R&J Paper Draft 3

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is a play that has shaped and made the basis for the way people think about love and rebellion. It is one of the most famous examples of tragedy because of it’s obvious examples of forbidden love all throughout the play. Romeo and Juliet are the two main characters because of the intense love they share upon first glance at each other. While in the scene chosen, I had to keep in mind all of my experiences with Romeo as Juliet and let them influence how I reacted to certain things. We ended up choosing Act 2 Scene 5 where Juliet and the Nurse talk about Romeo. My experience playing Juliet changed my opinion of her because even though Juliet asserts her independence from her parents, she remains childlike in that she relies on the nurse for parental guidance.

When I first started reading Romeo and Juliet, I saw Juliet as an obedient teenager. She seemed so innocent and caring that when I found out she was going to die, I felt bad for her. As I read, I took notes on her and her family and picked up on some details that gave me some background on her life and family. In one of the first scenes, the nurse flat out tells us her age: "She hath not seen the change of fourteen years" (I.II.9), which means Juliet is 13 at the time.The quote “Two households, both alike in dignity…” (I.I.2) suggests that not only Romeo, but also Juliet comes from a wealthy family. Juliet is also extremely obedient to her parents. She isn’t very close with her mother or father, however she has a very close knit relationship with the nurse, which is the secondary character in the scene I performed. Juliet is extremely impressionable, I think this is why she had always been so obedient to her parents.

When Romeo came along he brought excitement and a new experience and it gave Juliet a new way to look at love without her parents telling her one thing or the other. This sparked a change in Juliet, going from letting her parents make the decisions to making her own decision to  pursue Romeo. By doing this, she not only closes the gap between herself and Romeo, but also distances herself from her parents in the process. Her parents weren't a big part of Juliet's life other than restraining her from doing anything they disapproved of, so defying her parents by pursuing Romeo is a huge defiance in their eyes.

The nurse is a character that is very close to Juliet. She is really more of a mother figure and a confidante than anyone else in the play for Juliet. Since her parents aren’t there, especially her mother, Juliet uses and trusts the nurse with all of her secrets, even the ones about Romeo. Juliet knew that if her parents ever found out they would immediately remove her from ever seeing him again, so she uses the nurse for advice and counseling on the matter. I think that if the nurse didn’t give Juliet the approval she needed to hear with moving forward with Romeo by means of marriage, Juliet would have given up. This is because the nurse is one of the few people Juliet trusts, so if the nurse had said no, she would have known that what she was doing was wrong and listened to her.

Keeping all of this in mind while trying to figure out how I should perform as Juliet was probably the hardest part. I tried to keep her young but at the same time mature. To do this, I made my voice higher but softer, not so much as a whisper but low enough so that the audience would understand that she has control and she is slightly mature. I also did this by changing my normal walking pattern to something with a little more of a jump or skip to show youth.

R&J Paper Draft 2

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is a play that has shaped and made the basis for the way people think about love and rebellion. It is one of the most famous examples of tragedy because of it’s obvious examples of forbidden love all throughout the play. Romeo and Juliet are the two main characters because of the intense love they share upon first glance at each other. While in the scene chosen, I had to keep in mind all of my experiences with Romeo as Juliet and let them influence how I reacted to certain things. We ended up choosing Act 2 Scene 5 where Juliet and the Nurse talk about Romeo. My experience playing Juliet and doing research on not only the time period but reading more in-depth into the play itself has changed my outlook on Juliet from what my first impression was.

When I first started reading Romeo and Juliet, I saw Juliet as an obedient teenager. She seemed so innocent and caring that when I found out she was going to die, I felt bad for her. As I read, I took notes on her and her family and picked up on some details that gave me some background on her life and family. The quote “Two households, both alike in dignity…” (I.I.2) suggests that not only Romeo, but also Juliet comes from a wealthy family. Juliet is also extremely obedient to her parents. She isn’t very close with her mother or father, however she has a very close knit relationship with the nurse, which is the secondary character in the scene I performed. Juliet is extremely impressionable, I think this is why she had always been so obedient to her parents. Then when Romeo came along he brought excitement and a new experience and it gave Juliet a new way to look at love without her parents telling her one thing or the other.

