How Did Shakespeare Contribute To Dance
Shakespeare lived during the Elizabethan era which lasted for 45 years, which is known as the golden age in the history of England. Art, dance, poetry and economics thrived and continued to grow under Queen Elizabeth’s reign. As dance was one of the very prominent factors in this era, Shakespeare’s plays had many connections to the art of dance. His works obviously had references to dancers and he used dancing to build up a lot of the setting. He also used references to dance as a way to create a certain mood in his readers. For example, he referenced the famous English Morris dance in his play Henry V. He also used the actions of his characters dancing to create imagery in his works. This developed passion and a connection between his characters.
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The moments of passion and flattery are clearly shown during each dancing scene. One of the most effective times he used dance to create imagery was in his play The Winter’s Tale. The character Florizel expresses his love for Perdita comparing her to a beautiful dancer. His element of romance that Shakespeare expresses creates a passionate tone in his writing, which causes the readers to become more fascinated with the writing. Shakespeare used dance to lighten and set the mood for his scenes. Because Shakespeare used many elements of dance in his works, it influenced the dance world in an impactful way. Ballets have been referencing Shakespeare’s works over 250 years ago. The most popular ballets are A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the New York City Ballet in 1961 and The Dream, made for the Royal Ballet in 1964. The ballets were obviously a great success because they were such huge productions in prestigious ballets. They appealed to the audience because it portrayed Shakespearian themes very well only with their body motions. Dance and Shakespeare’s work both tell a story, but in different and creative ways. (Word Count: 320)
Evaluation: Shakespeare’s use of dance appeals to viewers very much and sparks creativity in many artists. I think when a couple in Shakespeare’s play is dancing, it creates strong chemistry between them and it makes the couple more liked because of the passion between the dances they share. For example, when Romeo and Juliet were at the Capulet party, they were in love at their first glances. However, it wasn’t until they stopped chasing each other and danced did they have an actual conversation. This contributed to the characterization of both Romeo and Juliet and made their love much more believable. It also created passion between them because of the words they exchanged during the dance. Romeo telling Juliet that a jewel wouldn’t even compare to her beauty, and how they flirted with each other during their dance all lead up to the moment of their big kiss. Shakespearian references in ballets also appeals to many people. The ballets that were based around Shakespeare’s plays can tell the whole story with only graceful performers and music. There are absolutely no words needed because dance is a language in itself. Shakespeare and the choreography team up in a way because the dancers must portray the theme and plot of the play with only their bodies. This, to me, is the most amazing thing because Shakespeare’s work is such a great story that it is not nesseccary for words to be used to convey the message. In addition, the ballet and the dancers take on the difficult task of telling a story without actually telling the audience anything. Shakespeare’s influence on dance has changed the dance world in unimaginable ways. (Word Count: 277)
Websites:
http://www.shakespeareassociation.org/ https://www.balletmet.org http://www.nytimes.com
II. Shakespeare and Disney
Summary: Shakespeare’s plays had a great influence on modern entertainment. Many of the well-known Disney movies that viewers love had many references to Shakespeare plays. The obvious one would be The Lion King, whose whole plot was based around Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Claudius killed his brother, the King, and the King’s son, Hamlet, vowed to avenge his father’s death. This is similar to how in The Lion King, Scar kills his brother Mufasa and his son, Simba is left to become the new king of the jungle. There is also a character reference in the film Aladdin. The parrot, Iago, was an impish character who only acts for his own best interest. This character reference is obviously from Shakespeare’s Bard of Avon. The character Iago possesses the same name as the parrot from Aladdin. Iago was a mischievous character that nobody could trust, just like the other Iago. Another major Shakespeare reference is in the sequel of the much loved movie, The Lion King. The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride is based off of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The producers thought that since the first Shakespeare adaptation animation was such a success, they should produce another one for Disney lovers. The main characters Kovu and Kiara are star-crossed lovers of the jungle, as Romeo and Juliet are star-crossed lovers of Verona. Obviously, Romeo and Juliet was a very popular plot that producers used. The very, very obvious reference is the more recent animation, Gnomeo and Juliet. The film is a cartoon comedy about gnomes from different garden that were destined to be together, like the star-crossed lovers of Verona, Italy. The use of Shakespeare references in Disney films brings light and excitement to the films. When viewers recognize the references in the film, it brings them a sense of past memories and causes them to be more focused on the movie. This is because the audience wants to scope out all the little similarities and differences to compare it to the original Shakespeare work. (Word Count: 332)
