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Taming of the Shrew Analysis of the Depictions
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Taming of the Shrew: Analysis of the Depictions
One depiction shows Katharina and her Petruchio, where she moves to him and touches in an intimate manner as she utters her desire for love. Bianca is on stage with her alongside another woman and her husband. She stands there talking to Bianca, who lies on the ground looking upon her. Petruchio’s arrival gives her more confidence as he walks around, complimenting her. He walks around with a smack on his face, which might bring into question her sincerity when complimenting her, saying such nice words as “sweet as springtime flowers” (Dupler). Petruchio is a good looking man, and his movements on stage indicate a level of pride and flattery, which might indicate Katharina is in love with him that her fit as a strong independent woman does not work when it comes to him.
Katharina moves to address Bianca from time to time. Also, there are comic sub-plots that bring the concentration of the audience to the nasty piece of work where a suitor tames a rather independent young lady. It might bring into light the understanding of critiques of the piece of work being barbarous, offensive, and misogynistic into perspective. However, unlike the rest of the piece, this act and depiction do not focus on a spot of wife-bashing. Whether there is more shrew than what meets the eye, one cannot tell from this depiction. This version is more dramatic and enjoyable, but a little exaggeration to achieve this end makes detach from the actual play by Shakespeare.
The other short video begins with a number of women squeezing through the door with the actor playing Katharina hold two of them (StarsandStones13). And immediately they are free from the door, Katharina pushes them apart, and the viewer can see that she was scuffling the poor women. Her speech is evident directly to them in anger and frustration. Her speech appears unexpected, and when she starts speaking with so much power. This is because everybody in the room is busy talking to each other and going about their different business, but immediately Katharina walks in and starts to speak; they become calm and sit down. The expressions of Katharina’s audience is rather humorous as they make facial expressions that are witty and somewhat funny. Katharina, on the other hand, maintains a serious face. The clothes worn in this depiction clearly celebrates and gives insight into the past.
Because of the abusive marriage presented by the play, it is hard for the modern audience to agree with Katharina. In the second depiction, Katharina appears to be broken, almost robotic in her subordination, with a spirit only to sing of her submission. The ending of the play shows her conformity to what is expected of her. This version generates more sympathy from the audience because once more, Katharina is not playful, and she is presented as a completely changed woman programed to bow to an oppressive society. She has no free will, and the use of numerous adjectives as expressions of hyperbole for comic effect is not felt in this version.
Works Cited
Dupler, C. “The Taming of the Shrew” (Katherine’s Final Speech: Act 5, Scene 2).” YouTube, 29 Aug. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReLHo2Zb_LY. Accessed 9 Mar. 2020.
StarsandStones13. “Katharina’s Final Speech.” YouTube, 30 Nov. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ti1Oh9imI8I. Accessed 9 Mar. 2020.
Sonny’s Blues
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Sonny’s Blues
According to the narrator, his mother assigning him the responsibility of taking care of his brother, Sonny, he is asking him to be his keeper. It is an echo to a certain extent of the biblical story of Cain and Abel. The narrator is presented with a dilemma of whether, as Sonny’s Brother, he is predisposed to be his keeper. Sonny’s life is nothing but chaos; he is in and out of prison and is faced with a drug problem (Baldwin). In a fight between the two brothers, Sonny tells the narrator to consider him dead. The narrator walks away and fails to adhere to his mother’s command to look after his brother. This failure does not, however, last long because he takes Sonny back to his home. He is after all his brother, and the narrative creates an impression that their I nothing he can do to change that. His role as his brother’s keeper is permanent, and he constantly worries about his situation with prison and drug abuse.
The idea of brotherly love also extends beyond the relationship of the two brothers and includes the community. Drug abuse in Harlem has been like a plague and is characterized by poverty and frustration. The adults gather children on Saturday afternoons and tell stories that give a sense of warmth and protection to the young ones in this neighborhood. All the anger ends with the realization that all people are connected in a way or another. The narrator was initially angered by Sonny’s friends but later offers one money after this realization. Even Sonny, a clearly troubled character, helps people deal with this problem by channeling their frustrations into his music.
