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First Theme: Disguise

Twelfth Night & The Merchant of Venice


1. Twelfth Night


Task 1: Sunday 31 January 2016




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Full Play:


Full Modern Version of Play (script):


Final Version of play (Please print and bring with you to class):



Viola and her twin brother Sebastian are shipwrecked at the shores of Ilerea. Viola thinking her brother dead, disguises herself as a man, Caesario, and joins the Court of the Duke, Orsino (Click here).

The Duke keeps young Caesario close and entrusts him to go speak to Lady Olivia whom he is madly in love with. We are introduced to more characters at Olivia's household: her uncle, Sir Toby who is a drunk, Sir Andrew who is his friend and wants to woe Olivia, Malvolio who is a pompous buttler, Mary the housekeeper ...etc. (Click here).
In this scene we meet the fool who is a key character in shakespeare's plays and finally Olivia in mourning. The wit of the fool is clear in his analysis and answers where he proves Olivia to be a fool for mourning her brother's death who she knows is in Heaven. Caesario arrives at Olivia's house and she asks Malvolio to send him away as she has done to all the Duke's messengers (Click here).

Olivia agrees to meet Caesario and is completely charmed by him. She asks Malvolio to go after him to tell him she is not interested in his lord and she returns the ring he gave her (which of course never happened) but its her way to ask him to come again to meet her. (Click here).
We learn that Sebastian is still alive, thinking his sister has drowned, decides to go to Orsino's court. (Click here)


2. The Merchant of Venice

The Merchant of Venice summary

Hollywood Production

Act I (Scene i): The opening scene of the play introduces Antonio as a rich respectable character who is internally sad. Bassanio, his best friend enters revealing to him that he is in love with lady Portia who is a rich, beautiful and wise woman. Bassanio knows that she has a lot of suitors competing to win her hand and he would like to go to her in riches that he cannot afford and wants Antonio to lend him the money.

Act I: Bassanio chooses the correct casket winning Portia's hand

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Act IV: The Court Scene part I, Shylock refuses all attempts to spare Antonio's life


Act IV: The Courst scene part II;


Act V: Concluding scene, Portia and her lady in waiting reveal they were the young lawyer and his clerk

BBC Production Full Movie













How to Analyse a Character

Twelfth Night Quotation Task

The Merchant of Venice Study Notes


The Merchant of Venice Quotations



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Second Theme: Legendary Journey

The Odyssey & Gulliver's Travels


The Odyssey (Full text in translation http://www.poetryintranslation.com/PITBR/Greek/Odhome.htm)

The Odyssey Full movie

The story of Odysseus (The Odyssey) starts with the ending of the Iliad (The war of Troy). Both epics are written by the ancient Greek poet Homer. The Protagonist of the Odyssey, Odysseus, is one of the great Greek warriors who took part in the Trojan war and was one of the warriors who hid inside the huge wooden horse leading to the fall of Troy. Right after the victory of Troy, and in his eagerness to return to his home town, Odysseus angers the gods especially the god of the sea, Poseidon, by arrogantly declaring that he could defeat Troy. Poseidon is very angry to the point that he decides to punish Odysseus by preventing him from returning to his hometown. First, he sends fog and seperates Odysseus' ship from the rest of the Greek fleet. Once lost at sea, Odysseus and his crew land on an Island where they decide to ask for directions and get provisions only to realize that a horrible monster lives there! (watch video)

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The monster is the Cyclops, a one eyed monster who also happens to be Poseidon's son. He eats one of Odysseus' crew and Odysseus realizes that he has to kill that monster to escape. He tricks the monster to sleep, then blinds him with a sharp pole. He succeeds in escaping, but of course Poseidon becomes more angry with Odysseus. (watch video)

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Odysseus, knowing about the Sirens, instructs his crew to tie him to a pole, and stuff their ears with bees wax. In this way he passes through the sirens' area without being affected by their luring song. (Watch here)

Sixteen years and Odysseus is still lost in sea (this time prisoner in the Island of Calyso who is an immortal creature who offers Odysseus love and to make him immortal but he wants to return to his wife. Calypso keeps Odysseus as prisoner refusing to let him leave until she gets a message from the gods (through Hermes the messanger) who orders her to let him go free. Meanwhile, Penelope, Odysseus' wife is so pressured with suitors who want her to chose one of them to marry in order take Odysseus' land and riches. Odysseus' son, now sixteen, is instructed by the godess Athena to sail to Sparta to try to find news of his father. Penelope comes up with a trick that when her tapestry is finished she will give an answer to the suitors, and in secret she unties the tapstrey! The suitors discover her trick and demand an answer. (Watch here)