Evaluation: There are countless films that Disney has produced with Shakespearian references. This is a great factor to add to films because it creates excitement. Disney films are children movies and at first, the Shakespeare references will go right over their heads. However, as they grow older and mature, they will learn more about Shakespeare and read his plays. They will soon realize that all the films they know and love from their childhood were all references from the great Shakespearian works. They will rewatch and consider the films and have a sense of familiarity and excitement because they finally realized how clever Shakespeare and the producers were. After I learned about Shakespeare’s works and how witty and well-written they are, I always get excited when I spot a Shakespeare reference in a Disney film. Shakespeare references are also great because as most of Shakespeare’s works are tragedies, children may not be mature enough to grasp the full concepts of his work. When watching Disney films, the message is portrayed to the children in a cheerful way to children that satisfy their maturity and their protective parents. It is very beneficial to expose children to the wonderful work of Shakespeare without all the blood, gore, and sexual references that children and clearly not ready for. Shakespeare’s references also create a lot of thought and discussion between people. After discovering the little similarities in Disney films, groups of friends can discuss the different ways Shakespeare influenced the films. It is a great topic to discuss and converse about. Furthermore, these references may even increase the revenue of the film crew because the references appeal to the audience because of the messages it conveys. Disney’s Shakespeare references have many benefits to all viewers of Disney films. (Word Count: 293)
Websites:
http://www.shakespeareinaction.org http://geekxgirls.com http://disney.wikia.com
III. The Black Plague
Summary: In the 1330s, a horrible epidemic of the Black Plague, also known as the Bubonic Plague or the Black Death, broke out in China.
As China was one of the world’s largest trading grounds, the plague spread very quickly. This plague was airborne and spread by infected rodents. During the 1330’s, nobody really had any knowledge about medicine and biology, so the cause of the Black Plague was left without a scientific explanation. Many people in Europe decided that the cause of the Black Plague was God’s punishment. This theory wasn’t very accurate because the Black Plague infected many members of the church as well as common citizens. Many infected people were tortured and murdered because of this way of thinking. It was later discovered that the Black Plague was caused by a bacteria called Yersina pestis. This disease spread very, very quickly. The effects and symptoms showed in a matter of hours. The symptoms and effects of the body included black spots on the skin (hence the name “the Black Plague”), fever, headache, the chills, and swollen lymph glands. The numbers of people that the Black Plague affected are phenomenal. Between 1347 and 1352, the world lost 25 million people. Not only were people dying, the world’s interaction with each other got worse. Because everybody was ramped with fear, people went out of the house less often. They didn’t visit the friend or relatives and it was pretty depressing. Nobody really cared for each other because they were too busy worrying about whether they would get infected or not. Since many people were dying, there was a large population of dead people. There wasn’t any more room in the ground to bury people and people died so often that nobody really cared for the dead bodies. There would be streets filled with dead bodies that were just left there. The Black Plague was a very serious outbreak that affected millions of people and their families. (Word Count:
326)
Evaluation: Even now in 2014, many people still fear the Black Plague. Although there have been many technological advances in medicine and science, many people still worry about a disease like the Black Plague. Recently, the world has been notified about a disease like the Black Plague, Ebola. Doctors and scientists have found the cause and symptoms of Ebola, it is much feared. There is a medication that can fight this virus, but it is extremely expensive to produce and there are very few of these medications. Ebola, which originated in Africa, has spread to the United States of America, which has many people on panic mode. Many people think that it’s the end of the world and that everybody is going to get affected, just like the Black Plague in the 1330s. However, what they don’t know is that there is a very unlikely chance that people living in the US will contract this virus because it is spread through bodily fluids and it still very, very uncommon. People have been so stressed out about it, that they are taking all precautions. This includes euthanizing a dog that they claimed had the virus, even though it was proven that dogs produced antibodies that protected them from the Ebola virus. The Black Plague contributed a lot to this recent scare of a new disease because of the outcome it had before. I really do not think people should worry about it this much though. The media makes it so much more dramatic than it actually is because Ebola has actually been around since the 1900s and there have been several outbreaks before 2014. One of the things that is actually pretty frightening are rumors about dead Ebola patients coming back to life. There are actually videos and pictures of dead Ebola patients rising from the dead. The Black Plague was thought to be the apocalypse. Could Ebola possibly lead to a plague AND the zombie apocalypse? (Word Count: 325)
