Initially, this role feels like exposition because, well, it is… But nobody does exposition better than Shakespeare. As the actor playing Horatio, this speech isn’t about you. It’s all about painting the image for Hamlet; everyone else in the room, including the audience, has seen this unfold already. So focus on telling your friend. Make it clear.

Context 

Hamlet is the son of the late King of Denmark who, after a mysterious death, was succeeded by his brother Claudius. In a Game of Thrones-style turn of events, Claudius has married Hamlet’s mother, solidifying a creepy triumvirate of uncle-father-king. Hamlet is, understandably, miffed.

In the opening of the play, the guards of Castle Elsinore have seen the ghost of the King stalking the battlements. Not thinking anyone will believe them, they get the smartest and most logical person they know, Horatio, to come with them on the third night and see the ghost for himself. When Horatio bears witness, the three of them go to Hamlet to break the news.

After some small talk and some light jokes about the rushed marriage of Hamlet’s uncle to his mother, conversation leads to the topic of Hamlet’s father. Horatio doesn’t beat around the bush and says “I think I saw him Yesternight…” Hamlet rightly is shocked and Horatio tells him to chill for a second and let him explain.

Original Text

HORATIO
Two nights together had these gentlemen,
Marcellus and Barnardo, on their watch
In the dead waste and middle of the night
Been thus encountered: a figure like your father
Armed at point, exactly cap-à-pie,
Appears before them and with solemn march
Goes slow and stately by them; thrice he walked
By their oppressed and fear-surprised eyes
Within his truncheon’s length whilst they, distilled
Almost to jelly with the act of fear,
Stand dumb and speak not to him. This to me
In dreadful secrecy impart they did,
And I with them the third night kept the watch
Where, as they had delivered, both in time,
Form of the thing, each word made true and good,
The apparition comes. I knew your father,
These hands are not more like.

Unfamiliar words

First step in deciphering the text? As always, make a glossary of any unfamiliar words or phrases contained within. Research and understand them, so that you might unpack all the intended meaning—especially when they contribute to such vivid imagery.

Cap-à-pie— Head to toe.

Truncheon — A weapon, most likely a staff or baton, often used by police or guards.

Solemn — Formal and dignified, but also relating to funerals and mourning.

Apparition — Ghost.

Oppressed — Distressed, troubled, burdened.

Modern Translation

HORATIO
Two nights in a row had these gentleman,
Marcellus and Bernardo, at their posts on duty,
In the middle of the night, the following happened:
A figure like your father dressed from head to toe in his war uniform
appeared before them and walked directly past them quite slowly:
Three times he walked past their terrified faces, so close his weapon
could have touched them, while they, not moving because they were so scared, did nothing and didn’t even make a sound.
They told me this in secret and I went with them to work on the third night, where
just as they had told me, the exact time, the exact shape, the ghost of your father appeared.
I knew your father, this ghost was to him as my hands are to each other: exactly the same.

Annotated text

This speech boils down to four thoughts. Below, I have underlined the last three words at the end of each thought. I do this when I breakdown a script to make sure I drive to the end of them with strength and clarity.

Two nights together had these gentlemen, 10
Marcellus and Barnardo, on their watch 10
In the dead waste and middle of the night 10
Been thus encountered: a figure like your father 11
Armed at point, exactly cap-à-pie, 10
Appears before them and with solemn march 10
Goes slow and stately by them; thrice he walked 10
By their oppressed and fear-surprised eyes 10
Within his truncheon’s length whilst they, distilled 10
Almost to jelly with the act of fear, 10
Stand dumb and speak not to him. This to me 10
In dreadful secrecy impart they did, 10
And I with them the third night kept the watch 10
Where, as they had delivered, both in time, 10
Form of the thing, each word made true and good, 10
The apparition comes. I knew your father, 11
These hands are not more like. 6

The first thought is your introduction: “Okay, Hamlet. Strap in, here’s what happened.”

The second thought is what the watchmen saw.

The third is what you saw: “Hamlet, buddy, I saw it with my own eyes.”

The final thought is your conclusion: “I knew your dad. It was him.”

I like to think with any speech in Shakespeare, at the end of every thought you are asked a question or provoked somehow, and that prompts you to go on. Maybe the questions here are based on what you see in Hamlet’s face. The questions/provocations to these thoughts might be the following:

Been thus encountered; “Will you hurry up and tell me please?!” “I don’t believe you.”

speak not to him. “Have you told anyone else this?” “Okay, but where do you come into this?”

The apparition comes “Is this a joke?”

Notes on the Annotated Script

The numbers at the end of the lines are the number of syllables; I’ve included these because they can offer up clues to the character’s state of mind you can use in performance. For example, most lines have the regular amount of ten syllables, suggesting that Horatio is calm and level-headed. Most of Shakespeare’s ‘Best Friend’ roles tend to be—somebody for the main character to bounce ideas off.

But if a regular line of verse has ten, then what does it mean if it goes to eleven? If iambic pentameter is based on a heartbeat (da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM da-DUM) then is eleven Horatio’s heart rate going up? In both lines of eleven syllables he says the words ‘your father’. Is he nervous to say this to his friend? It’s definitely worth consideration.

The six syllables of the final line are completed by Hamlet’s response “But where was this?” So nothing huge to take away from that.

Do be on the lookout for unusual stress patterns. In the last four lines, the stress is clearly on the first word rather then the second. This style of stress is “trochaic” rather than “iambic”: “DUM-da” as opposed to “da-DUM”. It pushes poetic vese forward with a rhythm rather than heart-beating along. In this context, it suggests that Horatio is driving his point home to Hamlet, who seems to struggle with this news.

Hendiadys: a Fun Shakespeare Literary Device

A Hendiadys is a figure of speech wherein two verbs, separated by a conjunction describe the one noun: “nice and warm”. They show up a lot in Shakespeare, and two examples appear in this very passage: “dead waste and middle of the night” and “slow and stately“.

The poet Ted Hughes thought this was how Shakespeare taught his audience new words, by using a mixture of familiar/unfamiliar to provide context. In addition, they add colour to the storytelling. The trick with hendiadys is to make both descriptions individual and vivid. The dead waste of the night is different to the middle of the night. The ghost didn’t just move slowly or stately, it moved both ways. Imbue each word with its own colour.

Notes on Performance

When playing Horatio, I like to take big breath in and out before this piece begins. It’s huge information you’re dropping on Hamlet. How will you say this? And how might you prepare yourself to drop this bombshell?