After 20 years Odysseus is back home to Etheca recognized by an old servant who tells him how suitors of his wife have invaded his house trying to force Penelope to choose one of them. At the same moment, his son comes back and for the first time is reunited with his father. Odysses' son and the servant encourage Odysseus to kill the suitors but Odysseus shows new attitude of wisdom asking them to be patient. Goddess Athena at this moment changes him into an old beggar so he can return to his house unreckognized. Of course Odysseus also wants to make sure that his wife is still faithful to him. (Watch here)

The suitors at Odysseus' home are trying to provoke his son in order to kill him being the heir of Odysseus and protection to his mother. They do not realize that the old beggar is Odysseus himself who is observing the destruction they had done to his home and the conspiracy to kill his son. Penelope, now realizing her husband is back, sets a final challenge to the suitors saying the one who can do it will be her husband. She chooses a task which she knows only Odysseus can perform. Odysseus waits for the suitors to fail in stringing his arrow to come forward, strings the arrow and shoots one through all 12 axe holes revealing himself as Odysseus, With the help of his son, he kills all the suitors. After 20 years Odysseus and Penelope are reunited.

Robinson Crusoe



Gulliver's Travels

Gulliver's Travels movie Part I
Gulliver's Travels movie Part II

Click here to watch a short clip.

Click here to watch a short clip.

Gulliver's Travels Lecture
Gulliver's Travels Lecture 2
Gulliver's Travels Lecture4

Gulliver's Travels Task

Instructions: As you read the story, note these points of discusion (no need to submit in writing)

Wrap up Gulliver Houghs virtue



Third Theme: The Monster Dr. Faustus, Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde and Dracula


Count Dracula in Dracula


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The classic image of Dracula the vampire as presented in Cinema.

Background
story of Count Dracula and some scenes of his fight with the Turks "impailing" whole fields of them then returning home to defy God (in a scene reminding us of the fall of Satan from God's Grace): click here and here.

- Gothic Elements:
Very strong Gothic presence in the representation of Dracula's castle: the blood, chilling sounds, and atmosphere of suspense. (Watch here)

- The Age of Reason:
The young lawyer definitely represents an image of a successful 19th century youth who believes in reason to explain everything around him. He finds the strange happenings too difficult to understand since superstition has no place in his world of reason. (Watch here)
Lucy develops strange symptoms and appears to be weak and pale all the time (watch here
Lucy fully transformed as a monster (vampire) looks strikingly different from her previous innocent, pure self. She is obviously very seductive and charming in a way that men can't resist. Her former fiancee is even attracted to her in a trance state until rescued by the "cross." Naturally the cross is a very strong religious symbol to drive away demons and protect its bearer from evil (in this case in the form of temptation). Again the image of Lucy carrying a child sucking its blood contrasts strongly with the standard idealized image of the woman as a mother taking care of her children. (Watch here)
In contrast to what has happened to Lucy, Mina is represented as a truly innocent character. A typical pure Victorian Lady who is well bred, beautiful and about to marry traditionally an honourable young man. The scene of Mina's encounter with Dracula provides a strong image of seduction as the evil count is corrupting the young woman offerening her sin with dinner. (Watch here)

