I thought that it was interesting how none of Shakespeare’s characters ever died of a plague, even though his life was full of diseases. I think that this might have been his way of not letting the plague “win”. Or, it could have been Shakespeare putting himself in the story, because he survived all of the diseases that people were suffering from.
I also found this interesting. I liked the idea that Shakespeare for the most part kept the plague out of his writing because it would probably give his readers/audience a distraction from the plague. Maybe they would forget their worries and just enjoy the play. Or maybe Shakespeare was tired of hearing about the plague all the time, like many people are tired of hearing about the corona virus now, and decided he wasn't interested in incorporating it into his works.
I found this interesting too! Oftentimes authors try to find ways to connect with their characters, so this might have been Shakespeare’s unobtrusive way of doing so?
I find it interesting how Shakespeare had so much time so he wrote a book but there was so little influence from what was happening out side his door. Also why did he not base any of his stories in London where he knew the most about?
What I leaned from this article is that during this scary and boring time, you should make the best out of your time and discover things about yourself. During this week, I've learned how to solve the rubrics cube, which I'm very proud of, and how to cook the simplest things. I've also gotten a lot better at chess. This makes me wonder what other thing Shakespeare did that wasn't writing.
I think Shakespeare’s writing describes hours view that the plague shouldn’t be all-consuming, and that life still went on for those who survived the plague. Plague seems to bring out human nature as much as you really can in a more developed world. Shakespeare looks to expose how people act and the similarities between people to highlight the inequalities in his world.
I found in this article that Shakespeare is regarded as such an important author and artist, and he seemed to have a deeper understanding of a singular person’s emotions and manner than he had of the world’s occurrences as a whole. I saw an article published in the Harvard Business Review that described our current state of being as a whole society as grief. Grief is not often used as a descriptor for the masses of people who are experiencing great events right now, which may connect to the article we read. Shakespeare was an author, but more importantly, a person, who understood human grief and misery. In his own way, I feel that he was able to show the feelings of grief, fear, and misery of the time period, and addressed them through different events, but kept the emotion the same. Yes, Shakespeare did demonstrate individuality of characters, but he also kept the general mood of the time present in his writings and in many of his characters. In many ways, Shakespeare showed us that we are all different, but in many ways, the same.
Well said! Thanks for referencing the HBR article, Angela. I read that too and think it's worth a look. Here's the link for those interested: https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief
I think that the main takeaway is that Shakespeare made some good things out of a bad situation and that we should continue to do the same. He was able to make points through his work, but also carry on a message that says that life always goes on.
I thought that it was very intriguing to know that Shakespeare never had one of his characters in his many plays die to the plague. The fact that he did this was maybe a way for him to show himself in his plays but indirectly. He was able to live through all of the horrors of his lifetime and maybe he wanted to do the same for his characters in his plays. Another reason for Shakespeare not including the plague as much as he could have was that the plague was so common back then and he wanted to create something that did not need to involve it.
I was thinking the same thing, because Shakespeare was living at a time where many people around him died due to the plague I was curious as to why none of the characters in his plays died from a plague. I don’t think that he was trying to show himself indirectly because I don’t think the characters were representing his life especially because many characters like Romeo and Juliet die in tragedy. But I do think that he might have wanted to avoid reality when writing his plays, because Shakespeare had lived through the Black Plague which must have killed some of his friends and/or family.
I found it interesting that Shakepeare chose not to have any of his characters die of plagues or have any of them set in contemporary London. Was it a way of him avoiding reality or a distraction from all the awful things happening around him? Or would it be too personal for him to include his own experiences in his work?
I was wondering the same thing. I was thinking that he may have done this to relate more with future generations reading his works, as they wouldn't know what it would be like to live with a plague.
Towards the end of the article, the author talks about how “ we should focus not on statistics but on the wonderfully, weirdly, cussedly, irredeemably individual.” Statistics are really important in fighting pandemics. Statistics often provide essential data in healthcare and provide tangible information for the general population. According to studies and average coronavirus patient infects 2 to 2.5 other people while an average influenza patient infects 1.3 others. Pairing this with fact that 10% of age 85+ patients have died to the coronavirus, 4.7% of all infected people have died, and that there’s no vaccine or cure should inspire fear into the general population. The fear of getting coronavirus forces people to be more mindful of their actions and how they will effect others.
I found this article very interesting because it really broke down the fact that even though there’s a pandemic people’s lives continue on. We learn this from when the article mentions that none of Shakespeares characters ever die from a plague. This is interesting because Shakespeare has written many tragedies were practically everyone dies and in some of these tragedies there has been a mention of sort to a plague or an illness but still not one character died. This shows that although it is scary it doesn’t mean the end of the world. I think that by doing this he gives his readers a reassuring hope.
I found the idea of Shakespeare capturing humanity/ the human experience by focusing on a few characters in times and places outside of his own rather than society and what was going on at the time and humanity as a whole very interesting. His characters are very individual and unique and distant from what was going on at the time, but he managed to make their experiences universal.
