I haven't seen either of these yet, but I like to let people know when Shakespeare is coming to town! Click the links for times, addresses, etc.
Two Gentlemen of Verona, at the University of Portland. Mar. 3-6 (already missed those) and 9-11. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors.
Macbeth, at Bag & Baggage. Previews Wed & Thu Mar 9 & 10, $12 all tickets. Opening Fri Mar 11, Runs through Mar 27, $16-23
Showing posts with label Two Gentlemen of Verona. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Two Gentlemen of Verona. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Two Gentlemen: Play Performance Review
This last Sunday, Emma and I were able to go with some friends to see the Northwest Classical Theater Company’s production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona. I thought it was pretty cool that I got to begin the year by seeing a live production of the first play I read in my brand-new Shakespeare project - serendipity indeed. And, happily, it was a good production. Let me tell you about it!
The company’s home theater is named the Shoebox, and aptly named it is - it’s a very small, intimate theater that seats no more than 40.
This production was performed in the round with no set pieces. This worked quite well and allowed for rapid and interesting exits and entrances, and though the playing area is limited, the confident staging of this production let me forget that the forest, for example, was bounded in a space no larger than an average size living room. The closeness between the audience and the performers also allowed the players to address and interact with the spectators.Though there was no suggestion of place or time through set pieces, the very effective Elizabethan costuming provided a strong Renaissance setting.
The company’s home theater is named the Shoebox, and aptly named it is - it’s a very small, intimate theater that seats no more than 40.
This production was performed in the round with no set pieces. This worked quite well and allowed for rapid and interesting exits and entrances, and though the playing area is limited, the confident staging of this production let me forget that the forest, for example, was bounded in a space no larger than an average size living room. The closeness between the audience and the performers also allowed the players to address and interact with the spectators.Though there was no suggestion of place or time through set pieces, the very effective Elizabethan costuming provided a strong Renaissance setting.
One of the major strengths of the production was the rapid-fire pacing of the show - nothing dragged or seemed too slow. The cast was strong across the board and communicated the story well through their use of the language as well as physical humor, including a gag where the petite actress playing Julia struggled to unsheath a sword nearly as tall as she was. Especially delightful were the scenes with Launce and his dog Crab. Crab was played by a bulldog type - so ugly that he was adorable - and was one phlegmatic pooch. Ensconced in a cosily cushioned chariot and wheeled in for each of his appearances, he was the perfect foil for his weepy master’s angst and devotion.
(Poster boy for the production - Crab in his little wagon)
One mark of any good play is whether or not it makes you think, and this production hit that mark. Director Butch Flowers chose to highlight the ambiguity and unsettling aspects of the conclusion, which created a sense that the story was somewhat incomplete. However, this refusal to tidily wrap up all the loose ends into a conventional “happily ever after" certainly fostered conversation after the play about the possible implications of the ending.
(Conversation between Shakespeare girl and friends was fostered)
In all, good afternoon at the theater, and I’ll plan on going back to the Shoebox for Shakespeare's Cymbeline in the spring.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Two Gentlemen: Movie Review
If you’ve ever wandered among the shelves at your local library in search of a video of one of Shakespeare's plays, you may have noticed that there are a lot of Shakespearean BBC productions from the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. Why is that? Well, it turns out that right about then the BBC was gripped with an urgent desire to make TV productions of virtually every British classic play or book. This is why you will also find BBC video adaptations of the works of Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw and other Authors of Note tucked between the innumerable BBC murder mysteries and episodes of something called The Forsyte Saga (which you’d expect would be about Vikings, but is in fact a story about upper class British people).
Needless to say, adaptation frenzy led to a BBC telly series with productions of every single Shakespeare play (The Brits are thorough like that. Shakespeare didn't skip writing any of his plays, and the BBC didn't skip producing any of them). And this series' production of Two Gentlemen of Verona was in fact the only video of the play I could get my hands on other than ‘A Spray of Plum Blossoms.’
So, would you like to know how Shakespeare girl and I liked this video? Of course! So here is my review!
The Bad...
First and worst, the beginning of this production is slow. The actors seemed to me to still be finding their characters (over-rehearsing was not a problem that characterized these BBC productions). It also took me a few minutes to get used to the budget sets and 1980’s TV film quality.
