Krik Krak Research

Biography: 
--Edwidge Danticat was born on January 19, 1969, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Her parents, fleeing the oppressive regimes of François Duvalier and son Jean-Claude, settled New York, while she and younger sibling André stayed behind
--After years of back and forth correspondence, Danticat and her brother were able to come to the States, being reunited with their parents and meeting two new siblings they didn’t know. 
--Danticat started to hone her craft as a writer during her adolescence.
--Over the years, Danticat has penned a variety of fiction and non-fiction, chronicling the lives of Haitian citizens and creating vivid, unflinching portrayals of injustice. She followed Breath, Eyes, Memory with 1995’s Krik? Krak!, a collection of 10 stories

Haiti timeline and Haiti's fight and gain of independence:

1804 - Haiti becomes independent; former slave Jean-Jacques Dessalines declares himself emperor. 

1806 - Dessalines assassinated and Haiti divided into a black-controlled north and a mulatto-ruled south 

1818-43 - Pierre Boyer unifies Haiti, but excludes blacks from power. 

1915 - US invades Haiti following black-mulatto friction, which it thought endangered its property and investments in the country. 

1934 - US withdraws troops from Haiti, but maintains fiscal control until 1947.

1956 - Voodoo physician Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier seizes power in military coup and is elected president a year later.

1964 - Duvalier declares himself president-for-life and establishes a dictatorship with the help of the Tontons Macoutes militia. 

1971 - Duvalier dies and is succeeded by his 19-year-old son, Jean-Claude, or "Baby Doc", who also declares himself president-for-life. 

1986 - Baby Doc flees Haiti in the wake of mounting popular discontent and is replaced by Lieutenant-General Henri Namphy as head of a governing council. 

1988 - Leslie Manigat becomes president, but is ousted in a coup led by Brigadier-General Prosper Avril, who installs a civilian government under military control.

1990 - Jean-Bertrand Aristide elected president in Haiti's first free and peaceful polls. 

1991 - Aristide ousted in a coup led by Brigadier-General Raoul Cedras, triggering sanctions by the US and the Organisation of American States. 

1994 - Military regime relinquishes power in the face of an imminent US invasion; US forces oversee a transition to a civilian government; Aristide returns.

1995 - UN peacekeepers begin to replace US troops; Aristide supporters win parliamentary elections 

Rene Preval, from Aristide's Lavalas party, is elected in December to replace Aristide as president. 

1997-99 - Serious political deadlock; new government named. 

1999 - Preval declares that parliament's term has expired and begins ruling by decree following a series of disagreements with deputies.

2000 November - Aristide elected president for a second non-consecutive term, amid allegations of irregularities. 

2001 July - Presidential spokesman accuses former army officers of trying to overthrow the government after armed men attack three locations, killing four police officers. 

2001 December - 30 armed men try to seize the National Palace in an apparent coup attempt; 12 people are killed in the raid, which the government blames on former army members. 

2002 July - Haiti is approved as a full member of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) trade bloc. 

2003 April - Voodoo recognised as a religion, on a par with other faiths.

2004 January-February - Celebrations marking 200 years of independence turn into uprising against President Aristide, who is forced into exile. An interim government takes over. 

late 2004 - Rising levels of deadly political and gang violence in the capital; armed gangs loyal to former President Aristide are said to be responsible for many killings. 

2005 April - Prominent rebel leader Ravix Remissainthe is killed by police in the capital. 

2006 February - General elections, the first since former President Aristide was overthrown in 2004. Rene Preval is declared the winner of the presidential vote after a deal is reached over spoiled ballot papers. 

2006 June - A democratically-elected government headed by Prime Minister Jacques-Edouard Alexis takes office. 

Toussaint L'Ouverture: 

--Born in 1743, Bréda, near Cap-Français, Saint-Domingue Haiti and died April 7, 1803, Fort-de-Joux, France

--Leader of the Haitian independence movement during the French Revolution. 

