THE 25 LOVES OF THE SEASON

It's that time of year again where on the blog we take a moment to reflect on those extraordinary things, places, times and people we love most.

Last year, we made a list of our favorite things--twenty five favorites, to be exact.  This year, we will be a bit more detailed by answering to a specific list of favorites, beginning with those that relate to the holidays (my favorite time of year!)

Think of this post as yet another way to approach the so-called "New Year's Resolutions," which I personally detest because they usually focus on what we want to change about ourselves.  Not that I believe there is anything wrong with change, especially if it leads to true, positive character enhancement, but it is also important in today's often dark world to focus on the things for which we are grateful; those things that are, to our hearts, most beloved.

So....here we go.  Without further ado, it's time to be grateful and enlightened.  Here is the list of questions.  I have supplied you with my personal answers as an example.  You will take the same list and personalize it with your answers for your blog response.  I cannot wait to see all the wonderful items that make your list!

1.  Favorite holiday movie and/or performance:   That's easy.  My favorite movie is Christmas Carol, The Musical, featuring Kelsey Grammar, Jesse Martin, Jane Krakowski and Geraldine Chaplin.  It is followed closely by Miracle on 34th Street, the 1994 version.  My favorite holiday performance has always and will always be The Nutcracker Ballet.

2.  Favorite holiday song/music:  I have always been a fan of old English carols.  A few of the top are God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, What Child is This and Carol of the Bells.  It's not Christmas until these tunes permeate my home.  :)

3.  Favorite holiday tradition:  The Caraway Christmas Eve dinner, a traditional, Old English feast of

prime rib and homemade horseradish, Gwyn's creamiest mashed potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts and trifle for dessert! We start, however, in Paris, always, with French onion soup.

Caraway's Triple Chocolate
Peppermint Trifle

Gwyneth Hope at 4 yrs old

4. Favorite gift you've ever received for Christmas/Chanukah:  My daughter, Gwyneth Hope.  She was born Christmas Day, 2000.

Church Street, Surrey, England

5. Where would you spend your DREAM Christmas/holiday?  Surrey, the English countryside, beautiful scenery only a 40 min train ride from London!

6.  Favorite holiday symbol:  The nativity, followed  by the Christmas tree and real snow!

Moving outside of the holiday realm.....

7.  Favorite thing that you own (object, not person): besides my computer, it would have to be my special Romeo and Juliet wine glasses given to me especially by "Romeo's"  mother and created by his aunt.

8.  Favorite color:  Red.  The end.  Always has been, always will be.  It is the best color for everything.

9.  Favorite flower:  This one is tough because I have a three way tie:  red poppies,white roses, and gardenias.

10.  Favorite inspirational person, living or dead:  Jesus.

Normandy, France

11.  Favorite place in the world:  France.  Followed closely by Kauai.

12.  Favorite friend?  It is a tie between the two women I have known the longest (and they still love me!!).  Sherri Frost and Pauline Maranian.

13.  Favorite Celebrity crush?  As a child, it was Clark Gable.  (I loved Gone with the Wind)  Now, it has to be Adam Levine.  

14.  Favorite author/playwright or both:  Easy.  C.S. Lewis and William Shakespeare, respectively.

15.  Favorite non-holiday song:  This changes by the month.  Now, it is Hello, by Adele because of her epic voice.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQHsXMglC9A

16.  Favorite sport to watch and favorite sport to play:  Baseball, to watch (Come on!  I'm a true American!) and ice-skating to participate.  I used to be pretty darn good!

17.  Favorite pastime:  Writing.  Followed by traveling and going to the movies.

Vintage style in Oxford, England
Another favorite place!

18.  Favorite personal style:  Vintage/Classic/Ecclectic--if it is not timeless, it's not allowed in my closet.

The Bentley

19.  Favorite or dream car?  A classic 1940's Bentley, two-toned black and silver with customized red leather interior, complete with personal driver (I hate driving)

20.  Favorite Quote of all time:  This changes.  Right in this moment, it is:  "And now these three things remain: faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love." (1 Cor. 13:13)

Cheeses and wines of France

21.  Favorite Food:  French food.  I love it all. Especially escargot, all of their 400 national cheeses, wine and French onion soup.  The French appreciate REAL butter.  So do I!