If you happened to read the cast list for this production on IMDB, you might have noticed that it includes several actors listed to play “Cupids.” This is just as worrisome as it sounds - the presence of oddly-dressed, awkward children with gold-painted faces in several of the scenes in Milan is not only unexplained, it is also quite bizarre, to say the least. I read here that this was meant to be a “garden of courtly love” motif, but I merely found it unnerving.
The unabashedly modern “forest” set, which appears to have been created largely from steel and green pipe cleaners, is also not a strong point. Neither are the Bee-Gees-style “doublets” and longish hair sported by Valentine (John Hudson) and Proteus’ (Tyler Butterworth), style choices which I’m pretty sure were not based on careful historical research of clothing in Renaissance Verona.
The Good..
The play really does pick up steam as it goes along. I found myself surprised and touched by the latter scenes, especially Tessa Peake-Jones’ performance as the jilted Julia. She emphasized Julia’s softer side, and I thought it was heartbreakingly effective.
This is Julia - doesn't she look sweet?
This production captured Proteus’ descent into villainy quite well. Butterworth does some good interpreting, and he's well set up by the other actors. Peake-Jones as Julia was already mentioned, but Silvia (Joanne Pearce) and the Duke (Paul Daneman) also helped in their very believable, but non-script-required, reactions to Proteus. And I have to say that Proteus’ disco-cool/Renaissance fashion sense actually seemed oddly appropriate for a man getting wickeder and wickeder.
Proteus (left) and Valentine
Great Renaissance tunes from the “Consort of Musick” were featured throughout - my brother thought that the lead singer in the opening song was the prominent British early music singer Emma Kirkby, and it does look like her. However, I have not been able to verify this (if anyone knows one way or another, feel free to message me!). I also loved the melody of their song to Silvia - beauteous.
The End of the Matter...
This is perhaps not where I would start if looking for a first movie introduction to Shakespeare. And there are some stylistic issues. But I found it to be a solid - and even moving - interpretation of the play, with a lot of great storytelling. Kudos to the BBC for putting together an enjoyable production of this rarely seen play!
Needless to say, adaptation frenzy led to a BBC telly series with productions of every single Shakespeare play (The Brits are thorough like that. Shakespeare didn't skip writing any of his plays, and the BBC didn't skip producing any of them). And this series' production of Two Gentlemen of Verona was in fact the only video of the play I could get my hands on other than ‘A Spray of Plum Blossoms.’
So, would you like to know how Shakespeare girl and I liked this video? Of course! So here is my review!
The Bad...
First and worst, the beginning of this production is slow. The actors seemed to me to still be finding their characters (over-rehearsing was not a problem that characterized these BBC productions). It also took me a few minutes to get used to the budget sets and 1980’s TV film quality.
If you happened to read the cast list for this production on IMDB, you might have noticed that it includes several actors listed to play “Cupids.” This is just as worrisome as it sounds - the presence of oddly-dressed, awkward children with gold-painted faces in several of the scenes in Milan is not only unexplained, it is also quite bizarre, to say the least. I read here that this was meant to be a “garden of courtly love” motif, but I merely found it unnerving.
The unabashedly modern “forest” set, which appears to have been created largely from steel and green pipe cleaners, is also not a strong point. Neither are the Bee-Gees-style “doublets” and longish hair sported by Valentine (John Hudson) and Proteus’ (Tyler Butterworth), style choices which I’m pretty sure were not based on careful historical research of clothing in Renaissance Verona.
The Good..
The play really does pick up steam as it goes along. I found myself surprised and touched by the latter scenes, especially Tessa Peake-Jones’ performance as the jilted Julia. She emphasized Julia’s softer side, and I thought it was heartbreakingly effective.
This is Julia - doesn't she look sweet?This production captured Proteus’ descent into villainy quite well. Butterworth does some good interpreting, and he's well set up by the other actors. Peake-Jones as Julia was already mentioned, but Silvia (Joanne Pearce) and the Duke (Paul Daneman) also helped in their very believable, but non-script-required, reactions to Proteus. And I have to say that Proteus’ disco-cool/Renaissance fashion sense actually seemed oddly appropriate for a man getting wickeder and wickeder.
