After preparing for a semester, these two weeks have become more precious and fruitful than they could ever be! The best thing I get out of this trip is a new insight into English literature. Before this, I had the conception than English majors should have spent like years to finish those difficult Shakespeare’s plays and this was why I would never be one. But as some said, Shakespeare’s plays are meant to be watched on stage. And we did! Drama nights were the best parts of the trip and I really appreciated both Merchant of Venice and Much Ado About Nothing. While many of these should have been done to death, still they are fabulous with different settings and presentation by the directors and actors. Personally I know little about drama and I knew not why many people kept criticizing how they spoilt the classics by putting them in modern setting and blah blah blah. As I observed, the audience comprised of different age groups ranging from primary school kids to old couples. Keeping everything in original flavor will not be bad but would everybody enjoy every single bit of it? To me, twisting and adopting the plot is to achieve something greater. The producers are trying hard to lengthen the life of those plays and broaden the spectrum of audience. They must have put a lot of effort in amending the plots so that most people will still see the wit of Shakespeare while not finding it boring. Well, as long as we enjoyed it, there was nothing to bitch about.
And definitely studying Merchant of Venice for weeks pays off. It almost took no effort in following the play even I might not catch every single word. This is why I wish we had also gone through Much Ado About Nothing—at least the Sparknotes. If we had read it before the play, we would have been able to focus more on how the actors and actresses presented the characters and have a better immersion in the atmosphere without sparing concentration to understand the lines and plot. But Globe Theater was awesome. The band, the props, the acting and everything have made the play enjoyable to everyone—except it was a bit tiring standing for few hours without a scarf.
I am never a big fan of museums as I always fear that there are lots of facts and numbers shown on boards in size 12. National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery are too high-end to me as I really wandered lonely as a cloud. British Museum is different. It was like traveling around the world in 80 minutes. You even see half the Pantheon there! Seeing this, it provokes another controversy—should it be returned to where it was or kept by parties which could preserve it forever? China has lost thousand pieces of invaluable artifacts during the war and now these are scattered around the world and owned by collectors and museums. When we visited the China Arena, we would experience a sense of dissonance—why would we have to appreciate artifacts of our mother country in Europe? We might have read similar comments before but never would we truly experience this until we were really there.
All in all, the two weeks in London have boosted my understanding in how to appreciate Shakespeare’s plays. Instead of focusing on every single word, I should have spent more time shaping the characters in mind so that I can compare them with those presented on stage, which would be more meaningful and fun! If I ever go to London again, I would definitely watch some Shakes and musicals!
And definitely studying Merchant of Venice for weeks pays off. It almost took no effort in following the play even I might not catch every single word. This is why I wish we had also gone through Much Ado About Nothing—at least the Sparknotes. If we had read it before the play, we would have been able to focus more on how the actors and actresses presented the characters and have a better immersion in the atmosphere without sparing concentration to understand the lines and plot. But Globe Theater was awesome. The band, the props, the acting and everything have made the play enjoyable to everyone—except it was a bit tiring standing for few hours without a scarf.
I am never a big fan of museums as I always fear that there are lots of facts and numbers shown on boards in size 12. National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery are too high-end to me as I really wandered lonely as a cloud. British Museum is different. It was like traveling around the world in 80 minutes. You even see half the Pantheon there! Seeing this, it provokes another controversy—should it be returned to where it was or kept by parties which could preserve it forever? China has lost thousand pieces of invaluable artifacts during the war and now these are scattered around the world and owned by collectors and museums. When we visited the China Arena, we would experience a sense of dissonance—why would we have to appreciate artifacts of our mother country in Europe? We might have read similar comments before but never would we truly experience this until we were really there.
All in all, the two weeks in London have boosted my understanding in how to appreciate Shakespeare’s plays. Instead of focusing on every single word, I should have spent more time shaping the characters in mind so that I can compare them with those presented on stage, which would be more meaningful and fun! If I ever go to London again, I would definitely watch some Shakes and musicals!
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