I loved reading about how Shakespeare experienced the same situation as what we are dealing with currently. He proves to us that with all this free time that we are presented with, we are able to create great things when focused clearly. It was also interesting that he didn’t have any of his characters dies of a plague in his stories. I wonder why he didn’t elaborate on that certain subject.
I agree, and I think he’s trying to tell people even during hard times, things can be bright, I think he didn’t have any of his character dies of the plague, because those are the bad memories and he didn’t want to bring it into his act and present it to his audience.
I thought it was interesting when they talked about King Lear, and how struggle can make oneself pay more attention to the world around them. Shakespeare teaches us that when we are all experiencing something together, it is often easier to empathize and put yourself in another persons shoes, and it can help us realize new things about ourselves and others situations. It also teaches us to make the best of the the current time, and to not just see all the setbacks COVID-19 has given us, but how we can benefit from it and make ourselves better people from the lessons it has taught us.
I find it interesting how Shakespeare focused on the stories of singular people instead of data and numbers. In our time, most of what we get is data and numbers and I’ve found it difficult to find any personal stories.
I think it is interesting how Shakespeare describes pandemics. Not to focus on the tragedy of people’s deaths but to reflect on their life. Also, how even during very difficult times you have to continue to live your life and go about your daily routines.
I found it interesting how much thought Shakespeare out into creating a storyline for each character, especially with their deaths. The article mentioned none of his characters die spontaneously or quickly, they all have a story that goes with it in a way. I also found it interesting that he didn’t link any of his characters deaths to a plague, even though living during a pandemic was a significant part of his life but didn’t let it show through in his writing which could be connecting to the idea that just because there’s a crisis or plague going around, you can still live life.
I think it was neat how Shakespeare connected his works with things he only experienced firsthand. For example, he only included the quarantine in his work in Romeo and Juliet, because he was quarantined from the plague in the 20s and 30s, but he never caught the plague himself, so he didn't include it in his work.
Deaths due to the plague are sudden and without an emotional cause, whenever a character in one of Shakespeare’s plays dies, it is for a reason that assists the narrative and the overall meaning of the play. Romeo and Juliet die because of Juliet’s choice to fake her own death and run away with Romeo which gives her and Romeo’s death a more emotional impact on the audience inseatd of killing them off randomly.
I thought it was interesting how shakespeare used his writings to emphasize individuality and the importance of life, in a time where death was so widespread, that most people were numbed to death. he seems to be trying to save people from this mentality, by featuring individuals in his plays. I wonder if he actually believed in the importance of individuals, or if he was just writing about it.
"Elaborate plots, motives, interactions and obscurities focus our attention on human beings". As this article noted, Shakespeare eloquently molded his stories around the characters and their inner personages. Even amidst uncertain circumstances, Shakespeare recognized the fundamental truth that human connection can be fostered through literature, art, and attention to the inner monologues of one's heart. His writings provide insights regarding the characters which we can relate to. We resonate with the characters. It's possible that this kind of unity is what changes us individually and allows us to survive both mentally and physically in trying times.
I found it interesting how Shakespeare wrote most of his plays during the pandemic. Even in lockdown, he was able to come up with multiple storylines with no influence or inspiration from the outside world. Most of the plays didn’t contain effects of the plague and none contained death from the plague. I thinks it’s intersting that the plays weren’t necessarily based on what’s happening in the world around him.
I think it is interesting how to others, his life could have been defined by the plague, but how Shakespeare himself didn't allow that to happen, and instead used his time to be creative. I think it shows an element of choosing how to act during this time and what your priorities are.
I found it really interesting how much he accomplished during the plague. It really goes to show that no matter the surroundings, you can still progress. And that is definitely something to think about during this time, just how the world hasn’t stopped and we can keep moving forward.
I think it’s interesting how he didn’t focus his work an realism and the plague even though it effected life so strongly at this time. He focused on life and this probably gave the people reading his work a break from the plague and the death.
In this article I found it interesting that during Shakespeare’s entire life he was surrounded by death and plague, yet he almost seemed to has accepted it as a part of life. Whereas today that kind of death is horrible and shocking to us. It’s interesting that there is a lot of death in his plays too but none of those deaths were from the plague.
In this article, Shakespeare proves a point by saying even though you might be stuck inside, you learn new things about yourself and you find new interests. I found out I really like baking.