Proteus (left) and ValentineGreat Renaissance tunes from the “Consort of Musick” were featured throughout - my brother thought that the lead singer in the opening song was the prominent British early music singer Emma Kirkby, and it does look like her. However, I have not been able to verify this (if anyone knows one way or another, feel free to message me!). I also loved the melody of their song to Silvia - beauteous.
The End of the Matter...
This is perhaps not where I would start if looking for a first movie introduction to Shakespeare. And there are some stylistic issues. But I found it to be a solid - and even moving - interpretation of the play, with a lot of great storytelling. Kudos to the BBC for putting together an enjoyable production of this rarely seen play!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Two Gentlemen: Art
I was poking around on the internet (instead of reading this week's play...), and I found some great pictures on Wikimedia Commons that various artists have done based on Two Gentlemen of Verona. If you read the play last week, or even if you didn't, you might enjoy these.
Here's one I like very much, by Alfred Elmore (1815-1881).
Duke: This love of theirs myself have often seen, Haply when they have judged me fast asleep.
The Duke's expression is great. Valentine and Silvia must have been completely twitterpated to think that he was asleep!
Here's Launce and his dog, by Henry Roberts, the "English engraver, printseller and music publisher." Launce is being played by the actor Richard Yates (c. 1706-1796). The name of the doggy actor, however, seems to not be included on Wikimedia.
I think Crab, my dog, be the sourest-natured dog that lives.
But far and away the most popular scene to immortalize in art is the exciting finale, in which Valentine rescues the fair maid from that villian Proteus.
Let's take a look at one by the pre-Raphaelite, William Holman Hunt. Extraordinary, eh?
My shame and guilt confounds me. Forgive me, Valentine.
More pictures here.
If I were going to choose a scene from the play to paint, I think I would pick the scene where Proteus sings to Silvia's balcony and Julia listens. It's so poignant and you could include some neat Renaissance instruments. What would you pick?
Here's one I like very much, by Alfred Elmore (1815-1881).
Duke: This love of theirs myself have often seen, Haply when they have judged me fast asleep.
The Duke's expression is great. Valentine and Silvia must have been completely twitterpated to think that he was asleep!Here's Launce and his dog, by Henry Roberts, the "English engraver, printseller and music publisher." Launce is being played by the actor Richard Yates (c. 1706-1796). The name of the doggy actor, however, seems to not be included on Wikimedia.
I think Crab, my dog, be the sourest-natured dog that lives.But far and away the most popular scene to immortalize in art is the exciting finale, in which Valentine rescues the fair maid from that villian Proteus.
Let's take a look at one by the pre-Raphaelite, William Holman Hunt. Extraordinary, eh?
My shame and guilt confounds me. Forgive me, Valentine.More pictures here.
If I were going to choose a scene from the play to paint, I think I would pick the scene where Proteus sings to Silvia's balcony and Julia listens. It's so poignant and you could include some neat Renaissance instruments. What would you pick?
Monday, January 10, 2011
Movie review!
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a pretty cool play. BUT...what if you wanted to see a similiar story, only set in 1930s Nationalist China and featuring lots of guns and horses? Have I got a movie for you!
Check out A Spray of Plum Blossoms, which I can pretty much guarantee is Shakespeare like you've never seen it before!
This 1931 silent film, originally released with both English and Chinese caption cards to narrate the silent action, is set in the contemporary, militaristic Chinese culture of that time. Thus, we meet a Valentine and Proteus in uniform, two best friends just graduating from a military academy. Whereas Valentine is an ambitious cadet, Proteus pays more attention to girls, earning this rebuke from his friend:
Pretty much says it all, right? Valentine, unfortunately, makes the mistake of introducing Proteus to his sister (!) Julia, who is captivated by Proteus' ability to make funny animal imitations, such as quacking ducks, with his hands. So when Valentine takes off for Canton to become a Captain under General Sze, Proteus' uncle, he thinks Proteus will take good care of Julia. But Proteus himself has to go to Canton to fulfil his military obligations. When he spends much of his time trying to get the fair Silvia, General Sze's daughter, to laugh at his funny quacking duck imitations, we know trouble is not far behind!