The moments of passion and flattery are clearly shown during each dancing scene. One of the most effective times he used dance to create imagery was in his play The Winter’s Tale. The character Florizel expresses his love for Perdita comparing her to a beautiful dancer. His element of romance that Shakespeare expresses creates a passionate tone in his writing, which causes the readers to become more fascinated with the writing. Shakespeare used dance to lighten and set the mood for his scenes. Because Shakespeare used many elements of dance in his works, it influenced the dance world in an impactful way. Ballets have been referencing Shakespeare’s works over 250 years ago. The most popular ballets are A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the New York City Ballet in 1961 and The Dream, made for the Royal Ballet in 1964. The ballets were obviously a great success because they were such huge productions in prestigious ballets. They appealed to the audience because it portrayed Shakespearian themes very well only with their body motions. Dance and Shakespeare’s work both tell a story, but in different and creative ways. (Word Count: 320)
Evaluation: Shakespeare’s use of dance appeals to viewers very much and sparks creativity in many artists. I think when a couple in Shakespeare’s play is dancing, it creates strong chemistry between them and it makes the couple more liked because of the passion between the dances they share. For example, when Romeo and Juliet were at the Capulet party, they were in love at their first glances. However, it wasn’t until they stopped chasing each other and danced did they have an actual conversation. This contributed to the characterization of both Romeo and Juliet and made their love much more believable. It also created passion between them because of the words they exchanged during the dance. Romeo telling Juliet that a jewel wouldn’t even compare to her beauty, and how they flirted with each other during their dance all lead up to the moment of their big kiss. Shakespearian references in ballets also appeals to many people. The ballets that were based around Shakespeare’s plays can tell the whole story with only graceful performers and music. There are absolutely no words needed because dance is a language in itself. Shakespeare and the choreography team up in a way because the dancers must portray the theme and plot of the play with only their bodies. This, to me, is the most amazing thing because Shakespeare’s work is such a great story that it is not nesseccary for words to be used to convey the message. In addition, the ballet and the dancers take on the difficult task of telling a story without actually telling the audience anything. Shakespeare’s influence on dance has changed the dance world in unimaginable ways. (Word Count: 277)
Websites:
http://www.shakespeareassociation.org/ https://www.balletmet.org http://www.nytimes.com
II. Shakespeare and Disney
Summary: Shakespeare’s plays had a great influence on modern entertainment. Many of the well-known Disney movies that viewers love had many references to Shakespeare plays. The obvious one would be The Lion King, whose whole plot was based around Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Claudius killed his brother, the King, and the King’s son, Hamlet, vowed to avenge his father’s death. This is similar to how in The Lion King, Scar kills his brother Mufasa and his son, Simba is left to become the new king of the jungle. There is also a character reference in the film Aladdin. The parrot, Iago, was an impish character who only acts for his own best interest. This character reference is obviously from Shakespeare’s Bard of Avon. The character Iago possesses the same name as the parrot from Aladdin. Iago was a mischievous character that nobody could trust, just like the other Iago. Another major Shakespeare reference is in the sequel of the much loved movie, The Lion King. The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride is based off of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The producers thought that since the first Shakespeare adaptation animation was such a success, they should produce another one for Disney lovers. The main characters Kovu and Kiara are star-crossed lovers of the jungle, as Romeo and Juliet are star-crossed lovers of Verona. Obviously, Romeo and Juliet was a very popular plot that producers used. The very, very obvious reference is the more recent animation, Gnomeo and Juliet. The film is a cartoon comedy about gnomes from different garden that were destined to be together, like the star-crossed lovers of Verona, Italy. The use of Shakespeare references in Disney films brings light and excitement to the films. When viewers recognize the references in the film, it brings them a sense of past memories and causes them to be more focused on the movie. This is because the audience wants to scope out all the little similarities and differences to compare it to the original Shakespeare work. (Word Count: 332)
