Formby,+Gemma

GF All My Sons GF Life Is a Dream @GF The 39 Steps GFRealism GFPlay GF Musicals Assignment 3 due September 26th, 2011

In class, we examined two different renditions of Shakespeare's "Henry V". One, the Branaugh interpretation, was made in the late 1980's, while the Olivier version was made amidst World War II. The differences between the two are evident in which lines are omitted from the original play. No lines are added, but these omissions in language add meaning to the play, especially highlighting the differences between the French and the English camps in Act IV, scenes II and III. The most striking difference in the beginning of Act IV, is the large omission of the first several lines in conversation of the French camp by Branaugh. It now begins with the Constable's "Hark, how our steeds for present service neigh" instead of Orleans' "The sun doth gild our armor; up, my lords!". This change makes the mood much more somber without the French repartee of sorts. This is also reflected in the films of each play. The Olivier version shows the French as a disorganized group dancing around in bright, almost comical clothing. The contrast with the more serious English camp (also shown in bright colors but mostly blue, red, and gold). Branaugh's interpretation in film is shown in a darker setting, with more serious-looking Frenchmen with heavy drums in the background. Branaugh's interpretation shows the French as more determined to fight. Another example of Branaugh's serious interpretation of the French is the use of the Constable in later conversation. He says "They have said their prayers, and they stay for death", which is quite a heavy line. This line is taken out of Olivier's version. Branaugh's setting in the mud in the dark, almost gray woods is much more realistic than Olivier's stylized, sunlit set. The reason for this is that Olivier was attempting to boost British morale during World War II (the film was even partially funded by the British government). The differences in the language interpretation in the English camp in Scene III is slightly less apparent, but the visuals in the films show the main differences. In Olivier's version, the English camp is shown in boldly colored outfits of red, blue, and gold. They find out that the French are attacking quite quickly yet are already ready, showing the English as well-informed and prepared. The English camp is serious, yet not bleak, which is the difference between this version and Branaugh's. In the later film, the gray overcast sky mirrors the English camp's mood. The speeches are much more foreboding and the body language of the characters suggests that they are fighting with their last hopes. Another big difference is the interpretation of Montjoy, sent by the Constable of France. In Olivier's version, Montjoy comes to tell the English that they will be overthrown but he is not taken seriously. The English seem well-prepared and not worried. In Branaugh's version, Montjoy is not taken so lightly. He is the physical representation of the Englishmen's fears. Although both of King Henry's speeches are inspiring, no matter what few lines are omitted, in Branaugh's film, the fact that the speech is in retaliation to Montjoy's message while in Oliver's version it is in spite of it. Although this interpretation is more realistic in terms of dread before a battle, Olivier's version was meant to show the English as powerful and able to easily dispose of any foe in face of World War II.

2nd Writing Assignment due September 9th, 2011

1. Discuss how racial discrimination is presented in the play, using examples as they occur throughout the work. How does it affect the characters and how do they respond to it? Please be specific.

In "Joe Turner's Come and Gone", Bynum's boarding house brings together several characters, all with different stories. The play shows the struggles of African Americans in society after the end of slavery, but these separate stories of the men, women, and children in the boarding house mirror the overall struggle for true freedom. Racial discrimination is mostly shown through these stories and gossip within the house. At the beginning of the play, Seth makes clear his opinions towards those headed to the North in search for work. He says "Word get out they need men to work in the mill and put in these roads...and niggers drop everything and head North looking for freedom" (61). Although it is historically accurate that freed slaves and their families went North in search of jobs, even though there was in reality not many job opportunities, Seth's view on the situated is different from most of the other characters because he was born into freedom. The job opportunities in the South were scarce for black men and women, shown through Jeremy's failure in finding a job. Another example of racial discrimination is Jeremy's supposed public drunkenness, a topic of gossip within the house. Once Jeremy comes back, it is revealed that Jeremy only had drunk a half-pint and was in no way drunk. The police officers wanted the money that Jeremy and his friends were carrying, and knew that it would be easy to get away with incriminating a black man. The most obvious example of racial discrimination in the play is Harold Loomis' seven year imprisonment in Joe Turner's chain gang. Loomis loses contact with his wife, Martha, and his daughter for years. This loss of contact with his family is similar to the destruction slavery caused on a national scale.

Assignment 1

1. Describe how comedy seems to be communicated by the clown servants in the two videos. In the videos we watched in class that involved the making of holy water by a dalang puppeteer, the use of comedy was somewhat surprising in such a symbolic ritual. Several puppets were used, many of which involved characters from Indian epics and the symbolic tree of life (representing the passage of time and sometimes a transition between scenes). But, the puppeteer also made use of puppets that starred in more comedic roles. The imagery created by the stylized, awkward-looking clown servant with large noses, bulging bellies, and large, crooked teeth. Even the shadows of these puppets still comes across as comedic. Besides the imagery these puppets create, the sounds and movements that it makes are almost of equal importance. Although we could not understand the language that the puppeteer was using, laughter is part of universal communication. The clown servants hysterically laughed and made awkward, fast movements which definitely contributed to the comedic aspects of the performance.

2. Why do you think the puppeteer elects to use such tactics during these serious events? No matter how serious a performance is, the audience needs to be entertained in order to keep their interest. This way, the audience (often young people as the ceremony of making holy water is often for rights of passage) pays more interest to the overall performance and appreciates the religious aspects of the performance more. A theme prevalent in this Balinese culture is the struggle between good and evil and the fact that evil never can be truly vanquished but can still be kept in balance with good. Because of this heavy background for the performance, something is needed to lighten the mood that would not take away from the importance of the performance.

I'm Gemma and I love to play tennis, be silly, and meet new people :)