The other main character in the play was Romeo, a boy that I later learned was much older than Juliet at the time. The nurse flat out tells us her age: "She hath not seen the change of fourteen years" (I.II.9), which means Juliet is 13 at the time. It is not certain what Romeo’s actual age is but using the time period as a guide we can assume he is around 20. The nurse is a character that is very close to Juliet. She is really more of a mother figure and a confidante than anyone else in the play for Juliet. While Juliet has the nurse as someone she trusts, Romeo has Friar Lawrence. Her parents weren't a big part of Juliet's life other than restraining her from doing anything they disapproved of.

Keeping all of this in mind while trying to figure out how I should perform as Juliet was probably the hardest part. I tried to keep her young but at the same time mature. To do this, I made my voice higher but softer, not so much as a whisper but low enough so that the audience would understand that she has control and she is slightly mature. I also did this by changing my normal walking pattern to something with a little more of a jump or skip to show youth.

R&J Paper Draft

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is a play that has shaped and made the basis for the way people think about love and rebellion. It is one of the most famous examples of tragedy because of it’s obvious examples of forbidden love all throughout the play. Romeo and Juliet are the two main characters because of the intense love they share upon first glance at each other. While in the scene chosen, I had to keep in mind all of my experiences with Romeo as Juliet and let them influence how I reacted to certain things. My experience playing Juliet and doing research on not only the time period but reading more in-depth into the play itself has changed my outlook on Juliet from what my first impression was.

When I first started reading Romeo and Juliet, I saw Juliet as an obedient teenager. She seemed so innocent and caring that when I found out she was going to die, I felt bad for her. As I read, I took notes on her and her family and picked up on some details that gave me some background on her life and family. The quote “Two households, both alike in dignity…” (I.I.2) suggests that not only Romeo, but also Juliet comes from a wealthy family. Juliet is also extremely obedient to her parents. She isn’t very close with her mother or father, however she has a very close knit relationship with the nurse, which is the secondary character in the scene I performed. Juliet is extremely impressionable, I think this is why she had always been so obedient to her parents. Then when Romeo came along he brought excitement and a new experience and it gave Juliet a new way to look at love without her parents telling her one thing or the other.

The other main character in the play was Romeo, a boy that I later learned was much older than Juliet at the time. The nurse flat out tells us her age: "She hath not seen the change of fourteen years" (I.II.9), which means Juliet is 13 at the time. It is not certain what Romeo’s actual age is but using the time period as a guide we can assume he is around 20. The nurse is a character that is very close to Juliet. She is really more of a mother figure and a confidante than anyone else in the play for Juliet. While Juliet has the nurse as someone she trusts, Romeo has Friar Lawrence. Her parents weren't a big part of Juliet's life other than restraining her from doing anything they disapproved of.

Zoni Paper

Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare is a tragic love story. It tells two young teenagers dead for love at the end. I chose balcony scene in this play, involving two characters totally whowhich are Romeo and Juliet. This is the scene Romeo and Juliet make sure their relationships. It is a turning point that they decided to stay together even their familyfamaily say no. In this balcony scene, Romeo shows a very positivepostive attitude. He hopes Juliet will accept him, and he views Juliet as something bright and warm. “It is the east,and Juliet is the sun.”. At the same time, he also wants Juliet loves him in thea same passionate way, that is why he shouts when he hearsd Juliet:. “She speaks, speak again! my broght angel.”. I think since this is the first time Romeo feels love, he wantsneeds his lover to respondresponce him in thea same way, it makes him feel safe and happy. If Juliet gives him any signal showing that she likeslike him, Romeo will be so excited. Love is not only about likinge each other, both have to carry some responsibilitiesresponsibilies. For man, one of the responsibility  for sure is keeping a woman safe giving safety to woman, so lots of men would like to promise to do something. Our Romeo is like this too, he told Juliet “I take thee at thy word. Call me but love,and I will be new baptized;Henceforth I never will be Romeo.” Moreover, Romeo shows an attitude that he hates that theirthis love cannot be blessed by their familiesfamailes only because his familyfamaily and Juliet’s familyfamaily are enemiesenemy. He somehow hates that he washe born into the family he wasthis famaily, “By a name, I know not how to tell thee who I am, My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself, because it is an enemy to thee.”. I understand what Romeo feels, he hates anything that triestry to stop his love for Juliet. He must have wonderedimagined that if he wasis not Romeo, he might love Julietcan love a girl without so many people opposingoppose it. Romeo Reomoe is not afraid of those who want block his love, he is confident that he can hold Juliet’s hands untilto the end. Romeo is brave, he

I think that this is a very good start. Remember to add some sentences about how you portrayed Romeo and your blocking.

