A Fresh Start to Shakespeare

         My first encounter with Shakespeare took place during my freshman year english course when we studied Macbeth.  Oftentimes while reading through the play the first time I would find myself extremely confused, but with help from footnotes and class discussion I slowly warmed up to the play.  However, it wasn't until we began to watch clips of the play being acted out, in full costume that I began to genuinely enjoy Shakespeare.

        The clip above, of Macbeth absolutely loosing his sanity is the culmination of weeks of guilt.  Macbeth is an extremely insecure person, and has his friend killed in order to protect his throne.  However, Banquo's son, Fleace, escapes with his life, which makes Macbeth extremely worried.  His insecurities boil over, and he begins to talk to himself, at the same time he talks to a ghost that nobody else is able to see.  

      In Junior Year, we studied Othello, another drama that I enjoyed reading and discussing in class. Once again, seeing this play in its natural form, being acted out, certainly was much better than simply reading it.  The use of different symbols in Othello such as Othello's handkerchief made me to appreciate Shakespeare's genius.

Othello's Handkerchief

      This year I look forward to studying some Shakespearean comedies, and am extremely excited to go see multiple performances.