The Double Edged-Sword of Betrayal
Betrayal is an inevitable part of live. Whether it being minor or major, betrayal threatens everyone once there is social interaction. I have encountered the nasty effects of betrayal.
One such experience which left a lingering bitterness was a get together planned among a few close friends. An acquaintance took the duty of transporting the food and drinks. However, succeeding a heated argument the night before the proceedings involving the acquaintance and another partygoer, the acquaintance said regardless of the outcome she would still come and address her responsibility. However, the next day, two hours after the event was suppose to happen, the persons attending to the event questioned the reliability of the acquaintance. Shortly after, to our surprise, the acquaintance revoked her responsibilities without informing anyone significant (the coordinators) and indulged in the food stuff that were suppose to be at the event with two other party goers that depended on her for transportation. Clearly, this betrayal was engineered to leave the attendees with a deficiency of sustenance.
It left the sting of disbelief, anger and distrust towards the acquaintance as the display of her unsavory capabilities prevailed. Thankfully, one of the partygoers was late, so she was able to bring a generous amount of food for the attendees; the drinks and ice were available in the event that the acquaintance did not show, but the bonds of friendship were definitely worn.
There was certainly no misunderstanding when her actions were compared to what she said the night before during the argument.
Have you ever felt that you were betrayed and in the end misunderstood the situation?
There have been instances where initially a situation may seem like betrayal but was in fact a misunderstanding.
There was an incident of theft in a 3rd form class and the teacher inquired about the students who were in the classroom at the time. I, much like my fellow students, plead absent at the time of the incident. However, a ‘friend’ of mine insisted that she saw me in the classroom during the time of the incident but realized it was someone else she saw and assumed it was I.
Why the Violence? Why the Trickery? Why the Evilness?
In many of Shakespeare’s tragedies, there is the notorious trend of violence and most commonly trickery. These elements add an intriguing touch to the plot of the plays and richness to its content, often coming in the form of complication. However, the reasons for resorting to violence in Shakespeare’s works vary from desperation, to a means of revealing the truth, to adding richness and the dramatic essence to the play as well as defining the characters themselves. It helps to define the characters as being either the protagonists or the antagonists. However, trickery is a vehicle for both good and bad motives.
With reference to Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’, both trickery and violence are demonstrated as Claudius engineered a plan geared towards the death of Hamlet. Having established Laetre’s hatred towards Hamlet, Claudius uses Laetre’s anger to drive him to fence against Hamlet. Claudius poisons the blade of Laetre’s sword so that it would kill Hamlet when it cuts him. Laetre’s not knowing of Claudius’ deed, engages in the game of fences and cuts Hamlet who subsequently dies from the wound. Trickery was used here as a means of violence as Claudius wanted to commit a crime without being suspected or directly involved. Hamlet knew of Claudius’ unlawful act (killing Hamlet’s father and taking his place as King) and Claudio saw it fitting to go to any extent to keep it a secret.
Another renowned play, ‘The Merchant of Venice’, manifests trickery when Antonio was to give Shylock a pound of flesh but Portia, Bassanio’s wife, disguised herself as a male lawyer to free Antonio from the bonds of his contract. This form of trickery was in favour of the protagonist Antonio and provided a peripeteia. However, Shylock’s thirst for violence having demanded the pound of flesh from Antonio can be justified by the hostility displayed by Antonio thought out the years. It has been argued in some cases the Antonio was the master of his fate having pushed Shylock to the extent of violence.
Contrarily, in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, Shakespeare uses trickery in both forms: positively and negatively. An example of positive trickery occurred when Don Pedro and a group of friends tricked Beatrice and Benedict into expressing their feelings for one another openly. However, Don John, Don Pedro’s bastard brother, tricks Claudio into believing that the woman he was about to be betrothed to was not a maiden in respect of her virginity and thus publicly shamed her on their wedding day. This comedy, is one of the tamer play encountered by this reader.
A common element in the plays is the persons who mainly resorted to violence were the villains or antagonists of the play that made them easy to identify. The evilness provides a clear and intriguing battle between good and bad that provides reputable dramas and for this reason an interesting and captivating playwrights.
In the era of The Winter’s Tale
The Winter’s Tale, similar to many famous writings, was written in the Elizabethan Era near the end of William Shakespeare career. The Era is known as one of the more memorable events or periods in the British History, The Jacobean Era.
What is the Elizabethan Theatre?
The Global Theatre
Prior to the establishing of the Elizabethan Theatre, Actor and performers in England traveled from town to town performing their plays for various audiences. Shortly after the outbreak of the Bubonic Plague, the public regarded actors of the Elizabethan Era negatively. Due to a license and regulations of initiation, Elizabethan actors were restricted to perform. The traveling actors performed their plays in what were called “Inn Yards”. In these Inn Yard, temporary stages were erected for the purpose of performances. Subsequently, after seeing the growth in theatre in, Mr. James Burbage obtained a lease and permission and erected the Theatre, affectionately known as the ‘Elizabeth Theatre’.
