Essay

Amanda Farrish
Ms. Hayden
ENG 3Cc
March 24, 2010
Cartoon Mentors
Through high school, students learn to read and interpret Shakespeare’s plays. They usually get a dose of it in grade nine but don’t start to delve in it until around grade ten. All over the expansive world and also in different languages, people can read and learn about Shakespeare’s famous plays; now there is an easier, shorter, more visual way to read Shakespearean plays. It is called a graphic novel.
Many people are ‘visual learners’. Visual learners use images, pictures, colour, and other visual media to help them self learn more easy and efficient. By using graphic novels people will get a more sense and visual recognition on what is happening throughout the play. Graphic novels encourage reading for entertainment and are an excellent way to get reluctant readers to understand and begin to get interested books. When reading just the original play text of Shakespeare many children don’t understand what is going on, but when reading graphic novels the children can look at the pictures with the dialogue. When doing this teachers can ask what the student’s think is going on and why and most of the time they can have an accurate answer because of the expression and scenes of the pictures. Teachers can also discuss words and vocabulary and how they are drawn because many graphic novels use different fonts and sizes for different characters, for emphasis, and for different situations. Using graphic novels will help the school population to learn easier because now they can connect with the characters on another level of understanding.
The major setback to teaching with graphic novels is that most graphic novels can never get the whole story point across. Trying to tell a whole Shakespearean play shortened down into a graphic novel is quite a feat, yet there have been very, very few that have accomplished it. Shakespeare uses many literary devices in his work, authors try to work them into their graphic novels but it has changed so much that it often leaves out the more important details to the play, which in turn may confuse the student who is trying to compare the original to the graphic. Graphic novels are a condensed version of the original with pictures in them, because they have to condense it, not all ‘old English’ words or sayings may be used. In doing this to help conserve the story line, graphic novels are taking out the learning experience of the real Shakespeare style. Everything comes down to money in the end. If schools are going to start teaching with graphic novels they will have need to pay for as much novels as they need but also keep it to the bare minimum to conserve as much money as they can, and not all schools can afford such changes and will end up keeping to the original versions.
To the question of if schools should start teaching grade 12 college level students Shakespearean plays through graphic novels the answer is yes; only if it works. Teaching with graphic novels should first be put on trial to see if student’s grades improve. There are many advantages teaching with graphic novels that will help students later in life with explaining what they see and what they interpret. Graphic novels are also easier to read for students because they can interpret the expressions of the characters faces and teachers can talk with them after reading an act or scene. Graphic novels should be taught in schools so that students have a choice to experience a learning method.

My Story Is On YouTube!!

I found a video on 'Youtube' of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and it is a cartoon.
I find it appaling because they make me look and sound HORRIBLE, but I think they did Oberon very well. The story line is clear and to the play but wprds are changed so that the younger audience may understand.
They obviously had a low budget income also because of the poor quality and the over size lips they gave me!


Part One-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCZndWMALOo
Part Two-- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqGEQ-832rI

From Titania, To Oberon

To my dearest Oberon,
When I read this poem I immediatly thought of you.

"My Blessing In Life"
By: Jessica L. Newsome
Every morning I wake up and see,
The most handsome man lying next to me.
He's the one I cherish and love,
A blessing sent from Heaven above.
I will love him as a faithful wife should,
And do everything for him I could.
I would let him know everyday,
That I love him more than words can say.
For the two children we have together,
And the love for God in each other.
It will keep our love for each other strong,
And the Lord will guide us away from all wrong."

From your loving wife, Titania

Titania ☼

Finally Someone To Relate To!

As Queen of the Fairies I barely have any time to 'relax' but recently I have been watching more television and of course I like to watch what mortals believe fairies are like. I found an interesting movie called "Ferngully: The Last Rainforest" and I was pleasantly surprised when I noticed how similar it was to fair Hermia's situation.