This speech is basically a description of the play’s first scene. Shakespeare doesn’t start his plays at the beginning of the plot; we often enter them halfway though and play catch-up. To check the audience is onboard, he employs speeches like this where information (already seen or heard in the play) is repeated. For the actor playing Horatio, they have the chance to flavour the information based on the impact it will have upon the intended recipient (in this case Hamlet.)

It’s also a terrific scene to think about status. While Horatio and Hamlet are friends from university, it’s important to remember they are not socially equal. Horatio is talking to his friend, but also his Prince. How does this modify the way he speaks, or the actions/tactics he might use? Is there a point where he says “Aww the hell with it!” And starts talking to his friend instead of the Prince? (Spoilers below.)

The second and third thoughts are long. You have to keep the ideas in the air; often the sentence is set up, extensively described and then concluded. It’s in the description that you need to keep the ideas vivid and then land that conclusion.

Finally: the last thought. It’s always the most characterful line of the speech for me. Talk to your friend in that line. A lot of this speech is to your Prince, that line is to your friend.

The post Horatio Monologue (Act 1, Scene 2) appeared first on StageMilk.

Context

Macbeth is set in Scotland around the year 1030, based on the true story (with some obvious supernatural additions) of the rise of the Scottish King Macbeth. The play opens at the end of a war between the vaguely united Scottish forces and the Norwegian vikings. In a very Game of Thrones turn of events, some Scottish thanes (or Lords) like Macdonwald have sided with the Vikings. In this speech, the captain describes the battle between the traitor Macdonwald and the forces of the Scottish army, led by the titular character.

As for the traffic of the stage … not much has actually happened yet. We have met the three weird sisters—who say they plan to meet again, at the end of the day, on a heath with Macbeth. Then, immediately, we meet King Duncan and his son Malcolm. Duncan asks who the bloody man is before him, and Malcolm says it’s the good soldier who freed him from captivity. Malcolm then asks the captain to tell the King what happened.

As an actor playing this role, it’s important to remember that the information you are providing is new and important both to the characters on stage and (more importantly) the audience. It’s also the first big speech in verse of the play: you’ll be teaching some of the audience to engage with heightened language.

Original Text

CAPTAIN
Doubtful it stood;
As two spent swimmers, that do cling together
And choke their art. The merciless Macdonwald
(Worthy to be a rebel, for to that
The multiplying villainies of nature
Do swarm upon him) from the western isles
Of Kernes and Gallowglasses is supplied;
And Fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling,
Show’d like a rebel’s whore: but all’s too weak;
For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name),
Disdaining Fortune, with his brandish’d steel,
Which smok’d with bloody execution,
Like Valour’s minion, carv’ d out his passage,
Till he fac’d the slave;
Which ne’er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him,
Till he unseam’d him from the nave to th’ chops,
And fix’d his head upon our battlements.

Unfamiliar Language

As with all of our Monologues Unpacked, we suggest the first thing you do to decode Shakespeare’s language is to note and research all the unfamiliar words and phrases. Be brutally honest with yourself: don’t leave anything to chance.

Kernes —Kerns were Irish or Scottish light-armed foot soldiers. A kern would carry a shield of wood and either a sword or bow and arrow.

Gallowglasses — Mercenary armoured warriors who served primarily as bodyguards to Celtic chieftains. They were hand-picked for their strength and massive size, and they would usually carry a battle axe or a halberd (an axe on long pole).

Fortune — fortune becomes a person in this context. He is potentially a reference to the Roman god Fortuna. She is depicted as a woman holding a rudder, to control destiny.

Valour’s minion — just as he personifies Fortune, Valour here becomes a person. In this context Valour’s minion (Macbeth) is closer to a favourite rather than someone who serves. 

Ne’er — Never.

Bade — Past form of bid.

Unseam’d — to open the seams of. In this context, to slice something (or someone) open.

Nave to the chops — navel (or stomach) to the cheeks.

Notes on Pronunciation:

“Fac’d”, “fix’d”, “carv’d”, etc. are all pronounced with one syllable. “Damned” is pronounced with two syllables: “damn-ed”. This aids the rhythm of the text.

Translated Text

It was looking doubtful, both sides we dragging the other down
Like two tired swimmers drowning. The unmerciful Macdonwald
(It makes sense why he became a traitor being that such qualities are within him) had fierce soldiers from Ireland on his side; and that Lady Fortune, luck personified,
Was clearly smiling on Macdonwalds side: but it wasn’t enough;
For brave Macbeth, well he deserves to be called brave, with no respect for the plans of Lady Fortune, with his sword held high, like the servant of Courage, cut out his path till he faced Macdonwald, who neither shook hands with him or said goodbye to him, until Macbeth cut him from the stomach to the cheeks and then cut off his head and put it on our battlements.

Annotated Text

There is a lot to think about with Shakespeare, but when it comes down to it: drive to the end of your thoughts to find some sense. To help you drive to/land your thoughts, I have underlined and put in bold the last three words of each thought. 

CAPTAIN
Doubtful it stood;
As two spent swimmers, that do cling together 11
And choke their art. The merciless Macdonwald 11
(Worthy to be a rebel, for to that 10
The multiplying villainies of nature 11
Do swarm upon him) from the western isles 10
Of Kernes and Gallowglasses is supplied; 10
And Fortune, on his damned quarrel smiling, 11
Show’d like a rebel’s whore. But all’s too weak; 10
For brave Macbeth (well he deserves that name), 10
Disdaining Fortune, with his brandish’d steel, 10
Which smok’d with bloody execution, 9
Like Valour’s minion, carv’ d out his passage, 10
Till he fac’d the slave; 5
Which ne’er shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, 10
Till he unseam’d him from the nave to th’ chops, 11
And fix’d his head upon our battlements. 10

Notes on Rhythm and Verse

The numbers at the end of each line represent the number of syllables. As we know, a line of blank verse should have 10 syllables (5 weak and 5 strong) that sound a little like a heartbeat (da dum da dum da dum da dum da dum). The fancy name for this is iambic pentameter. As Shakespeare got further into his career, he played around a lot more with this form—bending and breaking the rules for dramatic effect.

Think of the rule breaks as clues being left behind by the writer. If we say 10 syllables is a regular heartbeat and someone speaking in regular verse is calm and steady, what does this say about our captain? Is he panicked? Out of breath? We know he is bleeding. Does he keep gaining and then losing his composure? What about the line with only 5 syllables? Perhaps it leaves time for a pause while he’s trying to pull himself together?

Shakespeare was a writer, but he was also an actor: he knew how to use words to support performers and give them interesting things to do. While respect for Shakespearean language is important, remember that it’s there to work for you (and not the other way round.)