Although trouble does come with a vengeange, there are a lot of sweet moments - we see the development of tenderness between Valentine and Silvia, with a plum blossom becoming the motif of their relationship. When Valentine is banished - court-martialed after Proteus accuses him of treason - he becomes an outlaw known as "The Plum Blossom Bandit," a freedom fighter who embodies all the best elements of Robin Hood and The Scarlet Pimpernel rolled into one! Do not laugh - Valentine is one cool outlaw.
(Valentine on the left. He's really cool.)
Immediately we can tell that a lot of the cultural concerns that this movie is dealing with - family and blood obligations and ties, the duties and political concerns that a military society calls for - are not really the same as in Shakespeare's play. Yet, though the story ranges far afield from the source play in many details, it is in many ways a very charming film. Visually it's great, with awesome sets and costuming varying from the height of 1930s Western fashion to Chinese traditional for the outlaws; everyone, including the women, also appears in military uniform at one time or another. Much of the appeal of the movie comes from the fine acting performances of all four of the main leads -- Jin Yan as Valentine stands out as a very dashing leading man.
So, if you enjoy the silent movie genre (like me!), this might be a great film for you. There's a sweet clip from the movie you can check out on Bardfilm (no guns or horses, alas). There are some issues with the print on the "Cinema Epoch" dvd that we watched; some words in the captions are cut off, and we were only able to keep a watchable image that was not either too dark or to light by constant adjustment of the brightness and contrast.
All told, aside from being a poignant glimpse of a long-vanished China, this film is totally worth watching as a wild adaptation of The Two Gentlemen of Verona! But even though there are changes to the story all the way through, Valentine's words to Proteus at the end still say it all: "I want you to understand that I'm always your pal." Some things never change.
Check out A Spray of Plum Blossoms, which I can pretty much guarantee is Shakespeare like you've never seen it before!
This 1931 silent film, originally released with both English and Chinese caption cards to narrate the silent action, is set in the contemporary, militaristic Chinese culture of that time. Thus, we meet a Valentine and Proteus in uniform, two best friends just graduating from a military academy. Whereas Valentine is an ambitious cadet, Proteus pays more attention to girls, earning this rebuke from his friend:
Pretty much says it all, right? Valentine, unfortunately, makes the mistake of introducing Proteus to his sister (!) Julia, who is captivated by Proteus' ability to make funny animal imitations, such as quacking ducks, with his hands. So when Valentine takes off for Canton to become a Captain under General Sze, Proteus' uncle, he thinks Proteus will take good care of Julia. But Proteus himself has to go to Canton to fulfil his military obligations. When he spends much of his time trying to get the fair Silvia, General Sze's daughter, to laugh at his funny quacking duck imitations, we know trouble is not far behind!
Although trouble does come with a vengeange, there are a lot of sweet moments - we see the development of tenderness between Valentine and Silvia, with a plum blossom becoming the motif of their relationship. When Valentine is banished - court-martialed after Proteus accuses him of treason - he becomes an outlaw known as "The Plum Blossom Bandit," a freedom fighter who embodies all the best elements of Robin Hood and The Scarlet Pimpernel rolled into one! Do not laugh - Valentine is one cool outlaw.
Immediately we can tell that a lot of the cultural concerns that this movie is dealing with - family and blood obligations and ties, the duties and political concerns that a military society calls for - are not really the same as in Shakespeare's play. Yet, though the story ranges far afield from the source play in many details, it is in many ways a very charming film. Visually it's great, with awesome sets and costuming varying from the height of 1930s Western fashion to Chinese traditional for the outlaws; everyone, including the women, also appears in military uniform at one time or another. Much of the appeal of the movie comes from the fine acting performances of all four of the main leads -- Jin Yan as Valentine stands out as a very dashing leading man.
So, if you enjoy the silent movie genre (like me!), this might be a great film for you. There's a sweet clip from the movie you can check out on Bardfilm (no guns or horses, alas). There are some issues with the print on the "Cinema Epoch" dvd that we watched; some words in the captions are cut off, and we were only able to keep a watchable image that was not either too dark or to light by constant adjustment of the brightness and contrast.
