Shakespeare's into Zombies Too

I thought I had read Winter's Tale when I was a kid because the story sounded very familiar and I had made an effort to read all of Shakespeare's plays at one point or another (always failing). I thought I had until I got to the finale of the play when Hermione's statue came back to life! ... ... I would have remembered that one.
I was really shocked and didn't know what to make of it. How did it happen? Did Paulina and Hermione fake her death, like in Romeo and Juliet, for sixteen years? If so, that seems a little harsh. Was it really magic, which makes sense in a romance? So I found "Hermione's Wrinkles, or, Ovid Transformed" by Martin Mueller. It explained that Antigonus' vision of Hermione and the king's checking of both his son's and wife's death explained away the idea of them tricking death. The article concludes that it was not black magic (as Paulina explains), but more to do with the power of art and love. Basically, what we learned in class. It is a romance where unlikely things can just happen.
This was by far the biggest shock I've ever received reading Shakespeare. It shows that we are trained to more or less know what to expect from him. My only regret was that I read this play before I saw it live for the first time. What a shock this must have been to the original audience!

Apollo: A crash course on why Leontes isn't the sharpest crayon in the box

As I've mentioned in class before, I'm taking an awesome mythology class this semester! One of the biggest benefits from it is that I notice more classical allusions and the influence of mythology on basically all of literature. So I was intrigued-- shocked, appalled-- at Leontes' reaction to the Oracle of Delphi's response to his accusations. In ancient Greece, it was common for nobles and peasants alike to bring their questions to Apollo's prophetess at Delphi, the Pythia. She would answer their questions, personal or communal, and those answers were received and acted upon with respect because she spoke for Apollo. It's similar to how we treat personal revelation in Mormonism-- whatever divine guidance we receive, we typically treasure and act accordingly. Understanding this allowed me to understand how irrational and out of line Leontes' response was when he disliked the Oracle's content. You don't just declare that divine advice is wrong (especially if you believe in Apollo and know of his wrathful nature)! It's not a Magic 8 ball that you can shake over and over again until you get the answer you want, even if you are royalty. Dismissing it as "mere falsehood" demonstrates Leontes' jealousy (WAY out of control, even if you're trying to sympathize with him...) and the sense of entitlement that comes with kingship (remember Richard and how he expected his subjects' adoration and support, regardless of his actions? It sounds like Leontes isn't used to hearing the word no, either).

However, Leontes quickly changes his tune and fears his blasphemy when his wife and son die. He begins to believe the oracle's contents once he attributes these deaths to Apollo's anger. This fear talks reason into his jealousy, but it's too late! Turns out that it's probably wiser to listen to divine advice, even if you're ruling with divine authority...

Plagarism or Genius?

We talked the other day about how Shakespeare's Hamlet was based off another that really had the exact same plot. So we know that he is not above lifting - or should I say borrowing? - ideas from others. So I was just looking up some articles and information about "The Winter's Tale" and it turns out that he did much the same here! So I was looking at a couple different sources (the links are included below) and they all mention aspects taken from other works. Some of it seems to have been piecemeal like, "A dance of satyrs in Act 4 (4.4.340–1) [which] seems to be borrowed from Ben Jonson's Masque of Oberon (Oxford Reference)," or the "number of minor debts to Plutarch ...principally characters' names (Oxford Reference)", etc. Other things are larger, like the plot itself. As one article I read said, "Shakespeare also used Robert Greene’s Pandosto: The Triumph of Time (published in 1588) as a source material," which included "borrowing from it the dual setting of Bohemia and Sicilia, a jealous king, and an heir lost and restored (scholarworks)." It really is so interesting how much he drew on other material, and it just makes me wonder to what extent that is allowed and accepted today, especially with all the emphasis on plagiarism. Either way, though, I still believe the Shakespeare earned the place he has today in literary history.

http://scholarworks.umass.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1968&context=theses

http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780198117353.001.0001/acref-9780198117353-e-3078?rskey=KEtgLA&result=3104

Yeah... maybe she flirted a little bit... but...