Notes on Performance

Bring your attention back to this speech’s three thoughts: one small opening thought and then two loner ones. (In some editions, there is no full stop after “rebels whore”, so it really could be one small thought and one huge thought.) As an exercise, work out the most economical way of conveying the captain’s thoughts. Cut out all poetic images and focus on the logic:

CAPTAIN
Doubtful it stood.
The merciless Macdonwald from the western isles
Of Kernes and Gallowglasses is supplied.
But all’s too weak; For brave Macbeth with his brandish’d steel
carv’ d out his passage, till he fac’d the slave.
Unseam’d him from the nave to th’ chops,
And fix’d his head upon our battlements.

Next, use the poetic description to fill out the story with as much detail as you can. For example: where are the two spent swimmers? In the ocean? A pool? A waterhole in the desert? How long have they been treading water before they start clinging together to try and save themselves? As you get to this image, discover it as you search for the words—the best description the captain can think of in the given moment.

To get the movements of the text into your head and body, try dividing your rehearsal room in two halves: the logical plot and the colourful description. You can then speak the plot to one half and the description to the other, running back and forth as needed. (You’ll be doing a lot of running.) Then stand still, and find the definition using your voice alone.

Finally, be wary of the bracketed sections. Think of them as being said to somebody else: if the bulk of the text is said directly to the king, then think of the bracketed sections being said to Malcolm as a clarification. That will help to break them up and remind the audience they are comments on the main plot, not directly crucial to it.

The post Bleeding Captain Monologue (Act 1, Scene 2) appeared first on StageMilk.

Being typecast isn’t always a terrible thing, but it can be artistically and professionally limiting. If you want to learn how to avoid typecasting, keep studying at your craft and challenge yourself to take on new roles. You can make physical changes to rebrand yourself, and even seek out professional work that sits specifically out of your comfort zone.

But what is typecasting, exactly? Can it be avoided? Or can it be used for the benefit and longevity of your career? Let’s figure it out together…

What is Typecasting?

Typecasting is defined as repeatedly casting an actor to the same ‘type’ of role, as a result of their perceived appropriateness for that role or previous success in similar roles. It works largely through association.

As an example, think about an actor with a Van Dyke beard. (Stay with us, for a sec.) They keep getting cast in roles of debonair, elegant villains with a silver tongue. Now, we associate that particular style of facial hair with customary depictions of the Devil throughout culture. So directors and casting agents might see that actor’s beard as a useful cultural shorthand to telegraph that the character they’re reading for has devilish qualities.

There are a number of different ways that an actor can be typecast, and a number of different qualities that catalyse the process of association. These include an actor’s height, weight, vocal tone, hair colour and/or style, ethnicity, tattoos, scars, or really any distinguishing physical feature. 

Less obvious qualities include an actor’s general energy (silly, serious, anxious, brooding, etc.), fame or renown in other avenues or mediums/field of interest.

Is Typecasting a Good Thing or a Bad Thing?

Getting typecast has a bad rap amongst actors, who very seldom want to feel hemmed in by other people’s perceptions and expectations of their work. And they certainly have a point. By playing the same or similar roles time and time again, an actor’s flexibility and versatility in their craft. This is to say nothing of losing their spontaneity and enthusiasm, and the comfortable habits that creep in.

We’ve already said that typecasting works associatively, so it can also be hard for audiences to imagine you in roles other than the ones they’ve grown accustomed to you playing. (James Bond actors, for example, frequently struggle to leave the tuxedo behind.)

And it goes without saying that typecasting, by virtue of so often being based on physical descriptors of actors, regularly enables the institutional bigotry and creative conservatism that has stunted the film and television industry since the birth of Hollywood.

Finding Your “Type”

But typecasting isn’t always a bad thing! If it’s something of which they’re aware and in control, it can be an extremely powerful tool for an actor to define and market themselves to the wider industry.

If you’re “unusual” in any way (tall, short, small eyes, big nose, gap-toothed, or whatever weird and wonderful physical characteristics you possess!), typecasting presents an opportunity. Utilise your point of difference to set you apart from other actors vying for the same role. The same logic applies if you fit into a particular archetype. Not to mention, there’s a lot of fun to be had in playing your particular style well!

If you want consistent work as an actor (who wouldn’t?), making the process of typecasting work for you is a great strategy. Why do a thousand things adequately if you can do one perfectly?

Examples of Actors who are Typecast

Michael Cera’s film career has largely seen him play soft-spoken, nerdy types. His physical attributes and general demeanour, as well as the specific style of ‘awkward’ comedy Cera employs, endear him to these roles and prove him to be effectively believable in them.

Michelle Rodriguez has made a career out of playing tough, no-nonsense women holding their own in traditionally masculine spaces. She brilliantly deploys her steady gaze, deadpan acting style and husky voice.

Need a likeable enough guy with improv skills and a penchant for meta-comedy, but still handsome enough to be considered a romantic lead? Look no further than Ryan Reynolds.

Examples of Actors who Aren’t Typecast

Some actors take careful consideration in choosing their roles, in order to pitch themselves to the wider acting industry as highly adaptable. They will often prioritise this as a special skill to set them apart from a less malleable (though often more consistent) typecast counterpart. You might hear them being described as ‘chameleons’.

Think Cate Blanchett, Gary Oldman or Tilda Swinton. They’re hard to pin down! That’s because the characteristics of the humans they’ve portrayed across their careers are so diverse. They’ve played rich and poor, young and old, fictional and non-, comic and straight. And done it all convincingly: remember the time Cate played Bob Dylan?!

Examples of Actors Typecast for their Inability to be Typecast

Then there are actors who are so different from role to role that it’s almost a foregone conclusion that their versatility takes precedent. Sometimes even over the work itself.

Daniel Day-Lewis’ most famous characters have been as varied as a painter with cerebral palsy, a psychopathic butcher, an effete fashion designer, an avaricious oil tycoon, a member of the Guilford Four and Abraham Lincoln.

Meryl Streep has likewise exhibited her versatility in roles. A stone-faced nun, an independently-minded divorcee, a Danish ex-pat author living in Africa, Lindy Chamberlain, a Polish survivor of the Holocaust and a cold-hearted fashionista. Groundbreaking.

This tendency runs the risk, however, of devolving into self-parody. Johnny Depp was once highly-regarded for his audacity in selecting a range of roles. However, after a series of disastrous choices in the 2010s, audiences began to see his characterisations as only superficially transformative. Dark, messy hair, pale make-up, eccentric clothing, and a highly stylised vocal pattern. This resulted in diminishing returns from an audience that expected such variations from role to role. 

Jared Leto has similarly faced criticism in his recent work, due to a perceived over-reliance on make-up and other effects to create the illusion of transformation rather than a truthful transformation. Furthermore: Nicholas Cage.