All told, aside from being a poignant glimpse of a long-vanished China, this film is totally worth watching as a wild adaptation of The Two Gentlemen of Verona! But even though there are changes to the story all the way through, Valentine's words to Proteus at the end still say it all: "I want you to understand that I'm always your pal." Some things never change.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Forgiveness
Valentine. Thou common friend, that's without faith or love,
For such is a friend now; treacherous man!
Thou hast beguiled my hopes; nought but mine eye
Could have persuaded me: now I dare not say
I have one friend alive; thou wouldst disprove me.
Who should be trusted, when one's own right hand
Is perjured to the bosom? Proteus,
I am sorry I must never trust thee more,
But count the world a stranger for thy sake.
The private wound is deepest: O time most accurst,
'Mongst all foes that a friend should be the worst!
For such is a friend now; treacherous man!
Thou hast beguiled my hopes; nought but mine eye
Could have persuaded me: now I dare not say
I have one friend alive; thou wouldst disprove me.
Who should be trusted, when one's own right hand
Is perjured to the bosom? Proteus,
I am sorry I must never trust thee more,
But count the world a stranger for thy sake.
The private wound is deepest: O time most accurst,
'Mongst all foes that a friend should be the worst!
Proteus. My shame and guilt confounds me.
Forgive me, Valentine: if hearty sorrow
Be a sufficient ransom for offence,
I tender 't here; I do as truly suffer
As e'er I did commit.
Forgive me, Valentine: if hearty sorrow
Be a sufficient ransom for offence,
I tender 't here; I do as truly suffer
As e'er I did commit.
Valentine. Then I am paid;
And once again I do receive thee honest.
Who by repentance is not satisfied
Is nor of heaven nor earth, for these are pleased.
By penitence the Eternal's wrath's appeased:
And once again I do receive thee honest.
Who by repentance is not satisfied
Is nor of heaven nor earth, for these are pleased.
By penitence the Eternal's wrath's appeased:
And, that my love may appear plain and free,
All that was mine in Silvia I give thee.
All that was mine in Silvia I give thee.
(5.4.2215-2237)
Ah, the ending of The Two Gentlemen of Verona. This is the moment we've been waiting for! Valentine will confront that snake Proteus and give him what he deserves! We've watched Proteus' treacherous dealings throughout the play with increased disgust, and our outrage has just reached its highest point with Proteus threat to Silvia: "I'll woo you like a soldier, at arms' end/ And love you 'gainst the nature of love,—force ye" (2208-2209). At this point, we'd really like to see Proteus exposed before the Duke, banished, cast into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. If even Julia could spit on him on his way out (Valentine could find a nice outlaw for her to marry), that would be the cherry on top of his hoped-for downfall.
But that isn't what happens. Valentine, in righteous indignation, taxes Proteus with his perfidy, and Proteus crumbles. Oh, he's so sorry! And then Valentine forgives him.
Valentine then states that he gives up his claim to Silvia's love in favor of Proteus. WHAT? OK, you guys can be friends again, if that's what you really want, but Proteus is the bad guy here. Valentine's definitely going a little above and beyond the call, plus he's disregarding Silvia's previously voiced preferences (notice that she is silent from this point until the end of the play!). Adding to the audience or reader's feelings of confusion and betrayal, this final scene wraps up the play at lightning speed - one moment Valentine is, for the first time, recognizing that Proteus is his enemy, and literally 15 seconds later they are buddies again!
This ending - and its interpretation - has the power to make or break anyone's enjoyment or opinion of this work. I know that the first (and for years, only) time I saw the play, I felt that the ending was creepy and thus, seeing the show was a waste of time. I had no interest in reading or seeing the play again. That was eight and a half years ago and I've steadfastly refused to intersect with the play again until this week. (Side note - see the power of a production? With great power comes great responsibility!)
However, now I feel differently about the ending, in large part because as I read the play, I saw the story as a parallel to Chaucer's "The Knights Tale" from The Canterbury Tales.
(Picture from "The Luminarium" - awesome website!)
