Archives
June 2006
6/27/06
6/24/06
6/24/06
6/23/06
6/21/06
6/19/06
6/18/06
6/17/06
6/17/06
6/14/06
6/13/06
6/13/06
6/13/06
6/12/06
6/10/06
Writer's Weekly Question #19: Will and the World around Us
6/9/06
6/9/06
6/3/06
Saturday, June 10, 2006
7:53:00 AM EDT
In spite of the fact that I've been working for what seems like endless hours on my student's grades, I have been able to manage to work up to one of my countless book feeding frenzies. Let me explain...
I will go for months with no inclination to purchase books. I can easily go into a book store (Barnes and Noble being my favorite), browse, buy a latte, and never purchase a new book. Then, all of the sudden, it hits me--I must buy books. I go into a feeding frenzy. As of right now, I have bought about four or five books, including this new book on Shakespeare called, Will in the World. I am a literary major, so this book is right up my alley.
What is amazing is that the book is actually very engaging. I am learning a great deal, not only about my bosom friend Will, but also about what Elizabethan England was really like.
We think of Elizabethan England as being a time of enlightenment, and peace for the most part. What we forget (perhaps because we want to) is that there was great upheaval in England at that time involving the Protestants and the Catholics. Because Elizabeth I was an avowed Protestant, she made laws that more or less (vote for the more) made it deadly illegal to be Catholic. Catholics were forced to act Protestant, and proclaim the sanctity of the Church of England. Those that didnt't--well, they could expect to find their heads perched on a very sharp pike very quickly.
People wonder about why our forefathers were so intent on freedom of worship--well, this is it, folks. This is ugliness that lasted well into the 17th and 18th centuries. Families were literally torn apart.
Ah...but I digress...
One of Greenblatt's observations is that Shakespeare's writing had to be colored by this state upheaval. He even goes as far as to observe that Shakespeare's own family had stakes in this Catholic/Protestant battle. There is some speculation that his own mother was Catholic and his father was a Catholic sympathizer. As for Will himself, Greenblatt seems to think that Shakespeare did his best to distance himself from Catholicism and Protestantism for his own health.
Yet, in spite of his distancing, all of this upheaval was reflected in his writing. His religious figures were often weak or passive. He also reflected various views of royalty (some, not very flattering) and even made word plays pointing at problems.
Like I tell my students, we do not write in a vacuum, and it would seem that Shakespeare did not either.
Believe it or not, all of this leads to Writer's Weekly Question #19:
Writer's Weekly Question #19:
We are a society that is literally besieged by historical, political, social, and even religious upheaval and decisions due to our connection to an information driven world. Do these things impact our creative process and do our opinions concerning various historical, political, social, and religious questions show up in our products (this can be writing, or art, or other things that involve creative process)? If so, how?
Since I have to go to breakfast right now, I will share my answer later. Don't let this hold you back however, go ahead and share with all of us!
Written by aurielalata Blog about this entry |
Add to del.icio.us | 
digg this
7:53:00 AM EDT
Writer's Weekly Question #19: Will and the World around Us
In spite of the fact that I've been working for what seems like endless hours on my student's grades, I have been able to manage to work up to one of my countless book feeding frenzies. Let me explain...I will go for months with no inclination to purchase books. I can easily go into a book store (Barnes and Noble being my favorite), browse, buy a latte, and never purchase a new book. Then, all of the sudden, it hits me--I must buy books. I go into a feeding frenzy. As of right now, I have bought about four or five books, including this new book on Shakespeare called, Will in the World. I am a literary major, so this book is right up my alley.
What is amazing is that the book is actually very engaging. I am learning a great deal, not only about my bosom friend Will, but also about what Elizabethan England was really like.
We think of Elizabethan England as being a time of enlightenment, and peace for the most part. What we forget (perhaps because we want to) is that there was great upheaval in England at that time involving the Protestants and the Catholics. Because Elizabeth I was an avowed Protestant, she made laws that more or less (vote for the more) made it deadly illegal to be Catholic. Catholics were forced to act Protestant, and proclaim the sanctity of the Church of England. Those that didnt't--well, they could expect to find their heads perched on a very sharp pike very quickly.
People wonder about why our forefathers were so intent on freedom of worship--well, this is it, folks. This is ugliness that lasted well into the 17th and 18th centuries. Families were literally torn apart.
Ah...but I digress...
One of Greenblatt's observations is that Shakespeare's writing had to be colored by this state upheaval. He even goes as far as to observe that Shakespeare's own family had stakes in this Catholic/Protestant battle. There is some speculation that his own mother was Catholic and his father was a Catholic sympathizer. As for Will himself, Greenblatt seems to think that Shakespeare did his best to distance himself from Catholicism and Protestantism for his own health.
Yet, in spite of his distancing, all of this upheaval was reflected in his writing. His religious figures were often weak or passive. He also reflected various views of royalty (some, not very flattering) and even made word plays pointing at problems.
Like I tell my students, we do not write in a vacuum, and it would seem that Shakespeare did not either.
Believe it or not, all of this leads to Writer's Weekly Question #19:
Writer's Weekly Question #19:
We are a society that is literally besieged by historical, political, social, and even religious upheaval and decisions due to our connection to an information driven world. Do these things impact our creative process and do our opinions concerning various historical, political, social, and religious questions show up in our products (this can be writing, or art, or other things that involve creative process)? If so, how?
Since I have to go to breakfast right now, I will share my answer later. Don't let this hold you back however, go ahead and share with all of us!
And now the skiddlydiddly:
As usual, you don't have to be a writer to respond to these questions. This meme is meant as a community building sort of project. All you have to do answer the question either in the comment box below, or in your own journal. If you post in your journal, be sure to drop by and leave a link in the comment box so that we all can share in the joy of your response.Written by aurielalata Blog about this entry |
Add to del.icio.us | digg this
This entry has 5 comments: (Add your own)
-
Okay, I posted it both to the Outpost and my church's arts blog. (Gulp!) - Karen
http://smaaarts.blogspot.com/2006/06/trinity-sunday-in-land -of-mvarin.html
http://outmavarin.blogspot.com/2006/06/dangerous-messages.h tml -
Oh, there it is. Never mind. Back shortly! - K.
-
-
http://journals.aol.com/aurie
lalata/CIWTheOtherInvisible/en tries/853
Once again, Jess, very good question.
Jude
6/13/06 6:12 PM
Bill, the Wildcat
http://journals.aol.com/knigh
http://wildcatslair.blogspot.