What to do if you Want to Avoid Typecasting

What lesson can we take from these cautionary tales? It’s no good making weird choices for the sake of being different. The surface elements of constructing a character (appearance, costume, vocal tone and patterns) must come from a basis of truth in the character’s interior life, and be understood to be secondary to the development of the character’s psyche. 

Beyond this, it’s our job as actors to bring ourselves to every role we undertake. This is an imperative, because as human beings we are only ever privy to our own inner life. It’s impossible (or at the very least, unsustainable) to design a character as complex and mysterious as what you already bring to the table. So you might as well use your own mysteries to give your character depth.

It’s obvious to an audience when an actor is ‘pretending’ too much. It reads as inauthentic. Acting shouldn’t be about you pretending in spite of truth, it should be about the truth in spite of you pretending. This is what the best actors do: they reveal a little something about themselves in every role.

It’s not about trying to figure out how someone in a different circumstance would behave, it’s about how you would behave in that different circumstance. If you were a mischievous alchemist in the 18th Century with a crocodile tail and a penchant for underground spelunking, how would you act?

If you apply this thinking to every character you’re cast as, by the end of your career you’ll undoubtedly look back to see a decidedly motley crew, with an assortment of sizes, shapes, and identities.

How to avoid Typecasting

To help you on your way, here are some tips and tricks of the trade you can use to avoid getting typecast in the industry today.

#1 Study acting and go to classes.

Acting is a craft, and there are no shortcuts in becoming a master. In a learning context, you are more likely to stretch yourself, risk making mistakes and be required to play roles you wouldn’t normally play. In particular, disciplines such as commedia dell’arte and improvisation necessitate big shifts in physicality, voice, and character.

#2 Find your antithesis.

Identify a specific archetype that you are often asked to perform. Find a scene with a character that is the opposite of that archetype. Then put that scene on film. Consistently cast as a macho, hard-boiled kind of guy? Try putting down a scene where you play a sensitive, delicate rose! Explore this new energy you’ve found. If you have an agent, ask them to put the scene on your media bank as cold, hard proof that you’re as adaptable as you say.

#3 Go the extra mile.

Freelancers will know the drill… Even if you have an agent, you should keep an eye and an ear out for auditions that you wouldn’t normally be asked to perform. Request an audition from the casting agent (they’ll usually throw in a ‘wild card’ option for the director). There’s never any harm in asking.

#4 Put it into practice.

Keep an eye out for independent theatre roles with characters you wouldn’t normally play. If you run into trouble finding opportunities, you can put on your own show. There’s a lot of casting agents who’ll come along if you invite them and they hear the play is good.

#5 Make a change

Change your visual style to mix up other people’s perceptions of you! Shave your head, grow a beard, change your make-up. Just be careful of anything permanent (tattoos, surgery, etc.)

#6 Hold it lightly and have fun!

Audiences can tell when an actor relishes a role, so give them their time’s worth by enjoying yourself.

#7 Grow a Van Dyke beard.

If all else fails, there’s plenty of Devil roles going.

Conclusion

With all the good and bad associated with it, typecasting is something to be aware of. But never afraid of. If you feel yourself slipping into the familiar, you can do something about it. That said, if it’s something you’re okay with, or actively looking to explore? Lean into your type and get that acting money!

Like many other facets of the actor’s life, typecasting requires some effort and consideration to navigate. Bring this to your career and your process, and you’ll be booking the parts you’re hoping for in no time.

Good luck!

The post How to Avoid Typecasting appeared first on StageMilk.

Rebecca Hitch Photography

As someone who’s been on both sides of the camera, Bec knows exactly what it feels like to get your headshots done. Rebecca Hitch Photography travels to three different locations in Australia; Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth so keep an eye out for when she’ll be out West. Rebecca always produces naturalistic headshots and always makes any client she’s working with feel comfortable in front of the camera. A number of us at StageMilk have worked with Rebecca before and can’t recommend her enough.

– $450 for a 1.5 hour outdoor natural light shoot
– Unlimited looks (within the time frame)
– All shots uploaded to an online gallery within a week after the shoot.
– 2 retouched high resolution colour shots
– Additional retouches are $30 each

Here’s an example of Rebecca’s work with Jake form the team!

Deanna Whyte

Deanna is another headshot photographer who works as an actor herself, and has done for about 20 years. Deanna believes that ‘a great actor’s headshot is relaxed, natural, and full of personality. The more comfortable you are, the more of you we’ll capture in your photos’. Deanna is based in Perth so should be available year round. Sadly there isn’t much information about prices or products of the headshot service on Deanna’s website, but you can reach out to her through her website that we’ve linked to above.

Headshot sessions cost $520. They include an hour shoot time, online proof gallery and 5 final images. Extra images are available for $60 per image. Shoots will be outdoors and proofs will be delivered within 2 weeks of the shoot date, and finals within 1 week of image selection.

Chris Huzzard

Chris has a long career as a photographer that has taken him all over the world. Lucky for us he’s now based in Perth and is available for all of your headshot needs. There isn’t much information about how the headshot service works on his website but similarly to Deanna Whyte you can reach out to him through his website that we’ve linked above. From what we know the reviews for Chris’ work seem to be entirely positive and highly regarded.

Tips for Getting Headshots in Perth

If you’re getting these shots in the summer, as many of us do for the new year, try to wear light clothes that are breathable and you won’t be sweating in too much. On top of that bring some napkins to dab your forehead with for when you do inevitably work up a sweat just by walking from your car into a building.

Be you! You should always aim to look like yourself (on a good hair day). Trying to look like anyone but yourself through your clothing, hairstyle, and vibe will always produce a disingenuous headshot. So wear clothes that feel like you in colours that suit, do your hair the best you can and try to just relax and have fun! This will produce a headshot that screams you!

Don’t ever feel like you have to be perfectly still and pose for your shots. Your headshot photographer is going to want you to be as relaxed and comfortable as you can be. So open up, have a yarn and get to know them! Your smile will come through when you inevitably crack a joke or have one cracked on you.

Check this out if you want to see our Complete Guide to a Great Headshot

And if you’d like to know what NOT to do in your headshot session and the surrounding time check out What Makes a Bad Headshot.

The post Best Perth Headshot Photographers appeared first on StageMilk.

Context

Our play begins in the midst of the Trojan War. The Trojans are at war with the greeks. We learn that a Greek warrior named Ajax has managed to overcome Prince Hector in combat and that Hector is now fighting furiously to regain his composure.

