Updated Tweethis

I got some more responses on my tweethis, so I thought I'd post them here.


The two newest comments talk about how Shakespeare is universal in time (and that's why we still care) and how we haven't learned from history, and that's why things are the same. I think the second is an interesting way to see a connection. It implies that abusive relationships are a solvable problem that we just haven't learned enough about yet. I'm not sure that I believe that.

A Meeting

In a last-ditch effort to put my paper together, I took Kaleigh’s advice and met with Professor Hutchins on campus, where I again learned how many people are better qualified than I am. He brought up several interesting points. I won’t go into too much depth in an effort to get to some more writing on my paper:

1. The view of Jews in The Merchant of Venice is mostly based on stereotypes. The Jews had been kicked out of England in Shakespeare’s time, and it’s unlikely that he ever met anyone who openly confessed to being a Jew.
2. There’s a ton of Greek mythology in Merchant that can lead you to believe that even Shakespeare held a somewhat sympathetic view toward Shylock (and women and homosexuals, for that matter).
3. The court scene shows the insufficiency of the law. Mercy is what saves people.
4. A lot of the other (more minor) character relationships are troublesome as well. Jessica is an outsider brought into a new world, with her main draw being that she could steal her father’s gold (which she has already done). Antonio and Portia seem to be fighting for Bassanio’s affection. The power plays of the women with their husbands are disquieting.

Tweethis

I made and circulated a tweethis. And I think that's about the most I can say about it. It did make me say my thesis very concisely, but I didn't get a ton of response. It'd probably be more helpful if I had a following on twitter.
The consensus: my brother still thinks I'm a nerd, and a helpful friend commented that Shakespeare shows us a lot of dysfunctional relationships.

Rough Draft, Rough Draft, Read All About It.

The draft I’ve linked to in a Google doc is a rough draft—emphasis on the rough. In fact, I would classify it more as a ridiculously extended outline. Written in full sentences. In paragraph form.

Okay. So not an outline. But what is really needs right now is a content and organization edit rather than a grammar or more nitpicky edit. Comment with a question when something brings one up. Or comment on the implications, or when something needs more explanation, etc.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OHgdFFtMZAYPIAEFD6leSY_a24Ph_gwgSAfkcFnngFU/edit

My Writing Process

As I'm putting all of this research together in some (hopefully) coherent form, I thought I might describe a little bit of the start of my writing process, and see if the rest of you have any similarities.

First, there's a little bit of this:
Then, a tad bit of this:

But really. I stare at the screen for a while thinking, "How? How can I do this? Why was I so excited about this topic until I had to formally do something about it? Why am I writing about my process instead of finishing my draft?" and so on.

THEN. I start writing the what I think is an introductory explanation. I've learned I should quit trying to write a good intro and just write. The intro usually comes from a different part of my paper I get to later. It's infinitely more interesting.

Then I start writing down phrases that are kind of like headings for different possible sections of the paper. I organize them more logically into fewer groups, put any evidence that immediately comes to mind in small phrases, and go for it. I've learned that a too detailed outline limits my writing and makes it a lot shorter. Instead I just organize my thoughts generally and go. For example:

Okay, not for example. I was going to put some of it up, but I'm not quite that comfortable publishing everything to the world yet.

Anyone else with similar/completely different processes?

Animated Taming of the Shrew

I'm still working on the paper draft, so look for that in the next little bit. In the meantime, though, I stumbled across this little gem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecYr471pCY4&feature=BFa&list=PLE14B9F0E71FC8CD7&lf=plpp_video

It's a clay animated version of The Taming of the Shrew. I loved it! It was very effective in showing the general message in an abbreviated way. I really liked how Kate's hair moved. It flared out when she was angry (and shrewish) in the beginning, and as she was tamed her hair calmed down too.

I also liked how the halted motion created mini tableaus within the action. You some get facial expressions along with them.

Phase 2 Progress Report

Wow! What a crazy time getting all of this done for phase two. I've been working on all of these components for a while, but didn't feel comfortable posting the segments I'd created for each until they were more complete. Maybe in hindsight it would have been better to make the posts anyway to document the process. I'll keep that in mind for next week.