Evaluation: There are countless films that Disney has produced with Shakespearian references. This is a great factor to add to films because it creates excitement. Disney films are children movies and at first, the Shakespeare references will go right over their heads. However, as they grow older and mature, they will learn more about Shakespeare and read his plays. They will soon realize that all the films they know and love from their childhood were all references from the great Shakespearian works. They will rewatch and consider the films and have a sense of familiarity and excitement because they finally realized how clever Shakespeare and the producers were. After I learned about Shakespeare’s works and how witty and well-written they are, I always get excited when I spot a Shakespeare reference in a Disney film. Shakespeare references are also great because as most of Shakespeare’s works are tragedies, children may not be mature enough to grasp the full concepts of his work. When watching Disney films, the message is portrayed to the children in a cheerful way to children that satisfy their maturity and their protective parents. It is very beneficial to expose children to the wonderful work of Shakespeare without all the blood, gore, and sexual references that children and clearly not ready for. Shakespeare’s references also create a lot of thought and discussion between people. After discovering the little similarities in Disney films, groups of friends can discuss the different ways Shakespeare influenced the films. It is a great topic to discuss and converse about. Furthermore, these references may even increase the revenue of the film crew because the references appeal to the audience because of the messages it conveys. Disney’s Shakespeare references have many benefits to all viewers of Disney films. (Word Count: 293)
Websites:
http://www.shakespeareinaction.org http://geekxgirls.com http://disney.wikia.com
III. The Black Plague
Summary: In the 1330s, a horrible epidemic of the Black Plague, also known as the Bubonic Plague or the Black Death, broke out in China.
As China was one of the world’s largest trading grounds, the plague spread very quickly. This plague was airborne and spread by infected rodents. During the 1330’s, nobody really had any knowledge about medicine and biology, so the cause of the Black Plague was left without a scientific explanation. Many people in Europe decided that the cause of the Black Plague was God’s punishment. This theory wasn’t very accurate because the Black Plague infected many members of the church as well as common citizens. Many infected people were tortured and murdered because of this way of thinking. It was later discovered that the Black Plague was caused by a bacteria called Yersina pestis. This disease spread very, very quickly. The effects and symptoms showed in a matter of hours. The symptoms and effects of the body included black spots on the skin (hence the name “the Black Plague”), fever, headache, the chills, and swollen lymph glands. The numbers of people that the Black Plague affected are phenomenal. Between 1347 and 1352, the world lost 25 million people. Not only were people dying, the world’s interaction with each other got worse. Because everybody was ramped with fear, people went out of the house less often. They didn’t visit the friend or relatives and it was pretty depressing. Nobody really cared for each other because they were too busy worrying about whether they would get infected or not. Since many people were dying, there was a large population of dead people. There wasn’t any more room in the ground to bury people and people died so often that nobody really cared for the dead bodies. There would be streets filled with dead bodies that were just left there. The Black Plague was a very serious outbreak that affected millions of people and their families. (Word Count:
326)
Evaluation: Even now in 2014, many people still fear the Black Plague. Although there have been many technological advances in medicine and science, many people still worry about a disease like the Black Plague. Recently, the world has been notified about a disease like the Black Plague, Ebola. Doctors and scientists have found the cause and symptoms of Ebola, it is much feared. There is a medication that can fight this virus, but it is extremely expensive to produce and there are very few of these medications. Ebola, which originated in Africa, has spread to the United States of America, which has many people on panic mode. Many people think that it’s the end of the world and that everybody is going to get affected, just like the Black Plague in the 1330s. However, what they don’t know is that there is a very unlikely chance that people living in the US will contract this virus because it is spread through bodily fluids and it still very, very uncommon. People have been so stressed out about it, that they are taking all precautions. This includes euthanizing a dog that they claimed had the virus, even though it was proven that dogs produced antibodies that protected them from the Ebola virus. The Black Plague contributed a lot to this recent scare of a new disease because of the outcome it had before. I really do not think people should worry about it this much though. The media makes it so much more dramatic than it actually is because Ebola has actually been around since the 1900s and there have been several outbreaks before 2014. One of the things that is actually pretty frightening are rumors about dead Ebola patients coming back to life. There are actually videos and pictures of dead Ebola patients rising from the dead. The Black Plague was thought to be the apocalypse. Could Ebola possibly lead to a plague AND the zombie apocalypse? (Word Count: 325)