Sample Paper Grade

A: 3/5

• Doesn't have much of an argument
• Too much background on the main character
• Not enough explanation of who the character they are playing is and why

B: 5/10

• Not enough actual blocking
• Only explained where people were, not enough on the actual act they performed

C: 2/5

• Grammatical errors
• Too much information, not enough buildup
• Moves from one topic to another too fast
• Repetitive
• Isn't clear with who they are playing

Updated Thesis

I showed what I thought she acted like by using a specific tone of voice and changing my typical mannerisms like making my steps a little bouncier and making the tone of my voice a bit higher to show that she is younger.

Final Project Brainstorming

1. Intro
• Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is a play that has shaped and made the basis for the way people think about love and rebellion.
2. Thesis
• My experience playing Juliet and doing research on not only the time period but reading more in-depth into the play itself has changed my outlook on Juliet from what my first impression was.
3. First Paragraph
• Background/First Impression
• When I first started reading Romeo and Juliet, I saw Juliet as an obedient teenager. She seemed so innocent and caring that when I found out she was going to die, I felt bad for her.
• As I read, I took notes on her and her family and picked up on some details that gave me some background on her life and family.
1. Comes from a wealthy family
2. Not very close to her mother
3. Close to the maid (who was the secondary character in the scene I performed)
4. Close with her cousin but almost completely forgets about him when Romeo comes along
5. Juliet is very impressionable
4. Second Paragraph
• Whole Play/Character Analysis
• The other main character in the play was Romeo, a boy that I later learned was much older than Juliet at the time.
• The nurse is a character that is ver close to Juliet. She is really more of a mother figure and a confidante than anyone else in the play for Juliet.
• While Juliet has the nurse as someone she trusts, Romeo has Friar Lawrence.
• Her parents weren't a big part of Juliet's life other than restraining her from doing anything they disapproved of.

Bushnell Play Review

The one woman show, Warriors Don't Cry, we saw at the Bushnell on November 16 was a reenactment of a memoir written about a 16-year-old African-American girl named Melba going to an "all white" high school along with 8 other teens in 1957, when racism was alive in Arkansas as well as most of the South at this time. During her time at the high school, she was taunted by her classmates, threatened, called horrendous names and had acid sprayed in her eyes. All of this was taking place while a bodyguard was watching over her. One of the things that really bothered me was the fact that the bodyguard would never help her unless her life was at risk; which was technically all the time. The only time she actually received any physical help she received from him, not verbal suggestions, was when the acid was sprayed in her eyes and he took her to the hospital. I was totally not expecting Link, the white boy who becomes friends with Melba, to act the way he did. At the beginning of the play when Melba first went to the school, I was shocked to see how the students reacted to her and the other African-American kids being there. I was extremely appalled when I realized that people actually used to harm African-Americans like the way she portrayed and described. I got used to the torment she described throughout the play that I was shocked to see Link actually show any sort of affection for Melba, let alone let her in his car! I think that the way I reacted just shows how much times have changed in the past 50 years and how much the world will change in the next 50. I thought that the play was very informative and made me appreciate more not only the world that we live in today but also the history that has been recorded in ways such as this so that we can learn from our mistakes and make sure history doesn't repeat itself in ways such as this.

Fall Play Review

I saw the fall play on Thursday night which was opening night. I thought that all of the actors were cast in good roles and they all did a good job portraying their character with the correct age and personality. John Jaing's lead role I thought was a perfect fit for him. He portrayed the character very well and was great at giving little hints to the audience as to how he felt about his family and other characters in the play. His role as the father/husband seemed like a complex one in a way. I think that he did a very good job of showing the audience how he felt without overdoing it or forcing emotions into the words. Sam Weed also did a very good job showing her concern for her husband and her sadness during her song and after her and John Jaing fought. I think that John Jaing could have slowed down a bit while he was doing his monologues. I think that they were great and he showed some great emotions, it was just hard to tell when they started and ended sometimes. I think that Magie's role was a little hard to understand. I was confused as to whether she was supposed to be really young, like a teenager or younger or if she was supposed to be in her twenties. I thought she was supposed to be about thirteen or so, but then someone told me that she was supposed to be in her early twenties. I think that I was confused because she was so loud when she spoke and her tone sounded like that of a child being sassy. I definitely think that she should have toned her voice down by either lowering her voice or lowering the tone of her voice and not letting it get so high pitched. She could have easily have given off an older persona by slowing the speed of her dialogue and lowering her voice to make it sound more like teasing instead of starting an argument. Overall the play was really good, there were just a few minor adjustments I would make. I also think that the blocking was great and the set was perfect. The one thing I didn't like was the way the seating was set up; it was hard for me to see some peoples' expressions sometimes and that was a little frustrating. Other than that the play was very well organized and had a clear plot and meaning.