As I read acts three and four of A Winter's Tale, I could not help but notice the role Hermione plays. I know Professor Burton is a strong advocate of Leontes, but I can not help but feel otherwise. I understand that Hermione might have come off as being a bit flirtatious while she was entreating Polixenes to stay in the kingdom, but her speech at the trial struck me in a different manner. Hermione says,

"I loved him as in honour he required,
With such a kind of love as might become
A lady like me, with a love even such,
So and no other, as yourself commanded"

I know that Professor Burton might see this as another one of Hermione's tricks, but I see it as a cry for help and for justice. I feel a great amount of sympathy towards Hermione. Yes, maybe some might say she flirted with Polixenes, but he threw her in prison on a whim, tried to poison his best friend, and ordered his baby daughter killed.  You also cannot discount the oracle that proclaimed Hermione pure and Leontes a vicious tyrant.
I think that Hermione's ability to use rhetoric in her favor proves that she has learned to acclimate in a world where, though she is queen, she hold very little real power. She knows how to manage herself in court, and she accomplishes what her husband asks. When she is on trial she explains that she only did what her husband asked. I am not sure how Shakespeare wanted Hermione to be perceived, but I see her as a character that is played by the system, not as a woman with a "side ho" as it was phrased so delicately in last class.

Young Love

Florizel: "What you do
Still betters what is done. When you speak, sweet,
I'd have you do it ever: when you sing,
I'd have you buy and sell so, so give alms,
Pray so, and, for the ord'ring of your affairs,
to sing them too: when you do dance, I wish you
A wave o' the sea, that you might ever do
Nothing but that, move still, still so
And own no other function..."
(Act IV Scene iv Lines 136-43)

Okay how stinking cute is Florizel and Perdita? He is so good with words. Not only is he Mr. Perfect but he falls in love with the shepherd's daughter. So he is a romantic hunk who's also down to earth. He obsesses over her beauty and can't take his eyes off of her. He calls her the goddess of flowers and is taken back in awe of her radiance. He makes sure to explain to her that social statuses should not interfere with love, and he would rather lose his fame, wealth, and power than to lose her. The way he talks to her makes me melt.
Plus, this was really fun to read after writing those sonnets...I have a much greater appreciation for how poetic these love poems are between Florizel and Perdita!


#relationshipgoals

Shakespeare totally rocks at these picture-perfect, Cinderella type love stories.

And did Perdita remind anyone else of 2015 teenage hipster girls at coachella with flowers around their head?

Modern day Perdita

The Original Gangster. 

 Take home: Shakespeare was the greatest trendsetter of all time.

Disguise

In "The Winter's Tale" it is apparent that there are many different disguises going on.  Just in Act IV there is the disguise of Polixenes and Camillo as well as the disguised Autolycus.  And then there is kind of a play on character with the characterization of a clown, who to us usually means a person in disguise for fun, who actually doesn't seem like he is in a disguise.  I think this is an interesting idea that Shakespeare brings up in not only this play, but several other plays where the characters pretend to be someone or something that they are not.  With this in the plot though, it usually allows the story to unfold itself, just like we see in Act IV of "The Winter's Tale". 

Another way that we can look at this though, is that all of the characters are being acted out as people who are not actually those people.  This adds yet another layer of the idea of disguise.  Perhaps Shakespeare is alluding to the idea that everyone is in fact pretending to be someone, even if it is who they think should be considered themselves.  All of us, every day, choose who we are going to be and decide how we are going to act the part, so really this disguising is making the play more of a reality; when normally we think that disguising oneself as someone else would make it more of an unreal scenario.

"Bear"-ly Hanging In

I'm tempted to just leave these here and refrain from commenting, but the irony of letting the bear speak for itself after reading the first panel was too much.

The biggest struggle for me is trying to remain sympathetic to all characters. It's an emotionally charged play, and it's hard to remain objective about characters, especially Leontes. With so much left to interpretation as we discussed in class, I can't help but project my own experiences and relationship dynamics onto the characters. I don't like any of them. Maybe that's the point. This play embraces strong emotions--jealousy, rage, betrayal, passion--and facing down powerful emotions like that requires commitment. It's easier to be dismissive and marginalize the characters. I'm looking forward to a good adaptation to help me get over my own minor baggage blocking my view. Did anyone find one?

Run for You Life! (and our laughs)

I couldn't help but be draw to the "Exit, pursued by a Bear" stage direction. Its really funny, and completely bewildering at first. I searched for an article that would describe how Shakespeare managed to pull this one off in his productions but was not able to find one. Instead, what I found suggested that this information was unknown, although the articles did mention various ways that it has been portrayed since Shakespeare's time.
I feel one of the reasons that Shakespeare put this direction into the play has to do with what Professor Burton talk about in class. This play is a romance, with comedic elements in the second half. This bear seems to be a transition into the summer portion of the play by giving us a comedic situation at the end of the tragedy. Although Antigonus does die by this bear, it would be hard to portray it, whether realistically as a man in a costume or through some special effect, without being slightly comical or delightful to watch. We don't see the actual kill, and who doesn't find a man being chased onstage by a bear funny? Even if that part is slightly serious, Shakespeare has his Clown character come onstage to describe the death, and he describes it in a humorist manner and cracks jokes as he does. Shakespeare plays a trick on his audience here. Up till now it has been a complete tragedy, but even as the tragedy is playing out to its ends, with Antigonus' death, here is an introduction of romantic comic material. Oh wait, the bear says, we're in for a completely different play.

