Antony & Cleopatra Real One

    I decided for my last blog to go to the performance Antony and Cleopatra. This was an outstanding performance by the Shakespeare Acting Co. in Mesa Arizona and I really enjoyed it. I read the play before I went to the performance, and they did a great job at staying with the script. When they do this, I think it makes the performance ten times better. William Shakespeare has always been a brilliant writer, and this play proves just how skilled he really was at his job.

The Stage And Set: The stage was a proscenium Arch Stage, which is the most common type of stage. The cast sometimes even used the apron portion of the stage to do their monologues. It was strange to see a play that did not have an orchestra. Usually most plays do but they used cd's to capture their music. The actors also did a great job at performing upstage and downstage, so they used their entire working area to capture the scenes. They used flats with different designs to show the different parts of the world and that was it. They did not really have much on the stage but these flats, and a bed.

The Plot: The plot is much like Romeo and Juliet. Two people from different sides fall in love, they are placed apart, and in the end they both commit suicide. The drama situation begins when Antony changes sides and fights his recent leader Octavius. Also, Cleopatra is asked to kill Antony, and that causes a lot of problems. So the inciting moment is when Antony switches sides, and the complication is fighting a war against Octavius. The climax is when the fight begins, and the resolution is both the main characters commiting suicide. The denouement is both being dead and Cleopatra does nto have to live under Octavius.

The Characters: The main characters are Antony, Cleopatra, Octavius and Enobarbus. The lovers and Antony and Cleopatra, the leader is Octavius, and Enobarbus is Antony's most loyal partner. The minor characters are Octavia (Octavius sister), Charmian, Iris, and Agrippa. Antony was played by a member of Days of Our Lives, and you can tell because he was very dramatic. Cleopatra was played by a girl in California who has also done many plays. All the characters had been in plays before, and most originated in the Shakespeare Acting Co.

Staging: I would have to say the scenic design was pretty bland. It never changed but shape of the flats. The costumes though were amazing. It really lookes believable, and made the play seem so much more interesting. The lighting was almost always the same as well, just from dark to light, and also a few spotlights. As stated earlier, the sound was just from a CD, but it was a great choice of music for the play.

Acting, Writing, and Directing:  We actually got the chance to stay afterwards and speak with the director. He said that casting was by performing two different monologues, and that it took a long time to get the pace and blocking down. He also said he took out many scenes to shorten the play, but not the obvious ones. He did a great job in my opinion. In my opinion, the genre was social, but had a bit of philosophical in it.

My Experience: I absolutly loved attending this performance. It was a nice night out, and was really fun. I think they did a great job at casting, costumes, and keeping the play with the script.

Here is a play showing Antony and Cleopatra dying, but I could not find the real one I went too!



Women During Belle Époque (Concept 3)

    I decided this week to change things up and talk about a subject that is near and dear to my heart. That subject is the movement of women through-out life. The Belle Époque era was a time of huge advancement for the social status of women. Women were out to prove themselves, and they did just that. Women in my opinion stepped out of their one-dimensional box, into a three-dimensional lifestyle. Women's lives changed during The Belle Epoque.

    The Belle Époque era was definitely a time of relaxation and innovation for many people. Many women found jobs in factories and at home making things such as jewelry and clothing. Women were tired of being looked down upon, and started the struggle for recognition and equality. Women started dressing to impress, and would wear designed dresses and feathers to stand out more. The demand of equal voting rights was high, and they wanted men to start paying attention to their wants. Diana Holmes and Carrie Tar wrote a book called A 'Belle Epoque'? Women in French Society and Culture. This book dug deep into the lives and mind thoughts of women at the time. They wanted to be able to vote, work, and even hold political roles. Other books about women during this time such as A Doll's House (1879), came out in an attempt to show people women are not just house slaves. 

    Now that we understand the strive for equality during the Belle Époque, you can see how this movement has affected modern life today. The concept for equality has affected us tremendously, and has shaped the world we live in today substantially. It is very fortunate that women today get to sit back and enjoy the benefits we have received since the women's movement.

      Do I think that women are fully completely equal to men today? No, I do not. Although we have made tremendous improvement, we still have a way to go. Sexism and gender discrimination are still very high today. We do not often associate a plumber as a female, or a body builder, or even a construction worker. Why? Because many people think that women are not capable of these things. Have you ever heard the saying "a girl cannot play football". That's only known to be a 'mans' sport. Although these things are not near as bad as they use to be, they are still here. "It is a well known fact that women do not get equal pay for equal work. It’s nothing new. However, it goes well beyond this in Florida and probably other states as well. Women do not get a fair shake in our court systems, especially if it involves a man. The man usually wins out over the woman." This article demonstrates not only how far we have come, but just how much farther we have to go. We can run in office, but people still do not think we are capable of handling things.

    Overall, The Belle Époque era was a time of huge advancement for women. We have come very far to be where we are now, but that doesn't mean everything is completely equal yet.