Weekly Synopsis (Romeo and Juliet Scene)

This week we worked mostly on blocking. We drew out a map to make sure that we are on the same page with where we are going to go and what our cues are. It's really great working with Dilyara because we usually have the same ideas about things and we don't really disagree much, and if we do disagree it's very easy for us to make a decision. We also worked a lot on learning our lines and figuring out how to pronounce them and what tone we wanted to use. We worked on our reactions too, like what facial expressions we wanted to express when reacting to a rude or funny comment or sentence. I think that we are ready for tomorrow for the most part. We could work on running our lines a little bit more but I think if we read them over a few times before we perform either in the morning or by ourselves tonight we will be good.

School Play Picture

In Class Writing

I think that the presentations really helped me feel more comfortable about my acting skills and helped me be more creative. They showed me that it's okay to over exaggerate and to make a fool of yourself and not feel like your doing something wrong. I think that the presentations about improv really helped too because I was not very good at it the first few times I tried it, but practicing some exercises and trying to get myself to think quicker for a comeback really helped. I also think that it helped with my lines because before when I forgot a line I would get really flustered and embarrassed, but now I just kind of go along with it and I have learned to not get at frustrated if something doesn't go exactly as planned.

Performance Log #1

Today in class we worked mostly on blocking. We also worked on our reactions and pronouncing our lines the way we wanted. We mentally set up the stage and wrote a diagram of how we wanted the stage to be set up for our performance and we also practiced our entrances and exits to the scene. We talked about our costumes, what era we wanted to represent/be in, how we wanted our clothes to give off a certain vibe and tell a story without having to tell people who we are. We decided that it is going to be fairly modern and I am a very wealthy, respected girl and Dilyara is my maid but also my friend. She is going to be wearing a "maid" costume by dressing in older, semi-dirty clothes that show that she is of a lower status than me and I am going to be wearing a dress of some sort that is not too fancy but at the same time shows my authority over Dilyara. What I tried to do to get a better feel for the character is visualize myself as the character and react in the way I think she would react. I also kind of created a mental note to remind myself that as this character, this is my first love and I am very young, so I try to remind myself to exaggerate my excitement every time I talk about Romeo or every time he is mentioned. Also, since we haven't used costumes yet, I try to visualize Dilyara as an older woman because, in this scene, she complains a lot about being sore from having to walk and run errands for me. I think that visualization is key for me as an actor. I am a very hands-on learner so I try to do things as physically possible to really be able to get a handle on the assignment. I think that Dilyara and I are reacting to each other very well. We still need to go over a few things and read the lines a little more carefully but for the most part, we seem to be great partners. Tomorrow I think we should go over the script more and really exaggerate our emotions and make them clearer. I also think that we should work on memorizing our lines better so we can work on more blocking. We seem to have a lot of similar opinions and I think that is goo because there isn't a conflict as to what we want to portray in the scene and we don't bud heads in any way.

Character Portrayal

In the scene Dilyara and I are doing, I am playing Juliet and Dilyara is playing the nurse. The scene is about me (as Juliet) wanting to know whether or not Romeo will marry me. I had sent the nurse to give Romeo a note asking this and she comes back but is reluctant to tell me. She tends to tease me a lot, starting to tell me one thing then switching conversation topics. I tease her back, though, saying that I feel bad for her because she had to travel such a long way and she is sore and old. I imagine the scene takes place in Juliet's room and Juliet is waiting on her bed for the nurse to come back. The main motivation for my character is her love for Romeo. She wants to know so bad if Romeo will marry her and she knows that the nurse knows what he said that she is willing to do anything to get the information out of her. Before this, Romeo and Juliet had only a few encounters, but each one seemed very meaningful to both of them. So it makes sense that it would be very important for Juliet to know if Romeo will marry her or not. Almost immediately after this scene is when the climax happens; Romeo gets exiled and they cannot marry. This is also the main conflict in the play, which ties it back to the main goal which is for Romeo and Juliet to marry.