Honor in Royalty

Something that stood out to me in Act IV scene IV was the way everyone is impressed by Perdita's grace and beauty and is surprised that she could be a shepherd's daughter. This seems to suggest that Perdita's royal blood shows in the way she looks and acts, even though she wasn't brought up as a princess. I found an article ("Themes" by Joan Lord Hall) that talks about this idea and how it conflicts with the way Laertes is shown so negatively in the beginning of the play even though he is a king. It went on to talk about how the play shows both sides of the argument as to whether royal blood naturally makes someone more honorable or not. It gave examples of different characters who were honorable despite their low birth, such as Camillo and the Shepherd, and then addresses how Perdita is a "perfect hybrid" of the ideas that honor can come from high birth or "can be achieved through virtuous actions". She is "down-to-earth" due to her upbringing but also "instinctively courteous" because of her royal blood. I agreed with this view that the characters in A Winter's Tale seem to be able to act independently of their social class, while at the same time Perdita has some inherent characteristics that are associated with royalty despite her upbringing.

Time

From BYU's production

At the beginning of Act IV, our last stretch of reading for tomorrow, we are introduced to "Time". Time is a character, and a thing, and serves as a chorus. When I saw The Winter's Tale at BYU, and again when I read it for this class, I wondered why time was being brought into the play as a character. In the very first scene of the play we see two of the background characters introducing the setting; so why did Shakespeare not do that again? What could be his purpose in using Time in this interlude?

I looked into the character, and surprisingly much of the scholarship I found on the matter stated quite plainly that Time was being used a simple bridge, to mark the passing of years (something frowned upon for plays at that time). One more recent article that I found though gave perhaps a different explanation for Time, focusing not on the character, but on the hourglass. 

"More significant to an interpretation of this passage, it should be noted that one representation of the hourglass in Renaissance art, as Guy de Tervarent has shown, was an attribute of Youth or Age, depending on whether the superior part of the glass was empty or full. Thus one can surmise that one reason for Time's turning his hourglass is to show the upper part full and hence a potential for growth-life renewed; but also this action indicates that his concern now will be with Youth (Florizel and Perdita) and spring, while the grief-ravaged and aging Leontes must yet for a time endure the winter of his discontent" Raymond J. Rundus, "Time and His Glass in the Winter's Tale". Article

With this in mind, the setting becomes all the more interesting, as does the extreme shift in the mood of the play. It does feel like two different plays, and through Time flipping his hourglass, Shakespeare symbolically flips the world, time, and the mood. 

Still addicted to cheese: is there a support group for that?

The grilled cheese is a gift from gods on high,

A monument to storms so blustery.

I curl up, watch the rain droplets pass by

And munch on mozzarella buttery.

Best friends with soup, the grilled cheese likes to swim—

Some lentil, chicken noodle, or potato.

With beans and broccoli my bowl does brim,

But I like grilled cheese most dipped in tomato.

Though perfect in a chilly thunderstorm

Or as the end to worn out sleepy days,

This sandwich is not fit for summers warm;

I much prefer a juicy fruit buffet.

While strawberries are sweet and apples tart,

Grilled cheese will always stay close to my heart.

I mostly focused on fixing the meter that was off by fixing words that either didn't fit the stress pattern or sounded too forced in order to fit the stress pattern. Also, I tried to keep a healthy balance of enjambment in the sonnet.

P.S. This is the grilled cheese maker my husband and I received as a wedding present. It's pretty snazzy!

Sonnet

 Writing a sonnet is horribly hard. And I have to admit that Iambic pentameter is not my friend. I also have a headache now from nodding my head while trying while trying to get this pattern down. So here goes!

Dark hills sleep off at evening in the west
Where sunset hovers like a silent sound
Of golden hooves sang songs to bloody rest
Old bones of battle warriors under ground.

Far off from now all though the banner ways
Where flash the legions darkened from the sun
He fades in mist and whisper last of days
Were fading too and all the wars are done.

