Project a media recording or a file upload

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You must do the following:  First, watch a movie. This can be any movie with the exception of the adaptation you previously wrote about. While I am giving you free rein on what movie you watch, keep in mind that some movies will lend themselves more clearly to this project than others. Please also note that you may not use a television show for this assignment; it must be a stand-alone movie. Think about the characters you encountered in The Taming of the Shrew. Pick a character that you feel is in some way represented or rejected by the movie you chose to watch.  For example, say I choose to watch The Hunger Games. I might make the argument that the qualities Kate has which others find to be “shrewish” in the original play are actually an advantage in Katniss Everdeen. In this way, her character rejects the gender role forced on Kate and forces watchers to rethink the value that comes with being a “shrew.”  I could also look at The Devil Wears Prada and come to an alternate conclusion. The character of Miranda Priestly, rather than showing the value of her “shrewish attributes,” instead shows us a model that embraces Shakespeare’s original play: The shrew that should be tamed. And this should work for any character; Kate does not need to be the focus. Want to focus on Tranio or Lucentio? Find a switching places movie – The Parent Trap, She’s the Man, Tootsie, Mrs. Doubtfire, etc. Petruchio, Baptista, Grumio – every character can be found in different incarnations in modern times. Be creative and think beyond the obvious when it comes to your comparisons! Once you have your movie and character in mind, create a 3-5 minute video presentation that briefly explains: Who the two characters are that you plan to compare and why you feel they are inter-related.  An assertion that tells the audience what conclusion you have come to about their treatment within the movie and how that relates back to the play Evidence of your assertion. While you do not need specific quotes, strong details from the play, from the movie, from the background readings on Shakespeare, and from any further research you perform should be included. Remember not to summarize! You are giving specific points that highlight your arguments, you are not explaining the entire movie/play A conclusion explaining:  Why the character type has changed, if indeed it has changed Why the character type has remained the same, if indeed it has remained the same What this shift or non-shift says about a deeper set of ideals within modern society. Do we embrace Shakespearean ideals or reject them? And why do we react in this way? You should have visuals to help you represent your ideas. If all you can do is record yourself with your phone and post, so be it [better than nothing]. However, this is your final exam for the class. I can tell who has put time and effort into a presentation and who hasn’t. Plan accordingly. You might choose to include:  A simple power point or poster outline that you can reference when speaking Props, costuming, or other dramatic indicators Your own short movie or a series of video clips, narrated by your presentation Whatever else you might think of 🙂 Again, these do not need to be master quality videos and I am well-aware that some of you may have limited access. I will absolutely take this into consideration. However, this is the drama unit and we have spent quite a bit of time talking about staging and blocking. You might want to take this into consideration. Most importantly, for 3-5 minutes, you are the instructor. Have fun with it!