Tara V: Shakespearean History.

As I started to write this, I believed it would be rather short and simple. Now as I plan all that I have to say, I find it interesting how much I have to say. Thus, maybe this is a testament to how impacting Shakespeare is.

To start I offer you this picture that shows my first spark of love for Shakespeare, Macbeth, and Banquo:

I was really excited to enroll in a Shakespeare class. What I was most appealing was the format of the class. It is what really turned me on to enrolling this semester and to this section. I am studying English teaching, so a more hands on teaching style appeals more to me and is what I look for for inspiration. Also, if it is something that seems more enjoyable, I think I will better enjoy it.

Shakespeare is something that I feel is not appreciated like what it should be. What people definitely do not realize is how much Shakespeare influences our world and how enjoyable it can be. And that's what I strive to do as a teacher: show my students how English and literature is really fun and matters in our world. I think that begins with my better understanding and love for English and, in this specific case, Shakespeare.

As for my history in Shakespeare, I was first specifically introduced
my freshman year of high school. Before then, my 8th grade English teacher had read random sonnets to us, but we never looked at them in depth. Of course I knew who Shakespeare was but only in passing. My freshman English class read Romeo and Juliet for one of our required readings. Well we listened to it out loud, and I think it was just the "important snippets." As an English major, I am kinda embarrassed to say that I slept through it all. Obviously, I got enough of the story to pass the test and get an A; but I really shouldn't own up to actually having read it. As for more Romeo and Juliet-ness, I believe we watched the old movie in the class; but I was young and probably slept through that as well.

On a side note. I have the urge to pursue anything related to my major. So over Christmas break while browsing through Netflix, I ran across the DiCaprio Romeo and Juliet. I could only watch the first twenty minutes and I dont really know what to say about it. Perhaps I was just too embarrassed to watch it when my husband walked in. I will let you decide why.

My sophomore year we read A Midsummer Night's Dream. I enjoyed it, but my class was rowdy. I didn't nearly get as much out of it as I should have, but I do remember bragging to my other school mates that we got to read a fun and racy story when they had to read Julius Caesar. We then watched the newer movie after we read it all.

My senior year is when my passion for English struck, and I also decided that I wanted to become an English teacher. I tend to grow an obsession for things that I study in deep detail or maybe just things I find really sweet. As a class we listened to Macbeth. I came to love. Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and the play itself. I am pretty sure I incorporated anything to do with Macbeth into my daily speech and into church talks. I made these dolls.

That bearded thing is a witch.
I remember specifically needing to work in that detail.

 It was awesome. It could be that I just learned a lot about it all so I came to really enjoy it, but either way I still love it. That is where my love for Lady Macbeth comes into play (and thus spouting the name of my blog and I also wrote an interesting poem in my 292 that one day I shall post). With this found love, that semester I read Twelfth Night (which is when I discovered that for some reason i struggle with the word and pronunciation of "twelfth") for a book report. I did not have as much passion for this one but I will explain my thoughts on that. Also, with this passion I pursued adaptations of Shakespeare as well. Fort Lewis College did a play of Macbeth this semester. This I believed helped play into my love for Lady Macbeth because I loved the actress, but overall I was disappointed by the play. Probably went in with too high of expectations. Too much love.  One of the other English teachers in my high school suggested the movie "Scotland, PA" when she found out about my obsession with Macbeth. Loved it. In fact I now have the urge to watch it again. That semester my school did an adaptation of A Midsummer Night's Dream which I also greatly enjoyed.  And after that semester I decided that I was going to be an English teacher.

That decision brought me to BYU and into English classes. And into this class session which I suppose is so appealing because Dr Burton seems enthusiastic and excited which makes me excited to learn and enthusiastic. And I suppose the time he mistakenly walked into the wrong classroom and that of my 295 class on the first day shouting "Shhhhaaakkkkeessppppeeaarrreee" left a good impression making this section even that more appealing.

Which leads into the main point that I wanted to draw from all of this gibberish and the important thing to remember as a future teacher. The theme of my history. As I analyze simply my Shakespeare experience based case by case on teachers, the teachers who had more passion for the Shakespeare we were studying lent me a better Shakespeare experience and left me with a greater love for the Shakespeare we studied.

And that is my challenge to me, to be enthusiastic enough about not only Shakespeare but all of my teaching so that it is easier for my students to love it as much as I do .