Before I dive head-first into my very first entry for this blog, I would like to make one thing clear: Shakespeare and I have never really gotten along together. From the time I screwed up my lines in a middle school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream to the time I cringed watching Mel "telephone" Gibson in the 1990 film adaptation of Hamlet to the time my library copy of Titus Andronicus fell into a puddle, my relationship with the Bard has been pretty shaky.
So, enter the $64,000 question of "Tyler, what exactly are you doing here?"
Answer: I want to finally see the light of Shakespeare's brilliance.
Fortunately, encountering AMND in an academic setting this semester has made things better. The catalyst for this has been the events surrounding Act I, scene ii. "Hilarious" is an understatement; the carpenter Quince's rehearsal for his production of The Most Lamentable Comedy and Most Cruel Death of Pyramus and Thisbe is a rough and ridiculous affair, with Nick Bottom's insistence that he can speak like a woman better, Flute's denial of the role of Thisbe because he wants to grow a beard, and Snug's worries about not learning the part of the lion in time. Everything that can go wrong goes wrong indeed, but what is a frustrating affair for the amateur actors is a comedic riot for the audience.
In addition to being an exceptionally funny scene (and perhaps a behind-the-scenes look at how some actors were in Shakespeare's time), scene ii is vital in providing contrast between the comedy of Quince's actors and the serious romanticism of scene i's focus of Hermia, Lysander, Helena and Demetrius. Not only does it create for ebbs and flows of entertainment (instead of non-stop laughs or non-stop woes), it also contributes to the "dream" detailed in the core of the story. It is a variety of extremes coming together to create one giant mass of fantasy. This emotional architecture of sorts is complex, but would anything of Shakespeare's mind be anything but? It is comedy, but with bigger goals than just laughter.
The masterful use of contrast, as well as the heart of the story, is keeping me in place for an inevitable acceptance of Bill Shakes. That is, until I drop the textbook in a puddle and I'm once again smacked by The Bard.
Links:
Act I, scene ii - performed by Aletheia Stage & Film Co.
Hamlet (1990 film adaptation trailer) - cringe with me, guys
1 comment:
What a brave man you are, Tyler!! That actually doesn't look like so bad a production!
I like your point that the artisan players form a kind of counterpoint within the play and would be interested to see that idea developed further. We'll be exploring this line in class.
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