--Emancipated the slaves and negotiated for the French colony on Hispaniola, Saint-Domingue and later Haiti, to be governed, briefly, by black former slaves as a French protectorate.

Dutty Boukman:

--Dutty Boukman was an African man, enslaved in Haiti, who was one of the most visible early leaders of the Haitian Revolution

--Born in Jamaica 

--Died in 1791

Dominican Massacre 1937:

--Under the brutal regime of the Dominican dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina, in the fall of 1937, up to as many 20,000 Haitians were massacred, many in the most horrific ways by Dominican soldiers and civilians wielding machetes, bayonets and rifles.

--The mass slaughter has since been known as the Parsley Massacre. In a test to identify who was Haitian, Dominican border guards would ask people to pronounce the word “perejil” (Spanish for “parsley”). Haitians, who spoke French and Creole, could not pronounce the word properly and often paid for this phonetic inability with their lives.

--Occurred over five days 

Rafael Trujillo:

--Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina, nicknamed El Jefe, was a Dominican politician and soldier, who ruled the Dominican Republic from February 1930 until his assassination in May 1961.

--It has been estimated that Trujillo was responsible for the deaths of more than 50,000 people, including possibly as many as 10,000 in the Parsley massacre.

Voodoo:

--Voodoo is a religion that originates in Africa. In the Americas and the Caribbean, it is thought to be a combination of various African, Catholic and Native American traditions. It is practiced around the world but there is no accurate count of how many people are Voodooists. Voodoo has no scripture or world authority.

--Vodouists believe in a distant and unknowable Supreme Creator, Bondye (derived from the French term Bon Dieu, meaning "good God"). According to Vodouists, Bondye does not intercede in human affairs, and thus they direct their worship toward spirits subservient to Bondye

--In order to navigate daily life, vodouists cultivate personal relationships with the loa through the presentation of offerings, the creation of personal altars and devotional objects, and participation in elaborate ceremonies of music, dance, and spirit possession.

Duvalier:

--François Duvalier, also known as Papa Doc, was the President of Haiti from 1957 to 1971. He was elected president in 1957 on a populist and black nationalist platform and successfully thwarted a coup d’état in 1958.

--His rule, based on a purged military, a rural militia known as the Tonton Macoute, and the use of cult of personality, resulted in the murder of 30,000 to 60,000 Haitians and the exile of many more.

Tonton Macoute:

--Duvalier authorized the Tontons Macoutes to commit systematic violence and human rights abuses to suppress political opposition. 

--They were responsible for unknown numbers of murders and rapes in Haiti. Political opponents often disappeared overnight, or were sometimes attacked in broad daylight. 

--Tontons Macoutes stoned and burned people alive. Many times they put the corpses of their victims on display, often hung in trees for everyone to see and take as warnings against opposition.

-- Family members who tried to remove the bodies for proper burial often disappeared themselves. Anyone who challenged the MVSN risked assassination. 

--Their unrestrained state terrorism was accompanied by corruption, extortion and personal aggrandizement among the leadership. The victims of Tontons Macoutes could range from a woman in the poorest of neighborhoods who had previously supported an opposing politician to a businessman who refused to comply with extortion threats 

--The Tontons Macoutes murdered between 30,000 and 60,000 Haitians.

Jean Claude Duvalier:

--President of Haiti from 1971 until his overthrow by a popular uprising in 1986. He succeeded his father François "Papa Doc" Duvalier as the ruler of Haiti after the latter's death in 1971.

--Thousands of Haitians were killed or tortured, and hundreds of thousands fled the country during his presidency. He maintained a notoriously lavish lifestyle  while poverty among his people remained the most widespread of any country in the Western Hemisphere.

Notes from Krik? Krak!

Outline + Pre-writing work (Before Final Draft #2)

---Thesis: 3 Things to focus on throughout paper

Body Language, eye contact, facial expression(?) or lines

---Body Language:

Coming forward and backwards

Testing boundaries

Personifying their love

Juliet = woman? 