Art Encounter #2 Poem by Poe

To My Mother

Because I feel that, in the Heavens above,
      The angels, whispering to one another,
    Can find, among their burning terms of love,
      None so devotional as that of "Mother,"
    Therefore by that dear name I long have called you-
      You who are more than mother unto me,
    And fill my heart of hearts, where Death installed you
      In setting my Virginia's spirit free.
    My mother- my own mother, who died early,
      Was but the mother of myself; but you
    Are mother to the one I loved so dearly,
      And thus are dearer than the mother I knew
    By that infinity with which my wife
      Was dearer to my soul than its soul-life.

     One of my personal favorite writers is Edgar Allan Poe. Poe has been known  as the 'master of the horror tale' and has been said to be the most 'unhappy' American poet. In my opinion, he has some of the best pieces I have ever read. For this blog, I decided to find a poem by Poe that I have never seen before, so I chose To My Mother. This poem was created in 1849 after the death of his wife in 1847. I was surprised I had never seen this poem because it has a strong voice. It ended up being looked down upon because of it's meaning, and did not get published in very many books. I enjoyed finding and reading this poem, and I am sure you will too.

SOUND: When reading the poem out loud, it contains a musical flow, and an obvious rhyme scheme. It follows as abab cdcd efef gg. It consists of end rhymes, and included the word 'you' many times to make it stand out. Unlike most of his other poem's, Poe does not really use alliteration or assonance in this poem.

FORM: This poem is clearly a sonnet based on the rhyme scheme stated above. It is also a lyric because it is pretty short.

MEANING: This poem was written to his aunt Maria, who was also his wife Virginia's mother. Poe married his first cousin when she was 13. Maria lived with Poe and Virginia their entire 12 years of marriage. In lines five and six, he is saying that she has always been a mother to him, and she meant even more to him than just a mother. In lines seven and eight, he speaks of Virginia's death, which was a very devastating issue for him. Poe is saying that Maria was more of a mother to him than his own mother because she was also the mother of his wife. He goes on to explain the difference between the two women in lines thirteen and fourteen, as if to clarify the reasoning why he loves her so much. A think a symbol that Poe uses is the word angel, which signifies beauty and perfection. He also makes the illusion of death to be happy and peaceful. The work of art's context is historical of the events in his life.

MY PERSON ENCOUNTER: The second that I read this poem, I knew it was the one I was going to write about. I am upset that a lot of people disregarded it because it is so deep and meaningful. Yet that is the basis for all of Poe's literature. This poem made me feel for Poe. Like a lot of his work, it is depressing. Poe lived a very lonely life full of traumatic experiences, and when I read this poem, I almost felt his pain. That is something only great writers can do. Many people have claimed they have broken down to this poem every time they read it because they can relate. Many people have different opinions for why Poe wrote about such sad things. My personal opinion is because many people he loved passed away, and he lived a life full of loneliness.

It is easy to see why Poe was such an amazing writer. His works may be dark, but they are also very meaningful. I hope you enjoyed this poem just as much as I did.



Rights of Women (Concept Blog #2)

     There are many aspects of the Enlightenment that have influenced modern life today. One aspect that really sticks out to me is women during the Enlightenment. Today, when have just as many rights as men do. We can vote, go to school, work anywhere, and even hold political standings. Before the Enlightenment era, these things were un-thought of. The Enlightenment helped pave the way for women to be where they are today.
     It has not been an easy battle for women to be where they are today. Although the Enlightenment did not give women much, it did give women opportunity to speak up and fight for the women's rights movement . It was only about 50 years later until women were holding conventions for their rights.



       One women that really stands out from the Enlightenment was Olympe De Gouges. She was a very smart women, who in a way was one of the first women to really take a physical stand towards women's rights. "As many feminists have done since, de Gouges both asserted woman's capability to reason and make moral decisions, and pointed to the feminine virtues of emotion and feeling" (Lewis). She stood strong to what she believed in, and wouldn't back down, even if it meant execution.

     This brilliant woman just wanted women to open their eyes and see that they were equal to men. In response to the Declaration of the Rights of Man, Olympe De Gouges created the Declaration of the Rights of Woman. Creating something like this was shocking for people at the time, especially since she was female. She created this because the Declaration of the Rights of Man "did not address the political and social restrictions confronting women in the French state" (Rogers 82). In this declaration, she demanded freedoms to women such as education, voting, and more. She is much like the women in the following generations that fought for equality, and eventually, women's rights.

    It is hard for women today to understand just how hard it was for women back then. In a way, we take for granted what women fought so hard for in the past. Women like Olympe have really shaped the world we live in today. If it was not for women like Olympe De Gouges, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony, we might have never made the first steps for the rights we have today. their voices inspired women to join the movement, and speak up for themselves.

     I believe that women will always have their rights from now on. This idea has persisted for centuries, and will continue to persist in the modern world and generations later. Women from the past fought for a world that we live in today. I am sure that if Olympe De Gouges could see the equality women have now thanks to people like her, she would be very proud. It is amazing to know that women made it their life to create equality between men and women, even if it cost them their lives. They are true heroines, and should always be remembered from time to time. We women today live the ideal life thanks to them.