I'm not going to give the story away completely, but it involves two best friends who both fall in love with the same woman. Neither will give way or accept that the other could possibly prevail or have the better claim, and the end result of this attitude is horribly, terribly sad. Looking at The Two Gentlemen in this context of rivalry leading to violence, the forgiveness that Valentine extends in order to reconcile becomes much more poignant, almost a miracle. It's also interesting to note that while "The Knight's Tale" takes place within a pagan, pre-Christian context, there's are hints in The Two Gentlemen of both pagan and Christian values and identification in the names of the two main characters. As I noted earlier in the week, the very name Proteus harks back to a pagan world of Greek mythology, but Valentine is not only associated with the idea of Love, but is also the name of a Christian saint and martyr. Looking at the story in this context, we can read Valentine as perhaps taking on some of the characteristics of a Christ figure - he gives up his own rights in favor of reconciling himself to someone totally unworthy. This parallel is also referred to by Valentine, who speaks of the mercy of God: "By penitence the Eternal's wrath's appeased."
Thus we see - played out very quickly before our eyes - the miracle in the forest. Out in nature, away from the court, Proteus becomes even more bold and savage. For the first time Valentine is able to see Proteus' true, depraved nature clearly - and he loves and forgives him anyway. Can we, as the audience, accept the gift of mercy offered by Valentine?
Thus we see - played out very quickly before our eyes - the miracle in the forest. Out in nature, away from the court, Proteus becomes even more bold and savage. For the first time Valentine is able to see Proteus' true, depraved nature clearly - and he loves and forgives him anyway. Can we, as the audience, accept the gift of mercy offered by Valentine?
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Outlaws!
Third Outlaw. By the bare scalp of Robin Hood's fat friar,
This fellow were a king for our wild faction!
This fellow were a king for our wild faction!
...
Such as the fury of ungovern'd youth
Thrust from the company of awful men:
Myself was from Verona banished
For practising to steal away a lady,
Thrust from the company of awful men:
Myself was from Verona banished
For practising to steal away a lady,
An heir, and near allied unto the duke.
First Outlaw. And I for such like petty crimes as these,
But to the purpose—for we cite our faults,
That they may hold excus'd our lawless lives;
And partly, seeing you are beautified
With goodly shape and by your own report
A linguist and a man of such perfection
As we do in our quality much want—
But to the purpose—for we cite our faults,
That they may hold excus'd our lawless lives;
And partly, seeing you are beautified
With goodly shape and by your own report
A linguist and a man of such perfection
As we do in our quality much want—
Second Outlaw. Indeed, because you are a banish'd man,
Therefore, above the rest, we parley to you:
Are you content to be our general?
To make a virtue of necessity
And live, as we do, in this wilderness?
Therefore, above the rest, we parley to you:
Are you content to be our general?
To make a virtue of necessity
And live, as we do, in this wilderness?
Third Outlaw. What say'st thou? wilt thou be of our consort?
Say ay, and be the captain of us all:
We'll do thee homage and be ruled by thee,
Love thee as our commander and our king.
Say ay, and be the captain of us all:
We'll do thee homage and be ruled by thee,
Love thee as our commander and our king.
First Outlaw. But if thou scorn our courtesy, thou diest.
(4.1.1589-1590, 1596-1620)
....
Valentine. These banish'd men that I have kept withal
Are men endued with worthy qualities:
Forgive them what they have committed here
And let them be recall'd from their exile:
They are reformed, civil, full of good
And fit for great employment, worthy lord.
Forgive them what they have committed here
And let them be recall'd from their exile:
They are reformed, civil, full of good
And fit for great employment, worthy lord.
Duke of Mantua. Thou hast prevail'd; I pardon them and thee:
Dispose of them as thou know'st their deserts.
Dispose of them as thou know'st their deserts.
(5.4.2310-2317)
First: if you haven't read the play or read a synopsis, what are you waiting for? I'm going to be giving away the story here right, left, and center, so you've been warned!
The entrance of the outlaws in Act 4, for me, signals a shift in the whole tone of the play. Prior to this moment, we've seen action taking place in the orderly world of courts; noble people seek advancement through such standard procedures as climbing the ladder of courtly favor and pursuing a suitable marriage. Even the dark deeds done by Proteus are all rather clean - though spurred on by passion, he schemes coldly, presenting a false face to Valentine and going through official channels for approval of his actions. In this way he's more frightening than an open enemy - he has characteristics of an Iago or a Claudius, who can "smile and smile and be a villain." He deceives the Duke; Valentine is banished; it's a bloodless coup.