Metaphorical battle 

Vulnerability through movement 

---Eye Contact:

Eyes speak louder than words

Use to combat body 

How do the eyes change with/without the body

Eyes = window to the soul 

How it helps with Juliet's transformation 

---Delivering Lines:

Language and emotions lead the actions

Different tones used and why

Difference between vulnerable and powerful 

How words translate between the lovers and why it is important/necessary 

Why lines and dialogue tie into body lang and eye contact 

Analyze the vulnerable line and explain use of tone

---Crux of My Scene

Moment where Juliet becomes woman

Why all of the different features came together perfectly during that moment

How important it was to deliver clearly and analyze what is necessary for that moment

Why Romeo allowed Juliet to have the upper hand throughout the scene 

Importance of body language throughout 

---Reflection 

Stagnant

Why it was difficult with the movements

Why it was a learning experience playing all parts

Juliet as an overall character plus analysis of her 

If I could do this over again I would...

Overall it was... 

Notes: 

Use quotes!

Lit analysis = more

Finish conclusion + last two body 

Full Draft #2

Romeo and Juliet is a vibrant and play by William Shakespeare that encompases a newfound passion facing the trials of status, circumstances, and “             “. Juliet is a character who transforms throughout the story, firstly representing an exaggerated version of a naive and innocent girl. After reworking Act II Scene II, I was able to delve into my interpretation of why Juliet reacts the way she does in each moment, as well as her raw personality and perspective. Portraying Juliet in this scene helped me to understand the details of her relationship, as well as how it transformed her as a character. With my interpretation of this scene, I was able to portray Juliet’s emergence and hesitation to become a woman through body language, eye contact, and deliverance of lines.

When reading and interpreting this scene of Romeo and Juliet, I recognized Juliet as a character battling with confliction. At the beginning of the story Juliet seems young and new to the love that is presented in front of her. By the end of the play she has stepped away from what has binded her by manifesting independence, and ultimately letting her soul chase the love that she craves. Meeting Romeo is the catalyst that drives Juliet into her ambivalence and emergence. I believe the crux of the play is when Juliet steps out onto the balcony, allowing herself to confess her love to Romeo. But in my analysis, the crux of Act II Scene II is when Juliet allows Romeo to take her hand and finally touch her, revealing that she truly wants to pursue their love, defining the goal for the rest of the play.

From the start of working with this scene, I felt that Juliet had a strong sense of back and forth feelings. It was important that I was able to show how Juliet juggles with the idea of independence in her mind. This scene allows the audience to understand Juliet’s specific feelings, since they are revealed in her lines. There are many moments where Romeo has to reassure Juliet, and make her feel comfortable, possibly making Romeo insecure in the beginning. When thinking about my performance, I wanted to emphasise the idea that Juliet never questions her feelings love, but her own abilities with the obstacles around her. There are many variables that Juliet considers and battles with until she ultimately makes the decision to trust, stepping away from her doubts, and leaving them behind.

The two protagonists are dancers in their metaphorical battle of trust and vulnerability. They react and interact with each other, testing the willingness to push boundaries. Romeo and Juliet create distance and closeness to each other with their words, demonstrating the emotional uphill battle through their language. When Juliet says “If they do see thee, they will murder thee.” (act. scene.) she promotes the start of negative imagery towards giving in to her love, pushing Romeo to make multiple attempts at winning her over.

When blocking this scene, I wanted to highlight the importance of offering and retreating the body. Romeo was set up downstage right, and Juliet downstage left. The characters were standing next to one another throughout the whole scene, moving away and towards each other depending on what was necessary for each moment. When Juliet said anything negative or doubted the circumstances of their relationship, I took a step back. When anything positive was portrayed or said of their love or willingness to be together, there would be a step taken forward. I put a lot of emphasis on Juliet’s hesitation throughout most of the scene, making the few moments she steps forward more obvious to the audience.