The theatre was designed to hold 3000 spectators. The audience the theatre attracted was vulgar and unsavory, causing institutions like the Church to rebel against it. From this, there was a raise in criminal activity in the City of London. Soon the social conditions became unbearable and the authorities were forced to close and banned all theatres, including the Elizabethan Theatre.
Subsequent to the unfortunate theatre closings, William Shakespeare opened The Globe Theatre under partial ownership. Which housed the plays of stifled actor and new and revitalizes playwrights as well and proved successful.
However, the Bubonic or Black Plague claimed the lives of thousands that caused the Theatres to close and once again. Additionally, a fire broke out in the Globe Theatre claimed in the entire structure save the foundation on which the rebuilt it and make technological improvements. Unfortunately, Theatres closed once again as a result of the protestants who insisted on passing stricter law with regards to actors cause actors to be seized and whipped and caught audience members to be fined.
What is the Theatre of the Absurd?
The Theatre of the Absurd
The term absurd is defined as “Wildly unreasonable, illogical, or inappropriate”.
According to www.wisegeeks.com ,“Theater of the Absurd is often called a reaction to the realism movement in the theater. Rather than try to conform as closely as possible to a concept of real life, absurdists sought to provide an unmistakably unreal experience. In an absurdist play, time and settings are generally ambiguous, if they are even defined at all. Characters are not meant to mimic real people, but instead are often metaphorical or archetypal.”
The Theatre of the absurd is a demonstration of an illogical style of theatre, hence the turn absurd, It stemmed from the World War 2 event which help drive the dramatic elements. The absurdity of the theatre impeded the settings, the situations or plots and most importantly the dialogue which never seemed to make sense.
A visually active example of "The Theatre of the Absurd" > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsM_k0esAQY
The Life and Times of William Shakespeare
Referencing the Biography published in the play, 'Much Ado About Nothing', William Shakespeare was born in Stratford upon Avon on April 1564. He was born to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. Shakespeare was the last of three children as well as the eldest son. He had elder siblings, both of whom where girls. This Catholic family provided William Shakespeare’s with what was perceived to be a traditional up brining of that era.
26 year old Shakespeare married his 18 year old wife, Anne Hathaway, 3 months pregnant with their first child, in December 1582. On May 6th 1583, the couple produced their first of three children, Suzanna Shakespeare. Suzanna was then preceded by her twin siblings, Hamnet and Judith, on February 22nd 1585. In the midst of Shakespeare youthful yet burdensome life, he left his family in Stratford on Avon to work in London, having been accused of deer theft.
Shakespeare made his first appearance in the public eye as a playwright when he was first featured with Johannes Factotum. In April 1593, William published his poem 'Venus and Adios' with dedication to the Earl of Southampton; its success thereafter was manifested in the reprinting nine times over nine years. This, however, was proceeded by another phenomenal poem entitled 'The rape of Lucrece".
Due to the historical plague, theatres remained in active, but the instant of reactivation, Shakespeare’s work because the subject of rivalry of the Lord Chamberlains Company who produced a play in Shoredith Theatre. Soon there after, Shakespeare authored additional plays, namely, The Gently men of Venus, Love's Labour's Lost and The Taming of the Shrew. The most famous and world-renowned play being Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare was, at this point, believed to be the greatest author and playwright because of his extraordinary talent in captivative writing, both plays and poetry. He dominated the play entertainment world for quite sometime with his undeniable passion and expertise in the field.
Shakespeare died in 23rd April 1616. His successes carried on through out his 52 year life spand. Having been survived by his wife, William left behind a high standard of dramatic playwright as well as his work that's still studied and recited to this very day.
His plays studied today include the following:
Historical plays include:
King Henry IV Part I
King Henry IV Part 2
King Henry V Part 1
King Henry V Part 2
King Henry V Part 3
King Henry VIII
King John
Richard II
Richard III
Tragedic plays include:
Antony and Cleopatra
Coriolanus
Hamlet
Julius Ceasar
King Lea
Macbeth
Othello
Romeo and Juliet
Timon of Anthenus
Titus Andronicus
Comedic plays include:
All Well That Ends Well
As You Like It
Comedy of Errors
Cymbeline
Love’s Labour’s Lost
Measure for Measure
Measure for Measure
Merchant of Venice
Merry Wives of Windsor
Midsummer Nights Dream
Much Ado About Nothing
Pericles, Prince of Tyre
Taming of the Shrew
The Tempest
Troilus and Cressida
Twelfth Night
Two Gentlemen of Verona
Winter’s Tale