Class Notes, as provided by Aljazi, Noura, and Sara:
Dracula was published in 1897 and was written by Bram Stoker.
Plot Summary
  • Jonathan Harker, a young lawyer on the way to Transylvania to give information to the mysterious Count Dracula about his new estate in London.
  • While he was walking in the city .a local farmer warned him about his destination. He gave him across to use it against the evil. Speaking with strange words, which mean vampire.
  • First he sees Dracula as a Nobel man and educated. After few days, Harker realizes that he is a prisoner, and sees many strange and evil things in the castle.
  • One day Dracula interrupts Harker shaving. Harker is startled and accidentally cuts himself. Glancing at his shaving mirror, he notices that the count has no reflection. Harker is also startled by Dracula’s reaction to the sight of his blood. He later escapes away.
  • Back in England, Jonathan's fiancée, Mina, is visiting her friend Lucy. Lucy has just decided to marry Holmwood .
  • Dracula, who is moving to London to feast on more humans, happens to land in the part of England where Mina and Lucy are staying. His first victim is Lucy.
  • Dr. Seward and Professor Van Helsing try to treat Lucy's 'illness. Van Helsing figures out what is wrong with Lucy, but cannot save her. By this time, Jonathan has made it home to England and is happily married to Mina.
  • Van Helsing brings together Mina, Jonathan, Arthur, Quincey, Seward and himself and convinces every one of the reality of vampires and the danger of this particular one, who was in his human life a great warrior and thinker and that Lucy is undead and she will became a vampire.
  • The only way to save her soul, he says, is to drive a wooden stake through her heart, cut off her head and stuff it with garlic. They all have agreed and they agree destroy Dracula.
  • They educate themselves in the strengths and weaknesses of the vampire. Dracula has many (earth) throughout London; they decide to clear or remove them all to strand Dracula in his weakest form and then to kill him in the name of God.
  • Dracula has other plans, and as the men search his houses he attacks Mina in the night, feeding her with his blood so that she will become a vampire, too.
  • They find out and they finally discover and destroy all of the fifty boxes except one, which they learn has been sent by ship back to Dracula's castle. Using hypnosis of Mina
  • They follow Dracula all the way to Transylvania, where they find the last remaining box. They throw the box to the ground, break it open its lid, and discover the body of the Count. Jonathan cuts off the vampire's head, while Morris drives his knife into the Count's heart and they kill him.

The Monster
  • Dracula is a legend and a historical character. He was a true prince of darkness. The story seems like history that he first fought with Turks and was later betrayed by his brother in 1451.
  • A series of movies were based on his character.
  • Many people until now believe in vampires and have ways to protect themselves from them by:
A) Putting garlic on their beds assuming that vampires don’t like garlic.
B) Wearing a cross around their necks.
Dracula’s Characteristics
  • Personality: cold, demanding, bossy, creepy and powerful. He’s violent and cruel. He’s a demon. Supernatural powers.
  • Physical description: He’s a foreigner, not an English man. Dracula is from Transylvania. He has pale skin, a hooked nose, pointed sharp teeth, red lips, and sharp looks. He’s dressed like a noble man and looks like a gentleman. He has grey hair that turns black when he gets better blood supplies.
  • Drinks blood. Doesn’t need water, food or even oxygen.
  • He lives in a coffin. Dracula spends all day in his coffin because he can’t stand light. It burns him.
  • He has no reflection in the mirror. Ex: when Parker looked in the mirror he didn’t see Dracula’s reflection.
  • A wooden stake in his heart kills him.

Themes
The Consequences of Modernity:
The story takes place in England at the 19th century in which there was a flourish of modern science. A lot of scientific theories occurred and some of them questioned some main principles of the society such as the evolution theory by Charles Darwin. Stoker questions the modern science ability to solve or explain everything by bringing the case of vampires that can’t be treated by modern science. Instead, it was treated mostly using religion knowledge and symbols.
The Promise of Christian Salvation:
Dracula has satanic look, he drinks blood which is forbidden, and he is immortal and has no soul symbolizing the Satan. This supernatural evil is combated using Christian symbols such as the crucifix. Stoker emphasize on religion by using it to defeat this evilness. He also has a liberal vision of salvation in which not only believers get saved but everyone except the un-dead.
Women of Victorian Era:
Woman in that century was either a virgin of a housewife who is devoted to her husband. In the novel, Dracula uses it spell on Lucy and turns her into a vampire. Stoker emphasize on the Victorian vision of women by showing the danger of making stranger man getting closer. There is also the male’s fantasy of owning all females coded in this quote: Dracula: “Your girls that you all love are mine already; and through them you and others shall yet be mine.”



4. Mr. Hyde from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Watch film here)
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Monday 8 April plot question

Class Notes, as provided by Ala, Lamia, and Maha:

Plot

The story is about Dr.Jekyll who is a scientist, a teacher in college, and a married to a beautiful women. Dr.Jekyll has lead a successful life but he isn't satisfied with all of that. He always wanted to see the evil side in him and to separate his good side from his dark side, so Dr. Jekyll decided to make a potion that will transform him into Mr.Hyde, the monster. Mr. Hyde is ugly, evil, and kills innocent people

At first, Dr. Jekyll is delighted by becoming Hyde and he enjoys the freedom he finds in the transformation. But, after he finds that he is turning into Hyde uncontrollably in his sleep, without taking the potion, he stops enjoying it. He tries more adamantly to stop the transformations.

