Mr_Shank

For people in my group, you definately have to read and comment this blog.

In my previous connections, I related this play to Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet. I’m not sure what else to relate this blog to now because there’s not too many things that are similar to As You Like It.

I guess what I will connect this to is pretty much everyday life. There are many fights over the inheritance of a deceased family member. And normally an older child or family member receives the inheritance. This obviously causes a lot of conflict and bad feelings between close families. But Oliver and Orlando’s story is quite different.

It seems like Oliver takes his internal hate of his brother to an extreme. He not only shares none of the fortune, but he practically disowns his brother in the beginning. He is unwilling to accept his brother and is full of himself because he believes his age entitles him to treat his brother terribly.

Therefore, this poem can be related to everyday life. I kind of think that Shakespeare wrote it to relate it to life, but made his plays a lot more entertaining and full of drama.

My questions for you are:

What was your reaction to the ending of this play?

Do you think that Orlando and Oliver could have mended the troubles before they escalated?

(these questions aren’t hard at all………because it’s the end of the school year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

~Laurisa : )

Okay, for everyone in my group this post does not apply to you so you don’t have to comment this. I am posting this because I never got a chance to do it on time so I’m not going to ask any questions so whoever is reading this other than Mr. Shank can stop reading now. : )

So this play is actually not half bad. It’s kind of short (a lot shorter than Romeo and Juliet) and it pretty much gets to the point of the story without too much detail of little unimportant events.

So I can connect this play to 2 things that I was thinking about when I was reading it.

The first thing is Cinderella. Orlando is treated like a peasant from his older brother Oliver. This relates to Cinderella because once her father dies his wife receives his fortune and she becomes the slave of her step mother and 2 step sisters. Oliver is the older brother who received the fortune of their father once he passed away. Orlando from then on was taken over by his brother and treated like Adam, the old slave that was in the family for many years. Orlando works out with all the peasants and slaves and is not treated any better than dirt. His brother is very selfish and seems so embarrassed by his brother that he refuses to treat him with respect. He also keeps Orlando from proper schooling, and is quite overwhelmed to know that without schooling or proper living his brother has the capability of being a witty man. This relates to Cinderella because she is kept from the ball and not allowed to show herself and the person she really is to the Prince. However, he godmother gets her there and without too much experience with gentlemen, she wins the Prince’s heart.

I also related this to Romeo and Juliet. This is not as good of a connection but I found a couple examples that show the similarities between this play and Romeo and Juliet. The first thing that I found matched Romeo and Juliet was the fact the Rosalind’s father is exiled from the city. Right away I thought of how Romeo was exiled from Verona because he killed Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin. Another simliarity I found was the fact that there’s a character named Rosalind, who is the love of Orlando. This isn’t as good of a connection, because Romeo gets over Rosalind in Romeo and Juliet quickly when he meets Juliet where as Orlando’s only love is Rosalind.

So, that concludes my blogs that are quite late. I’m hoping to get at least something better than a D or an F. I’m very sorry that this is so late and I hope that you aren’t in a bad mood while grading this, Mr. Shank. : )

~Laurisa

Alright, so this time i feel like blogging about Orlando. First off, is he gay? He agreed to woo a man. That seems a bit odd to me if he is in love with Rosalind. If I was her, I would be extremely worried that he wants to woo a man to get over a woman…

Oliver can’t find his little brother Orlando, and Duke Frederick says that until you find him, I’m taking all of your stuff. & if you don’t find him within a year, I’m keeping all of your stuff.

So, Orlando is wondering around Ardenne Forest and he is madly in love with a woman he doesn’t know, Rosalind. He carves her name in a whole bunch a trees to show her that he truly does love her. I wish someone would do that for me. (Touchstone and Corin have a completely pointless conversation about manners??) Then, to express his love for this woman even more, he writes awful poems in her honor and she finds them. She reads them and she realizes that someone loves her and she can’t wait to meet and see this guy that loves her. Rosalind then dresses up a a guy named Ganymede and talks to Orlando about how he can get him out of love. The remedy for this un-love is for Orlando to woo Ganymede, and Orlando agrees with his entire heart, which makes me question his sexual orientation.

Orlando isn’t included in the Act III scene iii but he is included in Act III scene iv. Orlando doesn’t show up at his appointment with “Ganymede” and that makes Rosalind question his truthfulness. She ends up comparing him to some guy like Christ, Judas. Their hair is very similar, so that means he is perfect, like Christ. Celia, Rosalind’s friend, says that he about as truthful as a bartender and doesn’t keep his promises.

