Hamlet-the modern soundtrack

Ok, so after much perusing of music, I've finally come up with a list of what I feel would be the perfect modern musical telling of Hamlet. It's obviously based on my interpretation of different issues, so some of you may have different feelings about which songs should be included. I'd love to hear some feedback! Do you think this is a good list? Do you think anything should be added? Removed? The main chorus of each song below is what I have intended as being played for each scenario. :)


Chin up - Copeland: This is the beginning of the play when Claudius and Gertrude are telling Hamlet to stop being so gloomy because fathers die everyday. They essentially say chin up!


Mad World - Gary Jules: This is when Hamlet is talking about suicide, and how he wishes it was not forbidden by God. He is very bitter about his mother's remarriage.

Sweet Revenge - Chris Cornell:  This is when Hamlet talks to his father's ghost, and vows to get revenge for his father's murder.


Fake Friends - Joan Jett:  This song is for when Hamlet realizes his friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are spying for the King and Queen.

Do You Remember? - Jay Sean: This is when Hamlet has the actors stage a play of his father's murder for Claudius and Gertrude.


Suicide - Gnarls Barkley: This is the song playing when Hamlet is doing his famous "To be or not to be?" soliloquy.


Someday You Will Be Loved - Death Cab for Cutie: This is basically the theme song for Ophelia and Hamlet. He literally cannot love her due to their circumstances.

Hear You Me - Jimmy Eat World: This is the song that plays when Hamlet hears that Ophelia is dead.

Bad Boys - Bob Marley: Hamlet takes his revenge. He kills Laertes and Claudius, and Rosencrantz an Guildenstern die.

What Goes Around - Justin Timberlake: Hamlet's plan for revenge comes full circle, and he ends up dead as well.


Remember - Josh Groban: Hamlet's memory is carried by those around him. "Good night, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to rest!"

So, that is a very short synopsis. If you guys can think of anything to add, or have any insight, let me know!

Richard III: Tyrant or Victim of Slander?

 

I am reading the play Richard III for my historical play requirement. I chose this play for a few reasons. One, I know next to nothing about it. Two, I know Shakespeare portrays Richard as a ruthless, cold-hearted man who will do anything for power. I always find it interesting to read about the motivations for actions I don't understand. It's really eye-opening for me to try to get inside of someone else's mind, and see what they see. Understand what pushes them to act as they do. Richard III's actions are unfathomable to me. I can't understand what would cause someone to think that murder of any type is condonable in the name of power.

In order to fully grasp the play, I decided to look up the history of Richard III. In reading about his life, it becomes apparent that he rose to power at a young age. He was only eighteen when he played key roles in two battles which resulted in Edward's restoration to the throne in spring 1471 -  Barnet and Tewkesbury. Richard appears to have been very loyal to his brother, King Edward IV. He was rewarded handsomely for his loyalty and service. Before long he was the richest and most powerful noble in England.

The controversy arose upon the death of his brother, King Edward IV. Edward's sons were next in line for the throne, however much too young to have full reign. So Richard was named Lord Protector. He moved his two nephews (Edward and Richard) to the Tower of London (this was before it was infamous as a prison and place of executions) for protection. Not long after, Richard had the marriage of his brother King Edward and the mother of the two princes (Elizabeth) declared illegitimate, thereby making Richard the rightful king. His two nephews disappeared not long after Richard's coronation, and were never seen again. 

King Richard was only in power for a tumultuous two years, which were marked by rebellions from those loyal to Kind Edward IV, and from those with their own political ambitions.

Many believed that Richard was responsible for the death of his two nephews, as he had much to       gain from their disappearances. As I was researching Richard, I discovered an interesting site. It was set up by a group called the Richard III society (you can find the link here). A quote from their page explains their purpose; "We want to strip away the spin, the unfair innuendo, Tudor artistic shaping and the lazy acquiescence of later ages, and get at the truth." According to the Richard III society, Richard has not gotten a fair trial. They state that he is often described in the following manner: 

• he was a nasty hunchback who plotted and schemed his way to the throne
• he killed Henry VI’s son Edward; 
• he killed Henry VI (a sweet, innocent saint); 
• he got his brother, the duke of Clarence, executed; 
• he killed the Princes in the Tower (sweet, innocent children); 
• he killed his wife Anne because he wanted to marry his niece Elizabeth;  
• he was a bad king; and so it was lucky that Good King Henry Tudor got rid of him for us". 

Quite the resume right? The Richard III society maintains that Richard was the object of political slander (by his opponents), and that this myth was perpetuated by Shakespeare's work. Everyone knows that pop culture knows best, right? Popular works such as Shakespeare's play may have served to shape the opinions of the people, forever cementing Richard's place in history as a murdering monarch. 