Fast forward to the Greek camp where we find a number of Officers and higher ups discussing strategy and other war stuff when all of a sudden a group of Trojan soldiers arrive with a challenge from Hector. He says he will defeat a champion of their choice to fight in one on one battle. The Greeks decide that Ajax will fight Hector.

Not long after this back in Troy, the court argues about whether or not to let Helen, a prisoner, go back to the Greeks. Hector argues that there is no reason to keep her as it only will mean more bloodshed, but ultimately they decide she is too valuable to lose.

Then finally the day of the fight comes and Ajax and Hector prepare to face off against one another. After a volley of blows Hector, not having his whole heart in the fight, learning that Ajax is his kin, says this…

Original Text

Why, then will I no more.
Thou art, great lord, my father’s sister’s son,
A cousin-german to great Priam’s seed.
The obligation of our blood forbids
A gory emulation ’twixt us twain.
Were thy commixtion Greek and Trojan so
That thou couldst say, ‘This hand is Grecian all,
And this is Trojan; the sinews of this leg
All Greek, and this all Troy; my mother’s blood
Runs on the dexter cheek, and this sinister
Bounds in my father’s’, by Jove multipotent,
Thou shouldst not bear from me a Greekish member
Wherein my sword had not impressure made
Of our rank feud. But the just gods gainsay
That any drop thou borrowed’st from thy mother,
My sacred aunt, should by my mortal sword
Be drained. Let me embrace thee, Ajax.
By him that thunders, thou hast lusty arms!
Hector would have them fall upon him thus.
Cousin, all honour to thee!

THEY EMBRACE

Unfamiliar Language

Seed: Children
Emulation: Fight
Twix: Between
Twain: Apart
Commixtian: Separate
Dexter: Right
Jove: God
Impressure: Mark
Gainsay: Forbid

Modern Translation

Well then I won’t fight anymore.
You are my cousin, great Lord.
And you’re the first cousin to all of Priam’s sons.
The blood connection we have doesn’t allow us to fight to the death.
If you could separate your Trojan and Greek parts and say:
‘This hand is Greek and this one is Trojan. The muscles in my leg are Trojan and the muscles in the other are Greek. My Mothers blood runs in my left cheek and my Fathers in my right.’
Then I swear to God you wouldn’t leave here today with a Greek part on your body.
But the God’s forbid that any of the blood you borrowed from your Mother, my Aunt, is spilled by my sword. Let me embrace you Ajax. By god you have strong arms and I would rather they embrace me than fight me. You deserve honour, cousin!

Notes on Performance

This speech is all about honour. Hector knowing that he doesn’t want to fight his cousin has to put a lot on the line here. If this speech doesn’t go down well it could mean his demise. So keep in mind when performing this that Hector doesn’t know what way this will go.

Stake stakes stakes. As I said before this is a life or death moment so don’t let this be too low stakes. Remember what your given circumstances are. You’re in an arena surrounded by bloodthirsty spectators. Remember what you wan’t. For neither of you to die in battle against one another. Connect to that and make it happen on the floor.

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TW: THIS TEXT CONTAINS SENSITIVE REFERENCES. PLEASE READ WITH CAUTION.

Context

At the beginning of the play we meet the titular character; Titus Andronicus, who is returning home to Rome after being away for the past 10 years at war with the Goths. Upon his return he brings with him a whole bunch of Prisoners including but not limited to Tamora, the Queen of the Goths, her sons Alarbus, Demetrius and Chiron, and her lover Aaron. During some political madness Titus sacrifices Alarbus and Tamora swears she will have her revenge.

Later on during even more political back and forth with people arguing over who’s gonna marry who and who killed who’s children Titus accuses some of his own sons of treason and actually kills one of them. Ultimately this leads to Saturninus, the newly elected emperor of Rome, marrying Tamora and obviously setting them all free.

The next day on a royal hunt Aaron convinces Demetrius and Chiron to murder Bassianus, the brother of Saturninus, and sexually assault and dismember Lavinia. In a horrific show of violence and horror cutting out her tongue and removing her hands from her arms the daughter of Titus. It’s not until much later when her Uncle Marcus finds her in the woods that she receives any help at all. Aaron frames Titus’ sons for the murder.

And so Lavinia is brought to Titus who is beyond distraught to find her in such a condition. Aaron arrives on the scene not long after saying that Saturninus is willing to let Titus’ two sons go for the murder of Bassianus in exchange for one of Titus’ hands. Titus obviously agrees and Aaron removes the hand himself and “takes it to the emperor”.

We learn not long after that Aaron was lying, when a messenger arrives with the two severed heads of Titus’ sons, along with Titus’ own hand. Naturally Titus swears his revenge.

A few days later Lavinia reveals what happened to her. She points to a very similar event in the story Metamorphosis, and used a stick held between her teeth to write the names Demetrius and Chiron in the sand.

Later we find out that Tamora has given birth to a child. But it is clear by the colour of its skin that the child is Aarons and not Saturninus’. So Aaron swaps it out with a baby of a lighter skinned complexion and conspires to save his child by taking it to the goths.

But Aaron is captured, as they are about to execute him, they ask if he regrets his crimes and he has this to say as his final words.

Original Text

Ay, that I had not done a thousand more.
Even now I curse the day – and yet I think
Few come within the compass of my curse –
Wherein I did not some notorious ill,
As kill a man or else devise his death,
Ravish a maid or plot the way to do it,
Accuse some innocent and forswear myself,
Set deadly enmity between two friends,
Make poor men’s cattle break their necks,
Set fire on barns and haystacks in the night
And bid the owners quench them with their tears.
Oft have I digged up dead men from their graves
And set them upright at their dear friends’ door,
Even when their sorrows almost was forgot,
And on their skins, as on the bark of trees,
Have with my knife carved in Roman letters,
‘Let not your sorrow die though I am dead.’
Tut , I have done a thousand dreadful things
As willingly as one would kill a fly,
And nothing grieves me heartily indeed
But that I cannot do ten thousand more.

Unfamiliar Language

Compass: Radius
Ill: Bad deeds
Devise: Plan
Ravish: Sexually Assault
Forswear: Swear
Oft: Often
Digged: Dug
Heartily: Strongly

Modern Translation

Yes, that I didn’t do a thousand more.
Even now I curse the day, even though there haven’t been that many days like this,
When I didn’t do some heinous thing.
Like kill a man, or plan his death.
Sexually assault a woman, or plan her attack.
Accuse an innocent person and swear on it.
Make two friends hate each other.
Kill the cattle of poor farmers.
Burn down barns in the night and make the owners douse it with their own tears.
I’ve often dug up peoples graves and put the bodies at the doors of their friends, just as they were finished grieving.
And carved into their skins with my knife in roman letters ‘Even though I’m dead don’t let your grief die’, just like carving the bark of a tree.
Tisk, I’ve done a thousand horrible things as easily as killing a fly.
And nothing makes me sadder than the fact that I can’t do a thousand more.