His lofty fame said vague shall not be small
Perhaps the town would find him far from shout
Half clouded with a screeching crimson call
Of roses thrown on smiles and many doubts.

More than that life had never been begun
To evil no important triumph won.

Adulting-Revised

An adult Sarai, at her finest. 

I do not think that I am quite mature--

My schoolwork is enough to prove my claim. 

I do my best--now that I know for sure.

But sometimes things continue just the same. 

And as for rest I think I'm in a drought! 

I schedule naps to maximize my time. 

Degrees are worth my lack of sleep, no doubt!

But at this point, just dropping out sounds prime. 

And I won't even start on being broke-

At least this month I easily made rent.

It seems my money just goes up in smoke-

And each new check is treasure-heaven sent!

And in the end I see no single win

So I'll call Mom and ask to move back in. 

I hope that I have all the meter correct! I tweaked the lines my partner and I talked about in class. 

Thanks!

OTP Sonnet Revised

It was a difficult process to fix my sonnet. Some lines were too short, others were too long and some just didn't fit the rhythm. I had alter some of the lines to fit and some lines I had to completely rewrite. It was hard to rewrite lines and still make them fit into the rhyme scheme. For each line I would carefully count each foot to make sure I had the right amount of feet in each line.


 Shall I explain to thee my OTP?
Because their love so true, their bond so strong
why whatever else could they be to me
but loving, living now forever long.
some people are too stupid, foolish to see
the light that brightly shines within his eyes,
the gentle upturn of his lips is free
a shame if such a love you could deny
compared to suns and moons eternally
oh the horrific shipping wars that come
they argue, insult, rage, ridiculously
the warriors of ships will beat their drum
     as sure as suns and moons again will rise
     my love for OTP shall never die

Revision: More Vomit!

Here is my revision! Iambic pentameter is quite difficult, but I think I was able to pull it off. Sometimes its hard for me to determine if I'm forcing myself to hear the iambic pentameter, or if it's actually there. I ended up changing up the word BonBon, even though that was one of my favorite parts... Please comment if you think some of it is still off!

A Sonnet on Vomit

When I reflect on beef of Taco Bell

I stop and think of sugar doughnuts past.

And then I start to sniff some awful smell,

Each breath recalls what I devoured last.

Then I can feel the acid start to turn. 

For nasty food is in my stomach's pit.

My belly now cries out, "When will you learn?"

Oh no! I think my gullet might just split!

And then I grieve at celery forgone. 

I mourn the loss of healthy muscle tone.

At this rate I'll be passed out before dawn.

All I can do is sit and start to groan.

My throat constricts and I begin to spew.

A perfect way to bid my food adieu. 

Thanks for reading for me!

Revised 'Where, then, has it gone?'

So I had a few issues trying to revise this... and to be honest I'm not sure how well it worked out... A couple words like 'erode' just killed me. I just sat there saying it over and over out loud, trying to get it an other lines right. But I've read this so manny time now that I just don't know anymore, so I'm excited for the feedback!

Where, then, has it gone?

A dead leaf falls, till, landing lives again

Upon the back of flowing water warm

Till, oppressed, it soon begins to sink

As pushed and lost under white water’s storm

And there, below the surface, driven on

Then pinned ’neath water’s weight and muddy rock

It watches time take place, the river long

Which stone erodes, so marking time's own clock

Now worn and tired, pressed on to reach the dawn

To meet the horizon, to greet the sky

And kiss the sun then, current-pulled, move on

Leaving only a softly whispering sigh

But past horizons, what lies there, or flows?

And where, then, has it gone? Nobody knows.

Revised Sonnet

In my revision process I had a really hard time coming up with what I should keep and get rid of because there were lines that I had issues with the iambic pentameter, so to fix that I would change the rhyme scheme and then have to change other lines.  So it got really complicated of having to revise and maintain the parts that were good in the poem.  Ultimately, I ended up taking a couple lines to lead up to a bigger picture at the end so that it wouldn't be so complicated.  I also had fun searching for synonyms for a bunch of different words in order to find a version of what I was trying to say in a different form that would include less or more syllables and things like that.  It is hard, but this is what I came up with:

I sit upon the boulder out of breath,

Just close enough to peek beyond the ledge.

Extending down to meet the floor, with death

At mercy of the wind; No safety hedge

To catch me if I fall.  A butterfly

Attracts my gaze and guides my eyes to see

All mountain peaks uniting with the sky,

Continuing much like eternity.