I think it's interesting how the beginning of the article made me think that Shakespeare was probably just trying to escape the reality of the plague in his writing, but the actual interpretation of the author was revealed much later in the article. Emma Smith only reveals her opinion in the middle of the text, writing, "While grimly terrifying, the depiction also domesticates death: Death cares about our particularity enough to stalk us as we go about our daily business. Shakespeare’s tragedies share this intimacy. Their response to plague is not to deny mortality but rather to emphasize people’s unique and inerasable difference." I think that the idea of Shakespeare crafting his characters to be more unique, even with their deaths, is a really interesting view. Furthermore, the article also says, "Men and women, to be sure, die in any number of inventive ways. In “Othello,” Desdemona is smothered in her bed. In “Titus Andronicus,” the rapists Chiron and Demetrius have their throats cut and are baked in pastry. John of Gaunt dies of old age exacerbated by the absence of his exiled son in “Richard II.” In “Hamlet,” Ophelia drowns." It seems that, even with so many characters, Shakespeare somehow manages to make them each different, one of the techniques being the way they die. Maybe it's his own way of "standing up" to the plague, and reminding everyone (people in his time, and throughout history) of their uniqueness. It reminds me of Mercutio, with his singular humor, passion, and mood-swings, which showed even in how he died. First, his death is unique in that it is a very important turning point in the plot of Romeo and Juliet. Second, the way that he died, with everyone around him thinking that it was another one of his jokes, portrays his distinctive humor (the reason why everyone thought him dying was a joke). It reminds me of what we discussed in class, how each one of the characters in Romeo and Juliet are purposefully different, with emphasized character traits. Before, I assumed it was to help readers tell characters apart and bring humor to the writing, but perhaps it was to remind the reader about each person's individuality and differences, even with plagues going around and high mortality rates.
It's really interesting how Shakespeare was just able to ignore the plague in any of his plays and just focus on constructing the world and the characters in his plays without things from the real world bleeding into it. It shows how brilliant of a writer he was and the time and effort he put into his work.
I think, surrounded as we are by statistics, and graphs, and all sorts of data and analytics, it's easy just to drown in the numbers and overlook individuality. What Shakespeare did was accentuate this individuality, the idea that every single person's life, death, and experiences are vastly different. ("Shakespeare is not interested in the statistics...His fictions reimagine the macro-narrative of epidemic as the micro-narrative of tragedy, setting humane uniqueness against the disease’s obliterating ravages.") Although our current pandemic and the outbreaks of plague Shakespeare encountered are,in some ways similar (the quarantine, the mass anxiety and confusion, the buds of change sprouting in society), they are also vastly different in terms of how information was transmitted and how data was collected. Back then, people would not have had access to the nifty logarithmically scaled graphs or death counts, and would be more exposed to isolated incidents and the experiences of specific people, which is something that we don't really get to see and is what Shakespeare demonstrated through his works.
I find it interesting that Shakespeare found inspiration throughout being in lockdown. This relates to what’s going on in the world right now because as we are experiencing this pandemic we can try to find inspiration in the more positive things in the world rather than focusing on the negative.
I think its interesting how, for the most part, Shakespeare avoided mentioning the plague in his works. I think its admirable how he was able to make such great things in the middle of a horrible time, and wonder if the same thing is happening during this moment of time
This article emphasizes the importance of enjoying the positives in a dark time very well. Even in such times, it’s always beneficial to reflect on the effects of the situation and learn from it.
I find it interesting how Shakespeare didn't mention anything about the plague in his writing even though of it's large significance. It was also interesting how it was sort of a blessing in disguise for him where he could work without distractions. He didn't see it as something that was very bad and made the best out of it.
I think it's interesting how Shakespeare focused on individuality and gave each character their own story/demise. He used his time in isolation to make unique characters and stories without focusing on the plague and its terrible effects. The fact that a lot of his work was produced while he was isolated makes me wonder what will come out of these times as many people are spending time doing things that they normally wouldn't and have more free time than they usually do.
I do think it's interesting that Shakespeare didn't mention the plague in his writing, because if you contrast that to today, we do have a lot of books and media written about diseases, like the fault in our stars, a walk to remember, and a recent movie about cystic fibrosis, I can't remember the title. A lot of these stories do carry the same theme of individuality the article talks about, and emphasize that every person's life is important. I get that the situations were different when we had a lot less knowledge of medicine, and for those who contracted the plague, death was inevitable, while many people who contract cancer are able to beat it. I think it's interesting how modern authors are doing exactly what Shakespeare wanted to avoid, but are able to show the same theme. I also think it really shows how modern medicine has changed our views on disease as a culture. -Anya M
I thought it was really interesting to read about how Shakespeare chose to write without the use of documentary realism. Meaning that he chose not express current events, such as the plague in his writing, and instead decided to give meaning to each life and death. To me, I find that this is very relevant to this time, since it demonstrates how important each life is during something such as a pandemic or plague.
I thought it was very interesting how Shakespeare didn’t use the plague in his work while many other artists did. I wonder how that will compare to current time. I feel like art is being focused on much less on these times but I feel like art could have a big boom once everything calms down because now lots of artists are getting the chance to work. This leads to many questions such as, will there be a lot of works based around corona and being in social isolation, and Is there a modern day Shakespeare somewhere out there that will thrive during this time and create works that will end up being studied in the future when Corona is on the history books?