Juliet battles with her feelings of reluctance throughout the scene. There are many moments when Romeo willingly illustrates his love without hesitation and attempts to convince Juliet that their love is stronger than anything that can keep them from one another. With all of the inside feelings that Juliet faces of becoming independent, Romeo never falters to convince her that he is willing to give all of himself to her. The vulnerable way that Romeo reacts puts Juliet in a position to make the decision of what their relationship will be. This tips the scale for Juliet, weighing her more towards the idea of possibility, rather than questioning “what if?”

When bringing the moments to life, as well as the back and forth motion, I wanted there to be a clear offering of the body. When Juliet was in the midst of vetting Romeo’s effect on her future, he gave her multiple opportunities to completely agree to their love. Romeo reached out his hand to Juliet, as if he was asking for her trust, and at the same time reassuring his love to her through language. Juliet does not take his hand on two separate instances, stepping away from him when he offers it. This created an anticipation for the audience, waiting for Juliet to offer herself in the same way that Romeo was.

When going in depth of the scene, I realized that many of Romeo and Juliet’s

responses to one another were quick and natural. Both of the characters allowed themselves to be raw and revealing. I found that Juliet was less poised in her vocalization, defying the stiff nature that is usually expected of her. She reacted to Romeo’s affirmations of love in short, quick bursts when she was questioning it, as well as long, drawn out proclamations when she accepted it.

In my performance, it was crucial that my eyes spoke as loud as my words.

Even though the body was moving a certain way, the eyes could be telling a different story. Juliet knew she was in love with Romeo throughout the scene, so my quick reactions of stepping away from Romeo were combatted by where I was looking. Throughout most of the scene Juliet dances with the idea of their love, but never falters to keep a gaze, fully confronting Romeo with her eyes, and testing him on how much he will sacrifice. When Juliet says “O, swear not by the moon, th’ inconstant moon…. Lest that thy love prove likewise variable.” (Act. Scene. Line.) I stepped away from Romeo, but kept my eyes on him, watching for how he would react.

When interpreting how I should deliver Juliet’s lines, I found that her word choice defines the tone she should be using while speaking them. It is obvious that Juliet comes from high status based on her deliverance of language during colloquy throughout the play. The way Juliet reacts to Romeo when she is unsure versus when she is confident though, helped me to understand the underlying emotions that pair with her dialogue. When Juliet says “If thou dost love, pronounce it faithfully; or if thou thinkest I am too quickly won, I’ll frown and be perverse…” (act. Scene. line.) it is important that the line is not said with exuding confidence, being that Juliet is in a more vulnerable place.

When performing, I attempted to deliver my lines with exaggeration on what is necessary to support my body language. When Juliet was nervous, I spoke with an apprehensive tone, slowing my words down. I wanted it to seem like Juliet was thinking about what to say before she revealed her feelings, which showed a reflective and tense nature. When she transitioned and let the strain off of her inner feelings, it was important that there was a clear release in her voice. I spoke in an accepting and light tone, as if Juliet lost the war against her veiled independence.

The crux of my performance was in Juliet’s last lines of the scene, which were edited as

“Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love?

My bounty is as boundless as the sea,

My love as deep; the more I give to thee,

The more I have, for both are infinite.

Three words, dear Romeo, and good night indeed.

If that thy bent of love be honorable,

Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,

By one that I’ll procure to come to thee,

Parting is such a sweet sorrow,

That I shall say goodnight till it be morrow.” (act. Scene. line.)

Juliet refuses to accept Romeo’s offer of love multiple times when he vulnerably reaches his hand for hers. She would not take his hand throughout the scene, dancing with his emotions, and testing his trustworthiness. When Juliet says “the more I give to thee…” she puts her hand out to Romeo, defying who she is demanded to be, and turning towards her own future and decisions. The deliverance of this line was extremely important to what I created for this scene. The movement I put between the two characters and the suspense of Juliet’s personal peril was resolved in that moment. This scene is one piece out of an overcasting complete story. It was necessary to highlight the significance of the moment, as well as open a pathway for the rest of the lover’s journey.

