The 30-Minute Shakespeare Anthology. William Shakespeare
birth to death is one we all share. After “sans everything,” all four men bow their heads in silence, which gets a laugh.
The fine line between comedy and tragedy fascinates me. That unison head bowing could just as easily have resulted in a thoughtful moment of silence from the audience as they absorbed the fact of our own mortality, but this adolescent audience chose laughter as a response. The key is for the actors to play it straight. Perhaps the sincerity of their somber physical response to Jaques’s speech was what tickled the audience’s funny bone. Regarding the timing of the speech, it is important to pause after “sans everything.” It is during that pause that the players solemnly digest Jaques’s weighty words, and where the laughter has a chance to emerge. When blocking this scene I did not predict audience laughter, but I was happy it occurred. There are other moments (such as Juliet’s death in Romeo and Juliet) that do not invite laughter, and if it occurs, we must study the cause to prevent it in the future. Likewise, when audiences grace us with their laughter, we should try to replicate the circumstances. It is not an exact science but it is worthy of study! Make sure to have at least one rehearsal in front of an audience to gauge potential responses.
When Orlando enters and encounters the exiled lords, his fear and bravado stand in contrast to the mellowness of the peacefully snacking forest-dwellers. This is a funny moment because the contrast between Orlando and the foresters is evident in their body language. Whereas Orlando spins about suspiciously and brandishes his sword, the forest men gnaw languidly on their food and pay him no mind.
This scene in our performance ended on a rousing note, with the band of foresters clapping out a rhythm and Jaques lagging behind the rest, busting out a few unique and personal dance moves. Personality cannot be taught, but providing a rehearsal environment of experimentation and fun can encourage its expression. After each verse, the entire group shouts out a loud “Heigh ho!” and they exit the stage with a loud and simultaneous cry of “This life is most jolly!”
ACT II, SCENE I: DUKE SENIOR MONOLOGUE
I selected this monologue because it spoke to me. What does this mean? When something “speaks” to you, it resonates emotionally; it touches a nerve in you. It makes you feel something. If you have a choice when choosing your monologue, pick something that makes an impression on you, either emotionally, intellectually, or aesthetically—or all three! If the monologue is assigned to you (i.e., you did not choose it yourself), try hard to find something in the words that has an emotional impact on you. Always start with the words, and then extrapolate to the character, the plot, and the play as a whole.
In this speech, the phrase that has the greatest emotional impact on me is: “Sweet are the uses of adversity.” This could be considered the main point, or the centerpiece phrase, of the monologue. All the words before and after this phrase are essentially extrapolating on one idea: Hardship has a sweet purpose. Think back to times in your life when you encountered difficulties or misfortune. Was it all bad? Or did the experience lead to something better or provide a lesson? See if you can personalize Duke Senior’s words based on your own feelings or memories.
If you have not experienced hardship’s “sweet” side, then dive into Duke Senior’s words and see if you can conjure up the feelings in the words. Even if you do not feel any emotion yourself, perhaps by giving the words their emotional expression, the audience will feel something!
I looked up “adversity” in the dictionary and found the following: Origin Middle English: from Old French adversite, from Latin adversitas, from advertere ‘turn toward.’ Sometimes researching the etymology, or origin, of a word can lead you to an interesting interpretation. In this case, I imagine Duke Senior turning toward a cold wind and relishing, rather than cowering from, its bite on his face.
The first two sentences of the monologue are in the form of questions. Duke Senior is asking his “brothers in exile” whether the woods are not sweeter than the “envious court.” Here we can color contrasting words and give warmth to words like “co-mates,” “brothers,” “old custom,” “life,” and “sweet.” How do you “give warmth” to words? The voice is expressive: If you stretch the vowels a little and soften the consonants, the word “brother” sounds soft and welcoming. If by contrast you speak with a more choppy and clipped tone, you can similarly color the words that describe court life with a colder sound. You can speak the words “painted pomp,” “peril,” and “envious court” with a more clipped and frosty voice.
Exploit the sonority and alliteration that the next set of lines provide as Duke Senior describes the cold and wind. The phrases in the next section also provide opportunities for physical gestures. Perhaps Duke Senior could pantomime a set of fangs with his index and middle fingers on “icy fang,” wag his finger on “churlish chiding,” or strike his own chest to illustrate the “bites and blows upon my body.” When Duke Senior says, “even till I shrink with cold,” he might hunch his shoulders down and hug his chest. Not every phrase has to be physically illustrated, however. Choose the gestures that speak to you. Try standing in front of a mirror or, even better, video record yourself to see the effect your voice and body will have on the audience.
The following Duke Senior line is in quotation marks to indicate that it is something he will say in the future:
“This is no flattery. These are counselors
That feelingly persuade me what I am.”
For this line, you must change your demeanor and tone to make it more presentational. Since Senior describes himself as smiling, be sure to smile and stand a bit straighter. Try extending your arms out, as if welcoming adversity with open arms, and speak the line like you are sharing a revelation you have just had. This speech by Duke Senior is a personal inspiration, but it might also be a “pep talk” to raise the spirits of his men. If you are alone, deliver the lines to an imaginary audience. If you have others with you on stage, look them in the eye and engage them with your words.
When reciting the centerpiece phrase—“Sweet are the uses of adversity”—continue with the revelatory tone of voice that you started with the previous line. You have made a personal discovery with an important lesson you are sharing. You are saying the words for yourself and for an audience of followers. In addition to being a treatise on the power of spirit over hardship, this speech is treatise to the beauty and healing power of nature. When describing the jewel in the venomous toad’s head, see if there is a hand gesture that could illustrate this image. One possibility is a simple pinching of the fingers to suggest holding a small gem.
In the final two lines of the monologue, Duke Senior assigns human qualities to natural phenomena. To give a sense of place, gesture toward the trees, brooks, and stones when describing them. Perhaps Duke even picks up a stone and playfully puts it to his ear as if listening to the ocean’s roar in a seashell. Clearly, nature speaks to the Duke and provides him with comfort and wisdom. Try to bring the Duke’s feelings to the text so that the audience feels them, too. Just as Duke Senior finds “the good in everything,” you can find the good in Shakespeare’s words as you convey the Duke’s love of nature and sunny optimism in the face of adversity.
SUGGESTED VIEWING
AS YOU LIKE IT, 1978
Director: Basil Coleman
Starring: Helen Mirren, Brian Stirner
AS YOU LIKE IT, 2006
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Romola Garai