THEN - we get away from the city, get away from the court to "The frontiers of Mantua. A forest," and everything explodes. In contrast to the tightly controlled political culture of the cities, here we've got armed brigands running around! Notice how passionate and warm their crimes are – one wants to elope with a woman who is forbidden to him, another has stabbed a man, not in the back, not cutting the throat, but in the heart. They really need a captain for their outlaw band, however, and as the opening quotation shows, they seize upon Valentine as just the man - handsome and well educated! Outlaw chieftain – perfect new career path!
The new life that Valentine finds in the forest with the exiled outlaws is a major, major diversion from everything he had planned for his future. Recall Valentine's ambition to better himself by his travel experience, and Antonio's shame that his son Proteus was not doing likewise - "... he cannot be a perfect man, /Not being tried and tutor'd in the world" (1.3.324-325). I guess that Valentine's new gig would perhaps be the modern-day equivalent of someone pursuing an M.B.A. at an Ivy League school, only to be expelled and rebound by joining a motorcycle gang. However, though Valentine may feel that his prospects are blasted by his banishment and new criminal career, ultimately his sojourn in the forest ends up being the catalyst for the healing and reconciliation that ends the play.
This theme of journeying into the forest, or what the critic Northrop Frye called the "Green World," in Shakespeare's comedies is something I'll look at in more depth when we get to As You Like It and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but for a quick summary: essentially the "Green World" is a natural environment where, free from the trappings of the city and court culture, the true self is revealed, and can be a place where magic or miracles happen. I'll talk more later in the week about the impact of the Green World on the final reconciliation between Proteus and Valentine and the troubling aspects of the ending, but today I’ll concentrate on the outlaws and how their story relates to the character of the forest world.
The outlaws are separated from acceptable society and are truly dangerous. They steal, some of them are murderers - no worries, they've only committed "such like petty crimes as these" - and they threaten Valentine's life. Here’s the dark side to this forest freedom! Yet the outlaws are also honorable, and their reference to Robin Hood plants them firmly in fairy-tale land, identifying them with the heroic cut-purses of legend and song. Their redemption at the end - forgiveness and reacceptance into society - shows the healing power of the Green World, yet also underscores the fact that they really weren't cut out to be outlaws from the beginning. Their identities as "gentlemen" redeem them, and they are restored to respectability.
Though this de-banishment and redemption, if taken seriously, is touching, the outlaws can also be read as chiefly comedic characters. They are wild. They make snap decisions. They're not very tough, letting everyone they capture either escape or join their ranks. They remind me as nothing so much as the Pirates of Penzance (possibly a Gilbertian spoof of this very play!), whose pathetic attempts at sea-thievery end when they are revealed to be
“No members of the common throng; They are all noblemen who have gone wrong!”
However we may distrust the outlaws’ morals and competence, they do serve a very important role. Their intervention in detaining Valentine in the woods allow him to be on the spot to rescue Silvia from the lecherous clutches of Proteus, and their re-acceptance into society also serves as a symbol of the softening of the governmental rigidity that has caused so much havoc in Silvia and Valentine’s lives. The Duke finally relents and consents to the marriage of the young lovers; the wild men of the forest, previously banished, are welcomed home. All is happiness – yet one still hopes that the outlaws will bring some of their Robin Hood-ish freedom and openness with them from their Green World back into the world of the city, court, and the clean, smiling, back-stabbing crime.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
A Production!
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is simply not one of Shakespeare's most performed plays. There aren't even very many filmed versions. That's why I'm so surprised and excited that a theatre company in my hometown is actually performing the play! This week! Amazing timing, right? I'm going to see it on Sunday and shall report back on the show!
Monday, January 3, 2011
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
The current that with gentle murmur glides,
Thou know'st, being stopp'd, impatiently doth rage;
But when his fair course is not hindered,
He makes sweet music with th'enamell'd stones,
Giving a gentle kiss to every sedge
He overtaketh in his pilgrimage;
And so by many winding nooks he strays,
With willing sport, to the wide ocean.
Then let me go, and hinder not my course:
I'll be as patient as a gentle stream,
And make a pastime of each weary step,
Tell the last step have brought me to my love;
And there I'll rest, as, after much turmoil,
A blessed soul doth in Elysium.
