eventually die. I saw them all, and their cities

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 6.

FRANKIE (cont’d)

and countries. I saw their World Wars, their Pearl

Harbor, their Indies, Agent Orange, 9/11. I saw them

rushing to be know. Rushing to replace knowledge with

information. They couldn’t stop. It was all too fast.

They lead this life for many years. By the end, they

knew that breathing oxygen was needed for survival, but

they couldn’t remember why. They knew that water turns

into ice, but they couldn’t remember why. They knew

that Hitler was evil, but they couldn’t remember why.

And in one second. I saw it disappear. I saw every

device, tool, and energy on Earth disappear. The world

cried out in shock, panic, running, killing. Foolish

people. Don’t you see? Had they known the Universe is

not static, but curved, maybe they would have seen it.

That the Earth, in that moment of complete horror, was

still spinning. Perfectly on it’s axis. An object

seemingly in perpetual motion that holds just as much

trivial nature as the lost ego casters on Earth. A

small child could be burned, and the Universe would

yield no reaction. Differences only in nature. Nothing

else. For the Universe is an engineer, not a idealist.

They did not know. They did not know that oxygen into

the lungs gets it into the blood stream, keeping us

alive. They did not know that water crystallizes at

thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit after being in the

asymmetrical form of liquid. They just didn’t know.

They don’t know…it’s all irrelevant. The Universe has

created a joke above all, and it named this joke

humanity. For only humanity can attain knowledge by

acknowledging they know nothing at all.

A gunshot is heard. Tom has shot Frankie. Frankie

falls to the ground.

TOM

You have disappointed me my master. Your belief stems

into unrealistic Chaos. But you forget within chaos Is

order. Order can only lead to Chaos can only lead to

order.

FRANKIE

Good. You have surpassed my expectation.

Go. Teach. Live out the end of your life. The chapels

that sear as we speak, burn please in your honor…

Frankie dies. Tom runs offstage.

FRANKIE

Just one more thing…

Tom runs on stage.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 7.

TOM

Just one more thing?

FRANKIE

812-855-4848…if you have anymore questions…

TOM

Forgive me for my ignorance…

FRANKIE

It is the 11 digit special number of my once “security”

social.

TOM

11? You’ve given me a phone…

FRANKIE

I have given you a social security number!!!…If you

should ever need

anymore…information…guidance…truth…

TOM

I am afraid to admit that I am very confused.

FRANKIE

Than you are as lost as I imagined…It doesn’t hurt

you know. Being dead.

TOM

But you’re alive.

FRANKIE

I am dead.

TOM

You are not yet dead!

FRANKIE

No one likes that show.

TOM

What?

FRANKIE

I’m dead Tom accept it and move on. You shot me moments

ago… I am beginning now to fade into the ground. Soon

I will be a part of the Universe that cradles

my…funny…I want to say soul…but it’s deeper. It

doesn’t hurt. It’s like slowly…falling…asleep…but

with a lot of unnecessary pain. Slowly…falling…

Frankie dies (this time for real.) Tom stands

confused. He then runs offstage.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 8.

BLACK OUT

9.

PART B

Creation Again

Detective and Coroner stand over a body of a dead

Frankie. The body is laid onto a metal table. The

room is all silver. They stand quietly as Coroner

begins cutting through the abdomen of the man.

CORONER

Okie doke. Examining subject 812-855-4848

DETECTIVE

Okie doke.

CORONER

The trick is…to go directly down the sternum. You got

to be careful with the ribs though. Break a few of

those and lose evidence. All right. I’m going to open

it up. You might wanna step back a little. The bacteria

in her organs have already begun eating her inside.

She’ll be a little gassy.

DETECTIVE

Thought it looked distended.

CORONER

Yeah, well, even for a dedicated radical, her shit

still stinks.

Detective opens the chest completely from the

incision. The ribs are forced up and out, like

wings coming out of his chest.

DETECTIVE

Oh my. Yes it does.

CORONER

Alright. We’re looking for some deterioration in this

area. Lets get a look at the lungs here.

