Shylocks First Scene Essays - Orientalism, The Merchant Of Venice

Shylock's First Scene Shylocks First Scene Shylocks first scene in The Merchant of Venice is important because it sets the tone for the audiences view of him throughout the play. I have never seen the play performed, but it has been my experience that an audience will form an opinion of a character upon first seeing them. There are many different ways of portraying Shylock in his first scene. I will be focussing on portraying Shylock as a villain. I understand that his role is villainous, but various actors and directors have actually portrayed him differently. I like to think of my way, as the way Shakespeare himself would have done it. During a production of Merchant the audience will see Shylock before they hear him, so I will start with his appearance. Shylock first appears in Act 1, Scene 3. He needs to be an old man stricken in years, but only in the face. It should be a little wrinkled, and his hair ought to be gray. It is important that in his first scene Shylock stands up straight and appears strong and confident. Shylock shall lose this confidence and posture by the end of my production, but for this scene he must be on the verge of arrogance. He should be outfitted in a Jewish garbadine, a garment of rich material but a dull shade and it must fit him well. This will give the appearance that he is rich, but not trying to brag about it. It is important to note here that Bassanio must appear in mild dress. He should not depict a commoner, but at the same time not be wearing anything flashy, this will add to the grandeur of Shylocks clothing. I would also have Shylock and Bassanio walk about the rear of the st age and appear to be speaking to each other. That way the audience will be able to begin forming their opinion before hearing Shylock speak. As the pair comes forward on the stage, the audience will then be able to hear what it is they are talking about. Shylocks first line is as equally important as his appearance is. Three thousand ducats, well? (The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, ed. Bevington, 1.3.1) should be said in a manner that portrays a love of money. The audience must believe that Shylock is greedy from the very beginning. If they believe he is greedy, and after they hear the conditions of the loan, then they will anticipate an ending of their own. If the audience is trying to follow a mystery throughout the play it will be more enjoyable for them. If there is no mystery in the play, an audiences mind can wander. As Shylock goes on in the scene there is one word that emanates throughout his lines, and that is ducats. The mentioning of the ducats must be made in a lingering, caressing tone that also puts across Shylocks love of money. Shylocks actions during his conversation with Bassanio should also imply greed. He may put his hand over his billfold area while questioning the amount or rub his thumb and forefingers as if he was sorting money. His first line will also note the sum to the audience with a hint of inquiry. The second line, For three months, well? should determine a negative answer is forthcoming, but leave Bassanio to keep enticing him. The third line for Shylock, Antonio shall become bound, well should be performed in a manner that the audience will come away thinking there is something between Antonio and Shylock. The actor portraying Shylock should emit a momentary flash of hate by using piercing eyes or a contraction of muscles. Immediately following this flash the actor must resume total self-control. This will make the audience definite that Shylock is to be a main character and interesting events have preceded and will follow. With the opening of Act 1, Scene 3 portrayed this way, the audience will be filled with anticipation throughout the play. They will wonder what twists and turns Shylocks greed and hatred will bring, and how it will affect their other favorite characters. English Essays

Newsletters versus Blogging

Newsletters versus Blogging While I hate giving away my age, years ago newsletters were fresh and new. The goal was to direct people to your website, and from there you sell your wares. Were talking 15-20 years. Few people could do newsletters, and there were few email delivery services that could handle a newsletter. Most people didnt want to pay for what an email could do anyway. That was the time period that FundsforWriters was born. It was cool to be in magazines. After a few years, when I had graduated to four newsletters, and the Internet was becoming popular and THE place to be. . . when Amazon was fledgling but strong. . . folks came up with a blog. Blogger.com exploded in popularity, and everybody decided they needed a blog. The argument arose whether you needed a blog or a website. The clock ticked on. . . blogs got creative with WordPress, websites incorporated blogs, and social media stepped up its game. Newsletters became passe. Everyone was everywhere, so what was the need? Podcasts, YouTube, SoundCloud, etc. came alive, and audiobooks took off. It was more attractive to see and hear someone. The trend was to become more interactive. Then suddenly blogs were history. . . and newsletters came back to life. I laughed the entire time, because I knew they would. Newsletters could be personal without intrusion. Some people dont have time to listen to talking heads. /Â  . The goal now is to attract people to your newsletter via blog. Listen. . . if you had jumped on every bandwagon spouted over the last 20 years, youve have bounced all over the place trying to be seen, heard, read, and followed. Youd be frustrated. You may or may not have a substantial readership because you were inconsistent. The lesson is. . . decide what works for you and work it to its fullest. Remember your focus. And understand that trends come and go, but your dear name is precious. Protect it

Snap Decisions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Snap Decisions - Essay Example This was done without any conscious analysis of the benefits that I would get from the friendship. The other snap decision that I have made is the choice of courses to attempt in any semester year. The choice of courses is usually done after a careful analysis of the options before the final decision is made. However, I have usually made snap decisions concerning the best course before getting any other information on the course. My emotions at the moment of making these snap decisions can be best described as emotional and based on hunches. For example, the choice of friends is usually based on first impressions, and if a person looks to be of a different character from mine, I would immediately dislike them, and changing this attitude would be hard. This also applies to the choice of courses, where the snap decisions are based on a liking of the lecturers, teachers, or other students taking the same course. The snap decisions that I have made usually turn out to be the best decisions I have made, since they turn out to be positive. This means that I do not regret the decisions later, and given the information before I made the decisions, I would still make the same