22.  Favorite Season:  Winter followed closely by summer

23.  Favorite Era - If you had a time machine, you would travel to....  The 1940s or 20s.

24.  Favorite Occupation - When you grow up, you hope to be:  A famous writer

25.  Favorite non-holiday movie/play:  Schindler's List & Under the Tuscan Sun for movie, and right now, Finding Neverland and Romeo and Juliet for musical and regular plays.

Now, it's your turn!!  Have fun celebrating your favorite things, people, and places!!

WRITING LOVE WELL

LOVE.   It's a many splendered thing, a fantasy, a hope.  It is patient and kind and keeps no track of wrongs.  It sees the best, always.  Whether you believe it can be found at first sight, or that is is slow and graceful to bloom, it can change you forever.  It burns in our hearts like fire and cools like the summer rain.  It is the one perfect thing we have in this world....

"Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!  Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear.  The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand, and, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.  Did my heart love till now?  Forswear it sight!  For I ne'er saw true beauty until this night" (Romeo, Romeo and Juliet).   

"You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love...I love...I love you, and never wish to be parted from you from this day forth"  (Mr. Darcy, Pride and Prejudice).

"I almost wish we were butterflies, and lived but three summer days; three such days with you, I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain" (John Keats, Love Letters to Fanny Brawne).

"A kiss, when all is told, what is it?  An oath taken a little closer, a promise more exact.  A wish that longs to be confirmed.  A kiss is a secret which takes the lips for the ear, a moment of infinity...a way of breathing in a little of the heart

and tasting a little of the soul..." (Cyrano from Cyrano de'Bergerac).

Let's talk about romance.

Love is blind, they tell us.  But just how blind?  Blind enough, apparently, to ignore the fact that so many of those tales we hold up as iconic love stories are overflowing with murder, betrayal and abandonment.  Think about it:  all those magnificent weepies about impossibly beautiful love turned out to be just that:  impossible.  There's Titanic, Camelot, Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, Cyrano de Bergerac and my favorite, Romeo and Juliet.  That's really the oldest and weepiest of them all, isn't it?  A pair of wildly smitten teenagers.  Feuding families.  Angry friends.  No good can possibly come of that.  And it doesn't.  By the end of the play, six people are dead, including the two lovers, a priest is shamed and two powerful families are consumed with grief.

Never mind.  We still think of it as a great love story.  And even after 400 years, we can't keep away from it.  The same is true of the classic we are currently reading, Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac, which in many ways, is just as iconic.  I think it's due to several reasons really.  First, because the first part of the story, when the two young teens fall in love, and when Cyrano is first able to boldly declare his love for Roxanne under the disguise of night and the guise of another identity, we hope the outcome of of the story will change, somehow.  Love like that is something everyone knows or longs for.  Secondly, that rush of love...that hope that transcends the desperation of our time, well, these are things we just can't get out of our head, nor can we get enough of.

There's always a new way to tell the story and always a new audience for it.  These are characters that everyone understands.  Romeo and Juliet and Cyrano are rare stories where different generations can find something quite personal.  We want something our parents just cannot understand, and we want it with our whole soul.  We lose our courage to go after what we really want most because of our own personal insecurities and doubts, mixed with the cruel words of others in our childhood, which still  have the power to haunt us.  This is what makes them classics.  This is what makes their themes universal.

Finally, there is the writing, itself.  Though in my experience there is little evidence to the contrary, we, as ladies hope beyond hope that somewhere out there is a boy who can sweep us off our feet with a well turned verse of a deep and boundless love.   Something magical, beautiful, and extraordinary.  Somehow, his words will make us something brighter, and give us a love and romance that is as eternal as the stories penned so long ago by the masters of love verse.

