- Most interesting short assignment:
The short assignment that I found most interesting was my Romeo and Juliet assignment where I examined the parallelism between Juliet and Jesus Christ, and Romeo and a sinner. I really enjoyed discovering religious symbolism and the message Shakespeare was sending by including it.
- Most interesting play:
The most interesting play, for me, would be Henry V. This is due in part to the fact that I had not read it before, but I was also very interested in the play because of the evaluation of Henry as a leader. I really enjoyed his strategies to unite his soldiers, specifically his rhetorical strategies.
- Most interesting character:
The characters I found most interesting are Brutus, of Julius Caesar, and Beatrice of Much Ado About Nothing. I was very interested in Brutus because of the psychological analysis that comes into play when evaluating his actions and intent, and I enjoyed looking at his rhetoric. I was also drawn to Beatrice because of her rhetoric and was surprised by the sheer amount of lines that she has. I was really surprised to see such a strong female character, which is uncommon in most of Shakespeare’s plays.
- Themes that resonated with me:
I really enjoyed the themes of Hamlet and the justification of acts of terror or vengeance. I find myself struggling with questions like is revenge natural? Is it acceptable? Is murder in this case justified? Why? I also really enjoyed the theme of perception vs reality in this play.
- Modern cultural practices:
I was not particularly drawn to any specific cultural elements or practices.
- Further areas of study:
I would really like to examine the role of women in Shakespeare’s plays. Traditionally at this time, women did not have many rights or social recognition. This is portrayed in the minor and subservient roles women play in Shakespeare’s plays, expect for Beatrice and Lady Macbeth who really stand out with their bold characterization. Why these two characters? Why this portrayal? If Shakespeare uses common themes of the time and makes social commentary, what does this say about women of the time?