DETECTIVE

Did you ever see that flyer they had up last week?

CORONER

They uh…city barbecue?

DETECTIVE

Yeah. What kind of shit is that? I’m unionized. Give me

a raise if you want to appreciate me.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 10.

CORONER

Well unfortunately your just a “politician with a gun.”

DETECTIVE

Haha! Politician with a gun, I like that. I guess I’ll

have to go.

CORONER

Well, you don’t want them spend all your money on a

party you won’t go to. Here we go…

Coroner pulls really hard on something inside the

body. Detective holds the body down so that

Coroner can grab out of the body a lung. He

examines it and nods.

CORONER

Found the culprit.

He holds up a bullet.

DETECTIVE

Well, well. That’s second degree murder. Might have a

raise after all!

CORONER

Well, don’t forget me okay. I verified it.

DETECTIVE

You and Mary should come over for drinks Saturday.

CORONER

Yeah. We’d like that. Is there anything else you need

to see?

DETECTIVE

That’s all I need. You can do the report?

CORONER

Yup.

DETECTIVE

One thing. Her id said he was a donor.

CORONER

And?

DETECTIVE

Where does a chick like her go off to?

CORONER

Penis enlargements. The industry loves cadavers. Face

lifts, nose jobs, penis enlargements…

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 11.

DETECTIVE

Really?

CORONER

Skin graft human hide. Makes great foreskin.

DETECTIVE

I’ll keep that in mind. See you at PTA.

Softly in the background John Lennon’s “My Mummy’s

Dead” should be playing softly. At the middle of

the Detective’s line.

CORONER

Good bye.

Detective exits.

Song continues until it’s over. Coroner is still

standing over the body. He continues to examine

her body until the lights go out.

BLACKOUT

12.

“By V. Dion Haynes

Unless you’re an IT specialist with a top secret clearance working for a defense contractor or in some other high-demand job, chances are your paycheck didn’t get a whole lot bigger this year. For many Washington area employees, the 2010 raise is no better than the one they received last year — and quite possibly less.

What’s more, that increase is likely getting gobbled up by higher medical benefits — not to mention inflation, even at its present low levels.

Salaries as a whole in the region have grown by 2.28 percent this year — not adjusted for inflation — compared with 3.52 percent last year, according to preliminary data from a local human resource association’s upcoming survey.

Despite seeing more hopeful signs in the economy, a growing number of employers have reduced the pool of money designated for annual raises. At the same time, with health-care costs rising faster than salaries, another sampling of area employers shows that many are shifting more of those expenses to workers in the form of higher deductibles and co-pays.

Hiring in the region picked up in the first quarter as employers began replenishing positions cut during the past two years. But for the moment, that optimism is not translating into fatter paychecks.

“Are we going to give raises this year? No,” said S. Kathryn Allen, co-owner of Answer Title in the District. “Raises just aren’t in the cards.”

Before the real estate market crashed, Allen said, the company was giving 3 to 10 percent raises plus year-end bonuses. Last year, the company was unable to offer raises and gave smaller bonuses. This year, she said, she’s not sure whether there will be bonuses.

“What continues to be a challenge is that lenders are not lending money,” Allen added. “All projects are on hold or pushed back.”

In other cases, employers can afford raises but are holding off to conserve cash in case the economy slips into another recession. They also are recognizing that they don’t have to offer pre-downturn-level raises because of an abundance of unemployed job applicants willing to work for less.

“The companies have the money to pay but they don’t need to pay it because the supply [of highly qualified unemployed people] is still there,” said Tim Namie, managing director of Manpower Professional’s Washington region.

Employers, Namie added, “are willing to roll the dice” that because of the tight job market, meager raises won’t prompt good workers to quit. And if the workers do leave, he said, employers figure they can find replacements willing to work for lower wages.

On average, area employers in 2010 budgeted 2.7 percent of their payrolls for raises, compared with 3.1 percent last year and 4.0 percent in 2008, according to data from the Human Resource Association of the National Capital Area, which plans to release a report on its 31st annual salary survey in September.