It is similar because the lead character, Chrysta, seems to like the human she accidently shrunk, Zak, but Pips (another fairy) seems to want Chrysta all to himself and doesn't like Zak.

A Movie About Me!... and the others.

Recently I saw this movie about the time I was in Athens for my dear Theseus' wedding. It has barely any truth to sustain any of it. The only references even close to the true happenings is when the actors are in the forest. Also the setting is is Monte Athena, ITALY!! Wrong country completely! But all in all it was a very well done cinema comedy I suppose, and I like who they hired to portray me; she is quite handsome.

In the production it gets confusing when the setting is at first around the 1930s-1940s. You have to pay attention because when they go into the forest it is almost like they went back in time to Athens. That is where my lovely character comes into play. Instead of giving away the whole movie I will just say that it is very well done considering the actors and the acting, and also with the props and scenes they use. A warning though this is not actually how it originally 'went down'. If you wish to knwo the true story you can read the play we had a Mr. William Shakespeare write for my book memoirs.

Titania's Review of What Transpired with Oberon

After Oberon, myself, and the rest of the fairies blessed the married couples, we went back to the forest to sleep. With the help of alcohol's sweet nectar Oberon when into a deep sleep, I had his magic flower brought to me and I rubbed the juices on his eyelids. I then had my fairy attendants fetch me a sow to bet set in place before the sleeping Fairy King. I went behind a bush to hide and watch my plan unfold before me. I picked up a small stone and threw it towards him, it landed on his lap and he awoke to stare directly into the sow's ugly face and instantaneously fell under the flower's magic spell. I had giggled in delight when he rushed forward to the sow and she squealed and fell paralyzed in fright. He began to coddle and hug her as if she were his lover! I was proud of myself for about ten minutes and then it dawned on me that I was stooping just as low as Oberon did all because of revenge for taking Mirza away from me. I was disgusted and ashamed at myslef so I ordered the fairies to sing sweet Oberon back to sleep. I rubbed the herb antitode on his eyelids, then went back to my hiding place, and had Peaseblossom se my letter on Oberon's chest for him to read when he woke. It didn't take as long as i had figured for him to awake. He straightwedned up running a hand through his fair hair when the letter dropped from his chest ontot the ground. He picked up and began reading. It did not take him long at all to glare over at me in my bush and come rishing over to confront me. We had a lengthy argument on why I shouldn't have done what I did and why he shouldn't have done what he did in the first place. But like all ruling couples we absolved our problem and decided to share Mirza and have him come with me and him so that we both got to see him. Before we left Athens we even decided that we should be together more for Mirza's sake (but I am sure Oberon only stated that because he misses me, I miss him too). For the first time in a long while the King and Queen of the Fairies travelled together again.

Titania, Queen of the Fairies
Titania ☼

Titania's Oberservations

I have decided to make a list of what I think of everybody I have seen this night.

Hermia- Nice mortal child,a little headstrong. Needs to find her priorities in life. Happy for her that she got to marry her true love,Lysander, not that snake Demetrius.

Lysander- Full of himself, appreciates having Hermia love and happily returns it thankfully. Should not run away from problems but seek away to resolve them before fleeing.

Helena- Needs more confidence in herself, she actually is a very stunning young woman. must be insane to love a man like Demetrius, but happy that we could help him make him love her back.

Demetrius- Disgusting, but now not so hateful that he returns his love to sweet Helena. Needs a haircut though...

Theseus- A very handsome man, very majestic and graceful, a good commander and keeper of the peace. Proud of him for winning the love of an Amazonian woman, Hippolyta.

Hippolyta- A bit jealous that Theseus' loves her. Very stunning in beauty and strength. Worthy of having Theseus' love and lucky that she returns it.

Bottom- Disgusting, vile, full of himself mortal. Lucky that he lived to see another sunrise.

That is all who I have met tonight, except I have already met Theseus but he is so charming that I had to mention him again!

Titania, Queen of the Fairies
Titania ☼