My questions for you are do you think that Orlando is a liar and deceitful like Rosalind and Celia discuss? Why do you think he didn’t go to the meeting with Ganymede? Also, I think it would be fun to see what you think about him wanting to woo a man…

Mallory

Dangit Mr. Shank, I forget to do this every single weekend!! I beg that you are leniant with how many points you take off…

Anyway here my illuminated quote of the week, I figured it would be good since we just got done with Romeo and Juliet and the whole love thing.

“O, thou didst then ne’er love so heartily!
If thou remember’st not the slightest folly
That ever love did make thee run into,
Thou hast not loved:
Or if thou hast not sat as I do now,
Wearying thy hearer in thy mistress’ praise,
Thou hast not loved:
Or if thou hast not broke from company
Abruptly, as my passion now makes me,
Thou hast not loved.
O Phebe, Phebe, Phebe! ”

This is a quote from Silvius to Corin. Silvius is telling Corin that he is to old to feel the love that he feels, and after Corin denies that, Silvius says this quote saying that if Corin didn’t feel/do/remember all the things that he mentions, then he didn’t love. In a way he is bringing up that love is INTENSE AND POWERFUL and this connects to Romeo and Juliet. Do you guys agree? Also, it seems to me like Shakespeare had a thing for writing about true love, so either he was in love and liked writing about it, or like Mr. Shank, he wasn’t in love and wished he was. Do you guys see any other connectiosn between this and Romeo and Juliet and how do you feel about love.

In act 2 we still see that Bianco is not completly sure who she prefers. Or she is hiding it from us.  The quote is siad by Bianco to Katherine while she is being beaten “    Is it for him you do envy me so?
    Nay then you jest, and now I well perceive
    You have but jested with me all this while:
    I prithee, sister Kate, untie my hands.

This quote shows that Katherine is completly jealous that Bianco’s ability to choose and wait for the right suitor. Why do you think that Katherine is so jealous of Bianco. Do you think that Katherine went to far by beating the living crap out of Bianco? Who do you feel is the best suitor? Why?

Basically in this section of the play, several important events take place. For one Beatrice and Benedick hook up in a really weird and round about sort of way. There seems to be a lot of involvement from people who are not invloved in this situation which plays in to this happening. If that makes sense, which it probably doesn’t, but oh well its taking up space. Anyway another thing that happens is that Don John convinces Claudio that his fiance, Hero, is a whore. This is just mean and all around wrong. Hero is in no way a whore and Don John needs to mind his own business and try to make his life happier instead of making everyone else’s lives miserable like his. The wedding is set for the next day and Hero doens’t know that Claudio thinks that she is a whore. This could make the following events rather special.

How do you think Hero is going to react to Claudio calling her an allegid whore?

Why do Beatrice and Benedick finally agree to ‘hook up’, after all this time of constant fighting and bickering?

How do you think this whole wedding situation is going to end for both Claudio and Hero?

Act 2:

Scene 1:

This act begins with Duke Senior and Lord Amiens speaking about the forest and what has happened. Then they begin to speak about dinner, and Duke Senior wants to see Jaques. Not much really happens in this scene.

Scene 2:

In this scene Duke Fredrick finds out that Rosalind, Touchstone, and Celia have all run away. He is angry that no one saw them leave. Celia’s maid heard Rosalind and Celia complementing Orlando on his looks and fighting skills. Duke Frederick thinks that Orlando is probably with Celia and Rosalind so he wants everyone to search. He also send a lord to give Oliver a message.

Scene 3:

Orlando is coming how from the match he won. His servant Adam has already heard the new, but is not happy for his master’s win. He tells him that his brother Oliver is furious and is planning to burn down his house while he is sleeping, and if that doesn’t work then he will find some other way to kill him. Orlando and Adam come up with a plan to use Adam’s savings and head to the Forest of Arden. Even though Adam is old he is willing to stay by his master’s side.

Scene 4:

This scene is Rosalind, Touchstone, and Celia walking. Celia is getting extremely tired and so is Rosalind , but Rosalind is hiding her emotion to better portray a male figure. While walking 2 shepherds walk by them and they overhear the conversation. The Young shepherd Silvius heartbroken and is complaining to the older shepherd Corin. Silvius is saying that Corin has no idea what he is going through and wanders off. Corin stops to speak to Rosalind, Celia, and Touchstone. Rosalind is connecting herself and being heartbroken to the younger shepherd’s situation, but she hides her emotions. They ask Corin if there is any place they could buy to eat and sleep. Corin tells them that his master’s pasture is for sale. Rosalind and Celia decide to buy it.

Scene 5:

In this scene it is Jaques and Amiens. Amiens is singing a song to Jaques, and Jaques wants him to keep singing more even though it makes him sad. Jaques even wrote his own verse and sings it.