The decrease just for the 340 employers that participated in the survey amounted to $21 million less in the 2010 raise pool than in last year’s.

“These are not the kind of increases we’re used to seeing in good times, and it probably will be a number of years before they return,” said Angelo Kostopoulos, president of Akron Inc., a District-based firm that gathered and analyzed the survey data from employers in numerous fields, including contracting firms, federal agencies, hotels, financial services companies, hospitals and nonprofit associations.

Rather than budgeting raises for everyone as they had in the past, employers here increasingly are targeting rewards mainly for their top-performing staff, according to the survey. For instance, 20 percent of employers this year budgeted discretionary funds earmarked for retaining workers with critical skills and knowledge, up 9 percentage points from 2009.

“Traditionally, [employers said] the top 25 percent are the top performers,” Kostopoulos said, adding that people in that category can command increases of as much as 9 percent. “This year, they knocked it down 5 percent and only [recognize] the top 20 percent as top performers. Not only might they restrict the funds to the top performer, but they’re also restricting the number of top performers.”

Large salary increases tended to be reserved for workers with specialized skills in positions most critical to the employers’ operation and growth. For instance, the median salary for account executives jumped 28.6 percent, to $90,000 from $70,000 last year, and that for applications development managers climbed 10.3 percent, to $132,630 from $120,280. At the same time, salary for Internet/Ethernet administrators dropped 13.9 percent, to $66,700 from $77,460, while pay for second-level accountants was unchanged.

The decreases don’t necessarily mean that employers cut salaries. In most cases, experts said, employees who departed were replaced by people who accepted lower salaries.

THE REGION’S STRENGTH

At least those in jobs are getting raises. Experts say employees in the Washington region are largely better off than their counterparts around the country.

The global human resources association WorldatWork found in a survey that Washington ranks among the regions with the best raises for top performers. Employees here deemed most critical to their organizations, the survey said, on average received raises of 3.9 percent, slightly above the national average and slightly below the 4.0 to 4.1 percent offered in a handful of areas, including San Jose, Boston and Houston.

“We ended up giving raises in the 3 to 7 or 8 percent range,” plus bonuses, said Dave Ehrhardt, chief executive of Apptix, a Herndon-based firm that helps businesses manage their phones, e-mail and mobile communication.

“That’s the kind of environment we’re working in,” Ehrhardt added. “In order to provide [customers] the best level of service, we need the best people. … Our ranges are based on what we need to do to be competitive in the marketplace.”

Others say they expect wages in the region to rebound quickly.

Robert A. Dye, senior economist at PNC Financial Services Group in Pittsburgh, said he is projecting that personal income will grow 3.7 percent this year, compared with 1.1 percent in 2009. Next year, he said, it will grow even more — 5.6 percent.

“The Washington metropolitan area is emerging as a center for economic growth in the Eastern United States,” Dye said. “Expectation of high income growth [is based on] solid job creation and a tight labor market.”

RISING COST OF HEALTH CARE

Many employees in the Washington region, like those in other parts of the country, are finding that their health-care costs are growing faster than their pay raises.

An annual benefits survey administered by Wells Fargo Insurance Services shows increases in the number of Washington area employers who shifted more costs to workers through higher deductibles and higher co-pays for office visits, pharmacy orders and emergency room services. For instance, this year 24 percent said they raised pharmacy co-pays, compared with 15 percent last year.

Moreover, 8 percent of the 267 employers surveyed said they halted contributions to retirement plans, up from 4 percent in 2009.

“The average cost of health insurance in the local market increased 8.8 percent from 2009 to 2010. This figure is after employers made program design changes,” said Chris Bartnik, a senior vice president at Wells Fargo Insurance Services, who conducted the survey earlier this year.

“It’s very possible that after taxes an employee’s raise compared to what they see as an increase in their health-care costs could be a wash,” he added.”

In other news, I am still working on Shakespeare. Stay tuned!

Victor

Ah, “The Scottish Play.” There is not one theatre practitioner in the western world who doesn’t know the unwritten rule of uttering the word “Macbeth.”

