literature

AI Art of Shakespeare’s Greatest Mother Characters

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Since Mothers’ Day is this weekend, I wanted to pay homage to the greatest mother characters in the Shakespearean cannon. I know I already made a list in a previous post, but I wanted to create some art to show some of the aspects of these women that I find inspiring:

Cleopatra

AI art I created via Night Cafe of Cleopatra and her son Cesareon.

Most art depicting Cleopatra emphasizes her beauty, power, or love of Marc Antony. I wanted to create an art piece that emphasizes how hard it must have been to be an Egyptian queen and a mother. Cleopatra’s family were infamous for their backstabbing in fact, Cleopatra murdered two of her own sisters to stave off threats to her throne. Even worse, her son (as his name implies), was the son of Julius Caesar, making him a direct threat to Octavian, who claimed to be Caesar’s heir. One thing many people forget about this play is that Cleopatra spends most of the play trying to protect her son.

I chose to portray Cleopatra not sitting aloof on her throne, but crouched down with her hand on her son. In front of them are some swords that he was playing with. Her pose is tender but shows great concern. Perhaps the boy grabbed the sword when she wasn’t looking and she’s gently explaining how dangerous they are and how he can hurt himself. At this moment, she is also thinking about the many swords in Rome that are unsheathed and ready to hurt her son.

Queen Elizabeth from “Richard III”

This is another mother who is trying to protect her son from danger. Again we have a queen with a son who is a threat to a violent man who wants power- the treacherous Richard of Gloucester. In the play, Elizabeth takes her son into a church to seek sanctuary after the death of their father the king. She does this because Richard is not Lord Protector of England, and Elizabeth doesn’t trust him with her children. To emphasize her fear and the danger following them, I chose to portray the scene with three deformed gargoyles behind Elizabeth and her sons.

Volumnia from “Coriolanus”

At this point in the play, Coriolanus is fighting against the Volskies, a barbarian tribe that is threatening Rome. He’s probably been away from his wife and son for a long tour of duty and it must take a toll on his family. I made this image to show how Coriolanus’ wife Virgilia must rely on her mother-in-law Volumnia for support. Meanwhile Volumnia, Coriolanus’ mother, pities Virgilia, but refuses to show any weakness towards her. I have her looking in the doorway, sneaking a peak to see if her son has returned yet. She refuses to show any fear or concern for Coriolanus, but she must worry about him deep inside.

Hermione From “The Winter’s Tale”

Hermione is another woman who, due to the painful and heartbreaking scenario she is thrust into, must suppress her emotions for the sake of her children. She has just been accused of adultery, and delivered her new baby shortly after being thrown into prison. I feel Hermione must be suppressing a huge amount of rage, fear, sadness, and confusion that she cannot express. She must be as calm as the statue she eventually becomes later on in the play.

I thought about this concept of Hermione suppressing rage and being still and strong like a statue and I thought about Medusa from Greek mythology, who was unjustly punished with ugliness and the power of petrification. Books such as Philosophy For Girls depict Medusa as a symbol of how female rage and female sexuality is punished and tabooed in our society and women like Hermione know that if they cannot express the rage they feel at injustice, their only recourse is repression, which is like metaphorically turning to stone.

With these concepts in mind, I portray Hermione holding her baby with the statue of Medusa looking down at her. The statue looks a lot like Hermione and its closeness emphasizes how Hermione is almost two people- the person she presents to the world, and the angry, hurt person she is inside.

So, what do you think? Do you like my interpretations? Let me know in the comments!

Works Cited:

https://academic.oup.com/book/33477/chapter-abstract/287767086?redirectedFrom=fulltext

Great Classes for the Month of May!

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Short, soothing summary of my online classes available in the month of May!

Great online classes in Shakespeare and science are available for students all this month at Outschool.com. These classes are Flex Schedule, which means the teacher prepares the activities in advance and allows you to do them at your own pace without direct consultation.