But, in case you were all still hazy, I'll be looking at the current issue of abuse using Shakespearean patterns, and showing how mercy ends the cycle of abuse.

Phase 2
Performance Analysis
I actually completed this requirement a while back, as I went to see The Merchant of Venice with my topic in mind. It's in this post.

Annotated Bibliography
It's been ongoing, and in this post here.

Digital media and online resources
I looked at different production's posters in this post.

Social proof (contacting)
I published some of a correspondence in this post.

But wait, there's more! I kept going with some textual analysis. Hopefully getting better at this one.

Annotated Bibliography

Here is the part of what I hope to be an extended annotated bibliography. I’ve actually been collecting sources since before phase one, so this kind of takes you through my process from the beginning as well. I’ve ended more at looking at abuse (current issue) by applying Shakespearean examples.While it’s more conventional to list my sources in alphabetical order, I’m going to shake things up a bit and go chronologically (in my research, not when they were published). I know, crazy stuff.

Armato, Philip M. "Good and Evil" in Lillian Hellman's "The Children's Hour" Educational Theatre Journal , Vol. 25, No. 4 (Dec., 1973), pp. 443-447 Published by: The Johns Hopkins University Press

Article Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3205597

Beautiful. Compares The Merchant of Venice and The Children's Hour by talking about the cycles of victimization. In the end, Karen and Antonio's mercy is the answer. The victimized become the attackers. Neither Antonio nor Karen had been very nice to the people that then turned around and gave it back to them when they finally got the power. Maybe the characters could say that the other deserved it, but in the end, justice doesn't help anyone.

Willson, A View of Justice in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and Measure for Measure, 70 NOTRE DAME L. REV. 695, 721 (1995)

Portia is showing mercy when she tells Shylock to show mercy. She already knows that there is a way for Antonio to escape the bond, and allows Shylock the opportunity to still get the money and not have his life on the line. (Page 712)
Judaic law v Christian mercy: one calls for eye for an eye, the other is the fulfillment of that law with the coming of the Messiah (who gives the higher law).

Breaking the Cycle of Abuse

Byron Egeland, Deborah Jacobvitz and L. Alan Sroufe

Child Development , Vol. 59, No. 4 (Aug., 1988), pp. 1080-1088

http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/1130274

This article in Child Development talks more about the statistics and research behind the abuse cycle. (It is disputed whether it exists.) This article claims to prove its existence, and gives some reasons beyond the normal that’s-what-they-grew-up-with-and-know theory. It points out that poverty is something that extends through generations, and tends to have a higher percentage of abuse. This makes sense in The Merchant of Venice. Not only do the characters treat each other in ways that they have historically been treated, but the lifestyle Shylock has become accustomed to involves contracts and enforcement of them.

NiCarthy, Jenny. Getting free: you can end abuse and take back your life. 1982.

Look at "Isolation" and Emotional Abuse. Shylock? He’s isolated in a foreign land where he can’t become a citizen.
This book is one of the most famous ones on abuse. It talks about how sometimes the victim tries to retaliate and momentarily gets a sense of power, but it “doesn’t enable you to live the kind of life you want.”
Other topic is the one of sympathizing with the abuser (which is kind of the opposite of Merchant). This is when the victim thinks that the abuser only act this way because s/he doesn’t understand how this makes the victim feel. In this case, it is the job of the victim to inform the abuser, otherwise they’re just enabling. Shylock never tries to explain the problem to Antonio or work out a solution; his issues are mostly discussed in asides.
Something interesting: the book talks about making empty threats (like, “if you do that again I’ll leave,” if you really won’t). Don’t make a threat unless you plan to carry it out, it says. So I guess Shylock has something going for him there.

Jones, Maria. Shakespeare’s Culture in Modern Performance. London: 2003. Print.

I actually found this book while looking for another book in the library. The system told me the book was available, but alas, it lied. Luckily, this one was nearby and I like it all the more. In the chapter “Producing Consent in The Taming of the Shrew,” Jones talks about the choice that is taken away from Kate of who to marry. Her reputation is marred, an emotional abuse probably worse to her than physical, and the only way to restore it is through an unwanted marriage. This makes me want to work some more Taming of the Shrew in here.