One day, Dr. Jekyll sits in a park, and suddenly turns into Hyde, which is the first time the transformation happens while he is awake. Jekyll seeks help, so he goes to Dr. Lanyon, who is the person who helped him discover the potion. However, Dr. Lanyon dies of shock after seeing Mr. Hyde’s transformation.

So Dr. Jekyll returns to his home only to find himself more helpless as the transformations increase in frequency, even when he takes larger doses of potion in order to reverse the changes. The potion begins to run out and Jekyll is unable to find a key ingredient to make more. His ability to change back from Hyde into Jekyll slowly vanishes, so he decided to kill the monster by killing himself.

The Monster

Edward Hyde is the same person as Dr. Jekyll. The description of Hyde as an almost unhuman creature and his actions, which occur without thought, suggest that Hyde is more animal than man. He is a violent person that tramples a little girl, beat a man to death with a heavy cane, and kills a lot of people and hurts them, all of which make him a monster. He defends himself by transforming into Dr. Jekyll who is completely the opposite in everything and everyone likes him. Mr. Hyde appears to be younger, ugly, and smaller than Dr. Jekyll. The person known as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde kills himself. Dr. Jekyll drinks a poison to get rid of Mr. Hyde (the evil side of himself) to save the people around him from being killed.

Themes
1. Good vs. Evil.
2. Science.
3. The duality Of Human Nature.
4. Transformation.
5. Lies and deceit.
6. Violence.

Frankenstein's Monster from Frankenstein



A scene depicting how the Monster is created: click here

The confrontation between Dr. Frankenstein and the creature he creates is very important. The monster blames his creator for what happened to him: click here.


Mephistopheles from Dr. Faustus


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Faustus, after reaching the highest point of human learning, shows discontent and a thirst for more power (watch video). The scene where Doctor Faustus summons Mephistopholes is very dramatic and moving. The language used is Latin (being the language of Learning and Theology). The ritual has some elements of black magic practices (watch video). Faustus agrees to sign a contract in blood with Lucifer (the Devil) where he discards his soul in return for twenty years of absolute power. (Watch video)


Class Notes, as Provided by Dana, Nada, and Nisreen:
Overview: Dr. Faustus was written in the Elizabethan age, in the 16th century (1592).

Plot


Dr. Faustus was a German scholar of logic, medicine, and religion. He grows unsatisfied with the limits of knowledge which bind humans from achieving ultimate knowledge and therefore ultimate power. He turns to look for other ways to get the information he seeks. With the help of two of his friends, Dr. Faustus learns the ways of Dark Arts. He summons a demon, Mephistopheles, who tells him he needs to trade his soul for twenty four years of his service. The contract is signed by Dr. Faustus’s own blood, with the words (Fly, man) engraved on his arms. Mephistopheles starts his service by giving him money and a spell book, then by answering all of Dr, Faustus's questions, except for the one where he asked “Who made the world?” where the demon refused to answer. For all the knowledge Dr. Faustus gained, he abuses it. He spends these years playing tricks to impress royal heads and other scholars. His misgivings lead him to Rome, the optimum city of religion, and he makes a fool out of the pope clearly giving up God. When a knight challenges him, Dr. Faustus punishes him cruelly by making antlers sprout out of his head. He summons many historical figures like Alexander the Great and Helen of Troy. Throughout the entire years, we see many occasions where Dr. Faustus questions his actions, and wonders about the deal he made and whether it was right, but he never repents. He also hears a sound in his head that screams, “Faustus, you are damned”. At the last night, as he was still showing tricks to fellow scholars and admitted about his deal with Lucifer and they were horrified. An old man tells him it is not too late and that he should repent. Dr. Faustus ignores him. At last, he feels the full weight of what he has done and he cries for mercy. It is pointless of course and he is dragged to hell in limbs.

Themes

  • Science vs. Religion
  • Absolute knowledge and power
  • Greed for exceeding limits
  • Sin and redemption
  • Corrupting power
  • Magic

Message: Never seek knowledge that requires you to overthrow religion. Accept your limits.




Introduction: Modern Theatre and Realism


Week 14: A Doll's House