Comments on: Shapiro and Cymbeline http://ideamen.edublogs.org/2007/10/11/shapiro-and-cymbeline/ Creating ! Since September of 2007 Thu, 06 Dec 2007 01:46:50 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: I’d rather have a goddam horse. A horse is at least human, for God’s sake. http://ideamen.edublogs.org/2007/10/11/shapiro-and-cymbeline/comment-page-1/#comment-17 I’d rather have a goddam horse. A horse is at least human, for God’s sake. Thu, 06 Dec 2007 01:46:50 +0000 http://ideamen.edublogs.org/2007/10/11/shapiro-and-cymbeline/#comment-17 [...] Eric [...] [...] Eric [...]

]]> By: kayda http://ideamen.edublogs.org/2007/10/11/shapiro-and-cymbeline/comment-page-1/#comment-9 kayda Mon, 03 Dec 2007 04:39:06 +0000 http://ideamen.edublogs.org/2007/10/11/shapiro-and-cymbeline/#comment-9 Eric, I feel that same way about <i>Cymbeline</i> as you, and I actually had to go through the displeasure of reading the play for my ENG 313 class. I share your sentiments on the play, and it makes me wonder if, at the late point in his career when the play was written, Shakespeare just decided to throw every trick he knew into one play and see how it turned out. I think putting the play in the American Civil War made the play worse because it made the play even less believable, whereas an audience member could at least play along if it had been set in ancient Britain as it was originally. The only good thing that came of putting the play during the Civil War was the interesting costuming, which was the only thing that kept me from falling asleep. The play must have been terribly boring and confusing for someone who hadn't read it beforehand. I suppose using <i>Cymbeline</i> in the classroom would lead to good discussions critiquing Shakespeare's style and show the students that not even the great playwrights are perfect. In my ENG 313 class, the play inspired a pretty heated debate, with the class pretty evenly split between loving and hating the play, which would probably be a good exercise to do in a high school class. Eric, I feel that same way about Cymbeline as you, and I actually had to go through the displeasure of reading the play for my ENG 313 class. I share your sentiments on the play, and it makes me wonder if, at the late point in his career when the play was written, Shakespeare just decided to throw every trick he knew into one play and see how it turned out.

I think putting the play in the American Civil War made the play worse because it made the play even less believable, whereas an audience member could at least play along if it had been set in ancient Britain as it was originally. The only good thing that came of putting the play during the Civil War was the interesting costuming, which was the only thing that kept me from falling asleep.

The play must have been terribly boring and confusing for someone who hadn’t read it beforehand. I suppose using Cymbeline in the classroom would lead to good discussions critiquing Shakespeare’s style and show the students that not even the great playwrights are perfect. In my ENG 313 class, the play inspired a pretty heated debate, with the class pretty evenly split between loving and hating the play, which would probably be a good exercise to do in a high school class.

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