How do we feel about a common blog for our final project?

Love's Labours Lost

Romeo and Juliet

Love's Labours

Hey everybody, if we like the idea of creating a common blog for our final project, I entitled the name of our blog as "Lovers of Shakespeare."  GET IT???  Hopefully the pun isn't to hard to catch seeing as we are casted as lovers of Shakespeare and also happen to collectively be lovers of Shakespeare...

The URL is: http://loveslabours232.blogspot.com/

Anyway, last night Averill and I spent a couple hours watching a classic version of Romeo and Juliet and ate some incredibly buttery popcorn... and now have a great foundation for our script.  We focused on the classic lines that pertain to the way we have divided up the material for our three 1 1/2 minute scenes.

I liked Matt's idea that he brought up in class on Tuesday, and thought this could be a great way for our group to inform each other on our progress, address road blocks, and a put up and develop ideas we have for our final project.

   

Hamlet and Ophelia

Lastly, in class today, I can give everyone the passwords etc. associated with everything if this is something we are interested in doing. 

Savor the Simple

Finding the words for what I want to say will probably be difficult, so just remember that my goal is to stay within at least standard deviation of my point...

When we went over those several examples of "To be, or not to be" yesterday, I thought about how demanding our culture can be before we allow ourselves to be "entertained."  Nephi, for example, was very concerned that his written word would have no effect on the hearts of his posterity.  He said, "there are many that harden their hearts... and cast many things away which are written and esteem them as things of naught."  Words on a page are very simple, but Nephi also said that words "can be made strong," (2 Nephi 33:2, 4).  

So while it may be true that a production is more masterfully done with impressive cinematography etc., there's something to be said for the simple.  "In our Church meetings, in our personal and family scripture study, and even this day as we listen to the Lord’s prophets and apostles, some of us will receive more than others. Why? I am learning that those who truly receive do at least three things that others may not do.  First, they seek. We live in an entertainment world, a spectator world. Without realizing it, we can find ourselves coming to conference or going to church with the attitude, 'Here I am; now inspire me.' We become spiritually passive," (Elder Merrill "Receiving by the Spirit").  

In other words, it's good to be careful in what we demand in our stimuli.  There will be many times that the simple will be more moving if our senses are attuned to the raw majesty of deep desire, rather than a "well done" performance.

     

When is it good to be a sponge...?

I'll start off by saying that I wish I could have gone to Cedar City.  While ya'll went south a couple hours, I went north to Logan for a tournament and ended up 3-1.  And because I can't comment on the performance of The Winter's Tale that you saw, guess I'll jump into Act IV of Hamlet...

 Hamlet is crazy as you may recall...  In scene II he is arguing with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.  There has always been an odd air between them that stemmed from Hamlet's calling them out on their "real" purpose for being there, which is to be the king's stooges:

Ros:  Take you me for a sponge, my lord?

Ham:  Ay, sir, that soaks up the King's countenance, his rewards, his authorities.  But such officers do the King best service in the end.  He keeps them, like an ape, in the corner of his jaw--first mouthed, to be last swallowed.  When he needs what you have gleened, it is but squeezing you, and, sponge, you shall be dry again.

My point is that there's another analogy we use for children; we say that a child's mind is like a sponge.  To me this is a good thing.  A child needs to absorb the world around him and learn to comprehend it's meaning.  I am going to take the stance that we should always have a mind like a sponge, but with filters.  We need to always try and absorb the good, and be willing to share what we absorb.    

Now Hamlet was obviously putting them down; how do you feel about this comparison of connotations?  Is this apples and oranges?  or is this oranges and tangerines....  

Behind the curtain...

Reading Hamlet has been an interesting experience for me.  To a small degree I have read silently or aloud; I have also watched an assortment of three different performances for the three acts we have read thus far.  It's amazing how influential an actors interpretation is.  Some Hamlets are crazier than others...

It is incredible to me that such a simple story line can be so gripping.  We basically have family that hides behind curtains to see what people are up to.  The difference between Hamlet and many of the stories we typically appreciate today is where the complexity is found.  I see a reasonable simple story-line, but complex characterization.  It's a shame that the effects considered special in our time are computer graphics.

As I have read and listened to Hamlet's ideas and feelings, I have been more pulled into this play then many books I have read and movies I have seen.