(2.7.27-40)
The Two Gentlemen of Verona! If you'd like to read along, text is here!
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a play that I've never felt very interested in. Perhaps this is due to seeing a rather unfortunate production done by high-schoolers when I was young; the costumes from that show chiefly stick in my memory, as I believe both male leads wore bright orange pants and Julia (who whined throughout) donned a backwards baseball cap as a "disguise". Plus I thought the ending was rather creepy....However, as Benedick of Much Ado About Nothing says,
"doth not the appetite alter? a man loves the meat
in his youth that he cannot endure in his age."
Though in my case it's rather the reverse - I'm enjoying this play.
I chose the opening quote, spoken by Julia, as Shakespeare's saying of the day as it seems to incapsulate much of what is going on with all four of the young lovers throughout the first three acts. While the words sound - and are! - absolutely beautiful, this young woman is actually expressing her desire to get her own way in all things, including abandoning her home and estate to catch a glimpse of her love.
Although this can be viewed as noble, there's a hint of menace in her threat that "stopp'd" the stream "impatiently doth rage"; this possibility of danger is fully fleshed out through the actions of Julia's lover Proteus, whose very name speaks of changability and inconstancy. Proteus, like the stream whose "course is not hindered," goes with the flow and follows his feelings; when his emotions lead him into a passion for his friend Valentine's betrothed, he is absolutely dangerous in his willingness to remove all obstacles that would "hinder" him from getting what he wants, throwing Valentine under the bus by betraying him to the Duke of Milan in a way that literally threatens his life.
Proteus, like Julia, wants his own way, and will, like the stream, seem gentle when left to run without any restraints on him such as duty, friendship, or his promises. He himself excuses his behavior thus: "I to myself am dearer than a friend" (2.6.953). A dangerous attitude indeed; beware the stream that "impatiently doth rage."
Thou know'st, being stopp'd, impatiently doth rage;
But when his fair course is not hindered,
He makes sweet music with th'enamell'd stones,
Giving a gentle kiss to every sedge
He overtaketh in his pilgrimage;
And so by many winding nooks he strays,
With willing sport, to the wide ocean.
Then let me go, and hinder not my course:
I'll be as patient as a gentle stream,
And make a pastime of each weary step,
Tell the last step have brought me to my love;
And there I'll rest, as, after much turmoil,
A blessed soul doth in Elysium.
(2.7.27-40)
The Two Gentlemen of Verona! If you'd like to read along, text is here!
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a play that I've never felt very interested in. Perhaps this is due to seeing a rather unfortunate production done by high-schoolers when I was young; the costumes from that show chiefly stick in my memory, as I believe both male leads wore bright orange pants and Julia (who whined throughout) donned a backwards baseball cap as a "disguise". Plus I thought the ending was rather creepy....However, as Benedick of Much Ado About Nothing says,
"doth not the appetite alter? a man loves the meat
in his youth that he cannot endure in his age."
Though in my case it's rather the reverse - I'm enjoying this play.
I chose the opening quote, spoken by Julia, as Shakespeare's saying of the day as it seems to incapsulate much of what is going on with all four of the young lovers throughout the first three acts. While the words sound - and are! - absolutely beautiful, this young woman is actually expressing her desire to get her own way in all things, including abandoning her home and estate to catch a glimpse of her love.
Although this can be viewed as noble, there's a hint of menace in her threat that "stopp'd" the stream "impatiently doth rage"; this possibility of danger is fully fleshed out through the actions of Julia's lover Proteus, whose very name speaks of changability and inconstancy. Proteus, like the stream whose "course is not hindered," goes with the flow and follows his feelings; when his emotions lead him into a passion for his friend Valentine's betrothed, he is absolutely dangerous in his willingness to remove all obstacles that would "hinder" him from getting what he wants, throwing Valentine under the bus by betraying him to the Duke of Milan in a way that literally threatens his life.
Proteus, like Julia, wants his own way, and will, like the stream, seem gentle when left to run without any restraints on him such as duty, friendship, or his promises. He himself excuses his behavior thus: "I to myself am dearer than a friend" (2.6.953). A dangerous attitude indeed; beware the stream that "impatiently doth rage."
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