No matter how we spin it, these universal themes and platitudes mean nothing if they aren't written well...if the words don't make our heart skip a beat...if they don't make us hold our breath in longing and wonder.  Just as great works of art begin with the color and brushstroke, great love stories start with the words woven masterfully onto the blank page.

Now that we've established that, it's time to do some reading!  The two links here provide what are considered the best Love Poems and greatest Love Letters of all time.

1.  Look through them, and tell me your favorites and why.
2.  Then, choose one poem to read in its entirety and give me your analysis of it.  What makes it one of the greatest?

Love is one of the great mysteries of life...it is a little kiss of the angels here on earth that, whether you are a die hard Neo-Romanticist or dedicated Realist, makes life a little sweeter...a little more worth the effort.

It is "the canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination,"  and the madness of it is "the greatest of heaven's blessings."  (Voltaire and Plato, respectively).

http://www.poemofquotes.com/articles/greatest-love-poems.php

http://www.buzzfeed.com/maitlandquitmeyer/15-famous-love-letters-that-will-make-you-a-romantic#.fgag5YRryD

A QUESTION OF HONOR: The Responsibility of the Media in Our Culture

Over the past few weeks in our studies of language we have looked at how the media can manipulate words and images to achieve their own agenda.  We have analyzed their techniques as we have looked at the types of texts, their target audiences and various purposes.  We have also looked at their power.

Like it our not, no matter how cynical we may be about it, the media has power over our culture and society.  It is almost impossible for even the communication experts to distinguish whether we are moving the media or they are moving us.  In my humble opinion, it is probably a little bit of both.

There are a few names in the media who have realized the potential of this power and how incredible it can be if used to inspire.  One of those names is particularly dear to me, and that is Mr. Fred Rogers.  My first memory of Fred Rogers is from when I was four years of age (yes, that was a long time ago!  Hello, seventies!) on his children's television show, Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.  I found this clip recently, and two thoughts came immediately to mind.   First of all, no surprise to hear these words from a man of gentle integrity like Mr. Rogers, but more than that, what a perfect supplement to what we are already learning and talking about in our class.

I  hope you will enjoy this clip--this little piece of the past--and that in some way, Mr. Rogers' words will resonate with you.  I am happy to show you a sampling of the kind of man Mr. Rogers was, and what he meant to young children back in the day, and how seriously he took his responsibility as a popular media personality with the influence he had.  I would love to hear your thoughts and opinions on what Mr. Rogers says.

Enjoy your day off this week, and please remember our Veterans who have served our country.  They are heroes.  If you live with a Veteran, are related to one, or know one, please pass along my heart-felt appreciation for their service.

I look forward, as always, to your thoughts!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI_9GegVoYk

PRETTY LITTLE LIARS...

"I think that's probably why we prefer the lies, Miss Remington," Mick continued, "and we do, don't

we?  Everyone says they want the truth, but secretly they just want to find some reassurance for the lies because they are always so much more beautiful."  He moved in closer to her yet again, like a moth to the flame, "And they sure smell a hell of a lot sweeter..."  His touch was so intimate, she knew it was meant to set her off balance, and it did.  "So tell me the lie, again, Miss Remington," his voice was now just above a whisper, interrupting the whirl of confusing thoughts and desires that were making her dizzy.  "Look at me now and tell me that you love me...just one more time..." (Caraway, Palooka)

George Washington couldn't tell one.  Pinocchio's nose grew each time he did.  There are white ones, and scarlet ones; little ones and big whoppers, and, as Mick O'Shaughnessy describes in the above quote, sweet ones that we choose to believe.

Lies.  We write songs about them.  We punish them.  We sigh in relief when we manage to tell one without getting caught.  Another day to save face.  Another day to keep our mask in place.  For the criminal, they are a mainstay.  For those with a conscience, they are the things that torture and haunt us.  They are everywhere--a part of our world and who we are.  Much as we try to escape being told one or being known as one who does, they are a part of every culture on the planet and they infect us from our earliest moments of communication.