A very brief history:

NOTE: Due to the more concise wording of Wikipedia, I will be letting them have this part of the blog.

“Macbeth cannot be dated precisely owing to significant evidence of later revisions. Many scholars conjecture the likely date of composition to be between 1603 and 1606. As the play seems to be celebrating King James’s ancestors and the Stuart accession to the throne in 1603 (James believed himself to be descended from Banquo), they argue that the play is unlikely to have been composed earlier than 1603; and suggest that the parade of eight kings—which the witches show Macbeth in a vision in Act IV—is a compliment to King James.” (Wikipedia)

It should be noted also, that though this play is about the actual Scottish king, Shakespeare’s representation has little to do with the character of the actual Macbeth. Yes, he was real and “was an admired and able monarch.”

CURSES:

Shakespeare’s so called “cursed” tragedy is rumored to have used actual spells employed by actual witches. Apparently, witches in the audience were unhappy with the breach in copyright of their spells used in the play and (because the laws of Fair Use were non-existent at this time) they cursed it. Though this superstition does sound ridiculous, the belief of a curse is held by the majority of actors and theatre practitioners.  

            There are many remedies however if one does have a Freudian slip and utters “Macbeth.” Many actors believe “the offender must recite an equal number of lines from another play. The distinguished Shakespearean actor, Patrick Stewart (best known to Trekkies as Captain Picard), finds salvation in lines from A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” (Mabillard). There are some who are more extreme in their belief and require an actor to run out of the building, turn three times, spit, and then ask permission to reenter the building.

            There have been cases where someone has said the word and people get injured, died, or something in the show goes wrong. This much is true. It really comes down to the view of the viewer. Are they happenings coincidence or just a curse? Most theatres today substitute the word “Macbeth” for other titles such as: M, Mac, The Scottish Play, etc.

In my personal experience, I have only had one encounter with using the term. I was in high school, and more obnoxious. During a local theatre’s production of The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe, I thought it would be a hilarious idea to say the word during “cast prayer.” I was immediately scolded by the production assistant.

The play went on without a hitch. EXCEPT! During the second act, one of the trolls in the show (yeah it had trolls) fell and hurt his ankle. It was also during the second act that a set piece (a tree) fell flat during an exit of the entire company. The odd fact about this was that no one came into contact with that side of the stage. Magic? I don’t know. But since then I am weary enough to not say the word while in a theatre building.

Okay? Okay.

On to our next business…

SOME THOUGHTS:

While researching the facts about this play, I came across some interesting arguments about the classifications of the character Macbeth and whether he is a tragic hero.

In the Modern Perspective of Macbeth in the Folger Edition, Susan Synder investigates claims by the dramatist Coleridge. He stated that Macbeth lacked a certain “reasoning of equivocal morality.” (Synder, 197) In other words, Macbeth unlike other tragic heroes acts not with misunderstood impulses or out of revenge, but simply for the advancement of his own well being. He understands wholeheartedly that what he is doing is wrong.

She then offers textual examples such as:

“He’s here in double trust:

First, as I am his kinsman and his subject,

Strong both against the deed; then, as his host,

Who should against his murderer shut the door,

Not bear the knife myself.” (1.7. 12-16)

This isn’t a soliloquy about destroying Duncan because he is evil. On the contrary, the play shows Duncan as a loving and caring king. Macbeth isn’t planning on doing the murder for any other reason, but to fulfill the prophecy (given to him by the three witches).

Synder later goes to refer to the similarities of Lady Macbeth and Duncan. I noticed this similarity with Edmund the Bastard in King Lear. It could be argued that Lady Macbeth is rejecting the social gender conventions of her time and is pushing Macbeth to power, purely because she is a strong oppressed woman (not evil). She can not attain her goals on her own (because she is a woman), so she employs Macbeth. To motivate his action, she insults his manhood and says that she would kill her own child to do the deed. It is an arguable point of mention to ask “does Macbeth want to be king?” or is it just Lady Macbeth’s desire.

