"Rules"?

I'm going to try to take another running stab at explaining my opinions on "rules" in Shakespeare. Note, this is just how I feel, take it for what it's worth.

Here's my thing-- I believe in my heart that all that each of us has is a bag of tricks. Some tricks are old, and most people carry them in their bag; some tricks are newer or more controversial, so not everyone puts them in their bag. And when we get together, sometimes we swap tricks -- "Have you heard about rising iambic?!"-- and sometimes we defend our tricks and why we carry them and how important they are. And sometimes we get all high and mighty and insist our tricks are the best, and sometimes some of us go so far as to insist that this particular bag of tricks is "the only way to do Shakespeare". As John Barton said, "That way madness lies."

Scansion Handout Link

I may edit this later to add a quickie rundown of the info I gave you, but for now-- This information is now posted in the tabs above, but here is the link to the handout if your dog ate yours (or your cat peed on it, as is common in my house!).


http://www.box.net/shared/mjaj4bzqxc


This should let you in to download the file. If you run into problems, just email me.

My philosophy on scansion

The greatest resistance to using the tool of scansion in Shakespeare is the reticence of the actor to be "told" how to say a line, as if knowing the scansion means there is only one way to deliver a line. Actors fear that they will have no freedom to "do their own thing" and that this will lock them into doing it "the right way". I sometimes feel actors see me as Barry Fife in Strictly Ballroom, screaming "NO NEW STEPS!" But that's not it at all. (I'm more like Fran's abuela at the beginning of this clip, telling you to feel the rhythm and don't worry about your feet!)