Richard 3

Citation: Shakespeare in Love. Dir. John Madden. Perf. Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes. Miramax, 1999. Netflix. Web.

25 Oct 2016.

10/24: Act V 1 and 2: Richard and Richmond and their styles and leadership compared side by side. Conscience has returned as an important idea [Richmond: "Every man's conscience is a thousand men/To fight against this guilty homicide" (5.2.17-18).] Assessment coming up: I am asking you to choose a page or so (maybe dialogue, maybe speech - choose from post Hastings' death) and SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW by analyzing that section. Those taking it for honors credit need to choose a section which they can analyze using Forsyth (one rhetorical device) and how Shakespeare's use of that device works to illuminate something vital (about character, about thematic ideas, etc.). If you are taking it for CPA credit, you can choose to analyze via Forsyth OR choose a section and analyze how that section helps to flesh out what Shakespeare is saying about a thematic idea we've been following (i.e what does his play say about the use of power? about it limits? about its dangers? what does the pay say about curses and God? about the power of women and where that comes from, etc?) Remember that you must take the end into account as you make your arguments.

10/21: We finished Act 4 together. Pay attention to Richard's reaction to Elizabeth and then his immediate projection of leadership. Does he look like a good leader or not? What does that tell you about Richard? About the nature of power (now that he finally has power, he uses it ineffectively and perhaps disastrously)? Pay attention to Lord Stanley too and the position he is in.

10/20: Meeting in small groups to read through the exchange between Richard and Elizabeth (start on page 141 and finish the scene): This is another of the “echoes” in the play. This scene is structured in the same way as 1.2 when Richard times his wooing of Anne to coincide with her mourning. Richard has no time to lose (he needs to marry Elizabeth’s daughter to shore up his claim to the throne) but he has a steeper hurdle – he killed Anne’s husband as part of an act of war; he killed Elizabeth’s children in a greedy power play.

As you read, be looking for echoes here – in situation, in characterization and relationship, in wordplay. THINK about Elizabeth’s request of Margaret (teach me how to curse) – has she learned? Is she effective? Look at Richard’s methods: in what ways is he following the playbook he developed wooing Anne and what changes is he making? Make lists of these ideas in your blue book (I’ll be looking for at least a page and they should be specific with connections back to 1.2). Finally (homework), on the front of the notecard: write about the exchange between Elizabeth and Richard – who was stronger, what do you think will happen and why? Has he convinced Elizabeth? Why and/or how? Given all that happened with Anne, what do you predict for Elizabeth? For her daughter? For Richard? On the back of the notecard: Write about Richard’s state of mind as you see it at this point in the play. What do you see in terms of his emotions and where are they coming from? How does this relate to the theme of power? What is Shakespeare’s characterization saying about power? Fill both sides of the card

10/18: We are through 4.3 today. Thinking about Richard's mental state (paranoia, anger, disassociation, etc.), Buckingham's "breath" and what his answer would have been, the idea that the action of the play depends on Richard's exploration of where everyone's line in the sand is - how far can he push someone before s/he reaches the moral limit? We are also thinking about Tyrell and the murderers and their reaction to the children's deaths and what that tells us. HOMEWORK is to read and evaluate my cuts of the opening of 4.4 (attached below - the prompt is on page 3).

10/14: In class, please see "Richard 3 4.1" (attached). Due Monday: For this Forsyth chapter, let’s add to the original assignment by a little: On the front of the notecard, write down three interesting takeaways you had from last night’s reading. These takeaways should align with our purposes for reading: to better understand how Shakespeare worked as a writer and to better understand purpose and usage of a particular literary and/or rhetorical device. Tell me what you are taking away and how/why it informs those purposes (i.e. why it matters!). On the back” write about how the chapter helps to inform your thinking of Shakespeare’s poetry and especially his use of verse. Walk me through any new discoveries/understanding you have about iambic pentameter, about the different ways different meter choices matter, etc. Play with some lines if you want. Fill the back of the card.

10/13: Please finish reading 3.7 tonight. We discussed what we know and worked your way through 3.7, including through the speech (attached)

10/12: HOMEWORK: Please make sure you have read through page 116. Tonight, let's practice the skills you already have down about reading: making sure that you are carrying forward with you what you already know about plot, character, relationships, emerging thematic ideas, motivations, etc. In your journal, write about the following: What happened to Plan A (the pLan Richard sent Buckingham to put into effect in 3.5)? What is Plan B? Who is part of the plan (and what are their roles)? Who is/are the target(s)? What is the plan intended to achieve and how and why??? Write at least a page but I am thinking you might need more...). In class: On the front of the notecard: looking at the paraphrasing you did last night: list your strengths and tell me why they are strengths and list your weaknesses (tell me what really stumps you and WHY) and tell me how long the paraphrasing took you). On the back: what are the three most important ideas from Richard and Buckingham and why. What are the two most important in the Scrivener's speech and why and would you cut that speech?