Scene 6:

This scene is very short the story pops back in with Adam and Orlando they are now traveling and Adam with his old age is very hungry and tired. He tells Orlando that he is going to die. Orlando is gonna go get him some food, but he doesn’t just want to leave him there so he takes him to shelter before he leaves to get food.

scene 7:

Duke Senior is about to send someone to find Jaques when Jaques comes walking over. Jaques tells a story about how he met a fool and now would like to be one.  Jaques and Duke Senior are having a playful argument when Orlando breaks the conversation with his sword drawn demanding for food. Orlando calms down and Duke Senior realizes that Orlando is the son of his old friend. He invites him to eat, but before Orlando will eat he goes to get Adam to eat first.

Fool- A professional jester:there seems to be a lot of fool’s in this play

Melancholy- A gloomy state of mind: This desccribes Rosalind and Silivius

Sullen-Showing irritation or ill humor by a gloomy silence or reserve: i didn’t know what it ment

hither-To or torward this place: Its a funny word

Humorous-funny: goes with the comedy theme

1. How does this play relate to Romeo and Juliet?

2. Now that Orlando has met Rosalind’s father do you think they will have a better chance of being together?

3. What do you think will happen next? Will Duke Fredrick find Celia? Will Rosalind and Orlando be together?

This Act of the book involves a lot of sneakery and general cloak and dagger Splinter Cell type operations going on.  Rosalind is hardcore messing with Orlando by disguising herself like a boy.  Jaques is stealthily creeping after Touchstone and Co. in the forest.  In the Act, we see a lot of sneakery, but not a lot of playery.  What I mean to say is in this section, not a lot is revealed about the characters.  This act focuses purely on character to character interaction.  My question for you is do you think that Rosalind (Name is familar) and Orlando get married?  Do you think that their romance will blossom?

Brian Wawrzyniak

First off, Mr. Shank, since the title of the play is as you like it, I would like to say that I would like it if I never would have had to read it. This honestly serves no purpose except to get in one last torture session before the year is over.

Now about the play……

Act III

The act starts off with Oliver searching for Orlando. He then goes to see Duke Frederick, he tells Oliver that if Orlando isn’t found in a year he will take of Oliver’s property and while he is searching for him the duke will temporarily seize his land. In the next scene Orlando is running through the forest hanging up poems about Rosalind hoping that others will read them and appreciate her like he does. Corin and Touchstone walk through the forest unaware of the poems, Rosalind enters shortly after they do. She and her friend Celia, who is also in disguise, agree that the poems are badly written. But when Rosalind finds out that Orlando wrote them she becomes incredibly excited and wants to know everything about him. As the women are talking they hear voices and decide to hide. Orlando and Jaques walk enter and are arguing with one another. Jaques leaves to wonder the forest alone; Rosalind sees this as the opportunity to approach him as Ganymede. She talks to him about the poems about Rosalind and he says that is madly in love. She disagrees with him and then tells him to try and woo her (Ganymede) as if she were Rosalind (she really is Rosalind). She asks Orlando if she could tutor him in the ways of love. He agrees to come to her house and learn from her (he thinks he’s talking to Ganymede). In the next scene Touchstone and his mistress are wandering around in the forest, Jaques is closely following. They talk about their situation and also how he has already arranged a marriage for them. During the ceremony the priest (or guy whose marrying them, whatever he’s called) says that in order for it to be official someone must give the bride away. Jaques offers to help but then persuades the two lovers to get married in an actual church. The three of them leave the forest leaving the priest alone and confused. The next scene starts off with Rosalind (Ganymede) waiting for Orlando to show up, he does not. Rosalind becomes worried and slightly angry; she compares him to Judas from the bible. Celia says that he’s not a traitor but basically says that Orlando can not be depended on since he’s in love. Corin then enters and tells the women that Silvius is about to try and woo Phoebe, and wanted to know if they wanted to watch. Rosalind agrees and goes to see what happens, but she intends to do more than just watch. The next scene starts with Silvius begging Phoebe to take accept him. Corin and the disguised Celia and Rosalind enter to see Phoebe’s reply. She mocks the way he talks and says that if her eyes are murderers why isn’t he dead yet. Rosalind steps in and tells Phoebe that she should be lucky that Silvius wants her. Phoebe instead falls in love with Ganymede right then and there, seeing this Rosalind departs with Celia, as to try and avoid any more trouble. She tells Silvius that she wants him to deliver a letter to Ganymede from her, not a love letter but one taunting Ganymede. Although I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a love letter. 

Words to your mother:

chaste- to abstain from sex

copulation- to have sexual intercourse

cuckoldly- to be a man with an unfaithful wife

ere- before time itself

medlar- a fruit shaped tree

Questions: Everyone is the play seems to be eavesdropping all the time, why do you think that is? Are they just nosey or was it a cultural thing?

Adam Lough