Class Descriptions

  1. An Interactive Guide To: “Macbeth”
https://outschool.com/classes/an-interactive-guide-to-shakespeares-macbeth-jp7TIh9B?usid=MaRDyJ13&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link

2. An Immersive Guide to Shakespeare’s London

3. The Violent Rhetoric of “Julius Caesar”

4. Gravity Falls: Defeat the Cypher

Special Promo

Get $10 off my class “An Interactive Guide to Shakespeare’s London” with coupon code HTHESFIL0I10 until Jun 2, 2024. Get started at https://outschool.com/classes/an-interactive-guide-to-shakespeares-london-E6KqeBQQ and enter the coupon code at checkout.

Click the link below to get started:

https://outschool.com/teachers/The-Shakespearean-Student?usid=MaRDyJ13&signup=true&authTrigger=follow_teacher&utm_campaign=share_leader_link

AI Shakespeare Star Wars Art

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Emperor Palpatine as a grim Shakespearean villian
Space-age Yorrick
This one is supposed to be Shakespeare with Yoda ears, but oh well.
I think Shakespeare makes a fine Jedi knight.
Older Obi Wan
I told it to draw Obi Wan next to Luke with a green lightsaber. I didn’t expect Anikin would tag along.
Almost like old Obi Wan is trying to protect young Obi Wan. There’s a metaphor in there somewhere.
Princess Leia as Ophelia from “Hamlet”

I’m working on my annual podcast on “William Shakespeare’s Star Wars” and some accompanying posts and YouTube videos. In the meantime, I’ve created some Shakespeare-Star Wars artwork via Night Creator, a free, online AI artwork website. It’s enjoyable, easy, and I hope you enjoy these “compositions.” To see more of my AI-generated art, go to this website:

https://creator.nightcafe.studio/u/shakesstudent?ru=shakesstudent

To round this post off, here’s a short speech from “The Jedi Doth Return” that I made using the Night Creator images.

Happy Birthday Shakespeare!

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Today, April 23 is the established birthday of William Shakespeare! Today I’ll share some of my favorite posts, videos, podcasts, and quirky recipes related to Shakespeare!

Happy Birthday Shakespeare
https://shakespeareanstudent.com/2022/04/19/did-shakespeare-eat-birthday-cake-%F0%9F%8E%82/#:~:text=Sadly%2C%20the%20research%20I’ve,Christmas%2C%20and%20Twelfth%20Night).
2024 Shakespeare Celebrations in Stratford Upon Avon, England (Shakespeare’s Birthplace)

Special Promo!

Shakespeare Week March 21-27
Some of my Shakespeare classes on Outschool.com

Get $10 off all my classes with coupon code HTHES871H110 until Apr 26, 2024. Look through my classes at https://outschool.com/teachers/The-Shakespearean-Student and enter the coupon code at checkout.

New Class: The Violent Rhetoric Of “Julius Caesar” (Flex Schedule Edition)

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Course Description

  1. Concept: To explore the plot, characters, and themes of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar while also gaining an insight into Ancient Roman history and culture.
  2. Student Description: Delve into the passionate speeches of Brutus and Antony in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, which led a whole country to revolution.
  3. Parent Description  Using self-paced online activities, and a helpful handout, your child(ren) will analyze the rhetoric and persuasive power in two speeches from Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar.” The course will also cover the culture of Ancient Rome, and the circumstances that led to Julius Caesar’s assasination, which inadvertently led to the birth of the Roman Empire.
  4. Course Organizaiton (the class is divided into 4 parts that students can complete at their own pace over a week-long period
    1. Each lesson will have:
      1. “That Is the Question” (Essential Question)
      2. Lesson Objectives
      3. Set the Scene (Background and context)- 1-3 slides
      4. The Players (biography) 1-3 slides
      5. Go Deeper (Webquest)
        1. Explore military life and the lives of women in Rome using my blog and other websites as a guide.
        2. Post 3 things you learned to the Outschool page or send a photo of your completed handout.
      6. Words, Words Words (Vocabulary, famous lines) 
      7. A Taste of Your Quality (Independant Project)
      8. Show us your mettle (Test)
    2. So each class should be 14-15 slides long.

