Midterm Exam

1
Midterm Exam

• Three Parts
• Identifications (15 points)
• Multiple Choice (15 points)
• Long Answer (15 points)

2
Identifications

• These will mostly derive from passages referred
  to in lecture.
  
• Ex
• O monstrous beast, how like a swine he lies!
• Grim Death, how foul and loathsome is thine
  image!
  
• Sirs, I will practice on this drunken man.
• (Identify the monstrous beast referred to.)

3
Multiple Choice

• These questions will draw on information from the
  lectures.
  
• Ex
• The title-page to the 1623 Folio of
  Shakespeares
  
• plays claims that the edition is published
  according to
  
• A. the most Expensive printing devices
• B. the real Shakespeare
• C. both Good and Bad Quartos
• D. the True Original Copies
• E. the Spirit of all times

4
Long Answer

• You will be given a long passage and asked to
• identify the play and character speaking (1
  point)
  
• briefly explain the context (2 points)
• Make 6 points of significance about the passage
  (12 points)
  

5
Richard II

• The Marks of Kingship

From Ceremony to Farce
6
Questions

• Economic metaphors? Whats with all the
  references to money?
  
• What meaning do the repeated examples of punning
  contribute to the play?
  
• What is the effect of the plays attention to the
  names of things their changes, manipulations,
  loss?

7
Marks of Kingship

• What distinguishes a King from subjects?
• Is Sovereignty simply a theatrical role?
• 3.2.164-165, p59
• 5.2.23-28, p92

8
Queen Elizabeth We Princesare set on stages, i
n the sight and view of all the world duly
observed.

King James The King is as one set on a stage, w
hose smallest actions and gestures, all the
people gazingly do behold
Basilicon Doron
9
Economic Metaphors

• Richard Thy word is current with him for my
  death But dead, thy kingdom cannot buy my
  breath.
  
• (1.3.230-231, p21)
• Northum Words, life and all, old Lancaster hath
  spent.
  
• York Be York the next that must be bankrout
  so!
  
• Though death be poor, it ends a mortal woe.
• (2.1.150-152, p32)
• Richard And if my word be sterling yet in
  England,
  
• Let it command a mirror hither straight
• (4.1.263-264, p83)

10
A Discourse of the Commonweal (published 1581)

• A dialogue involving members from different
  social strata (Knight, Doctor, Merchantman,
  Husbandman, Capper).
  
• Currency not only symbolizes physical goods but
  the credit of the Kings words.
  
• Concerned with both causes of economic
  instability and social unrest afflicting England
  in the mid-sixteenth century.

11
Origin of Coins

• Whereby began the names of coins, so that the
  people needed not to be troubled with weighing
  and trying of every piece, being assured by the
  mark printed that every piece contained the
  weight that was signified by the mark set on
  every one. The princes credit was then such
  among their subjects as they doubted nothing
  therein.
• Thomas Smith, A Discourse of the Commonweal

12
Summary of key points

• The King assigns value, and this extends beyond
  money to include social degree.
  
• Value the King assigns dependent on credit he
  enjoys among the people.
  
• His word, therefore, is a form of currency.
• Destabilizing currency analogous to destabilizing
  social order.

13
Richards mistakes

• Legal Errors
• He has subjected himself to the law by leasing
  out his lands.
  
• In denying Bolingbroke his hereditary rights, he
  has violated social hierarchy.

14
Only punning?

• 1.3.254-256, p21-22
• Bol I have too few words to take my leave of
  you,
  
• When the tongues office should be prodigal
• To breathe the abundant dolor of the heart.
• 5.5.67-68, p105
• Groom Hail, royal Prince!
• Richard Thanks, noble peer!
• The cheapest of us is ten groats too dear.

15
Name changes and Nameless Woes

• Hereford ? Lancaster ? Henry IV
• Aumerle ? Rutland
• King Richard ? I have no name, no title
• (2.2.39-40, p40) Queen
• But what it is that is not yet known what,
• I cannot name tis nameless woe I wot.

16
3.3.126-127, p66

• Richard
• We do debase ourselves, cousin, do we not,
• To look so poorly and to speak so fair?

17
4.1.284-288, p84

• Richard
• Was this the face that faced so many follies,
• And was at last outfaced by Bolingbroke?
• A brittle glory shineth in this face,
• As brittle as the glory in the face,
• Throws glass down
• For there it is, cracked in a hundred shivers.

18
Coins of Richard II
19
Coins of Henry IV
20
Our scene is altred from a serious thing,And
now changed to The Beggar and the King.
21
Act IV, scene 1

• Cf. with Act.1, scene 1 whats new?
• Whats the truth? Is there any resolution? Are we
  any closer to discovering Woodstocks murderer?

22
Act V, scene 3

• Film Clip (6 ½ minutes)
• Dramatic effects of this scene?
• Echo(es) of earlier scenes?
• Other details paralleling Richard and Henrys
  rules
  
• Aumerles confederacy reformulates the conspiracy
  of Ross, Willoughby, and Northumberland.
  
• Question of Woodstocks murder remains.
• Richards murder echoes the murder of Woodstock.

23
a new world?

• No! same scenes performed by different actors.
• Yes! Theyre actors and the reigning metaphor is
  one of theatricality.
  
• Performance privileged over words.