Some Very Different Posters

As I thought about what digital media would be most interesting to me, I immediately thought of posters. I've seen a lot of play and movie posters, but being involved in theatre makes playbill art and posters particularly interesting to compare. It's amazing how many different posters can be made for the same show, emphasizing different aspects.


This poster emphasizes the violence of the play. Shylock holds scales and a dagger. It also shows that it is a secretive thing, as the dagger is behind his back.
This is BYU's poster for Merchant. You can tell it's a children's show. The characters are cartoonish, and it looks more like a silly argument with grumpy old men than a life-or-death situation.

This is a simple but striking poster. Like many posters, it show the focus many people have on one character--Shylock. He looks dark and brooding, and it gives the impression that this will not be one of the shows that shows Shylock in a more pitiable light.

It may be really strange that this is one of my favorites. The whole poster is black and white except for the coins and the blood. You wonder, are the coins cutting into the skin? Where is the blood coming from? The play also focuses a lot on blood; Antonio can't be killed because Shylock can't shed Christian blood. Race and blood play a central role.

In this Eastern production, the Christians and Jews are replaced with the Saracen and the Cathayan, which are the native Chinese and the Arab trader in China. One review I saw pointed out that this changes the view of Shylock, since the anti-Semitic parts win him some sympathy. It's easier to see him as a villian as the Arab trader.

This poster focuses more on the location of the play (Venice) than on the characters. This is interesting, because a lot of other productions like to de-emphasize the importance of the setting by changing it, and showing its universality.

This poster shows the scales as the largest part, focusing on the justice and law aspect of the play. The scene with the trial in it is probably the most famous and focused on scene of the play. Also within the word merchant are the signs for Christianity and Judaism, reminding us of the conflict between the two peoples.

More Textual Analysis: Shylock

This is some continuing textual analysis.

SHYLOCK [Aside] How like a fawning publican he looks!
I hate him for he is a Christian,
But more for that in low simplicity
He lends out money gratis and brings down
The rate of usance here with us in Venice.
If I can catch him once upon the hip,
I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.
He hates our sacred nation, and he rails,
Even there where merchants most do congregate,
On me, my bargains and my well-won thrift,
Which he calls interest. Cursed be my tribe,
If I forgive him!

Why does Shylock hate Antonio? "For he is a Christian." But is it that he hates the religion itself, or he hates how he is treated by anyone who calls themselves a Christian?

low simplicity = stupidity

"If I can catch him once upon the hip, I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him." So if he could win just this once, he'd be satisfied, and wouldn't hold a grudge anymore (it'd be paid off). Cycles of abuse here? Would he really be satisfied? Would getting back at Antonio really make him feel any better?

"He hates our sacred nation" So it's not just about Shylock; it's about his religion.

"And he rails on me." and it's personal. So Antonio has offended him 1) The Christian nation has never treated Jews well. 2) His business has suffered. 3) Antonio hates on Jews. 4) Antonio hates Shylock personally (and acts on it).

Catching on the hip:
http://books.google.com/books?id=BvdBAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA233&lpg=PA233&dq=catch+him+upon+the+hip+etymology&source=bl&ots=RYnKdRHf-m&sig=rWccoqsD7MvkQ-ccKilzaIJLj38&hl=en&sa=X&ei=vu87T-76JuqdiQLxiZWUDA&ved=0CEkQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=catch%20him%20upon%20the%20hip%20etymology&f=false

This book talks about the phrase catching upon the hip as a wrestling move. If Shylock can get the upperhand move on Antonio, he can get his revenge.

Side note: this wiki page is pretty good for some major quotations.
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Merchant_of_Venice

Shylock says “cursed be my tribe” if he forgives Antonio. This refers to the 12 tribes of Israel. Many pieces of literature include typology relating the people to the children of Israel, so it’s interesting to see the actual Jewish comparison instead of the Christian typology.