Outline

Class I- Background on Caesar and Roman Culture

  1. That is the Question: 
    1. Why did Brutus feel Julius Caesar had to die?
    2. What was the aftermath?
    3. Can one person’s speech effect an entire nation?
  2. Lesson Objectives
    1. To provide historical and political context to explain why Julius Caesar was assassinated, and how his death inadvertantly created the Roman Empire.
    2. To explain the Rhetorical Triangle, the building blocks of persuasive speech.
    3. To go through the story of Julius Caesar focusing on the effect of the speeches.
    4. To study the  famous “Friends, Romans Countrymen” speech.
    5. To contrast this speech with some more recent political speeches and you think critically about:
      1. What does the speaker want?
      2. What tactics does he use?
      3. How effective is it?
  3. Set the Scene
    1. History
      1. Government
        1. Horrible History
      2. Military
        1. https://www.livescience.com/ancient-roman-spike-defenses-made-famous-by-julius-caesar-found-in-germany 
        2. Caesar Cipher
        3. https://kids.kiddle.co/Julian_calendar 
    2. Culture
      1. Fashion: https://shakespeareanstudent.com/2022/03/11/the-fashion-is-the-fashion-ancient-roman-fashion-and-beauty/ 
      2. Role of Women: https://shakespeareanstudent.com/2021/03/29/i-lift-the-veil-on-shakespeares-celebrated-roman-female-characters-and-discuss-the-social-norms-they-embodied-and-challenged/ 
      3. The Lupercal- https://wordpress.com/post/shakespeareanstudent.com/4545 
  4. The Players (slides)
    1. Julius Caesar Julius Caesar – Greatest Conqueror Ever?
    2. Cassius Longinus
    3. Marcus Brutus
    4. Marc Antony
  5. Go Deeper- 
    1. Go to Google Arts and Culture and find 3 facts and 3 pictures of Caesar
    2. Answer the following Questions:
      1. Name 3 jobs Caesar had in the Roman Republic
      2. Was Caesar Deaf? Was he epileptic? 
      3. Name 3 things Caesar accomplished during his career.

Go to opensourceshakespeare.com and look at Caesar’s lines- how does Caesar view himself? Write 3 examples.

  1. Words Words Words
    1. Republic
    2. Dictator
    3. Lupercal
    4. Assassinate
    5. Senate
  2. A Taste Of Your Quality
    1. Make a news headline about Caesar’s triumph. How would you report on it? Would you be allowed to say anything bad about Caesar?
  3. Show Us Your Mettle
    1. Quizlet for the terms

Class 2- Cassius Manipulates Brutus

HC Selous Illustration, "Brutus and Cassius" 1830

That Is the Question- 

How does Cassius convince his brother-in-law Brutus to betray and assassinate Caesar, his friend and colleague?

Learning Objectives-

  1. To give historical context as to why the Senate in general, (and Cassius in particular), feared and hated Caesar.
  2. To examine Brutus’ character
  3. To demonstrate how Cassius uses persuasive speech 

Setting the Scene- The Plot

The Players-

Cassius- slide/ https://www.rsc.org.uk/shakespeare-learning-zone/julius-caesar/character/whos-who 

Write 3 facts we learn about Cassius at the start of the play:

Brutus:  

https://www.rsc.org.uk/shakespeare-learning-zone/julius-caesar/character/whos-who

Go Deeper- 

Brutus- Podcast episode. I posit in this episode that Brutus is 

Words, Words, Words- 

  1. Traitor
  2. Republic
  3. Dictator
  4. Revolution
  5. Ethos
  6. Pathos
  7. Logos
  8. Rhetoric
  9. Colossus
  10.  Aeneus

A Taste Of Your Quality: 

(Independent work): We’ll examine a painting of Brutus’ ancestor Lucius and learn why Brutus values Rome more than even family.

Show Us Your Mettle: 

Quizzes on Brutus

Class 3- Antony and Brutus’ Dueling Speeches

George Ed Robertson Antony
(c) Hartlepool Museums and Heritage Service; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation

That Is the Question

  1. After Caesar’s Death, his friend Marc Antony held a funeral for him where he gives the famous “Friends, Romans, Countrymen” speech. How did Antony’s speech affect the crowd?
  2. Brutus has a speech where he explains why he killed Caesar. What does he say, and how effectively does he say it?
  3. Antony was secretly plotting to take power for himself, and get Brutus and Cassius killed. How did he do it?
  4. Do speeches have the power to change a nation?