The Baroque Age Of Sculpture (edited links)

     In the 17th century, there was a huge movement in the Baroque Age to move beyond the ideal embodiment of the human form of the Renaissance. It was called the Baroque Movement. Now, the artists centered on imagination, detail content, and realism. Jan Vermeer  and Artemisia Gentileschi are the two artists I am going to pay the most attentions to. The paintings of these two magnificent artists go much deeper than what is on the outside.
     Jan Vermeer created the painting known as Woman Holding a Balance. It was created in 1664, and was painted on an oil canvas, (Dutch 1632-1675). His paintings have more of a quiet tone, and focused in on women in a quiet time. His painting is spiritual, especially when you look at the painting behind her. The light seems to perfectly light her face and the balance. As our book states, "it depicts the Last Judgment with Christ separating the damned on the bottom left and the saved above" (Rogers 31). The women has her eyes closed, and her head is slightly tilted, which gives off the impression she is finding not only the balance of her jewelry, but an inner balance as well. This is definitely a religious painting. It seems that in many of his paintings, he emphasizes the light flowing in the room. To see some of his other excellent pieces of art visit Jan Vermeer. When I look at this painting I see time and effort. It makes me feel calm and quiet, and almost uncertain in some ways.

         Artemisia Gentileschi created a very interesting piece of art for the Baroque time. Her painting is called Judith Slaying Holofernes (1612-1621). Gentileschi learned art from her father who was also a painter in Rome. During the Baroque period, women were at a huge disadvantage when it came to art. Most of her art contains strong females, who are in turn way stronger than the males. This is very unique for her time. The painting has a dark background, and shows a man and two women. The man seems to be pushing one woman away, but the other has him at the neck with a sword (which looks like a crucifix). What stands out to me the most is their faces. I feel like Gentileschi really wanted people to notice the faced the three humans were making. The man is scared, but the women are very content, and assured of what they are doing. I feel this would go under philosophical because it is showing a 'karma' outcome. I really enjoy this painting. To learn more about Artemisia Gentileschi visit Artemisia .



     These two artists during the Baroque movement have created paintings that will influence art forever. They are legends from the movement, and have many other master-pieces than the two you have just seen. There are many other great artists from the time period, but these two stuck out the most to me. There is a lot of dimension and heart in these works, and they shall be remembered as influential Baroque artists.

Galileo Affecting our World Today

There is not many people who have not heard the name Galileo Galilee. He is a remarkable and smart man who in theory paved the way for our modern technology. His interest in the world, and how things work is identical to our modern scientists goal. Every scientist and astronomer want to figure out something new, and a way to understand how everything works. They all develop theories and try and prove themselves, which is just like Galileo himself. To learn more about him you can visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/galileo/life.html . It is safe to say that Galileo and his discoveries have influenced the modern world, and will continue to do so in the future.

            It is safe to say that Galileo was a mathematician. He studied math, and even became the chair of a mathematics department in Venice. His used his math skills to make scientific observations about the world around him. Is that not what every scientist does? Make observations of the world around them? Also, like most scientists today, he made mistakes and wrong theories. Galileo himself decided to conduct experiments with an object called a pendulum, and it was then successfully used to measure pulses. The theory of making instruments to conduct a goal (such as taking a pulse) has later become a goal for many other scientists. Galileo just started them off with the idea. To learn more about the pendulum visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/galileo/expe_flash_4.html .

            Galileo used other discoveries to advantage, which is also something we continue to do today. He learned of the telescopic lenses and decided to make his own telescope. When finished, he studies the things many people never studied before, trying to make educated guesses and new observations. To lern more on his telescope visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/galileo/telescope.html . With his studies, Galileo learns more about the Earth and other planets according to the sun, and is looked at as a liar who does not know what he is talking about. Although his ideas were shunned, he did not give up. With this example I think of the whole science vs. religion. Although scientists have made many discoveries of the aging of the world, and the past, religious people do not believe it. To this day, nobody wants to believe that what they have always believed in is wrong, so they do not take in new discoveries. They prevent themselves from learning and making new observations. That still has not changed to this day.

            Galileo used technology and speculations to provide evidence on new facts and theories. Galileo proved things that almost seemed impossible at the time, just like modern people do today. Nobody ever thought we could create the things we have created today, and learn the things we now know to be true. Galileo challenged the speculations to find out the real answer, which is the basis for what all scientists do today. His open mind, persistence, and his sense of exploring new things can be related to our modern world people today.

            Galileo’s work as an astrologist has paved future generations to be curious, and not just accept something without proof. He has taught us to use instruments and ideas to conduct experiments. Another thing he taught us is that you should never give up on things, even if the world turns its back on you. The way he conducted his experiments, and the way he curved the way we look at the world around us will continue to persist in the modern world for generations.



My first Western World Blog

Hi my name is Devin and I am looking forward to reading your blogs. Making blogs is actually quite fun if you take the time!