I think it was interesting how Shakespeare would not mention the plagues in his plays, but would instead write more about normal everyday life. It gives the watchers or readers a place they can put themselves into without worrying about what happens in real life, almost like a fantasy world. I wonder if doing this also helped Shakespeare deal with what was happening in the outside world, by placing himself into his own imagination, or perhaps he knew that life was too precious to constantly be worried about the plagues and he tried to convey that into his works.
Perhaps it helped society through tough times when they saw plays that didn’t mention the plague? A small bit of time to not worry and just enjoy the show. If Shakespeare wanted people to keep coming to his plays, I think it would make sense that he didn’t include the plague.
I think, along the lines of the last lines of the article, it is so important to show empathy during this time for everyone and realize everyone is the same in this situation but at the same time individual and worth some sort of praise. “...the meaning in the life of others” can refer to so many things (at least to me): (1) the appreciation we have for those around us, our loved ones, (2) the realization that so many people around the world are suffering more than us, and (3) the need and value in (and the gratitude we hold for) those still working amid and against the virus.
I found it interesting how Shakespeare made sure to keep character deaths individual and befitting to their life, even though he could've taken what some might call the "easy way out" and let them die of the plague. The deaths (and the causes of them) that we've seen in R & J so far have been character-specific: Mercutio because of his loyalty and impulsivity, Tybalt because of his hotheadedness. However, Shakespeare does reference the plague twice using Mercutio (I.iv.80 "angry Mab with blisters plagues" & III.i.111 "A plague o' both your houses!") I think he does this not only because using plague-evoking language was the most provocative one could get at the time, but also because Mercutio's voice had always kind of brought realism to Romeo's love obsession (even though he spoke using fantasy imagery), and thus reflected the thoughts of the audience. At this time, how could the audience not be thinking about the plague, the sickness which ruined many lives. I think Shakespeare was acknowledging what everyone had been through, but also showing the importance of forgetting about it for a while and thinking instead about people and their individuality and their stories. I think he thought the danger of the plague was not only in death, but in falling so deep into fear and isolation that people would forget the living.
I think the fact that Shakespeare's plays did not mention the plague made them extremely appealing to people because everything else they saw and heard was about the plague. His plays were unique, and therefore were sought out more.
I think it is interesting that Shakespeare lived in a time where there were a lot of plagues and a lot of people were getting sick and dying but he never mentioned them in his writing.
Something I found very interesting that the article brought up was the fact that Shakespeare’s writings didn’t address the plagues that were happening in his time. Part of it in my mind may have been something to ease the pain because honestly why would anyone wanna read about death and tradgey in his time if they live in it. So in turn Shakespeare’s writings were almost a figurative pain killer! They helped ease the pain people went through on a day to day basis. This is because when your constantly thinking about how you could die or someone in your family has died it draws into depression and low thoughts of life. This is why I personally think it was a smart move on Shakespeare part as a writer in his time. I think this because society would naturally be attracted to texts that distract them from the pain of real life. Similarly, I have my own comparison to when I’m running. So since I do track sometimes I’m in pain because of exhaustion or just muscle tiredness! Yet, in the end I have to persevere so a trick I use is sometimes when I’m running in pain I step into my imagination to help cope. I focus my attention on music videos and situations. I do this because if I focus on the pain of reality all naturally quit! Similarly maybe Shakespeare allowing people to focus on something besides disease aloud to be that distraction for his community. So that way just like end up not quitting while running people don’t give up on that race that is life LOL.
Could you also argue that along the same lines maybe some of his tragedies were not simply trying to distract but also trying to make people feel better about where they were by seeing people who were worse off. (Also apologies for being a day late)
In Shakespeare's writing, where there were death, in the article it said that he often domesticated death and sometimes even personified death (the skeleton). This was a common theme during this era due to all the death around them because of the plague. They took this idea of death something that is just there with no form and molded it into something human like and real which I personally find interesting
I think it is interesting how even though people were being killed by the plague and were being buried quickly, Shakespeare had people being buried with more respect. I think a Shakespeare decided to do this because it allows people to go back to a time before the plague killed a bunch of people really quickly and they had no time for it. It might of also served as a reminder for people to still respect the people who died.
I think it is interesting how Shakespeare did not include the plague in his plays. I feel like he used his plays to help distract himself and others from what was going on in the world. I feel like amists all the panic and sadness he decided to creat his own paradise. An outlet for him and others to relax. I feel like we can learn from him and try to make the most of our situation and also try to understand how everyone is feeling the same way. That we are not alone.
I thought that it was interesting how none of Shakespeare’s characters ever died of a plague, even though his life was full of diseases. I think that this might have been his way of not letting the plague “win”. Or, it could have been Shakespeare putting himself in the story, because he survived all of the diseases that people were suffering from.
ReplyDeleteI also found this interesting. I liked the idea that Shakespeare for the most part kept the plague out of his writing because it would probably give his readers/audience a distraction from the plague. Maybe they would forget their worries and just enjoy the play. Or maybe Shakespeare was tired of hearing about the plague all the time, like many people are tired of hearing about the corona virus now, and decided he wasn't interested in incorporating it into his works.