Learning Objectives

  1. To explain the Rhetorical Triangle, the building blocks of persuasive speech.
  2. To study the famous “Friends, Romans Countrymen” speech, as well 
  3. To look at these speeches and get you to think critically about:
    1. What does the speaker want?
    2. What tactics does he use?
    3. How effective is it?

Setting the Scene

RSC Learning Zone- Act III, Scene 2 https://www.rsc.org.uk/shakespeare-learning-zone/julius-caesar/story/scene-by-scene

The Players (use the videos from the RSC)

Brutus- Man of Honour VS Man of Action | Julius Caesar | Royal Shakespeare Company

Antony Julius Caesar, Act 3 Scene 2 | 2012 | Royal Shakespeare Company

Go Deeper

Words, Words, Words

  • Irony
  • Antimetabole
  • Rhetoric
  • Countrymen
  • Lend
  • Interred
  • Noble
  • Hath
  • Grievous
  • Coffer
  • Honorable
  • Lupercal
  • Cause
  • Mourn

A Taste Of Your Quality

  • Watch the video of Antony’s speech:

Quizzes

Class 4- After Caesar-

We’ll talk about the consequences of violent revolutions and how Julius Caesar has inspired some of the greatest speeches in political history.

-Patrick Henry

– Gettysburg Address

– Mean Girls

That Is the Question

  1. How have people interpreted the play “Julius Caesar” in America?
  2. Does this play promote violence?
  3. What kind of violent speech do we deal with in politics today?

Learning Objectives

  1. To show the link between American History and Julius Caesar
  2. To address the controversy and the misconception that the play promotes violent assassination.
  3. To end on a cautionary note people must think critically about what they hear in politics and not make rash decisions based on appeals to fear.

Setting the Scene- US History

  • America was founded using the principles of republican government that Ancient Rome used- with a senate, and a series of checks and balances to ensure no one has too much power.
  • America was founded in a violent revolution, and some of our country’s early leaders used Brutus as an inspiration- to overcome a tyrannical king.
  • In later years, however, some people have forgotten what happened to Brutus
  •  Today, we are often bombarded with speech that encourages fear and anger and we must think critically when we hear such speech in whatever forum- Roman, or Reddit.

The Players (use my JC lecture?)

  • Patrick Henry
  • Abraham Lincoln
  • John Wilkes Booth
  • Donald Trump

Go Deeper

-Watch the Caesar Video

– How does the play promote nonviolence?

– How did Brutus’ assassination fail to save the Roman Republic?

Words, Words, Words

Four-score

Dedicate

proposition

Civil War

Endure

Consecrate

Devotion

A Taste Of Your Quality (Night Cafe)

  • Use AI to create your own image for Julius Caesar
    • What time and place would you set the play in?
    • how do you see him- is he a hero, or a tyrant? 

https://outschool.com/classes/the-violent-rhetoric-of-julius-caesar-flex-schedule-edition-fwB3cwQM?refuid=MaRDyJ13

Great Classes Available for April!

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I’m teaching lots of cool classes online via Outschool.com during April. All the ones below are asynchronous, which means that, rather than interacting live with a teacher, you will interact with websites, videos, digital escape rooms, and other fun activities at your own pace. When you sign up, I’ll send you the materials and give you a handout, and be available via chat if you or your child needs help. Check out some of these amazing activities!

https://outschool.com/teachers/The-Shakespearean-Student?usid=MaRDyJ13&signup=true&authTrigger=follow_teacher&utm_campaign=share_leader_link

1. “Macbeth Digital Escape Room”

In this virtual version of my popular “Macbeth” course, you will engage with William Shakespeare himself and learn about his play in a fun, spooky, and interactive way!

2. “An Interactive Guide to Shakespeare’s London”:

A virtual tour of Shakespeare’s London will get kids to interact with the culture of Elizabethan England.