Overall I feel that being able to bring this scene to life has taught me an immense amount, as I was able to complete all of the steps that go into creating a performance. I learned about what it means to create a dynamic between two characters that goes beyond their lines, which has helped me grow as an actress. The most difficult aspect of the performance was making sure that the blocking did not look stagnant and dull. If I could do this scene over again, I would have the characters step closer and further from each other much more. There were lines when I would stand stationary, creating a sluggish feel for my character. Being able to look back and see the final performance allowed me to see my ideas come to life from a different perspective. There are many layers that go into creating a full performance, and I am fortunate that I was able to bring to life a dynamic character with an intriguing story. Juliet never falters to be a compelling and powerful character. She enunciates herself as an individual, and by doing so creates an empowering relationship. Focusing on body language, eye contact, and dictation has helped me to develop Juliet as a full persona, rather than a character in one scene. Juliet goes through an overwhelming change as a character, and it was important when creating the performance to understand all the aspects of her personality, and reasoning behind her choices. Once I analyzed Juliet in more depth, I was able to make decisions as an actor that helped me portray her in a more realistic way.

Draft #2

Warning: This is not done, I still need to finish my two other performance topics (eye contact, facial expression.) as well as the reflection piece. I completely re-wrote my second draft from my first, so this is still a work in progress. :)

Romeo and Juliet is a vibrant and play by William Shakespeare that encompases a newfound passion facing the trials of status, circumstances, and “             “. Juliet is a character who transforms throughout the story, firstly representing an exaggerated version of a naive and innocent girl. After reworking Act II Scene II, I was able to delve into my interpretation of why Juliet reacts the way she does in each moment, as well as her raw personality and perspective. Portraying Juliet in this scene helped me to understand the details of her relationship, as well as how it transformed her as a character. With my interpretation of this scene, I was able to portray Juliet’s emergence and hesitation to become a woman through body language, eye contact, and facial expression.

When reading and interpreting this scene of Romeo and Juliet, I recognized Juliet as a character battling with confliction. At the beginning of the story Juliet seems young and new to the love that is presented in front of her. By the end of the play she has stepped away from what has binded her by manifesting independence, and ultimately letting her soul chase the love that she craves. Meeting Romeo is the catalyst that drives Juliet into her ambivalence and emergence. I believe the crux of the play is when Juliet steps out onto the balcony, allowing herself to confess her love to Romeo. But in my analysis, the crux of Act II Scene II is when Juliet allows Romeo to take her hand and finally touch her, revealing that she truly wants to pursue their love, defining the goal for the rest of the play.

From the start of working with this scene, I felt that Juliet had a strong sense of back and forth feelings. It was important that I was able to show how Juliet juggles with the idea of independence in her mind. This scene allows the audience to understand Juliet’s specific feelings, since they are revealed in her lines. There are many moments where Romeo has to reassure Juliet, and make her feel comfortable, possibly making Romeo insecure in the beginning. When thinking about my performance, I wanted to emphasise the idea that Juliet never questions her feelings love, but her own abilities with the obstacles around her. There are many variables that Juliet considers and battles with until she ultimately makes the decision to trust, stepping away from her doubts, and leaving them behind.

The two protagonists are dancers in their metaphorical battle of trust and vulnerability. They react and interact with each other, testing the willingness to push boundaries. Romeo and Juliet create distance and closeness to each other with their words, demonstrating the emotional uphill battle through their language. When Juliet says “If they do see thee, they will murder thee.” (act. scene.) she promotes the start of negative imagery towards giving in to her love, pushing Romeo to make multiple attempts at winning her over.