I find it really interesting that these people in this Society are researching the validity of these claims. It is well known that political adversaries do much mud-slinging even today. I'm sure that was the case in Richard's time as well. It is also true that media plays a huge role in the public's perception of events. During the 1400s, media consisted of plays and story-telling. How much or a role did this play in Richard's "guilty verdict"? It is an interesting argument they present. I invite you to look at the page and draw your own conclusions on the nature of King Richard III! To start you off, here is a link to an article listing all the possible suspects (along with motives and opportunities) of the murder of the two princes. A very interesting read! Sherlock, you better call Watson. I think you'll need his help on this one!

Work in Progress - the Rants of a Blog Construction Worker

So, this blog is definitely turning out to be a learning experience for me in more ways than just Shakespeare! I'm figuring out how to blog effectively, and in a way that will hopefully catch the attention of all of you out there!

My Hamlet soundtrack is turning out to be a bit more time consuming than I originally anticipated. I'm just trying to come up with a list of modern songs that fit various scenes throughout the play, but I want them to fit not just in lyrics, but also in mood and tonality. Which is where the tricky part comes in. Lots of songs may have some words that seem to fit a scene, but the tone is over at the end of the verse and it goes off on some random tangent! I want to have a list of about ten songs, and currently I'm at about four. So it's still coming!

In class, Professor Burton mentioned that he wants each blog to have a focus. Through this project I decided I want to research Shakespeare in pop culture, specifically music. As one classmate mentioned on a blog post, that makes the title of this blog much more fitting! :) So that's the direction I'm planning on taking this in. Hope you'll tune in!
                                     

Still workin on some hamlet! :)

So, I love music. And because of that love for music, I also love musicals. I was thinking...what would it be like if Hamlet had a soundtrack? What would the theme songs be? What would be the background music going on during each scene? So, I decided to plot that out! I'm currently working on said project. Keep your eyes open...coming shortly! But to tide you over till it's posted tomorrow...here's a lovely little Shakespeare musical summary of Hamlet, with clips from a Hamlet film! Enjoy!

Mapping out the Semester

So, I'm sitting here trying to decide how on earth I'm going to come up with a lesson plan. It's a little bit intimidating! What if I miss something? An objective that I was supposed to have mastered? But here I go. I'm going to try and get something down on paper and see what you all think! If you have any suggestions, please let me know. I would appreciate anything you guys have to offer!

1. I want to study the historical and cultural context of Shakespeare's works. In order to understand the full impact of each play, I should understand the important issues of the time. I should also research the cultural norms of the English society.

2. I want to try to understand the emotion that Shakespeare is channeling through his characters. I love music. In fact, I am a music minor and  I have written a few songs. Writing music is all about fully understanding an emotion or situation. I want to take a monologue from one of Shakespeare's plays, modernize it lyrically, and put it to song.

3. I am interested in how much Shakespeare has influenced the English language. I know he has had a profound impact on our vocabulary, but I would like to look at how often he is referenced in other important literary works that came after.

4. I want to compare modern makings of Shakespeare's plays with the originals. For example, the movie "She's the Man" is based on the play "Twelfth Night". I want to find a couple of different example such as these, and compare the storyline of the modern telling with the original. Compare characters, emotions, themes, etc.

5. In order to share awareness of Shakespeare with my friends, I would like to put on a mini-production of a Shakespearean play. To make it interesting, I would want to take different adjectives (happy, angry, jealous, immature, indifferent) and write them on slips of paper and put them in a hat. Then have each performer draw from that hat, and act out the parts based on what they drew.

6. I want to try to better interpret Shakespeare's meaning. So, to facilitate this I want to take one of Shakespeare's acts and change the translation to a more modern interpretation.

7. I want to attend a live production of a Shakespearean play if possible. In order to get the full effect of the work, which was written and intended to be performed, I think viewing it in the way it was intended would be an interesting experience.

8. We all know about Shakespeare's literary works. I would be interested to learn more about the man behind the pen. What was his private life like? His upbringing? His everyday affairs? His family? His faith? All of these things influence a person, so they would have had influence on his writing as well. I want to see if there are any parallels between his characters and his real life experiences.

So, that's what I have so far! I think this is going to be a really fun semester. :) See you tomorrow in class!
                                           

Me 101 - Intro to Lianna

Piano. Stars. The Ocean. Surfing. Fruit Juice. Taylor Swift. The Smell of Sunscreen. Spontaneous. Soccer. Prankster. Hiking. Friendly. Pumpkin Pie. Chef. Loving. The Smell of Fireplaces. Dandelions. Basketball. Dancing. Boba. Nat King Cole. The Smell of Barbecues. Singing. Josh Turner. Friends. Guitar. Swimming. Citrus. Mountains. Hash browns. Joking. Reading. Horses. The Smell of the Rain. Laughing. Ingrid Michaelson. Breezes. Forests. Snuggling. Writing music. The Beach Boys. Family. Road trips. Napping. Playing. Hugs. Smiles.


This is a little bit about what I love. The list could continue on and on forever! But since this is merely a 101 course, I'll start with the basics and we can build from there. You are all welcome to take the 201 level class next semester!