To teach kids about the Elizabethan era and the background of Romeo and Juliet, The Instructor will interact with the class (via pre-recorded videos), pretending to be Shakespeare. The class, pretending to be actors in Romeo and Juliet, will get a virtual tour of The Globe Theater, Hampton Court Palace, and a virtual visit to an Elizabethan doctor's office. This activity is an immersive way for them to learn about the period, how it relates to the world of the play, and how Shakespeare changed theater.
Intro image for my “Immersive Guide to Shakespeare’s London.”

3. “Shakespeare: The Lost Play:”

You must find the lost play of William Shakespeare before a mystery thief destroys it! Solve the clues and learn about Shakespeare’s writing and theater to uncover a historical mystery!

4. “Gravity Falls-Inspired Escape Room:”

Save the Mystery Shack from Bill Cypher, and learn about secret codes!

5. THe Violent Rhetoric of Julius Caesar:

Scan the QR code to see my list of classes.

Digital business card for my online classes with a QR code if you want to know more

https://outschool.com/teachers/The-Shakespearean-Student?usid=MaRDyJ13u0026amp;signup=trueu0026amp;authTrigger=follow_teacheru0026amp;utm_campaign=share_leader_link

Special Discount!

Get $5 off all these classes with coupon code HTHESED9SM5 until April 30th, 2024. Get started at https://outschool.com/classes/gravity-falls-inspired-game-crack-the-codes-and-beat-the-cypher-IvpT5sea and enter the coupon code at checkout.

Great Classes Available for April!

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Exciting, fully immersive, fully online classes for you and your children to enjoy in April 2024. Go down to Gravity Falls and solve codes and ciphers. Travel to Ancient Rome to learn about Julius Caesar, and visit Shakespeare’s Globe with a fully virtual tour!

Screenshot of my April schedule of classes, 2024

All the ones below are asynchronous, which means that, rather than interacting live with a teacher, you will interact with websites, videos, digital escape rooms, and other fun activities at your own pace. When you sign up, I’ll send you the materials and give you a handout, and be available via chat if you or your child needs help. Check out some of these amazing activities!

1. “Macbeth Digital Escape Room”

In this virtual version of my popular “Macbeth” course, you will engage with William Shakespeare himself and learn about his play in a fun, spooky, and interactive way!

2. “An Interactive Guide to Shakespeare’s London”:

A virtual tour of Shakespeare’s London will get kids to interact with the culture of Elizabethan England.

To teach kids about the Elizabethan era and the background of Romeo and Juliet, The Instructor will interact with the class (via pre-recorded videos), pretending to be Shakespeare. The class, pretending to be actors in Romeo and Juliet, will get a virtual tour of The Globe Theater, Hampton Court Palace, and a virtual visit to an Elizabethan doctor's office. This activity is an immersive way for them to learn about the period, how it relates to the world of the play, and how Shakespeare changed theater.
Intro image for my “Immersive Guide to Shakespeare’s London.”

3. “Shakespeare: The Lost Play:”

You must find the lost play of William Shakespeare before a mystery thief destroys it! Solve the clues and learn about Shakespeare’s writing and theater to uncover a historical mystery!

4. “Gravity Falls-Inspired Escape Room:”

Save the Mystery Shack from Bill Cypher, and learn about secret codes!

5. THe Violent Rhetoric of Julius Caesar (Asynchronous Edition)

Using self-paced online activities, and a helpful handout, your child(ren) will analyze the rhetoric and persuasive power in Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar.” The course will also cover the history and culture of ancient Rome.

Scan the QR code to see my list of classes.
Digital business card for my online classes with a QR code if you want to know more
https://outschool.com/teachers/The-Shakespearean-Student?usid=MaRDyJ13&signup=true&authTrigger=follow_teacher&utm_campaign=share_leader_link

Special Discount!

Happy International Women’s Day

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Happy International Women’s Day! I would like to dedicate my posts today to my daughter, a wonderful strong girl, a Shakespeare fan, and a lifelong lover of the musical “Six”.