DeleteI found this interesting too! Oftentimes authors try to find ways to connect with their characters, so this might have been Shakespeare’s unobtrusive way of doing so?
DeleteI find it interesting how Shakespeare had so much time so he wrote a book but there was so little influence from what was happening out side his door. Also why did he not base any of his stories in London where he knew the most about?
ReplyDeleteWhat I leaned from this article is that during this scary and boring time, you should make the best out of your time and discover things about yourself. During this week, I've learned how to solve the rubrics cube, which I'm very proud of, and how to cook the simplest things. I've also gotten a lot better at chess. This makes me wonder what other thing Shakespeare did that wasn't writing.
ReplyDeleteGreat point here, Sammi! This is a time for self-discovery and to learn things for learning's sake.
DeleteI think Shakespeare’s writing describes hours view that the plague shouldn’t be all-consuming, and that life still went on for those who survived the plague. Plague seems to bring out human nature as much as you really can in a more developed world. Shakespeare looks to expose how people act and the similarities between people to highlight the inequalities in his world.
ReplyDeleteI found in this article that Shakespeare is regarded as such an important author and artist, and he seemed to have a deeper understanding of a singular person’s emotions and manner than he had of the world’s occurrences as a whole. I saw an article published in the Harvard Business Review that described our current state of being as a whole society as grief. Grief is not often used as a descriptor for the masses of people who are experiencing great events right now, which may connect to the article we read. Shakespeare was an author, but more importantly, a person, who understood human grief and misery. In his own way, I feel that he was able to show the feelings of grief, fear, and misery of the time period, and addressed them through different events, but kept the emotion the same. Yes, Shakespeare did demonstrate individuality of characters, but he also kept the general mood of the time present in his writings and in many of his characters. In many ways, Shakespeare showed us that we are all different, but in many ways, the same.
ReplyDeleteWell said! Thanks for referencing the HBR article, Angela. I read that too and think it's worth a look. Here's the link for those interested: https://hbr.org/2020/03/that-discomfort-youre-feeling-is-grief
DeleteI think that the main takeaway is that Shakespeare made some good things out of a bad situation and that we should continue to do the same. He was able to make points through his work, but also carry on a message that says that life always goes on.
ReplyDeleteI thought that it was very intriguing to know that Shakespeare never had one of his characters in his many plays die to the plague. The fact that he did this was maybe a way for him to show himself in his plays but indirectly. He was able to live through all of the horrors of his lifetime and maybe he wanted to do the same for his characters in his plays. Another reason for Shakespeare not including the plague as much as he could have was that the plague was so common back then and he wanted to create something that did not need to involve it.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the same thing, because Shakespeare was living at a time where many people around him died due to the plague I was curious as to why none of the characters in his plays died from a plague. I don’t think that he was trying to show himself indirectly because I don’t think the characters were representing his life especially because many characters like Romeo and Juliet die in tragedy. But I do think that he might have wanted to avoid reality when writing his plays, because Shakespeare had lived through the Black Plague which must have killed some of his friends and/or family.
DeleteI found it interesting that Shakepeare chose not to have any of his characters die of plagues or have any of them set in contemporary London. Was it a way of him avoiding reality or a distraction from all the awful things happening around him? Or would it be too personal for him to include his own experiences in his work?
ReplyDeleteI was wondering the same thing. I was thinking that he may have done this to relate more with future generations reading his works, as they wouldn't know what it would be like to live with a plague.
DeleteTowards the end of the article, the author talks about how “ we should focus not on statistics but on the wonderfully, weirdly, cussedly, irredeemably individual.” Statistics are really important in fighting pandemics. Statistics often provide essential data in healthcare and provide tangible information for the general population. According to studies and average coronavirus patient infects 2 to 2.5 other people while an average influenza patient infects 1.3 others. Pairing this with fact that 10% of age 85+ patients have died to the coronavirus, 4.7% of all infected people have died, and that there’s no vaccine or cure should inspire fear into the general population. The fear of getting coronavirus forces people to be more mindful of their actions and how they will effect others.
ReplyDeleteI found this article very interesting because it really broke down the fact that even though there’s a pandemic people’s lives continue on. We learn this from when the article mentions that none of Shakespeares characters ever die from a plague. This is interesting because Shakespeare has written many tragedies were practically everyone dies and in some of these tragedies there has been a mention of sort to a plague or an illness but still not one character died. This shows that although it is scary it doesn’t mean the end of the world. I think that by doing this he gives his readers a reassuring hope.
ReplyDeleteI found the idea of Shakespeare capturing humanity/ the human experience by focusing on a few characters in times and places outside of his own rather than society and what was going on at the time and humanity as a whole very interesting. His characters are very individual and unique and distant from what was going on at the time, but he managed to make their experiences universal.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading about how Shakespeare experienced the same situation as what we are dealing with currently. He proves to us that with all this free time that we are presented with, we are able to create great things when focused clearly. It was also interesting that he didn’t have any of his characters dies of a plague in his stories. I wonder why he didn’t elaborate on that certain subject.