We worked in small groups beginning 3.8.

10/11: We talked in class today about the gains and losses Richard faces after murdering Hastings. We explored the idea that many people know of Richard's dishonesty (and perhaps villainy) but none (except Margaret) say anything. We read the first half of 3.5. HOMEWORK: Paraphrase the rest of 3.5 and 3.6 (instructions below)

9/26: In class today, reviewed 1.3 and moved on to 1.4. We worked in groups to stage the scene round robin.

Between now and Thursday, please watch “Shakespeare: Original pronunciation” on youtube. This is a great video that allows you to take in all sorts of things at once: you get to see the Globe Theater, you can hear how Shakespeare and his actors would have pronounced certain words and think about why that matters in understanding the plays. It’s 10 minutes long, but you might need to watch twice to take it all in. On the front of the notecard: take notes about what is interesting (about the Globe and about the discussion) – you should have somewhere between 6-10 bullets. On the back: react and reflect on what you saw, heard and learned from this video. Does it matter? Why? Why not? What do you think about efforts like this? Should they continue? Do they deepen understanding? What does it say about the reach of Shakespeare (and/or about his skill) that such work is being done? Fill the back of the card

9/23: We read most of the rest of 1.3 (attached below): HOMEWORK: Reread the half of the scene we performed in class. Make sure that you know the curses Margaret lays (mark those and number them). Look for cues that help you to know who a character is speaking to and/or when a character should move. Highlight these. Write in the margins stage directions you think are important to guide actors and why. At the end, paraphrase Richard;s speech (line by line) on the page.

9/21: Finished talked about 1.2 - and about Anne's reality check (power and the ring? Richard's power play "suicide"), Anne's smarts, wordplay, strength, etc. rape culture, assault, etc. Richard's victory and what that says about his character. We started 1.3 (through the beginning of page 53 - before Margaret speaks). HOMEWORK: please read "Metonymy and Synecdoche" (attached below) by Forsyth and complete the notecard for Friday.

9/20: We worked on the bulk of the scene between Anne and Richard today (1.2) in a round robin fashion. Looking at Anne's strength and venom, Richard's very inappropriate wooing, Anne's realistic reckoning with the world, etc. HOMEWORK: Please finish 1.2 tonight - look for the indications of Anne's reality check, for Richard's gloating and for the plots he still has to lay. Take notes and come ready to talk tomorrow.

9/16: Discussion about Forsyth and Richard's opening soliloquy and the performances. Finished 1.1 (Hastings Clarence, Richard's plotting against them and to woo Anne, etc.). We read Anne's opening, her grieving and her passionate hatred of Richard.

9/15: Please read the excerpted chapter about "Personification" that I gave you today in class. You are reading this to gain a better understanding of personification as a literary technique AND to better understand how and why this is part of Shakespeare's repertoire and his legacy. Please mark up the reading needed and identify three new ideas you have about Shakespeare and about the use of the device.

9/14: We set up tableaus for Lancaster and York tapestries commemorating the War of the Roses. After the tableaus, write about what you are thinking (from your position as a Lancaster or a York): How do you feel after the civil war? How are you feeling about yourself, about your country? How are you feeling about your government? About the other side? What dangers are you facing? What are you celebrating? How do you plan to move forward, etc.? We talked about why this might matter going forward.

9/13: Between now and Thursday, please go to the website and watch at least three of the four different versions of the opening soliloquy form Richard 3. As you watch, pay attention to the staging (the scene and how it is constructed, the sense of setting you get etc.) as well as the performance (I would suggest watching twice). After you watch: react to what you saw in your journal (make sure to note which version you are watching) – write about the characterization of Richard and what you thought of it, write about what you understood from performance about the speech that you hadn’t before, about choices that you see being made and what you think of those and why, new insights you have gained, etc. For each clip you should strive to write at least 2/3rds of a page. Links: Royal Shakespeare, Ian McKellan, Lawrence Olivier, David Morrisey

9/12: Tonight, please read over the soliloquy I gave you in class today. Work on it two or three times - paraphrase what you can, try to group the lines in ways that make sense (THINK about what we have ben doing in class - looking for shifts, identifying purposes, etc.). Do what you can and come to class prepared to talk about it tomorrow.