I feel as though there’s someone there, I rise,

With no one close, I sense the heavy air

Enclose like angels, witnessing my sighs

To make of them a glorifying prayer.

All this to us prove true divinity,

And yet, somehow, God still finds time for me.

Two Mites II

For my revision, I changed up a few of the lines that felt awkward. I realized that the word Jerusalem is probably one of those words that just doesn't go in a sonnet, so I took it out completely. I also changed the last two lines to both fix the iambic pentameter and make them more clear. If there's any other problems (especially with the meter) please let me know!

Two Mites
An Imitation of Mark 12:41-44

A widow once in ancient Israel
Went forth with all she had to pay her tithe.
Though she was poor, she pleased the Master well,
Unlike the rich fit for the devil’s scythe,
Whose wealth they gave displayed for all to see.
Not one of these great men who never missed
A single coin of all they gave so free,
Would ever have the faith to be so blessed
As was this humble daughter of the Son
Who gave two coins with love sincere
For God, for Him, her Lord, the Holy One
Whose faultless life would pay our ransom dear.
Today we hold in hand two mites and more
To give us wealth or let our hearts be poor.

Needing/Getting....validation

Revising this sonnet was tough. I understand meter and I can pull off rhyme when I have to, but doing them together just might kill me. Dr. Burton is officially a mad wizard.

My first order of business was to write a closing couplet that I liked. It was easier to make cuts and changes after I knew where I wanted to end. I've had a difficult time keeping a narrative flow while rhyming (who else is grateful for rhyming dictionaries?), and there's one or two lines I'm worried about with the accents of iambic pentameter. Any and all criticism is welcome!

I found that I really hated the "corrode" line because it felt bulky, so I revamped a little producing an official 4th draft. I think I'm finally happy.

Needing/Getting by OK GO

It’s months I’ve been waiting, patient, sincere,

Until your tired, baggaged heart is patched.

Need warps the mind and reason disappears

Yet getting is different, some dream detached.

Such dreams against a tender heart prevail

If love’s alteration is the attempt.

When I try to forget you, logics fail,

Creating “what ifs” to haunt my lament.

Still I’m hoping for months—hoping for years—

That amnesia, dementia, or disease

Disables my mind and numbs all my fears.

This stagnation of choice may then unfreeze.

I would wait evermore for a story

That ends with anyone but me being lonely.

1st draft

I’ve been waiting for months, lingering near
Til the weight of your baggaged heart will mend.
Need wraps the mind and reason disappears
Yet getting is an endless road to wend.
False dreams will a quick mind’s defense erode
If alternation in love you attempt.
Fate parts our lives with walls I can’t corrode
Grace taunts and haunts me in my snubbed lament.
I’ve been hoping for months—for years—
Hoping amnesia, dementia, disease
Cripple my mind and numb my heart with fears.
Fool! Love falls not to will or kneeling pleas.
As such my love keeps its twice-quenched flame
While my fixation can’t recall my name.

September Trees, Take 2. Action

Okay, I revised quite a bit, trying to whip it more firmly into the iambic pentameter and also smooth out some of the rougher patches. I have to say, it's a lot more fun redrafting than creating for the first time. The first thing I did was go and rework several lines that I felt were less than effective. You'll notice the candlesticks are new, relax and that are the end rhymes of the last couplet and so on. Then I made sure to fix the iambic pentameter, like were I removed 'dead' from 'dead cover' because it was too accented. ST's still got a ways to go, but it learned its lines better this time so let's see now it performs. Someday it might be ready for the Globe, or at least an Off-Globe production, who knows?

Take #2

September trees are slightly different.
Their stems still shoot out leaves which raise
The green from grass into the firmament.
The summer’s planted hard, yet glazes
In yellow blades onto each far leaf-end.
These stay in place until the weather slips,
And slowly rolls a cover to each stem,
Than drop from off the waxless candlesticks.
I am a cultured new September tree,
Which soon must brace against the winter weight,
Without the safety of my canopy,
In hope its energy will hold me straight.
But trees do always easily submit
To change and I cannot, and envy that.

Take #1

September’s trees are slightly different,

Their stems still shoot out leaves, and lift

The green from grass into the firmament.

Summer is planted but is taught to shift

A gentle brown into each far leaf-end

To hedge the trees against the next autumn

And slowly roll dead covers to each stem,

Planning for when the trees are bare columns.

I am the same as a September tree

And soon must stand against the winter weight,

Without the safety of my canopy,

Planning its stored reserve will hold me straight.

But nature’s taught to trees, calmly submit

To change and I do not, and envy it.