Monday, March 1, 2010

A Winter's Tale, Act 3, Scene 3

This scene is so crazy that I don't even know where to begin: descriptions of the weather? the man-eating bear? the wacky sadistic clown? the ancient mariner? According to 12-year-old Paul, it's the best scene in the play. What do you think?

For next week: Act 4, scenes 1 & 2.

5 comments:

Paul said...

This is the weirdest scene so far. The clown just standing by as both Antiganous and the sailors call for help. And then me playing the bear was fun.

Ruth said...

I agree with you Paul, this is the weirdest scene so far. I'm thinking this scene is meant as a switch or bridge from tragedy to the comedy. Though what is comic about being eaten by a bear or encountering a sadistic clown remains to be seen!

Al and Adam said...

I have to echo a comment someone made early on that "Exit, pursued by a bear" has got to be one of the best stage directions of all time, if not THE best.

I also agree with Paul that it seems odd that the clown was just watching and doesn't mention trying to help at all. I'm sad that we lost Antigonus, though it seems odd that he would consent to carry out this demand of Leontes's to abandon the baby in the desert and not have insisted on waiting for word from the Oracle or found some other way around it. Does he deserve the punishment of death for following his king's command? It seems he should have acted with honor like Camillo and Hermione, though things didn't work out so well for Hermione in the end either.

Al and Adam said...

Conor says:
I also thought the sadistic clown thing was kind of weird. He just came out of nowhere.

Lucy Barber said...

Mixed up scene for sure, but full of some great phreases:

"Dreams are toys" Particularly anachronistic for when the play is set but very appropriate for Shakespeare's time when the rationalists were doubting all the old myths. And then I also think it could be a band name.

"stair-work, some trunk-work, some behind-door-work" the shepherd's series of phrase for what he thinks went on that resulted in Perdita (because her blankets are those of a "gentlewoman.")

And finally the clown might not really be a clown as we know it, but rather: "2. archaic an unsophisticated country person; a rustic. " In other words, he serves the role of a onlooker who could not have intervened but can do nothing but tell. Today we might say a "person with mental disabilities." All of us probably know ofter terms as well.

So just some random thoughts. On to miracles in the next Act.