Why do we lie?  There are as many reasons as there are scenarios.  We don't want to get caught.  We want to keep up our perfect image.  We want revenge.  We want to protect ourselves.  We want power and political gain.

What can we say?  Mick has a point... the easy to swallow lie is more appealing than the

ugly truth, time and time again.

When it comes to our world leaders and politicians, we have come to expect the lies--in all shapes and sizes, with all degrees of consequences.  Many voters say they go to the polls merely to choose the lesser of two evils; we choose our leaders based on their degrees of lying.  After all, we dare not expect that our leaders would completely refrain from it--that they would ever be stupid enough to choose integrity over self-preservation.

That, alone begs the question:  How did we get to a place where we are willing to put our trust and hope in our most powerful figures without expecting truth from them in return?  How did we get this far?  Adolf Hitler once said, "If you tell a big enough lie, and tell it frequently enough, it will be believed."  Is that it then?  We just commit to the lies wholeheartedly until they become our new definition of "truth?"

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "Every violation of truth is not only a sort of suicide in the liar, but a stab at the health of human society."  If Emerson is right, I wonder:  what is the state of society's health today?

This course is a study in communication, and unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your position) lying is a part of communication in just about every realm of society.  Perhaps it is naive not to expect to be lied to--even by the brightest and best--but is it wrong to yearn for truth, no matter what the cost?  Is it wrong to believe that there is true freedom to be found in it?

Maybe Mick is wrong.  Yes, I know, I wrote him, he is my character, but maybe he is.  The truth may hurt sometimes, but is it possible that over time, the lies hurt a whole lot more?  What is the cost in the end?

Below, is a link to a blog that explores the cultural tradition of lying.  Read it carefully, then I would love to hear your thoughts...

Honestly.

http://elitedaily.com/life/culture/are-we-all-little-liars/

My favorite song of all time about honesty (and was playing as I wrote this for inspiration)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuFScoO4tb0

QUOTING SHAKESPEARE!

Each year, the English Speaking Union invites students and their teachers/directors to participate in their National Shakespeare Competition.  It all starts in the classroom.  Schools all over the country conduct in house, school wide Shakespeare competitions in which scholars present a memorized monologue of no more than 20 lines.  After the school selects a winner, they are sent along with other scholars across their state, to compete at the branch level.  This time, they present their monologue and one of Shakespeare's sonnets.

The lucky scholar selected at the branch level is then flown out for a week long trip to New York City, where they are dined, entertained, and have the opportunity to mingle with other branch winners and students of the infamous Julliard School.  The grand finale, however, is that each student gets to perform his/her monologue, sonnet and a cold read on the stage at Lincoln Center in the National competition.

The competition is stiff.  Every scholar brings with him or her a uniquely brilliant interpretation of

the Great Bard.  The judges no doubt agonize over their decision, but only one lucky scholar will be chosen as the grand prize winner.  This scholar will win an all expenses paid trip in the summer to study at The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.  A second place scholar at competition is awarded a scholarship to the American Shakespeare Center's Theater Camp in Staunton, Virginia, including tuition, transportation, food, and accommodations.  The third place scholar wins a $500 scholarship from The Shakespeare Society of New York City.

This year, Odyssey Institute will be participating in the competition, and I personally could not be more excited.  I would like nothing more than to see one of our scholars take their bow at Lincoln Center as a finalist, or dare I say, board a flight to London to study at The Royal Academy!  Just for fun, here are two videos.  The first is the National winner from Hawaii, and the second is the Branch winner from Arizona who was sent to compete in New York.  I am happy to say he did place in the top ten.