Viola Spolin Powerpoint

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1StzKt-LTC9pvjEJkAA4BxobY8BQRIeHi7q0Fv29Ljeg/edit?usp=sharing

R & J Take Home Quiz #4

A) Act 4 is all Juliet. She considers options, defies her parents, gets advice, goes against the advice of one trusted counselor and agrees to trust a more unknown one, makes a decision, faces real fears, chooses to make sacrifices, chances death, takes an unknown potion, embarks on an adventure that risks exile or worse. Discuss her character and personality. What does this act reveal about her that we didn't know before? How has her character changed since we first met her in act one? Be specific. Also, while Juliet is going through all of this, what is Romeo doing? How are their characters contrasted by this juxtaposition? What is Shakespeare perhaps suggesting about gender in this act and how does that also contrast from how the gendered "normal" world was presented earlier in the play?

In act 4, a lot happens to Juliet. Before she met Romeo, she was a sweet, innocent girl who always obeyed her parents' rules; but she turned into a girl who defies her parents, and sneaks around with Romeo. She starts making her own decisions and comes across new experiences that she didn't know of before. This act reveals a lot about Juliet through her actions. I think that it mostly shows us how she can easily be persuaded by someone. Before she met Romeo, she never really could think for herself because her parents were always telling her what to do, but then when she got to know Romeo, she automatically was persuaded to do anything in her power to keep them together. I think that is because Romeo showed her how much he loved her and it made her believe that she loved him more than she actually did and they were meant to be together no matter what, even if it means death. I think that Romeo and Juliet contrast because he is so strong willed and Juliet is more of a "go with the flow" type. I think that when Shakespeare was writing Romeo and Juliet, it was a time when women were inferior and weren't supposed to think for themselves, so he wrote Juliet in that exact way. In a way, I think he was kind of showing women (very subtly) what would happen if they decided to rebel and make their own path in society at the time, which ultimately was that they would fail and in some cases die.

F) Choose either Romeo or Juliet and analyze their portrayal in the film. What characteristics are highlighted and how? Be specific? Is this faithful to the original play? Why or why not?

I think in the film, Juliet's innocence was highlighted, and as a result, she was portrayed as a younger girl who didn't really care about much of what she could/couldn't do until she met Romeo. I also think that it was made very obvious that her parents have more power over her. I think that Juliet was portrayed that way because they wanted to make it seem like she was very influenced by not only her parents but Romeo and the nurse as well. I think that it is faithful in most ways because in the play her innocence was always highlighted. I also think that her defiance was highlighted in the movie more so than the play. In the movie, her and Romeo's scenes were very private especially in the "balcony scene" when Romeo shows up and they fall in the pool. In that scene, it is very obvious that she is excited to see Romeo and wants to spend time with him but she keeps bringing up how she has to go and she doesn't want her parents to see him, but even as she says those things, she stays with Romeo and hides him and tries to spend as much time with him as possible. In the play, I think that it isn't shown as much that she wants to be with Romeo and is willing to defy her parents as much.

D) Is the ending believable? Do you think R and J would really kill themselves over their thwarted love? Why or why not? Go deep into this analysis and don't just explore the surface.

I think that the ending isn't as believable as it could have been. I don't think that they would really kill themselves over love unless there was more chemistry shown between them. I know that the ending would be more believable to me if there was more background to either of their mental history. I understand that Romeo's parents had subtly mentioned before that they were worried about Romeo, but to me, that meant that he had never acted the way he had been acting before. I think that for them to actually kill themselves, Romeo would have had to have more of an obvious mental illness for him to kill himself if he was that much older than Juliet and I think that it would need to be shown exactly how much of an influence Romeo had on Juliet. I also think that he would have had to spend more time with her and have much more of an influence on her. Branching off of the influence idea, it reminds me of Charles Manson. I think that Romeo needs to be portrayed more like him and show how convincing he can be and how much of an impression he can have on Juliet, especially when she is so much younger than he is.