When blocking this scene, I wanted to highlight the importance of offering and retreating the body. Romeo was set up downstage right, and Juliet downstage left. The characters were standing next to one another throughout the whole scene, moving away and towards each other depending on what was necessary for each moment. When Juliet said anything negative or doubted the circumstances of their relationship, I took a step back. When anything positive was portrayed or said of their love or willingness to be together, there would be a step taken forward. I put a lot of emphasis on Juliet’s hesitation throughout most of the scene, making the few moments she steps forward more obvious to the audience.

Juliet battles with her feelings of reluctance throughout the scene. There are many moments when Romeo willingly illustrates his love without hesitation and attempts to convince Juliet that their love is stronger than anything that can keep them from one another. With all of the inside feelings that Juliet faces of becoming independent, Romeo never falters to convince her that he is willing to give all of himself to her. The vulnerable way that Romeo reacts puts Juliet in a position to make the decision of what their relationship will be. This tips the scale for Juliet, weighing her more towards the idea of possibility, rather than questioning “what if?”

When bringing the moments to life, as well as the back and forth motion, I wanted there to be a clear offering of the body. When Juliet was in the midst of vetting Romeo’s effect on her future, he gave her multiple opportunities to completely agree to their love. Romeo reached out his hand to Juliet, as if he was asking for her trust, and at the same time reassuring his love to her through language. Juliet does not take his hand on two separate instances, stepping away from him when he offers it. This created an anticipation for the audience, waiting for Juliet to offer herself in the same way that Romeo was.

Sample paper grading

Sample paper 1:
Criteria A- 3/5
Criteria B- 4/10
Criteria C- 1/5

Irrelevant first paragraph including historical information about Shakespeare and a thesis that does not focus on the student's own work. Second paragraph gives backstory of Richard III, but is poorly written with no structure. Instead of giving a setting for the quote, the author puts unnecessary information instead. Analyses eight quotes repetitively without giving information as to what they did on stage. The stage directions were nice, and the last few paragraphs were helpful to understand how the scene was blocked. The first 3 to 4 pages though, were distracting and poorly executed. This paper was written like a first draft, clearly showing that there was no editing involved. Too many spelling and grammatical errors took away from the paper, as well as how the author did not focus enough on his/her own character, and explained the whole group as well as their significances.

Sample paper 2:
Criteria A- 4/5
Criteria B- 8/10
Criteria C- 5/5

Throughout the paper the author is extremely focused on their own character, keeping their ideas on track. Gives background that is necessary for successful explanation of scene and acting choices. There were three different scenes performed that included three different clear focuses for the character. The difference between lit analysis and performance got a bit confusing towards the middle of the paper, since the author at first did lit analysis and then mixed the two sections together. There was an extremely large and tedious amount of deeply analyzing Ophelia's lines and reasonings behind them. The author's writing was clean and organized, without including any unnecessary information to distract from the criteria. There were many quotes, but they were justified and explained, which made them relevant. The conclusion could have been layer out more if the author had a larger word count, but overall everything was summed up nicely.

Draft 1 of paper

WHAT I NEED:

-Explain Romeo kneeling etc.

-Go in more depth of actions I did

-Get rid of all the story description

-Maybe focus in on certain aspects of the acting instead of going through the story-line

-Change my whole paper ughhhhh.

-Make a real thesis statement

-Finish the paper

-Do a conclusion

-Finish parts 1 and 2 of the paper

Warning- this paper is very bad. I though it was off to a good start but it was not. I hope to improve once I get feedback and spend more time organizing.

Romeo and Juliet, the vibrant and engaging play by William Shakespeare, has become a classic story today. Juliet is a character who transforms throughout the story. She represents an exaggerated version of a naive and curious teenage girl. After reworking Act II Scene II, I was able to delve into my interpretation of why Juliet reacts the way she does in each moment, as well as her raw personality and perspective. The scene I worked on allowed me to study Juliet in a stage of extreme longing and fascination for her counterpart Romeo. Portraying Juliet in this scene helped me to understand the details of her relationship, as well as how it is able to escalate quickly over a short amount of time. The balcony scene is a crucial point in the story, revealing the moment that defines what Juliet’s goal will be for the rest of the play: Being with Romeo regardless of what stands in her way. I tried to display a clear exchange and depart between Juliet and her counterpart through emotional responses.

