Self Evaluation: Shakespeare's Modern Influence

As part of our course requirements, I am to evaluate my own blog, based off of Dr. Burton's Evaluation Criteria. My focus has been on Shakespeare's lasting legacy, specifically his influence on William Fualkner. I will be using the Evaluation Criteria to judge my blog based off of Posts, Research, Personal and Social, and Design.

Shakespeare's Influence on Other Authors

I found a gem of a website, that I'm sure others in the class have also found. It is www.shakespeare-online.com!! While snooping around I found a list of some of the other successful authors that Shakespeare has influenced.

Here is a page of many of the modern works (plays, literature and music) that has references or explicit influence from Shakespeare.

Past Faulkner; Other Modern Woks Influenced by Shakespeare

I wanted to look over some of the other popular modern works that have been influenced by Shakespeare. In addition to just listing some of my findings I have also decided to look at how this has kept Shakespeare's legacy alive throughout time.

Peer Review: Ladd, Shakespeare and Minorities

As part of my peer review I am to look at Ladd's blog, Fa'a Shakeseare. His main focus for blogging about Shakespeare is how minority roles in Shakespeare and modern productions/interpretations of Shakespeare's work divided the audience. I will be reviewing his blog based off of four main criteria: Posts, Research, Personal and Social, and Design.

Updated Hub Post: Shakespeare's Influence on Modern Literature

So I decided to update my Hub Post to include a thesis and conclusion. With my Shakespeare class, and this blog, I have really been able to use some freedom and study what I want to, in relation to Shakespeare. My topic of choice has been Shakespeare's influence on modern literature. I have specifically been looking at Shakespeare's influence on William Faulkner, however I am now going to turn my attention these last three weeks to what this all means.

Thesis: Shakespeare's influence on William Faulkner and modern literature has not been his legacy of plot designs and characters that modern authors have used as tempaltes in their own work, yet Shakespeare's plot designs and characters have inspired the furthering of the literary cannon. Because of Shakespeare's story-telling methods, modern authors, such as Faulkner, have been able to continue to reinvent methods of story-telling.

I first looked into some of the tactics that Shakespeare used to create his enduring plot structures and characters through the lens of language. Shakespeare's language in Richard II and Hamlet create either reflection (inaction) or action.

Here is a study of the biographical similarities between Faulkner and Shakespeare. I took a look at this just to get started. Interestingly enough there are some strong similarities between the two authors, however, this is not the cause for their success as writers.

A comparison of Macbeth's soliloquy and The Sound and The Fury. This was the first post of a few where I compared The Sound and The Fury to Shakespeare's works. While much of this soliloquy can be related to the plot/characters of The Sound and The Fury, it is interesting to see how Faulkner takes some of the original themes from Shakespeare's work and translates them into his own work.

Character analysis of Faulkner's The Sound and The Fury. In this post I took a closer look at the characters in The Sound and The Fury. Faulkner created his own, original, pedestrian in nature, characters.

A comparison of Shakespearean and Faulknerean (?) characters. I compared some of Faulkner's characters to Shakespeare's characters. While there is plenty to compare, I think I should note that there is drastic differences, supporting my claim that Shakespeare did more than just lay a template for future authors, he paved a way for authors to invent characters.

Conclusion: From what I have done I can say that Faulkner has further created and explored plots, themes and characters that relate to human experience generally. He did this without copying Shakespearean theory and templates, and has thus expanded modern literature from Shakespeare's influence.

I recognize that I need to create better cohesion between my posts, and in turn my entire blog. As I finalize some of my research on Faulkner, and other modern literature that has been influenced by Shakespeare, I plan on creating more unity. So be looking for an updated Hub Post and conclusion.

Hub Post: Shakespeare's influence on modern literature

With my Shakespeare class, and this blog, I have really been able to use some freedom and study what I want to, in relation to Shakespeare. My topic of choice has been Shakespeare's influence on modern literature. I have specifically been looking at Shakespeare's influence on William Faulkner, however I am now going to turn my attention these last three weeks to what this all means. Here is a list of posts I have made throughout my preliminary research:

Here is a study of the biographical similarities between Faulkner and Shakespeare.

A comparison of Macbeth's soliloquy and The Sound and The Fury.

Character analysis of Faulkner's The Sound and The Fury.

A comparison of Shakespearean and Faulknerean (?) characters.

I recognize that I need to create better cohesion between my posts, and in turn my entire blog. As I finalize some of my research on Faulkner, and other modern literature that has been influenced by Shakespeare, I plan on creating more unity. So be looking for another Hub Post, and I'll update this one as well.