Watch the two videos and then please share your insights, evaluations, and comments.  It brings me great joy to share these amazing performances with you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ApO737h61M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdEGEiWR2RU

"BEARING ACROSS:" The Art of Translation

“The word 'translation' comes, etymologically, from the Latin for 'bearing across'. Having been borne across the world, we are translated men. It is normally supposed that something always gets lost in translation; I cling, obstinately to the notion that something can also be gained.” ~Salman Rushdie

Walt Disney tells us that it's a small world after all.  Well, it still costs over $1,200 to cross the Atlantic to Europe,  and going through customs can feel like an eternity, but the fact that we can go halfway across the world in a matter of nine hours is nothing short of miraculous.  The fact that a journey that used to take months now takes about five hours on an airplane is also pretty amazing.  Maybe Walt Disney has a valid point.

Now consider that in a few hours, at a well lit desk, a literary translator can open up a whole new world for the reader--a world that may previously have been a cultural mystery.  

So, as we are deeply involved in the study of human language, I thought perhaps it might be interesting to look at some of the occupations that specifically fall within the area of language and communication.  One of those occupations is a literary translator; a job that is projected to grow 46% over the next seven years!  So, what are the requirements of the job?  Well, for starters,  you need to be fluent in two languages, and familiar with the cultures (including the values, norms, idioms & expressions) of which those languages are a part.  As of 2013, the median salary was $42,420 annually on average, but with experience and the right literary connections, the salary can triple, making it quite lucrative!

So, what are the duties of a translator?  Well, to start, many book translators choose novels they admire to translate. Therefore, they must develop a knack for choosing exceptional novels and authors that publishers will want to publish. 

Book translators are constantly sharpening their writing and translating skills by practicing translation using various literary works. When translating a book, book translators may read through the text several times to ensure they grasp the book's concept, plot and theme, identify and preserve the author's voice, ponder any problematical translation areas and solutions and ensure complete accuracy. They may work directly with the book's author, if possible.

Translation references such as foreign language dictionaries, lexicons, encyclopedias, and digital vocabulary banks are part of the book translator's toolbox. These resources are especially useful during the multiple revisions that book translators perform to ensure absolute accuracy. To make future translations easier, book translators may compile lists of common terminology, colloquialisms and other useful information.

Book translators continually learn about the cultural affairs of the people speaking the languages from which they translate. In addition to staying up-to-date on the countries' current events, book translators stay abreast on which new books are being published and are constantly reading books from native authors in countries where the translated language is spoken.

In order to obtain familiarity with the society where each language is spoken, book translators may engross themselves in the culture by traveling to the country, reading foreign newspapers and magazines, partaking in daily life activities, watching foreign films and listening to foreign music (Study.com, Glossary of Career Education programs).

I have here attached two videos for you to watch about becoming a translator, and on how translations are selected by publishers.  Watch both and share your thoughts!  Anyone interested?  Could there be some future literary translators out there?  Might be fun to get lost in the translation...fun and profitable!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXh8jIKYfYI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apCPzt-AVrs

KNOW THYSELF

Communication break-down can occur at any time and in many different settings.  There's Group Project Anxiety: everyone has great ideas at discussion meetings, but you feel like the only one with a sense of urgency to get any actual work done.  There's Discussion Frustration:  whenever you engage in a discussion with your group, you feel as if your thoughts and ideas are not valued or brushed aside with no regard to your feelings.  And finally, there is just sheer information overload: why is it that after a full day of school, you feel completely zapped of energy, consumed by an overwhelming need to be where people are not?

We all realize that we are social creatures.  We seek out and thrive within interpersonal relationships. We long to be heard and appreciated, to create and explore.  This is probably not new information.  Rewarding as they may be, however, relationships of every type are complex and not without their

difficulties.  People are different.  Where we come from, our experiences, our beliefs, and our DNA all go into who we are, how we see and interpret the world, and how we communicate.

Many corporations have invested large sums of money on consultants with one goal in mind:  to improve inter-office communication and efficiency.  Where do you begin?  The communicators, themselves!  Knowing who you are helps you to better understand how and why you communicate the way that you do.  Knowing who your co-workers are can help you better understand how to communicate with them more effectively and efficiently.

So, as Aristotle taught centuries ago, we will begin by seeking the wisdom that comes from knowing ourselves.  Here is a link to a personality inventory:  http://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test  Once you complete the test, you can have your results emailed to yourself and you can read all about your personality type: how you relate to others, how others see you, how you work, etc.