Romeo and Juliet Scene

Juliet

(Juliet sits/lays on the couch waiting)
The clock strook nine when I did send the nurse;

In half an hour she promised to return.

Perchance she cannot meet him—that’s not so.

From nine till twelve

Is three long hours, yet she is not come.

Had she affections and warm youthful blood,

She would be as swift in motion as a ball;

Enter Nurse.

O God, she comes! (Juliet jumps up to greet the nurse) O nurse, what news?

Hast thou met with him? O Lord, why lookest thou sad?

Nurse

(Nurse sits on the chair across from Juliet on the couch) 
I am a-weary, give me leave a while.

Fie, how my bones ache! What a jaunce have I!

Juliet

I would thou hadst my bones, and I thy news.

(Juliet takes the Nurses' hand) Nay, come, I pray thee speak, good, good nurse, speak.

Nurse

Jesus, what haste!(the nurse pulls her hands away) Can you not stay a while?

Do you not see that I am out of breath?

Juliet

How art thou out of breath, when thou hast breath

To say to me that thou art out of breath?

The excuse that thou dost make in this delay

Is longer than the tale thou dost excuse.

Is thy news good or bad? Answer to that.

Nurse

Well, you have made a simple choice, you know not how to choose a man. Romeo! No, not he. Though his face be better than any man’s, yet his leg excels all men’s, and for a hand and a foot and a body, though they be not to be talk’d on, yet they are past compare. He is not the flower of courtesy, but I’ll warrant him, as gentle as a lamb. Go thy ways, wench, serve God.

Juliet

No, no! But all this did I know before. (Juliet gets up and slowly walks around to the back of the Nurse)

What says he of our marriage? What of that?

Nurse

Lord, how my head aches! (Nurse starts rubbing her temples) What a head have I!

It beats as it would fall in twenty pieces. (Juliet starts rubbing the Nurses' shoulders)

Ah, my back, my back!

Beshrew your heart for sending me about

To catch my death with jauncing up and down!

Juliet

I’ faith, I am sorry that thou art not well. (Juliet starts and kneels in front of the Nurse)

Sweet, sweet, sweet nurse, tell me, what says my love?

Nurse

Your love says, like an honest gentleman,

An’ a courteous, and a kind, and a handsome,

And, I warrant, a virtuous—Where is your mother?

Juliet

(Stands up furiously)
Where is my mother! Why, she is within,

Where should she be? How oddly thou repliest!

“Your love says, like an honest gentleman,

‘Where is your mother?’”

Nurse

O God’s lady dear!

Are you so hot? Marry, come up, I trow;

Is this the poultice for my aching bones?

Henceforward do your messages yourself.

Juliet

Here’s such a coil! Come, what says Romeo?

Nurse

(Nurse stands and puts her hands on Juliet's shoulders)
Have you got leave to go to shrift today?

Juliet

I have.

Nurse

Then hie you hence to Friar Lawrence’ cell,

There stays a husband to make you a wife.

Now comes the wanton blood up in your cheeks,

They’ll be in scarlet straight at any news.

Go, I’ll to dinner, hie you to the cell. (Nurse waves Juliet off)

Juliet

Hie to high fortune! (Juliet hugs the Nurse) Honest nurse, farewell. (Juliet runs off)

Exeunt.

Blogpost #4

In the film, there is a scene missing in the last part. There is no fight between Romeo and Juliet's cousin, Tybalt. Also, Juliet kills herself using a gun, while in the play she stabs herself. In the movie, it was a lot more dramatic when Romeo was trying to get into the church. He held a man at gunpoint just to get the police to back off. I feel like the movie was a lot more dramatic in the way they had Romeo and Juliet die. There was this moment when Romeo realized Juliet was still alive right as he was drinking the poison and it made me feel like there might be some hope that he would stop and live. Also, in the movie, when Juliet wakes up it seems very suspenseful/unbelievable because Juliet obviously saw that he was sad and crying, and she just woke up with a smile and didn't say anything. I also noticed that he obviously was avoiding looking at her when he was talking about taking the poison just as she was waking up. I feel like the director could have made it look better by either having Juliet wait a few seconds longer to wake up fully/open her eyes. I also think that the director could have had Romeo take a little bit longer for the poison to react. Maybe he takes the poison and he lays down next to her and she wakes up only to find him already dying. The movie definitely left me more sad afterwards than the book. I think it was because it is sometimes hard to visualize words on a piece of paper, but when you see what actually happens it is easier actually feel the emotions.