Lastest will and will

here is the latest. As I said I'm really struggling with Shakespeare's dialog, the diction mainly.

Zuckerberg

So I am still working on my play, Will and Will. One of the hardest things I am having to deal with is the dialect of the two Will's. I am a little more confident with Faulkner's dialect, however switching between him and Shakespeare's dialog when they are conversing has proven to be quite difficult. I am writing the play on a program, and am trying to find a way to post it cleanly on here, as soon as I do I'll post what I've got so far. Big thanks to everyone who has commented and helped me out!

Dr. Burton has been talking all semester about developing patterns and habits in our lives to continually learn. One of the best ways to do this is with peers, however, eventually we won't have classes to go to, and so social learning will be a strong alternative. This can be accomplished a number of ways, and social networking and blogging is a huge part of that. I have enjoyed learning how to learn and how to document my learning here on my blog.

Mark Zuckerberg came to visit BYU last week and had a lot to share. One of the most important things that I took away was that Mr. Zuckerberg thinks. And he thinks differently than most people. He seems like one of those people that is constantly analyzing different situations, ideas and processes. He looks for ways to improve the world and to improve his company.

He is obviously a great example of learning socially, something that I can strive for.

Sources

This past week I worked on creating a SOURCES page, where I listed all the sources I have used in my research this far in the semester.

I also created an OTHER LINKS page for some of the less-academic things I find, such as YouTube videos and other fun things I find.

Will and Will Play

In an attempt to fulfill the "literary imitation" requirement of the "Engage Shakespeare Creatively" Learning Outcome I have decided to write a play, where William Faulkner and William Shakespeare meet. Basically Faulkner is going to get drunk, and in his dillusion he is going to meet Shakespeare, and gain respect for him. That's all I have now, but I'm going to be calling on all the playwrights out there for some criticism/help. Here is the first scene:

Characters

Just as Shakespeare used characters and plots from other playwrights, Faulkner also borrowed some of Will's stuff, so I guess it all comes full circle.

I was promted by Dr. Burton to look at some of the Characters in The Sound and The Fury in relation to Shakespearean characters. Here's what I've come up with:

Night Letter to the Reader

Well the article I was planning on reading for today's post turned out not to be what I had originally thought it was... so we will move forward to some Billy Collins poetry! Max had recommended that I check out Night Letter to The Reader.

Character Analysis of Faulkner's The Sound and The Fury

This week I am going to:

Finish my textual analysis of Macbeth's soliloquy.
Read, analyze and comment on the article: Shakespeare, Faulkner, and the Expression of the Tragic.
Start looking into Billy Collin's poetry.

This is my fourth post about Faulkner and Shakespeare, the second post specifically about Macbeth's soliloquy and The Sound and The Fury.

For this post I am going to look at some of the "lighted fools" of The Sound and the Fury.

Macbeth's soliloquy and Faulkner

My original focus was to look at modern allusions to Shakespeare's work in modern literature. However I've been finding a lot about Shakespeare's influence on William Faulkner's works. I still want to look at the poet, Billy Collins, and the playwright Tom Stoppard. For now, however, I'll be studying William Faulkner's works. This is my third post about Faulkner. (The first: praise for Faulkner, the second: power and fate in their works and the third: biographical similarities) This post is going to look directly at how Faulkner's The Sound and The Fury is littered with imagery and metaphor from a famous soliloquy from Shakespeare's Macbeth.

Flash Mob

Last Saturday a group of us participated in a Flash Mob! We preformed a modified scene from Romeo and Juliet. I have almost no acting experience, and not like this was a major production or anything, but we did practice and collaborate, maybe just like Shakespeare did, to make it a success. It was fun for me to actually get into Shakespeare, as apposed to just reading/watching it.

It was a lot of fun, a little nerve racking, and over all very successful! Watch it here!

Biographical Similarities

So I found a decent website published by the Center for Faulkner Studies. It confirms that Shakespeare was a great influence on Faulkner's writing. Faulkner once said that "Shakespeare's work provides 'a casebook on mankind'. He also said "if a man has a great deal of talent he can use Shakespeare as a yardstick". Shortly before Faulkner's death he said that all writers "yearn to be as good as Shakespeare".