Notes on Performance

Now, in Aaron we find, not unlike Richard the III, a villain who likes being a villain. So it is important to keep that in mind when playing Aaron. He revels in the fact that he does things to people that are reprehensible and enjoys it. Play with that, don’t shy away from it.

With that said, we must keep in mind, also not unlike Richard, the reasons for Aaron being the way he is. Aaron is a Moor. Now the term Moor does not conflate a specific group of people, but was used interchangeably by white, mostly christian Europeans to refer to a large group of people including Arab people and North African Berbers, as well as Muslim Europeans, but generally, it was used to refer to any Muslim person in general. Ultimately, what this means in context of the story we’re telling is that Aaron is a person of colour, and the word Moor was used as a derogatory term. So with that said it brings us back to understanding Aaron. Aaron is a heinous, evil man who does terrible things to people around him and beyond, and there is no excuse or apology for those actions. But much like Richard he has been cast aside his entire life as someone who is different and therefore inferior to the white Europeans he spends time around. With that information it is up to you to make decisions on how you approach this character but the historical context of his circumstances can not go unnoted.

So what the rest of your work comes down to is allowing yourself to connect to the given circumstances, the relationships, and history of Aaron. Meditate on it. Think to yourself: how would I react if I was about to be executed. How would I react if I had been treated as less-than my whole life. And how would I react if I had done these horrific acts with zero remorse whatsoever. What kind of a person would that make me?

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Context

So this play takes place in Ancient Britain, during the Roman occupation. Cymbeline is the King of Britain, and about 20 years ago two of his sons were stolen from him by someone called Belarius, leaving him with one child, his daughter Imogen. Cymbeline discovers that Imogen has married her lover Posthumus in secret and banishes Posthumus, because he feels that Imgoen being his only heir, must produce an heir of her own of full royal blood. Meanwhile the Queen is conspiring to have her son from a previous marriage, Clotten, marry Imogen, and to then poison her and King Cymbeline taking the throne for herself. She goes to the court doctor to procure what she thinks is poison, but is in fact a harmless sleeping potion switched out by the doctor who is suspicious of her. She passes the potion onto Imogen and Posthumus’ servant under the guise of medicine. Imogen, heartbroken, hides herself away in her chambers, and away from Clotten aggressive advances.

So Posthumus has been banished to Italy. While there he meets Iachamo. Iachamo bets Posthumus that he can seduce Imogen and bring him back proof. If he wins he gets Posthumus wedding bracelet and if he loses he has to pay Posthumus and fight him in a duel. And so he goes to Britain where he aggressively tries to seduce Imogen who strongly shuts him down, and sends him packing. So Iachamo hides in a chest in Imogen’s chamber and waits for her to sleep. Once she’s sleeping he comes out, takes the bracelet and takes notes of the mole on Imogen’s chest as proof that he won the bet. Returning to Rome he manages to convince Posthumus that he won the bet, and Posthumus has this to say about women…

Original Text

Is there no way for men to be, but women
Must be half-workers? We are all bastards,
And that most venerable man which I
Did call my father was I know not where
When I was stamped. Some coiner with his tools
Made me a counterfeit; yet my mother seemed
The Dian of that time, so doth my wife
The non-pareil of this. O vengeance, vengeance!
Me of my lawful pleasure she restrained
And prayed me oft forbearance; did it with
A pudency so rosy, the sweet view on’t
Might well have warmed old Saturn, that I thought her
As chaste as unsunned snow. O, all the devils!
This yellow Iachimo, in an hour, was’t not?
Or less, at first? Perchance he spoke not, but
Like a full-acorned boar, a German one,
Cried ‘O!’ and mounted; found no opposition
But what he looked for should oppose, and she
Should from encounter guard. Could I find out
The woman’s part in me– for there’s no motion
That tends to vice in man but I affirm
It is the woman’s part: be it lying, note it,
The woman’s; flattering, hers; deceiving, hers;
Lust and rank thoughts, hers, hers; revenges, hers;
Ambitions, covetings, change of prides, disdain,
Nice-longing, slanders, mutability,
All faults that name– nay, that hell knows– why hers
In part or all, but rather all, for even to vice
They are not constant but are changing still,
One vice but of a minute old for one
Not half so old as that. I’ll write against them,
Detest them, curse them. Yet ’tis greater skill
In a true hate to pray they have their will.
The very devils cannot plague them better.

Unfamiliar Language

Venerable: Respected
Stamped: Conceived
Coiner: Forger
Nonpareil: Equal
Pudecy: Prudence
Perchance: Perhaps
Coveting: Jealousy
Mutability: Fickleness

Modern Translation

Is there no way for men to exist but for women to work half as hard?
We’re all illegitimate, and my ‘respectable’ father was who-knows-where when I was conceived.
I am a counterfeit made by a forger.
My mother seemed like a virgin goddess back then and my wife appears equally the same now!
Oh revenge, revenge! My perfectly normal urges she gently turned down and asked me to show restraint!
She would do it with such sweet prudence that even the Gods couldn’t resist her. I thought she was as pure as fresh snow.
Oh what the hell! Ugly Iachamo; within an hour wasn’t it?
Or even less? When they first saw each other. Maybe he didn’t even speak and he just roared like a bear and mounted her.
He found no opposition except for the opposition he wanted, not the sort she should have used to stop him.
If only I could find the womanly part of me. If it’s lying that’s the womanly part.
If it’s flattering, it’s hers
If it’s lying, it’s hers
If it’s sex crazed it’s hers
It’s hers if it wants revenge
Ambitious, Jealous, Changing clothes, disagreeable, delusional, slanderous, indecisive, every sin without a name, no wait all the sins in hell! They’re all hers! Women aren’t even faithful to their vices! Changing vices every other minute. I’ll write about women, hate women and curse women. But it’s an even better revenge to pray that they get what they want.
Even the devil can’t make their lives harder than that.

Notes on Performance

As always it’s always a good idea to try and read the play before embarking on understanding a monologue fully. So try and find a copy of the play or take a look at our play breakdown here!

The other thing to keep in mind is that there is a bit of a confidence trick you need to pull on yourself here. As the actor you know that Posthumus’ assumptions are false but you need to be able to convince your character brain that Imogen has been unfaithful!

Lastly you can really allow yourself to be a little gross here. There’s no need to make Posthumus sympathetic here because to a modern audience he really isn’t. So don’t hold back!

The post Posthumus Monologue (Act 2, Scene 5) appeared first on StageMilk.