Though her extreme actions cause the downfall of her well being, it is important to note that Shakespeare was not directly insinuating the inferiority of women. Lady Macduff is obedient and is more in line with the gender constrictions of the time. She is distressed in the unnatural departure of Macduff and feels vulnerable. Unlike Lady Macbeth, who pursues her goals and takes on “manly” qualities, Lady Macduff remains very much a “lady.” Like Lady Macbeth, Lady Macduff’s actions and beliefs lead to her own downfall. Instead of acting, she remains passive and dies for it. This in contrary to Lady Macbeth, who acts on her impulses and dies for her radical behavior for power.

In her connection with Duncan, both characters seem to be voyeurs to their own delights. Duncan is thrilled when he hears the victory of Macbeth and Banquo in battle. He hears of the bloodshed and is unalarmed, but happy. Lady Macbeth plots the murders of Duncan and his men. They are both in similar parties: Duncan is old and frail and cannot fight in a war he commands, and Lady Macbeth is not old, but not aloud to fight due to her sex. She instead uses her will through her husband.

Synder mentions that it is interesting that most readers condemn Lady Macbeth and call her evil, when many of her qualities and actions reflect those of Duncan’s    

MY THOUGHTS:

I actually enjoyed reading this play. It had been about five years since I had previously read it.

I thought it was interesting (as Synder notes also) how the unnatural occurrences surrounding Macbeth such as the horses eating each other, the dead Banquo rising to his seat, Lady Macbeth rising in her sleep reenacting the murder, or even the presence of the three witches do little to change Macbeth’s attitude that the prophecy of his downfall will come to fruition.

He can witness all of these unnatural related occurrences, but is steadfast in his belief that the Birnam Wood won’t reach Dunsinane or that only a man of unnatural birth (“not born of woman”) can kill him.

And in the end, these occurrences of his downfall are not unnatural. Birnam Wood is brought to Dunsinane not by magic, but to hide England’s true numbers. Macduff was ripped from the womb prematurely, but could be considered to not be “truly” born of woman (or at least the uterus). 

I thought this was my favorite theme of the play. Just the pure feeling of “What the fuck Macbeth? Really?”- The entire play. It was great.

 That and the Lady Macbeth/Duncan comparison above give me hope for my future endeavors into Shakespeare.

Some good laughs, tragic moments, and a little bit of magic give this flick a kick.

But…I am still unshaken in my beliefs. This is just the beginning…

Well, it’s been fun people.

Until next time,

Keep reading your Shakes,

Victor

Sources:

Mabillard, Amanda. Heebie-Jeebies: The Curse of Macbeth. Shakespeare Online. 20 Aug. 2000. (7/3/2010) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/macbeth/macbethfaq/macbethcurse.html >.

Macbeth. Wikipedia Online. (7/2/2010)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macbeth

Shakespeare, William. Macbeth. Washington Square Press, 2004. Print.

Okay. On a final note, I wanted to re-clarify the objective and perspective of this experiment (really just readiment).

I am currently working on the analysis the plays I have read. I will be putting them up one at a time. I am almost finished.

First, I would like to note that I am using the Folger Shakespeare Library Edition for my reading text of the plays. I find that the summaries before each scene help Shaketards like me (really anyone who reads it now, but no one admits it) get through the language of old.

(I also use the Modern Perspective at the end of the edition to help with my analysis of each play. It features different writer’s perspectives on the plays.)

Secondly, to reaffirm what I am doing. I am reading the entire works of Shakespeare to look for reason and purpose in reading them.

Too long have we all just accepted that because Shakespeare is a big name (both in fame and in length) that it must demand our attention.

I personally am not a fan of Shakespeare. I have never been. I am certain that many theatre kids around the world (mostly western) would secretly agree with me, BUT there is this idea that we HAVE to like him.

In short, this is a “fuck you” to all the people who have a Complete Works of Shakespeare and have only read one play. There is nothing more I can’t stand than being in a class of students, all who affirm they “LOVE” Shakespeare.

It’s a trend folks.

There were better playwrights. 

So, I have been researching analysises along with the plays I have read to form a unique look at the plays.

It’s nothing special. I have a life and won’t be putting down ground breaking material. I just want to examine on my own (and with you all) the arguments.

