Blog 7

I’ve had a good time so far this semester. I was always somewhat intimidated by Shakespeare but I have a pretty good handle on the readings now. Although I read slow, I can still finish a play and understand what happened. I am interested in the times of Shakespeare. I find it very pleasing that the humor back then is still very funny today. Shakespeare has his own style of humor that never ceases to please me.

From what I have learned, Shakespeare was so popular because he was able to make commentary on current affairs. Doing that has helped to make him the most influential artist of his time. It has really helped me to understand the concerns of the people of that time. I think what is most interesting is that Dr. Hand said she didn’t believe he was the best playwright to ever touch a pen, but the most influential. This reminds me of the famous rapper Tupac. He wasn’t the best lyricist to grab a microphone but I believe he was one of the most influential. It’s interesting how the amount of influence an artist has on a person dictates what they think about the quality of their craft. It seems that to most people, the influence an artist has on them is worth more than the quality of their craft. This idea has come to mind a few times throughout our readings. As I read I wonder whether I would call Shakes the best playwright that ever lived. It makes me want to read the works of other great playwrights to compare their craft. I guess the quality of a playwright is up to the reader. Some people might believe a great artist will have a profound impact on their life or some might think a great artist is the most technically sound.

When it comes to the readings, I haven’t finished all of them on time. I am a good reader but I read slow due to my lack of concentration and some trouble reading Shakes quickly. I will sometimes break my reading up to a series of acts or scenes. If I can’t finish the text or if I have trouble understanding what was going on, I will check Sparknotes to brush up on parts I misunderstood.

I enjoy our class discussions. I am a sociology major and I enjoy my English classes. Although some of the students can be rather quirky, I appreciate how comfortable they are in their own skin. Our discussions are always filled with personality and astute opinions. Our discussions always add depth to the readings. They help me with understanding the readings and remembering the text. It makes the class easy in a sense because everything is still fresh in my mind when we take the quizzes and especially the midterm!