ReplyDeleteI agree, and I think he’s trying to tell people even during hard times, things can be bright, I think he didn’t have any of his character dies of the plague, because those are the bad memories and he didn’t want to bring it into his act and present it to his audience.
DeleteI thought it was interesting when they talked about King Lear, and how struggle can make oneself pay more attention to the world around them. Shakespeare teaches us that when we are all experiencing something together, it is often easier to empathize and put yourself in another persons shoes, and it can help us realize new things about ourselves and others situations. It also teaches us to make the best of the the current time, and to not just see all the setbacks COVID-19 has given us, but how we can benefit from it and make ourselves better people from the lessons it has taught us.
ReplyDeleteB3=Chris B
I find it interesting how Shakespeare focused on the stories of singular people instead of data and numbers. In our time, most of what we get is data and numbers and I’ve found it difficult to find any personal stories.
ReplyDeleteI think it is interesting how Shakespeare describes pandemics. Not to focus on the tragedy of people’s deaths but to reflect on their life. Also, how even during very difficult times you have to continue to live your life and go about your daily routines.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting how much thought Shakespeare out into creating a storyline for each character, especially with their deaths. The article mentioned none of his characters die spontaneously or quickly, they all have a story that goes with it in a way. I also found it interesting that he didn’t link any of his characters deaths to a plague, even though living during a pandemic was a significant part of his life but didn’t let it show through in his writing which could be connecting to the idea that just because there’s a crisis or plague going around, you can still live life.
ReplyDeleteI think it was neat how Shakespeare connected his works with things he only experienced firsthand. For example, he only included the quarantine in his work in Romeo and Juliet, because he was quarantined from the plague in the 20s and 30s, but he never caught the plague himself, so he didn't include it in his work.
ReplyDeleteDeaths due to the plague are sudden and without an emotional cause, whenever a character in one of Shakespeare’s plays dies, it is for a reason that assists the narrative and the overall meaning of the play. Romeo and Juliet die because of Juliet’s choice to fake her own death and run away with Romeo which gives her and Romeo’s death a more emotional impact on the audience inseatd of killing them off randomly.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was interesting how shakespeare used his writings to emphasize individuality and the importance of life, in a time where death was so widespread, that most people were numbed to death. he seems to be trying to save people from this mentality, by featuring individuals in his plays. I wonder if he actually believed in the importance of individuals, or if he was just writing about it.
ReplyDelete"Elaborate plots, motives, interactions and obscurities focus our attention on human beings". As this article noted, Shakespeare eloquently molded his stories around the characters and their inner personages. Even amidst uncertain circumstances, Shakespeare recognized the fundamental truth that human connection can be fostered through literature, art, and attention to the inner monologues of one's heart. His writings provide insights regarding the characters which we can relate to. We resonate with the characters. It's possible that this kind of unity is what changes us individually and allows us to survive both mentally and physically in trying times.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting how Shakespeare wrote most of his plays during the pandemic. Even in lockdown, he was able to come up with multiple storylines with no influence or inspiration from the outside world. Most of the plays didn’t contain effects of the plague and none contained death from the plague. I thinks it’s intersting that the plays weren’t necessarily based on what’s happening in the world around him.
ReplyDeleteI think it is interesting how to others, his life could have been defined by the plague, but how Shakespeare himself didn't allow that to happen, and instead used his time to be creative. I think it shows an element of choosing how to act during this time and what your priorities are.
ReplyDeleteI found it really interesting how much he accomplished during the plague. It really goes to show that no matter the surroundings, you can still progress. And that is definitely something to think about during this time, just how the world hasn’t stopped and we can keep moving forward.
ReplyDeleteI think it’s interesting how he didn’t focus his work an realism and the plague even though it effected life so strongly at this time. He focused on life and this probably gave the people reading his work a break from the plague and the death.
ReplyDeleteIn this article I found it interesting that during Shakespeare’s entire life he was surrounded by death and plague, yet he almost seemed to has accepted it as a part of life. Whereas today that kind of death is horrible and shocking to us. It’s interesting that there is a lot of death in his plays too but none of those deaths were from the plague.
ReplyDeleteIn this article, Shakespeare proves a point by saying even though you might be stuck inside, you learn new things about yourself and you find new interests. I found out I really like baking.
