A Midsummer Night s Dream. Speak the Speech

Transcription

1 A Midsummer Night s Dream Speak the Speech Some people find it very difficult to read Shakespeare aloud; others love it. There s no doubt, however, that the better the reading, the more the play will be enjoyed and understood by both readers and listeners. Let us assume that so far you have not actually read anything by Shakespeare, but that you are prepared to begin. You will be helped if you remember these points: 1. Emphasize the words you think are important. 2. Pause at commas, semi-colons, and full-stops. 3. If there is no stop at the end of a line, read straight on to the next line. 4. ed at the end of a word if pronounced as a separate syllable: Advis-ed Inform-ed Trench-ed If the full syllable is not to be pronounced, an apostrophe is used: Advis d Inform d Trench d 5. Try to give expression to the feelings of the characters. 6. Whenever possible, convey these feelings by your tone of voice, your facial expression, your gestures, and your movements. 7. Don t rush to get through the speech take your time! Here are some short quotations and extracts to practice on, arranged under headings. If you can enjoy speaking these, you will enjoy the longer speeches when they come. Insults In A Midsummer Night s Dream, Lysander uses Hermia s size to insult her: Get you gone, you dwarf From Starting Shakespeare by Eric Boagey Page 1 of 5

2 Where would the pause come? Which word would be said with the most force? What expression would be on Lysander s face? What movements could he make? What is he feeling? In Romeo and Juliet, Capulet gets angry with his daughter Juliet because she refuses to marry the man he has chosen for her: Hang thee, young baggage! Disobedient wretch! I tell thee what get thee to a church a Thursday, Or never after look me in the face. Which words would be stressed? How loudly do you think the speech ought to be said? Would all the pauses be of the same length? What tone of voice would Capulet use? Should he be sitting, standing, walking about, gesturing? Ask yourself similar questions for the following quotations, then try speaking them: Murder & Death Away, you mouldy rogue, away! I dote upon his very absence Not Hercules could have knocked his brains out, for he had none! Jacques: Let s meet as little as we can. Orlando: I do desire we may be better strangers. Would thou wert clean enough to spit upon! I have seen better faces in my time Than stands on any shoulder that I see Before me at this instant. One of Macbeth s hired-men comes to report Banquo s murder. Macbeth asks him if Banquo is safe: From Starting Shakespeare by Eric Boagey Page 2 of 5

3 Murderer: Safe in a bitch he bides, With twenty trenched gashes on his Head. The murderer would be a tough, coarse man. What sort of voice would he have? He would probably speak slowly and firmly. In the first line safe and ditch would be stressed and in the second line twenty trenched gashes. Could there be a chuckle after bides? Now try these on the same theme: Also from Macbeth, Macduff rushes in with the news of King Duncan s murder: Awake, awake! Ring the alarum bell. Murder and treason. Lady Macbeth, sleepwalking, dreams that she still has the blood of Duncan on her hands: Here s the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh! Brutus, one of the assassins of Julius Caesar delivers a speech to the Roman citizens in which he justifies his action: As Caesar lov d me, I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him; but as he was ambitious, I slew him. There is tears for his love; joy for his fortune; honour of his valour; and death for his ambition. Mercutio has been injured in a sword-fight. Romeo thinks it is just a scratch, but Mercutio knows he is about to die from it. Romeo: Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much. Mercutio: No, tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a church door, but tis enough, twill serve. Ask for me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man. From Starting Shakespeare by Eric Boagey Page 3 of 5

4 During a battle scene in Henry IV, Part I, the Prince sees his old companion lying on the ground, apparently dead: Prince: (spying Falstaff on the ground) What, old acquaintance! Could not all this flesh Keep in a little life? Poor Jack, farewell! I could have better spar d a better man. Love and Marriage Love is a constant theme in Shakespeare s plays, but it is not always romantic love it can be humorous as well! Think about the feelings of the characters in these quotations before acting out the lines yourself. From A Midsummer Night s Dream: O dainty duck! Romeo, before he has met Juliet, protests that no one could possibly be as beautiful as his present love, Rosaline: One fairer than my love! The all-seeing sun Ne er saw her match never since first the world begun. King Henry V, having defeated France in battle, proposes marriage to the French princess, Katherine: Katherine: It is possible dat I sould love de enemy of France? King: No, it is not possible you should love the enemy of France, Kate, but in loving me you should love the friend of France; for I love France so well that I will not part with a village of it; I will have it all mine. And, Kate, when France is mine and I am yours, then yours is France and you are mine. Katherine: I cannot tell vat is dat. In The Taming of the Shrew Petruchio speaks enthusiastically about Katherine: Now, by the world, it is a lusty wench; From Starting Shakespeare by Eric Boagey Page 4 of 5

5 I love her ten times more than e er I did. O, how I long to have some chat with her. and later, Gremio describes the wedding kiss: This done, he took the bride about the neck, And kiss d her lips with such a clamorous smack That at the parting all the church did echo. Phebe, a country lass, falls in love with Rosalind, disguised as a boy: Rosalind: Why look you so upon me? Phebe: For no ill will I bear you. Rosalind: I pray you do not fall in love with me, For I am falser than vows made in wine; Besides, I like you not. Back to Romeo and Juliet; Rosaline forgotten, Romeo parts from Juliet: Juliet: Romeo! Romeo: My dear? Juliet: At what o clock to-morrow Shall I send to thee? Romeo: By the hour of nine. Juliet: I will not fail. Tis twenty years till then. Here are a few miscellaneous quotations which you might enjoy saying. Don t worry if you can t understand them just make them sound right! Away, you scullion! You rampallion! You fustilarian I ll tickle your catastrophe! I did impeticos thy gratillity. Bloody, bawdy villain! Remoreseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain! From Starting Shakespeare by Eric Boagey Page 5 of 5