The test takes about 20 minutes, but it provides a wealth of information as it analyzes four distinct areas of personality and then adds a fifth area that analyzes overall identity.  It is created from a combination of the infamous Myers/Briggs and Carl Jung's Theory of Psychological Types.  The four areas are explained as follows:

1.  Introversion vs Extroversion: (I vs. E) This is more than just "shy" vs. "outgoing."  In fact, according to Jung, it is really not about that at all.  It has to do more with where you get your energy.  Do you find yourself getting energized when you are around others, or do you find that you need to be away from people to re-energize?
2.  Intuitive vs. Sensing: (N vs. S) Intuitives are creative, imaginative and curious individuals who are open-minded.  They tend to go with novelty over stability and see/feel possibilities.  They tend to have strong discernment in new situations.  Sensing or Observant individuals are practical, pragmatic and down to earth.  They tend to have strong habits and rather than going with their gut, they are more focused on what has happened or what is happening.

3.  Feeling vs. Thinking: (F vs. T) Feeling individuals are sensitive and emotionally expressive.  They are more empathetic and tend to be less competitive than T's.  They tend to focus on social harmony and cooperation.   Thinkers focus on objectivity and rationality, prioritizing logic over emotion.  They tend to hide their feelings and value efficiency over cooperation.

4.  Judging vs. Perceiving or Prospecting: (J vs. P)  Judging personalities are decisive, thorough and highly organized.  They value clarity, predictability and closure preferring structure and planning to spontaneity.  Perceiving individuals are good at improvising and spotting opportunities.  They are flexible, relaxed, non-conformists who prefer to keep their options open.

Identity Variables of Assertive vs. Turbulent: (A vs. T)  Assertive types are confident, self-assured and pretty resistant to stress.  They do not push themselves too hard.  The turbulent types are self-conscious and sensitive to stress.  They are perfectionistic types who experience a wide array of emotions.

So, test away, and then comment by revealing assessed personality type and reflection on how knowing this information can help you communicate more effectively and understand how others communicate, as well.   I am an INFJ - T.  Your turn!

THE POWER OF LANGUAGE

"Don't get upset by what he said.  They're only words." 

 Does this statement, or any close variation of it sound familiar to you?  How many of you embrace it as your own philosophy?  How many of you would like to give the speaker a nice, firm sock in the arm?  Well, I am going to start the year in our first blog by making a bold statement (I know, seniors, big surprise, right?)  Here it goes:  Whether you acknowledge it to be true or not, your words have power.  Lots of it.  You may not feel very powerful when you utter them, but they are, as the great English proverb tells us, "Mightier than the sword."

Now, allow me to explain and expand.  For some, the words of others don't sting as much as they will for others, but whether you are tough as nails or a marshmallow when it comes to matters of the heart, those to whom you communicate may not fall into your same category.  For this reason, being a thoughtful, empathetic, yet clear communicator is a precious skill--especially for those of you who plan to be in any form of upper management.  The best leaders in any industry got there because they knew how to communicate.  They were aware of the great power of their words, and they used that power with skill and wisdom.

If not everyone receives the same words in the same spirit, than how do we become astute at the great art of communication?  Well, the answer is in the question:  it is an art, so we practice.  We test the waters.  Observe more than just verbal communication/language.  We communicate who we are to others in many different ways and within many unique nuances.  Reading people --really taking the time and presence of mind to actively listen to not just what they say but how they say it--can really tell you a lot.

In year one and year two of the IB Language and Literature, Diploma Program, we will be doing a lot of communicating with one another in various groups and partnerships, as well as all together on our blog.  You will have many opportunities to observe and learn from each other's communication style, and practice wielding your language "sword."  The spoken and written word both have their moment on the world's stage, and whether their influence is felt on a small or large scale, it is a moment that carries power for the listener: a moment in the ears can lead to a lifetime on the heart.  In his novel The Name of the Wind, Patrick Rothfus writes: "Words can light fires in the minds of men; words can wring tears from the hardest hearts."  See?  I'm not the only literary person to make those bold statements.

