Midterm Blog

When re-reading my posts for this blogging assignment I was sure that I was not going to be able to find any connecting details. I feared there would be nothing to talk about, but it seems to be that there is one specific detail that connects all of my posts. I seem to talk a lot about deceit and looking beyond what is obvious. If I was to dive deeper into understanding my own blog posts I am very concerned about the character development within the plays.

When looking at my posts I focused on one character instead of an overall theme or plot. I was also curious in understanding the drive behind the character’s actions. What drove the character to do as they did or to act as they were? Was there something that Shakespeare was alluding to or was this a complete accident that he never meant to create within his plays. I was shocked that I was that specific, that consistent with the specifics of character development within all of my posts. My only reasoning behind that is due to the fact that I have been taking so many Creative Writing classes; I have been concerned with my own character development so I am concerned about the character development within anyone’s writing.

When re-reading my posts there are certain things that I am very happy that I accomplished. Within all the posts I brought up questions but I never solved any of them, in fact I probably raised more questions with each post. I am not about to assume that I know what Shakespeare intended within his plays/characters. I believe that the audience will never know his true intentions and should never assume such. The one question that I would re-visit would be the character of Shylock in Merchant of Venice.

            Should we sympathize with this character or he someone that we should fear and hate. While we are aware of the cultural situation surrounding him during this time period I am never sure as to whether or not we can truly understand his reasoning for claiming the flesh of another man. While yes, he “is human like them, bleeds like them and cries like them” I am not sure whether or not they are as equally vicious as he becomes in the middle of this play. This is a question that I will still be grappling with even after this semester ends.