Hello from Stratford-upon-Avon!
The bed and breakfast we are staying at has no Internet so my posts may be a bit sporadic. Do not fear though because I will continue posting as often as possible! We arrived in Stratford yesterday and had little trouble finding our bed and breakfast. Sadly, McKinley and I are not rooming together on this portion of the trip because we both got stuck with the two singles. This morning, we had class on Macbeth, which is one of my favorite plays. Macbeth is regarded as one of the greatest plays ever written, but it is also one of the bloodiest. Nonetheless, it is interesting to see the transformation of Macbeth from a faithful soldier, to a person bound for the crown. I recognize a distinct comparison between Macbeth and Othello because they are both regarded as strong figures, yet they are both manipulated and influenced. Would Macbeth have actually gone on with his horrible deed if his wife had not influenced him? If Iago had remained silent, would Othello have killed Desdemona? It really forces the reader to ponder how evil these characters truly are. It should be interesting to see how the witches are portrayed because they, obviously, are supposed to be of the supernatural. I will have to wait and see tonight when we see Macbeth!
After class, we took a bit to walk around and observe Stratford. Shakespeare is everywhere here! The names of his plays can be seen in the hotels and cafes surrounding the town. After that, we visited Shakespeare's birthplace which holds the copies of some of the original play documents. It also shows where he lived and what his day-to-day life might have looked like. Needless to say, life in the late 1500s-early 1600s was very difficult, but Shakespeare's family was relatively wealthy, so it probably wasn't as bad for them. We also saw the place where Shakespeare is buried in the Holy Trinity Church, which is just up the street from our bed-and-breakfast. Here is a rundown of the program in Stratford-upon-Avon:
Monday
Class on Macbeth
Visit to Shakespeare's Birthplace and grave
Performance of Macbeth
Tuesday
Post-performance discussion of Macbeth
Q&A on Macbeth with the actors
Class on The Merchant of Venice
Performance of The Merchant of Venice
Wednesday
Post-performance discussion on The Merchant of Venice
Q&A on The Merchant of Venice with the actors
Shakespeare Stage Combat Class
Thursday
Class on The City Madam
Visit Anne Hathaway's Cottage in Shottery
Performance of The City Madam
Friday
Post-performance discussion on The City Madam
Group session led by Professor Barnett
Saturday
Group session led by Professor Barnett
Sunday
Unfortunately, it is time to return to the United States with fond memories of the United Kingdom
I shall leave you with one of Macbeth's most famous soliloquy
"There would have been a time for such a word.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have light fools the way to dusty death
Out, out brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing"
AL
As literary types will know already, the great American writer, William Faulkner, took from MacBeth's soliloquy the title of his greatest book: "The Sound and the Fury."
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