In the link below, you will have the opportunity to read Cat Thompson's article, The Power of Language.    Read through it, maybe even commit some of it to memory as a resource to use when you communicate.  See what happens!

You are powerful.  Whether written or spoken, your words carry the power to build someone up and bring life, or tear them down and bring death.

Just like that mighty sword the English were talking about.

https://experiencelife.com/article/the-power-of-language/


Just for fun....

The idea that language has great power is nothing new!  Even though our modern society is much more sensitized and defensive in nature (we seem to have lost the art to debate and replaced it with the great art of mudslinging in the public arena), in ancient times and during the Renaissance, the power of our language was acknowledged.  Here are a few famous quotes, including those collected from Proverbs in the Bible and the great bard, Shakespeare, himself:

TIGHTEN THE TENSION, HEIGHTEN THE STAKES: Why Readers prefer Fabulously Flawed to Picture Perfect

Shakespeare's plays open themselves up to a world of interpretation.  Whether in discourse, historical context, symbolism or intentions to leave the audience in conflict with themselves, there is no dispute about his plays lending themselves to every reader's response.

But regardless of your position on Taming of the Shrew,  whether you see is as satire or misogyny, one thing remains true:  it is the most adapted play in his canon, and always is sure to evoke a strong response in the audience, especially when it comes to the relationship between Kate and Petruchio.  It is the definition of  conflict:  is it hatred? Sexism? Is it control?  Or is it something more powerful than that, something that audiences of the stage, page and film reel find so irresistible in our most beloved characters and character relationships?

The more polite of us will describe it as "electricity" or "crackling chemistry."  The more straight to the point of us will call it exactly what it is; subtle or in your face, novelists and playwrights know it as...dare we say it?  Okay, here it goes....sexual tension.

The best writers know that the best way to captivate and seduce your audience when it comes to tension is to start subtle, and move slow.  Gradual, little nibbles of character revelation through dialogue and point/counter- point rather than large gulps of character revelation in an information dump.

We don't show our whole hand to one another upon the first, second or even the third meeting.  We

don't expect our favorite characters to, either.  We delight in what they hold back, what is underneath the surface, because that is what draws us in;  we, the reader now have a part to play in the story.  We are reading between the lines, concentrating as much on what isn't said as we do on what is implicit.  We have an active role in the characters' lives that is charged with all sorts of possibilities!

Some of the most beloved couples in literature, theater and on the silver screen are timeless because of this conflict--the tension--that draws the two characters in and then just as suddenly repels them like some kind of crazy magnetic force:  Harry and Sally, Rhett and Scarlett, Ilsa and Rick, Baby and Johnny, Sandy and Danny, Westley and Buttercup,  Elizabeth and Will, Jack and Rose, Edward and Bella, Romeo and Juliet...the list goes on and on.  (Recognize any of these?)

Just for fun, I am going to give you four scenarios that play with "tension."  Look at each one.  Analyze carefully for tone, characterization, diction and imagery.  What is the writer doing to pull you in?  Which one works best for you and why?  How are the stakes ultimately heightened?  (See below where it says "Click Here" for your examples).  Here's an upfront admission:  none of the characters are picture perfect.  There is no Prince Charming meets Princess Perfect and the two immediately declare their love and live happily ever after.  WE LOVE COMPLICATIONS!  Okay, so, sometimes they frazzle our nerves, but they remind us of the messy, mixed up, all too uncertain moments that make up real life.  They get our heart rates escalated and our adrenaline racing. The conflict on the page and stage becomes the conflict in our souls.

We connect.  We hope for what we know the characters ultimately want and what we want for them.  Love him or hate him, Petruchio has our attention...and he certainly may be the first and only man who got Kate's.

He that knows better how to tighten the tension...let him speak!

Have fun!

Click Here