ReplyDeleteAngelica
I think it's interesting how the beginning of the article made me think that Shakespeare was probably just trying to escape the reality of the plague in his writing, but the actual interpretation of the author was revealed much later in the article. Emma Smith only reveals her opinion in the middle of the text, writing, "While grimly terrifying, the depiction also domesticates death: Death cares about our particularity enough to stalk us as we go about our daily business. Shakespeare’s tragedies share this intimacy. Their response to plague is not to deny mortality but rather to emphasize people’s unique and inerasable difference." I think that the idea of Shakespeare crafting his characters to be more unique, even with their deaths, is a really interesting view. Furthermore, the article also says, "Men and women, to be sure, die in any number of inventive ways. In “Othello,” Desdemona is smothered in her bed. In “Titus Andronicus,” the rapists Chiron and Demetrius have their throats cut and are baked in pastry. John of Gaunt dies of old age exacerbated by the absence of his exiled son in “Richard II.” In “Hamlet,” Ophelia drowns." It seems that, even with so many characters, Shakespeare somehow manages to make them each different, one of the techniques being the way they die. Maybe it's his own way of "standing up" to the plague, and reminding everyone (people in his time, and throughout history) of their uniqueness. It reminds me of Mercutio, with his singular humor, passion, and mood-swings, which showed even in how he died. First, his death is unique in that it is a very important turning point in the plot of Romeo and Juliet. Second, the way that he died, with everyone around him thinking that it was another one of his jokes, portrays his distinctive humor (the reason why everyone thought him dying was a joke). It reminds me of what we discussed in class, how each one of the characters in Romeo and Juliet are purposefully different, with emphasized character traits. Before, I assumed it was to help readers tell characters apart and bring humor to the writing, but perhaps it was to remind the reader about each person's individuality and differences, even with plagues going around and high mortality rates.
ReplyDelete-Anya C.
It's really interesting how Shakespeare was just able to ignore the plague in any of his plays and just focus on constructing the world and the characters in his plays without things from the real world bleeding into it. It shows how brilliant of a writer he was and the time and effort he put into his work.
ReplyDeleteI think, surrounded as we are by statistics, and graphs, and all sorts of data and analytics, it's easy just to drown in the numbers and overlook individuality. What Shakespeare did was accentuate this individuality, the idea that every single person's life, death, and experiences are vastly different. ("Shakespeare is not interested in the statistics...His fictions reimagine the macro-narrative of epidemic as the micro-narrative of tragedy, setting humane uniqueness against the disease’s obliterating ravages.") Although our current pandemic and the outbreaks of plague Shakespeare encountered are,in some ways similar (the quarantine, the mass anxiety and confusion, the buds of change sprouting in society), they are also vastly different in terms of how information was transmitted and how data was collected. Back then, people would not have had access to the nifty logarithmically scaled graphs or death counts, and would be more exposed to isolated incidents and the experiences of specific people, which is something that we don't really get to see and is what Shakespeare demonstrated through his works.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that Shakespeare found inspiration throughout being in lockdown. This relates to what’s going on in the world right now because as we are experiencing this pandemic we can try to find inspiration in the more positive things in the world rather than focusing on the negative.
ReplyDeleteI think its interesting how, for the most part, Shakespeare avoided mentioning the plague in his works. I think its admirable how he was able to make such great things in the middle of a horrible time, and wonder if the same thing is happening during this moment of time
ReplyDeleteThis article emphasizes the importance of enjoying the positives in a dark time very well. Even in such times, it’s always beneficial to reflect on the effects of the situation and learn from it.
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting how Shakespeare didn't mention anything about the plague in his writing even though of it's large significance. It was also interesting how it was sort of a blessing in disguise for him where he could work without distractions. He didn't see it as something that was very bad and made the best out of it.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting how Shakespeare focused on individuality and gave each character their own story/demise. He used his time in isolation to make unique characters and stories without focusing on the plague and its terrible effects. The fact that a lot of his work was produced while he was isolated makes me wonder what will come out of these times as many people are spending time doing things that they normally wouldn't and have more free time than they usually do.
ReplyDeleteI do think it's interesting that Shakespeare didn't mention the plague in his writing, because if you contrast that to today, we do have a lot of books and media written about diseases, like the fault in our stars, a walk to remember, and a recent movie about cystic fibrosis, I can't remember the title. A lot of these stories do carry the same theme of individuality the article talks about, and emphasize that every person's life is important. I get that the situations were different when we had a lot less knowledge of medicine, and for those who contracted the plague, death was inevitable, while many people who contract cancer are able to beat it. I think it's interesting how modern authors are doing exactly what Shakespeare wanted to avoid, but are able to show the same theme. I also think it really shows how modern medicine has changed our views on disease as a culture.
ReplyDelete-Anya M
I thought it was really interesting to read about how Shakespeare chose to write without the use of documentary realism. Meaning that he chose not express current events, such as the plague in his writing, and instead decided to give meaning to each life and death. To me, I find that this is very relevant to this time, since it demonstrates how important each life is during something such as a pandemic or plague.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was very interesting how Shakespeare didn’t use the plague in his work while many other artists did. I wonder how that will compare to current time. I feel like art is being focused on much less on these times but I feel like art could have a big boom once everything calms down because now lots of artists are getting the chance to work. This leads to many questions such as, will there be a lot of works based around corona and being in social isolation, and Is there a modern day Shakespeare somewhere out there that will thrive during this time and create works that will end up being studied in the future when Corona is on the history books?