Note Questions - ACT 3

2 Fact Questions:

1. Who killed Tybalt and how?
2. Who comes to see Romeo on Juliet's behalf to talk about Tybalt's death?

3 Thinking/Discussion Questions:

1. How would you stage the scene where Juliet finds out Tybalt is dead?
2. Do you think Romeo was more embarrassed or sad that he killed Tybalt? Use examples.
3. Do you think Juliet's mother or father took the news of the marriage better? What was the main emotion that either of them portrayed?

Quiz #6 (Romeo's Scene)

The scene ends and both characters exit in opposite directions. Romeo dashes through bushes and ducks under tree branches to get home. He makes his way back to his house, climbing up a trellis on the outer wall leading to a window into his room. He makes it to the dark room and rummages around in the blackness for his candle and matches. Once he finds them, he immediately takes it with him over to his bed. He sets the candle down on top of the nightstand and reaches his hand underneath the mattress. He shoves his hand elbow deep until he finally pulls out an old browning leather book. He brings it over to his desk, taking his candle with him and sets the book down. He then begins searching through the drawers of his desk frantically. He tips the candle a bit too far and a drop of wax falls onto the back of his hand. He recognizes that it stings and immediately pulled his hand away and sets the candle down. He quickly flicks the wax off of his hand and begins his search again, being more mindful of the way he is holding the candle. His search ends when he pulls out a pen with a hushed victory call. He then sets the candle down and sits at the desk, opening the book and beginning to write in it. The lights slowly go dark as he writes in his journal. *END SCENE*

In-Class Writing

3 Concepts You Understood

• Plays not having alternate endings (nothing else could/would happen other than what is written)
• Plays not having to do with the outside/our world
• Time is measured differently in the world of the play

3 Things You Were Confused About

• How in the world of the play only the characters mentioned exist
• How to not relate what is happening in the world of the play to what is happening in our world
• If the play is based on a true time period but we shouldn't assume anything that isn't said, how are we to understand what has already happened if it isn't mentioned?

Hamlet Character Analysis

In Hamlet, most characters have a specific goal that they want to achieve. The most common/well known goal in Hamlet was Hamlet's goal of killing the king. He knew that the King was evil but he couldn't find the right means or proof to have any actual cause to kill him. Another one in Hamlet is the King's goal of killing Hamlet in a subtle way so that he will not be penalized and can still reign over the kingdom. To attempts this multiple times. The first time he sends Hamlet away to England with a hidden letter meant for the Monarch of England telling him to chop off Hamlet's head. Hamlet finds out about this letter and writes another one supposedly coming from the King saying to kill the two men holding the letter. Since that attempt failed, the King decided to plot against Hamlet with Laertes, Ophelia's brother. The King puts poison on Laertes' sward so when the fight occurs, Laertes can simply wound Hamlet and he would be killed shortly. In the process, the King ends up not only killing Hamlet, but the queen as well as himself.

"To Be or Not to Be"

In the "To be or not to be" speech in Hamlet, I believe that the point of writing the line as a solo speech instead of talking to someone is not so people can sympathize with him. I believe that the reason for this is so that Shakespeare can show the audience how creative and smart Hamlet really is. Many people believe that he actually went mad over the course of the play, but I think that he was just pretending the whole time. I think that he wanted his uncle to actually believe that Hamlet was crazy to throw him off, waiting for the right time to kill his uncle. I can understand how some people might think that Shakespeare wanted people to sympathize Hamlet because of the circumstances and the way that it is worded, but I am pretty sure that Hamlet knew the he had company while he was saying that. I mean, he does technically have every right to go mad; his father was killed and a few months later his mother married his uncle. That would cause me some anxiety as well, but he seems too stable at certain points to actually have gone completely insane.

Ham Scene Analysis

In my opinion, the most interesting scene in Hamlet is the scene when Hamlet sees his father's ghost. I like the way that Shakespeare jumps right into the plot when he has Hamlet see his father right away and that makes it very memorable. In me the scene elicits shock and sympathy towards Hamlet. He is seeing his father for the first time after his death! I would be shocked and upset too. I also like how long Shakespeare takes to fit in as much detail as he can with the dialog. It definitely gives you a sense of being in the scene with them.