Some of Shakespeare’s Best Female Characters

I’ve discussed Shakespeare’s best Mother characters before, and his Roman characters as well, but I thought I should include some of the ones who are not mothers and/or unmarried (at least for most of the play). I don’t want to rank these characters since I detest ranking women in general, so here are some of Shakespeare’s best characters, and some of their immortal speeches:

CleoPatra

Katherine Of Aragon

Even though “Henry the Eighth” is my least favorite Shakespeare play, I love how strong Katherine is and how well she fights against the machinations of Cardinal Woosey and her husband. She is a courageous, virtuous, and strong-minded woman, who when Henry demands that she consent to a divorce, Katherine simply says: “No Way!”

The Awesome world of “Six”

Lady Macbeth

Close Reading: Lady Macbeth “Come You Spirits.”

A fascinating and electrifying character. She seduces her husband and makes him fully commit to murdering the king. If you look at the post above, you can see the multiple potential readings for why she courts evil spirits to convince her husband to murder the king. Her strength and energy is highly attractive and it was easy for me to see how a man might do anything to make her happy.

Isabella From “Measure For Measure”

I think Elizabethans would have seen the connection between the Virgin Queen who fought off assassination from the Pope, and Isabella, a virgin who fights off the advances of Angello, who seems pious, but who secretly is degenerate and cruel. Isabella even becomes a princess at the end of the play, (assuming she marries the Duke), which means she could literally become a Queen Elizabeth to English eyes.

https://www.rsc.org.uk/shakespeare-learning-zone/measure-for-measure/character/analysis

Stick figure version of Isabella from “Peace Good Tickle Brain.”

Portia Catonis (Wife of Brutus)

One of the best female characters in the Roman plays, Portia demands to be taken seriously as a wife and as a Roman citizen. In her one great scene we see her demand that Brutus tell her why he has been so distant and cold:

Elisabetta Sirani, Portia Wounding her Thigh, 1664, oil on canvas, 101 x 138 cm (Collezioni d’Arte e di Storia della Fondazione della Cassa di Risparmio, Bologna)
Some have speculated that in real life Portia helped Brutus with the conspiracy to assassinate Caesar, after all, she was the daughter of Caesar's great rival senator Cato, who was willing to die when he realized the Roman republic was finished.
Not only was the real Portia a great woman, she also inspired some great art. Below is the great masterpiece:  Portia Wounding her Thigh, by Elisabetta Sirani (1664). According to Dr. DR. MAURA GLEESON, the painting was commissioned by a fabric merchant, which explains Portia's sumptuous outfit. Portia remains totally calm, yet focused and determined as the other women in the background idly spin clothes in the background. For more information on this masterpiece, click the link below:
Elisabetta Sirani, Portia Wounding her Thigh

If you’d like to learn more about Portia and Julius Caesar, sign up for my online class on the play via Outschool.com. Get a $5 discout with coupon code HTHES6Q5XA5 until Apr 2, 2024. Get started at https://outschool.com/classes/the-violent-rhetoric-of-julius-caesar-flex-schedule-edition-fwB3cwQM and enter the coupon code at checkout.


So happy International Women’s Day ladies! Hope you get some of the love and appreciation you deserve today! More posts coming soon!

Roman Women Week!

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Since International Women’s Day is Friday, I’m devoting the following week to talking about the awesome female characters in Shakespeare’s Roman plays: Titus, Andronicus, Julius Caesar, Antony and Cleopatra, and Coriolanus

First, here’s my post and an accompanying podcast on Roman women, which includes an analysis of Lavinia, Portia, Valumnia, and Cleopatra:

Shakespeare’s Roman Women

Here’s a fascinating video about the lives of Roman girls:

And here’s a special section about Cleopatra:

Comedy sketches about Cleopatra from “Horrible Histories” BBC, 2015.
cleopatra facts infographics in 2021 | Cleopatra facts, Ancient history facts, Cleopatra history
A Lady-Gaga-esque song about Cleopatra from “Horrible Histories,” 2014
Infographic from an article about Cleopatra’s beauty regimen. Source: http://socialdiary.pk/

http://socialdiary.pk/beauty-secrets-of-cleopatra