Hope you enjoy,

Victor

p.s. If you were offended by this entry because you’re a “Shakespeare lover” or something like that…go fuck yourself. 

Okie doke bloggers….

Fuck.

I know it’s been a little while…but I am still alive (presently).

Thus far I am through about 5 Shakespeare’s (pronounced: SHAKE-EH-SPEARE).

My only set back: Summer courses and a job.

But I will have reviews up by the weekend (or during the weekend..fuck it… I don’t know…but probably weekend)…

So…expect reviews of: King Lear, Henry IV Part 1, Twelfth Night, and Macbeth.

I’m trying to do a kind of a pattern of Tragedy, Comedy, and History.

I don’t want to get too strung out on the boredom of histories, hilarity of tragedies, or the out of date context of comedies.

TTFN,

Victor

Hello again,

To the two of you who are actually reading this (myself included), I apologize for the delay…I’ve been super busy and shiteee. Summer classes are kicking my ass.

Fun fact: Robert Johnson: Lost and Found= Great book

Fuck myths I say, fuck’em.

‘but anywayz fuck it.

What’s been up man how’s your daughter?

’ Stan

As the title would suggest I am starting up a plan. This plan will then be implemented into a challenge (or experiment/experience)„,experiementcs..that’s stupid.

Anyhoo,

I’m reading Shakespeare this summer. I’m gonna go all Julia & Julia and blog about each one of the plays until I have finished his works (sans sonnets, well that still depends).

Goal: Just to read them and find why they are still being read and performed today. To find the RELEVANCE and reason as to why Western culture goes crazy as fuck over Shakespeare.

This is nothing special. It’s been done before, but I need something to blog about. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be fully cultured in our tidy whitey post-industrial age ;)

There’s really no time limit to this as I read the speed of a fourth grader. It’ll be more like a second grader with Billy’s shit (I think I shall refer to him as Billy now. That’s trendy right?)

I’ll keep you updated (aka me and some random girl who may or may not still be following me)

TTFN,

Victor

So, I have been trying to read Shakespeare lately. As a theatre practioner I felt it was time to try to get the workes finished by summer (we’ll see).

I have my issues with Shakespeare. Mainly that he wasn’t really big until the 1800’s, but EVERYONE thinks he is gold, while Christopher Marlowe was (not even argued about) better poet in verse….but whatever.

It does get really annoying though. In truth, I appreciate Shakespeare, but for fucksake I don’t put him on a pedestal. I mean he uses the same formula for his plays (which isn’t uncommon or bad).

 Why don’t people talk about Lope de Vega? This guy wrote over (speculated) 800 plays. Though he also used a singular formula through most.

Oh white privilege…but that is not the point. Regardless of my pointless opinion about dead playwrights who could give a fuck, I do have an interesting idea here.

I was returning back to King Lear last night when an idea tapped me on the head.

In an early scene in the play the character Edmund, who is indeed a bastard, enters.

His stage direction on read “enter EDMUND THE BASTARD.” Nothing struck me more profoundly than those last 3 words. Edmund the Bastard.

I have found a title, rather Shakespeare has bestowed to me title 400 years in the making. I don’t know what this film will be about, when I’ll write it, or if it will ever see the light of day.

BUT the moral of the story is that, nature has given me inspiration. And inside that inspiration reads “Edmund the Bastard.”

That’s all,

TWMA,

Victor

So, I sit in front of my tumblr page for hours on end sometimes.

Writing blogs are such an interesting way of distancing yourself from the world.

I mean you can’t really say that a blog is personal. Regardless of its intent, the separation from human contact is still present.

Like all things today, we aren’t producing an image of ourselves, we are producing a perception.

Perception is everything with this game.

I think that is why I feel awkward writing this. Because while I don’t want to look unintelligent. I want to be able to convey a part of myself to this page.

When in reality, I don’t believe that that is possible. I think I just have to accept that fact that, I’m not expressing, I’m creating.

What’s the difference?

Fuck if I know…it just came to mind.

TWMA,

Victor