ReplyDeleteI think it was interesting how Shakespeare would not mention the plagues in his plays, but would instead write more about normal everyday life. It gives the watchers or readers a place they can put themselves into without worrying about what happens in real life, almost like a fantasy world. I wonder if doing this also helped Shakespeare deal with what was happening in the outside world, by placing himself into his own imagination, or perhaps he knew that life was too precious to constantly be worried about the plagues and he tried to convey that into his works.
ReplyDeletePerhaps it helped society through tough times when they saw plays that didn’t mention the plague? A small bit of time to not worry and just enjoy the show. If Shakespeare wanted people to keep coming to his plays, I think it would make sense that he didn’t include the plague.
ReplyDeleteI think, along the lines of the last lines of the article, it is so important to show empathy during this time for everyone and realize everyone is the same in this situation but at the same time individual and worth some sort of praise. “...the meaning in the life of others” can refer to so many things (at least to me): (1) the appreciation we have for those around us, our loved ones, (2) the realization that so many people around the world are suffering more than us, and (3) the need and value in (and the gratitude we hold for) those still working amid and against the virus.
ReplyDeleteSo well said, Kendall! Thank you for sharing these reflections!
DeleteI found it interesting how Shakespeare made sure to keep character deaths individual and befitting to their life, even though he could've taken what some might call the "easy way out" and let them die of the plague. The deaths (and the causes of them) that we've seen in R & J so far have been character-specific: Mercutio because of his loyalty and impulsivity, Tybalt because of his hotheadedness. However, Shakespeare does reference the plague twice using Mercutio (I.iv.80 "angry Mab with blisters plagues" & III.i.111 "A plague o' both your houses!") I think he does this not only because using plague-evoking language was the most provocative one could get at the time, but also because Mercutio's voice had always kind of brought realism to Romeo's love obsession (even though he spoke using fantasy imagery), and thus reflected the thoughts of the audience. At this time, how could the audience not be thinking about the plague, the sickness which ruined many lives. I think Shakespeare was acknowledging what everyone had been through, but also showing the importance of forgetting about it for a while and thinking instead about people and their individuality and their stories. I think he thought the danger of the plague was not only in death, but in falling so deep into fear and isolation that people would forget the living.
ReplyDeleteI think the fact that Shakespeare's plays did not mention the plague made them extremely appealing to people because everything else they saw and heard was about the plague. His plays were unique, and therefore were sought out more.
ReplyDeleteI think it is interesting that Shakespeare lived in a time where there were a lot of plagues and a lot of people were getting sick and dying but he never mentioned them in his writing.
ReplyDeleteSomething I found very interesting that the article brought up was the fact that Shakespeare’s writings didn’t address the plagues that were happening in his time. Part of it in my mind may have been something to ease the pain because honestly why would anyone wanna read about death and tradgey in his time if they live in it. So in turn Shakespeare’s writings were almost a figurative pain killer! They helped ease the pain people went through on a day to day basis. This is because when your constantly thinking about how you could die or someone in your family has died it draws into depression and low thoughts of life. This is why I personally think it was a smart move on Shakespeare part as a writer in his time. I think this because society would naturally be attracted to texts that distract them from the pain of real life. Similarly, I have my own comparison to when I’m running. So since I do track sometimes I’m in pain because of exhaustion or just muscle tiredness! Yet, in the end I have to persevere so a trick I use is sometimes when I’m running in pain I step into my imagination to help cope. I focus my attention on music videos and situations. I do this because if I focus on the pain of reality all naturally quit! Similarly maybe Shakespeare allowing people to focus on something besides disease aloud to be that distraction for his community. So that way just like end up not quitting while running people don’t give up on that race that is life LOL.
ReplyDeleteCould you also argue that along the same lines maybe some of his tragedies were not simply trying to distract but also trying to make people feel better about where they were by seeing people who were worse off. (Also apologies for being a day late)
DeleteIn Shakespeare's writing, where there were death, in the article it said that he often domesticated death and sometimes even personified death (the skeleton). This was a common theme during this era due to all the death around them because of the plague. They took this idea of death something that is just there with no form and molded it into something human like and real which I personally find interesting
ReplyDeleteI think it is interesting how even though people were being killed by the plague and were being buried quickly, Shakespeare had people being buried with more respect. I think a Shakespeare decided to do this because it allows people to go back to a time before the plague killed a bunch of people really quickly and they had no time for it. It might of also served as a reminder for people to still respect the people who died.
ReplyDeleteI think it is interesting how Shakespeare did not include the plague in his plays. I feel like he used his plays to help distract himself and others from what was going on in the world. I feel like amists all the panic and sadness he decided to creat his own paradise. An outlet for him and others to relax. I feel like we can learn from him and try to make the most of our situation and also try to understand how everyone is feeling the same way. That we are not alone.
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