The first moments of the scene, Juliet believes she is alone and reveals her feelings towards Romeo. What Juliet says in the few seconds she is by herself was important to me because it is the first time the audience can understand how she feels after only seeing Romeo a short time before. She is clearly invested and already devastated over the fact that she loves someone she cannot be with. The play moves quickly, so being able to clearly establish the relationship and circumstances of the characters from the beginning of the scene was crucial.

In my performance I attempted to display Juliet’s longing for Romeo by looking out into the distance, as if she was waiting for him to hear her call. I also paced back and forth to portray the nervous energy Juliet felt for loving someone she should not. When delivering the line of “Oh Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo…” I wanted the Juliet to seem maddened and fixated with the idea of Romeo. Since she saw him, Juliet has only thought about her love. It was important that she was interpreted as discontented without him, to make the exchange between the lovers much more satisfying. I spoke the lines in a querulous and fretful manner, dictating a sense of nervousness and almost defeat that I was alone.

As Juliet is in her own thoughts, frustrated about Romeo, she gets startled by his visit to her in the night. This is the moment that starts the anticipation for an exchange between the characters. I got a sense that Juliet was both excited and apprehensive to see Romeo. She expresses fear and concern until he assures her that his love is enough to keep him from being captured.

I blocked the scene so the characters were standing next to one another throughout the whole scene, moving away and towards each other depending on what each line calls for. (Romeo standing downstage right and Juliet downstage left.) I wanted my mannerisms and emotions to stand out as much as possible when Juliet starts to hear Romeo’s voice. I stepped away from the sound to stage right, and put a shaking hand out to guard myself from whoever was in front of me, as well as to tell Romeo to leave before he gets caught after he revealed himself. After this moment was when Juliet’s manner changed from denounced, to excitable and nervous. (talk about when romeo puts his hand out and kneels(?) and she takes away)

Juliet is embarrassed that Romeo heard her confess her love to him. She makes it clear she needs him to pronounce his love if it is true as well. When he vowed to her by “yonder blessed moon…” I stepped back with distaste and turned away from him as I explain why that upsets me. My face was tilted up and my hands thrown aggressively to my side, with a newly gained confidence. When Juliet tells him to swear by his own self, I turn back towards Romeo and kneel with him lovingly, as if the couple is going through a year’s worth of an up-and-down relationship in five minutes.

I edited Juliet’s final line to avoid the monotonous manner of the lovers’ last moments together.

“Wouldst thou withdraw it? For what purpose, love?

My bounty is as boundless as the sea,

My love as deep; the more I give to thee the,

the more I have for both are infinite.

Three words, dear Romeo, good night indeed.

If thy bent of love be honorable,

Thy purpose marriage, send me word tomorrow,

By one that I’ll procure to come to thee,

Parting is such a sweet sorrow,

That I shall say goodnight till it be morrow.”

These lines were where I wanted the exchange between the two characters to occur. Romeo and Juliet’s relationship is very new and fragile, but also aggressive and fast paced. When I delivered these lines I felt that in order for the end of the scene to be believable, Juliet needed to be sure of herself. When I say “the more I give to thee, the more I have…” I finally reach my hand out and let Romeo take it. As if she is assuring him that she craves his love as much as he does hers. I delivered these lines as if I was happily confessing myself to Romeo, saying each line with a subtle smile, and turning my body completely towards him.

Grading example paper 3

A- Analysis of Lit
3/5
Re-explained the whole scene

B- performance choices made
6/10
Little performance choices- was not descriptive

C- Writing
4/5
Formatted poorly

Thesis

I tried to display a clear exchange and depart between Juliet and her counterpart through emotional responses.