Context

Meet Bassanio, a young Venicean of noble birth who wants to woo the heiress of Belmont, Portia. He needs money to get to Belmont and so he asks his friend Antonio to loan it to him. Unfortunately for Bassanio, Antonio is a bit skint at the moment and says he’ll cover the bond if Bassanio can find a lender. And so Bassanio goes to the wealthy Jewish man, Shylock. Shylock agrees to loan him the money on the condition that should he not get it back he will take a pound of Bassanio’s flesh as collateral. And so after some deliberation he agrees and readies himself to go to Belmont with his friend Gratiano, but is met by Launcelot Gobbo, a servant of Shylock, and his Father Old Gobbo who come to Bassanio asking to enter his service instead…

Original Text

Certainly, my conscience will serve me to run from this Jew, my master. The fiend is at mine elbow and tempts me, saying to me, ‘Giobbe, Lancelet Giobbe, good Lancelet’, or ‘Good Giobbe’, or ‘Good Lancelet Giobbe, use your legs, take the start, run away’ my conscience says, ‘No; take heed, honest Lancelet, take heed, honest Giobbe’, or, as aforesaid, ‘Honest Lancelet Giobbe, do not run, scorn running with thy heels.’ Well, the most courageous fiend bids me pack. ‘ Via ,’ says the fiend, ‘away,’ says the fiend, ‘for the heavens, rouse up a brave mind,’ says the fiend, ‘and run.’ Well, my conscience, hanging about the neck of my heart, says very wisely to me: ‘My honest friend Lancelet’, being an honest man’s son, or rather an honest woman’s son, for indeed my father did something smack, something grow to – he had a kind of taste – well, my conscience says, ‘ Lancelet , budge not.’ ‘Budge,’ says the fiend. Budge not,’ says my conscience. ‘Conscience,’ say I, ‘you counsel well. Fiend,’ say I, ‘you counsel well.’ To
be ruled by my conscience, I should stay with the Jew my master, who, God bless the mark, is a kind of devil; and, to run away from the Jew, I should be ruled by the fiend, who, saving your reverence , is the devil himself. Certainly the Jew is the very devil incarnation, and, in my conscience, my conscience is but a kind of hard conscience, to offer to counsel me to stay with the Jew. The fiend gives the more friendly counsel: I will run, fiend, my heels are at your commandment; I will run.

Unfamiliar Language

Fiend: Devil
Take Heed: Wait
Aforesaid: Said before
Scorn: Look down on/Tell off/Punish
Via: Go
Rouse: Conjur
Smack: Dishonest
Grow-To: Unfaithful
Mark: Man

Modern Translation

Certainly my conscience wants me to run away from my master, this Jewish man. But the devil is in my ear saying ‘Gobbo, Launcelot Gobbo, good Launcelot’, or ‘Good Gobbo’, or ‘Good Launcelot, get moving, run away!’ but my conscience says ‘No wait, honest Launcelot, wait, honest Gobbo’, or as I said before ‘honest Launcelot, don’t run, look down on running away’.
Well, the brave devil keeps telling me to pack my things! ‘Go!’ the devil says, ‘Get away!’the devil says, ‘for heaven’s sake, strengthen your convictions!’ the devil says ‘and run!’.
Well my conscience hanging from my heart has these wise words: ‘My honest friend Launcelot’, being the son of an honest man, or rather the son of an honest woman given my father has done some dishonest and unfaithful things – he had a certain taste for it. Anway so my conscience says ‘Launcelot, don’t move’, ‘Go’ says the devil, ‘Don’t move’ says my conscience.
So I say to my conscience ‘Conscience, you give good advice’ and then to the devil I say ‘Devil, you also give good advice’. If I follow my conscience then I should stay here with my master, who, God bless the man, is a kind of devil himself, and if I listen to the devil, then I’d be ruled by the devil who is the devil himself. So it simply must be that my Jewish master is the devil himself, and so my conscience is being a very tough conscience advising me to stay with my master. So the devil is a lot nicer. I will run Devil, my feet are at your commandment, I will run!

Notes on Performance

Okay so the first thing to note about this monologue is just how much fun you can have with the words. Where there’s repetition there’s opportunity for comedy through word play. Go through the script and mark out all of the repeated words and phrases and use those to your advantage by leaning into the absurdity of the repetition.

The next thing to note is how much fun can be found in the different characterizations. There’s really four characters being spoken about in the monologue: The conscience (or the angel), the fiend (the devil), Launcelot the storyteller, and of course past Launcelot. The last is important to keep in mind as this isn’t happening in the present, Launcelot is recounting a spiritual journey. It just happens to be very silly. This is almost as if Hamlet had another monologue after Act 3, Scene 1 in which he recounted his internal monologue as to whether or not to be, or not to be and just wasn’t as eloquent.

Lastly, as always, play for truth. Comedy is never funny for the audience if the character or the actor thinks they’re being funny. Play it truthfully but be aware that you’re being funny.

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Context

Meet Henry Bolingbroke, who will later become King Henry VI of England, succeeding his cousin, Richard the II, the current King. But more on that later. At the start of the play Bolingbroke has accused Mowbray of treason, and of murdering his uncle. Mowbray denies the accusations and King Richard decides they will settle the matter in a duel. John of Gaunt, Bolingbroke’s father, believes it was Richard who ordered the death of his brother, and King Richard’s wife reveals that to be true in the next scene, but John is too loyal to the crown to take action.

Just as the duel is about to start Richard banishes both Mowbray and Bolingbroke, but upon seeing John of Gaunt’s reaction, reduces Bolingbroke’s sentence to just six years.

Fast forward and John of Gaunt has turned ill and died whilst his son Bolingbroke is still banished. Immediately afterwards Richard seizes all of his land and money, planning to use it to fund a war with Ireland.

This angers a lot of people, but not York, Bolingbroke’s Uncle, who still remains loyal to the King. Those who are angry with Richard help Bolingbroke to return to England to overthrow Richard.

When Richard leaves to invade Ireland Bolingbroke invades the north coast of England but he is met by his Uncle, the Duke of York who accuses him of treason. Bolingbroke responds…

Original Text

As I was banished, I was banished Hereford;
But as I come, I come for Lancaster.
And noble uncle, I beseech your grace,
Look on my wrongs with an indifferent eye.
You are my father, for methinks in you
I see old Gaunt alive. O then, my father,
Will you permit that I shall stand condemned
A wandering vagabond, my rights and royalties
Plucked from my arms perforce and given away
To upstart unthrifts? Wherefore was I born?
If that my cousin king be King in England,
It must be granted I am Duke of Lancaster.
You have a son, Aumerle, my noble cousin.
Had you first died and he been thus trod down,
He should have found his uncle Gaunt a father
To rouse his wrongs and chase them to the bay.
I am denied to sue my livery here,
And yet my letters patents give me leave.
My father’s goods are all distrained and sold,
And these, and all, are all amiss employed.
What would you have me do? I am a subject,
And I challenge law . Attorneys are denied me,
And therefore personally I lay my claim
To my inheritance of free descent.