There is a great section of the article that discusses the biographical similarities between Will and Will.
"The parallels in the lives and careers of the two writers are remarkably striking. Both were born in provincial small towns but found their eventual success in metropolitan cities, Shakespeare in London and Faulkner in New York and Hollywood. Both had a great love of nature and the rural outdoors. Neither received a great deal of formal education. Both started out as poets but shortly turned to other narrative forms, Faulkner to fiction and Shakespeare to drama. Both had extramarital affairs that were reflected in some of their writings. Each wrote both tragedies and comedies, and in each case their final work was a comedy, Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Faulkner’s The Reivers. A number of dominant themes and emphases are common to both writers, including the imaginative use of historical materials, the incorporation of both tragic and comic views of life, and the paradoxical tension between fate (in Faulkner’s case, determinism) and free will. Moreover, both writers exhibit a fascination for experimental form and language, flouting conventional rules to create new narrative structures and delighting in neologisms, puns, and other forms of word play. Finally, both writers were acutely interested in the paradoxical relationship of life and art."

Getting Started

Here are a few links that classmates have shared with me to help get me started on my focus! Thanks guys!

Caroline found a reference to Shakespeare in Robert Bloch's psycho.

Max suggested I read the work of another Bill... Billy Collins' "Night Letter to the Reader".

Cara made a post about common modern day phrases coined by Shakespeare.

While I'm still working on narrowing things down, I have had a lot of success so far.

I've been re-reading The Tempest, and have found some interesting themes throughout the first half of the play:
There is some major issues between those in power and those without power (masters and servants). From the very beginning of the play this is evident in the interaction between the boatswain and the nobles. Also present in the first scene is mention of fate and destiny. Gonzalo humorously takes confidence that the boat will not sink because it is the destiny of the boatswain to be hung. He later says "The wills above be done!" The conflict between power and being subject to that power is seen in many characters (Prospero and Caliban; Prospero and Ariel; Alonso and his nobles). Some of these relationships are portrayed as positive and some negative. Even betrayal is explored in the play.

Interestingly enough, William Faulkner often incorporates the dramatic issue of power into his works. In Absalom, Absalom!, Thomas Sutpen, is a man possessed with gaining power, and goes to any means necessary to establish his rule. Ironically enough he gets a slave pregnant and has a child, who is destined to not have any power because he has a black mother, despite looking white. He is brutally murdered by his half brother for this same reason. Throughout the novel there is great conflict between the ideas of possessing actual power and the image of having power.

Also in doing a little research of Faulkner's works, he did write a three novel series, the first of which was titled "The Hamlet". I think this was one of his lesser famous works because I haven't been able to find out a whole lot about the novel.

Will and Will

I'm headed to the bookstore/library to pick up a copy of "The Sound and The Fury" by Faulkner. However, I took a look at two Faulkner books that I own, "Absalom, Absalom!" and "As I Lay Dying". On the back of the books there are a few critic's praise of Faulkner:

"For all his concern with the South, Faulkner was actually seeking out the nature of man. Thus we must turn to him for that continuity of moral purpose which made for the greatness of our classics." -- Ralph Ellison

"For range of effect, philosophical weight, originality of style, variety of characterization, humor, and tragic intensity [Faulkner's works] are without equal in out time and country." -- Robert Penn Warren

I believe similar things were said, and have been said of Shakespeare. One of the main reasons his works have lasted the test of time is because through his characters and plots human nature is exposed. This is why his plays are easily related as a reader.

Help Wanted

After meeting with Dr. Burton for my mid-term evaluation I have decided to focus my Shakespeare studies on allusions to Shakespeare in modern literature. I recognize that this is very broad, and over the next week I plan on narrowing it down to something a little more tangible. Off the bat there are a few things I want to explore, and perhaps this will help me narrow my topic. As I said earlier I plan on looking at William Faulkner's works for allusions to Shakespeare. I also think I am going to take a look into Tom Stoppard's Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead.

Please comment and leave any suggestions you have, of if you think it'd be cool for me to study something please let me know!! Thanks!

Hermione's Trial and upcoming studies..

Has anyone ever played the game "Mafia"? Hermione's trial reminded me a lot of a game of Mafia..

Player 1(King): You're Guilty
Player 2(Hermione): What else can I say other than no I am not.
Player 1: Yes you are, kill her!
Narrator (Oracle): Nope, innocent, she's a citizen.
Player 1: I don't believe it
Narrator: Yup, it's true.
Player 1: Oh, dang.
Player 2: Great, now look what you've done!

I'm a little behind in finding my niche in my Shakespeare studies and I'm meeting with Dr. Burton tomorrow, so hopefully we'll figure something out. In the meantime I plan on re-reading The Tempest much slower and with more intensity than my first encounter. I'll post about what I'm learning/observing later this week.