Harlem appears to be a character in itself, and evidently, not a positive one. Both the narrator and his brother acknowledge Harlem as the source of the many problems experienced by a lot of people. It this bleakness that makes Sonny an addict in his attempt to avoid it. The narrator’s mother also laments when they were young about not living somewhere safer. Harlem’s role in the story is a villain that looms throughout history and is the story’s antagonist.
Grace is the narrator’s daughter who dies very young, and her death from Polio is symbolic of the horrible sorrows we all encounter in this life. However, it is this sad event that prompts the narrator to reach out to his brother Sonny. In this way, Grace becomes very much like her mother, Isabella, who is an embodiment of the strength of family. Like the way Isabella makes sure Sonny is accepted in her home and relieves any tension between the two men, Grace helps the two men reconnect and again illustrates the strength of the family connection.
Sonny is somewhat dependent on music to keep him alive. Music is not just an artistic outlet for Sonny but also but is also an emotional and psychological release for him and for many other people that depend on his music. To Sonny, music represents freedom and passion. He is a man with so much talent in this field. He initially saw music as his ticket out of Harlem after he became aware of the looming drug problem. However, the same music is cause for his ruin. And because ruin transcends the ability to deal and control its music does not save Sonny. Because of his association with “goodtime people,” Sonny becomes an addict. The life of a musician with its crooked schedule where they work at night and have to sleep during the day is a source of anxiety and psychological problems considering in addition to the drugs.
Works Cited
Baldwin, James, and George Kirby. Sonny’s blues. Klett, 1970.
Should Colleges Ban E-cigarettes in Campus
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Should Colleges Ban E-cigarettes in Campus
The challenging issue about the discussion is that e-cigarettes came after many college policies covering tobacco products were adopted. The debate remains to establish whether this form of smoking is covered under the tobacco products defined in these policies. College groups are deliberating on whether e-cigarettes should be included in this ban. Some groups are arguing that these devices that provide doses of nicotine using battery power are not healthy and would cause distractions in class. Others are suggesting that colleges should wait for research to be conducted on the devices before making these drastic decisions. This paper discusses whether e-cigarettes should be banned from campuses or not.
Not much is known about these devices and their long-term effect, which causes a lot of concern, part of which is raised by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Because as a society, we are working towards reducing the use of tobacco and minimizing addiction, banning e-cigarettes should go without question. The number of college students using e-cigarettes is alarming because they consider it safer than smoking. The number of college students who use e-cigarettes has risen dramatically from 6 percent to 18 percent by 2019 (Schaeffer). There is also substantial evidence that suggests, youths who use e-cigarettes start smoking within six months of the habit. Although the effects are not yet known, 450 people in over 30 states have been treated for life-threatening illnesses due to the use of these devices, with three people dying from severe lung infections believed to be connected to these devices (Bauer-wolf). The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has advised people to refrain from using these devices until these illnesses are investigated.
Also, e-cigarettes have played a role in encouraging college students to use marijuana, with approximately 11 percent of them reported having consumed the drug-using vaping by 2018 (Bauer-wolf). There are very many arguments against the move to ban e-cigarettes, many that are quite compelling. Colleges should focus their energy on cessation programs because the final goal is to reduce the prevalence of smoking among students even outside campus. The ban is not easy to enforce because of outsiders that are likely to frequent the numerous events hosted on campus. However, it is obvious the pros of this move outweigh the cons, and the primary goal should be to discourage the overall use of tobacco.
Works Cited
Bauer-wolf, J. “Study: College Students Using Marijuana, E-cigarettes at Record Rates.” Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Career Advice, Jobs, 9 Sept. 2019, www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/09/09/study-college-students-using-marijuana-e-cigarettes-record-rates.
Rogers, M. “Colleges Consider Whether E-cigarettes Are Covered by Bans on Smoking.” Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Career Advice, Jobs, 14 Oct. 2013, www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/10/14/colleges-consider-whether-e-cigarettes-are-covered-bans-smoking.
Schaeffer, K. “Before Recent Outbreak, Vaping Was on the Rise in U.S., Especially Among Young People.” Pew Research Center, 26 Sept. 2019, www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/09/26/vaping-survey-data-roundup/.