Unfamiliar Language

Beseech: Ask
Indifferent: Impartial
Condemned: Judged
Vagabond: Someone without a home
Perforce: By force
Upstart: Risen suddenly in rank
Unthrifts: Spendthrift/Bad with money
Wherefore: Why
Thus: This way
Trod: Stepped upon
Sue: Wear
Livery: Family colours
Letters–Patents: Legal rights
Distrain’d: Liquidated
Amiss employed: Put to ill ends

Modern Translation

When I was banished, I was banished with the name Hereford;
But now I return as a Lancaster.
And noble Uncle, I beg you now,
Look at the things I’ve done without judgement.
You are like a father to me, because when I look at you
It’s like I’m looking at Old John of Gaunt in the flesh.
Oh, my Father will you allow me to stand here condemned with everything that
Is rightfully mine stripped away from me by force and handed to some spendthrift ambitious folks?
Why was I born? If my cousin is the King, then I must be the Duke of Lancaster.
You have a son, Aumerle, my noble cousin.
If you’d died first and he had been treated like me,
He would have found a father in John of Gaunt,
Who would help him fix his mistakes and chase his troubles away.
I am not allowed to wear my family colours here.
Even though I have legal right to do so,
Everything my father had has been liquidated and sold,
And everything has been put to ill use.
What do you want from me? I am a citizen and I am challenging the law of the land.
And therefore, I have come to claim my inheritance in person.

Notes on Performance

Keep in mind exactly what’s at stake if this goes wrong. Both of these men stand here speaking to each other with their own armies right behind them ready to fight. This is what it means to be aware of the given circumstances. Hundreds of lives are at stake so keep that in mind.

The second thing to think about is that you want to be trying to affect whoever it is you’re speaking to, which in this instance is the Duke of York. You need to convince that character not to demolish you on the spot with the entirety of the Royal English Army behind him and to allow you to come home to challenge the King’s ruling. So chase that objective.

Lastly, as mentioned before, keep in mind that underlying this whole speech about just coming home to claim his inheritance is the plan to overthrow the King. Bolingbroke isn’t necessarily lying per se but he is withholding the truth of his true intentions. This is subtext and you should keep this in mind during her rehearsal and performance of this speech.

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Context

Our play begins, you guessed it, in Verona; where we meet Proteus and Valentine (our two gentlemen of Verona). Valentine is getting ready to set sail to Milan in order to broaden his horizons and is begging Proteus to come with him. But Proteus refuses, saying he wouldn’t want to leave Julia, the woman he is madly in love with. Valentine accepts, the two bid each other farewell, and Valentine hits the road.

Meanwhile, we meet Julia and Lucetta in Julia’s bedroom as they discuss potential bachelors for her. Julia doesn’t believe that Proteus really loves her as he hasn’t even bothered to flirt with her. Plus she doesn’t want to admit just how much she likes him. That is until Lucetta reveals a letter that she says was sent by Speed, Valentines servant, from Proteus. Julia, still not wanting to admit her feelings, tears up the letter and sends Lucetta away. Suddenly realising what she’s done she says…

Original Text

Nay, would I were so anger’d with the same!
O hateful hands, to tear such loving words;
Injurious wasps, to feed on such sweet honey,
And kill the bees that yield it, with your stings!
I’ll kiss each several paper for amends.
Look, here is writ ‘kind Julia.’ Unkind Julia!
As in revenge of thy ingratitude,
I throw thy name against the bruising stones,
Trampling contemptuously on thy disdain.
And here is writ ‘love-wounded Proteus’.
Poor wounded name: my bosom, as a bed,
Shall lodge thee till thy wound be thoroughly heal’d;
And thus I search it with a sovereign kiss.
But twice, or thrice, was ‘Proteus’ written down:
Be calm, good wind, blow not a word away,
Till I have found each letter, in the letter,
Except mine own name: that some whirlwind bear
Unto a ragged, fearful, hanging rock,
And throw it thence into the raging sea.
Lo, here in one line is his name twice writ:
‘Poor forlorn Proteus’, ‘passionate Proteus’.
‘To the sweet Julia’: that I’ll tear away.
And yet I will not, sith so prettily
He couples it to his complaining names.
Thus will I fold them one on another:
Now kiss, embrace, contend, do what you will.

Unfamiliar Language

Injurious: something that causes pain or harm
Disdain: to look down on something with contempt; to despise
Sovereign: excellent, leading or outstanding
Thence: from there, from that place
Forlorn: abandoned, outcast
Sith: since

Modern Translation

No, I wish I was actually angry with this letter!
Oh, these hand are hateful to tear up such loving words.
They are harmful wasps that eat the bees honey and then kill
Them with their stings!
I’ll kiss each piece of paper to make up for it.
Oh, look! This one says ‘kind Julia’. UNkind Julia!
In revenge for your ungratefulness
I’ll throw your name against these rocks
And trample all over your disdain.
And this one says ‘love-wounded Proteus’
Poor thing. I’ll keep your name next to my heart
And that should give it a healing kiss.
Proteus’ name is written down two, maybe three times.
Calm yourself, wind! Don’t blow these scraps of paper away,
Until I’ve found each letter in the letter expect for my own name:
Then you can make a whirlwind and blow that against some ragged rocks
And into the violent sea for all I care.
Look here’s a line that has his name twice.
‘Poor abandoned Proteus’ ‘Passionate Proteus’
‘To the sweet Julia’, well I’ll throw that one away.
Wait, maybe I won’t, since he ties our names so
Lovingly together.
I’ll fold our names on top of one another like this.
Now kiss, embrace, wrestle, do what you want.

Notes on Performance

This monologue affords the actor an opportunity to have a lot of fun. While Julia is going through a turmoil it can be quite funny for the audience to see her trying to piece back together this letter that she tore up in spite so keep it light!

Physicalise! There’s a lot of visual comedy to be found here. How manically is she trying to find the paper? How does she battle against the wind? How fast or slowly does she kiss each piece of paper? Have fun with this and find some physical comedy.

Lastly, while you find all of the fun that’s in this monologue, remember: to the character it’s devastating, frustrating and self flagellating. So always come from a place of truth when you’re finding the comedy.

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