Drama coursework: response portfolio Scaramouche Jones :: essays research papers

Drama coursework: response portfolio Scaramouche Jones This year in year 10 G.C.S.E. drama we have been studying Justin Butchers play â€Å"Scaramouche Jones†. We read, discussed, developed and preformed certain parts of the play and using some of the explorative strategies of drama we gained a deeper understanding and appreciation of the play text that was explored. Before we began to read the play text we were put into groups of 2 and we were made to perform a one minute piece of a clown show. This sketch was based completely on our own interpretations of a clown act. This helped us to get into the character of a clown for what might have been our first time. For this piece I was put into a group with Stephanie Gorsach. We preformed a classic slap stick comedy clown act e.g. throwing imaginary pies and hitting each other. After we did this piece we began to read the play text for the first time. My first impression of the play was that it was very odd and was going to be incredibly boring. I was wrong! The first section of the play we explored was he opening scene. In the first section of the play we first meet Scaramouche Jones. We find out that he is a clown as he comes in from one of his many performances. Our first piece of performance was a 2 man show. It was the first scene of the play. For this piece I was put into a pair with Tashan Baptist. This piece was surprisingly hard for a first major piece as we had what I thought was a short time of 2 weeks to perform the piece. This was made even harder by the expectations of our teachers and the amount of pressure. This was our first introduction to the character of Scaramouche Jones. This piece helped me to experience the character for myself and after doing the slap stick clown act with Stephanie I could just about imagine how tired he would be at 100 years old. The next piece of development that we did was the thought tracking process. For this piece we were put into small groups and asked to act out what we thought Scaramouche would be feeling at that moment in time. Unfortunately I missed this lesson but I asked one of my class mates to help me by going over this with me.

Investigate the theme of power, as presented in The Handmaid’s Tale

Power. What do we think of when we talk about power? Perhaps we think of the power of a country armed to the teeth with weapons of mass destruction. Perhaps we think of a millionaire, able to buy his way through anything thanks to the power of money. We may even think that we have some form of power ourselves, such as the power of having lent someone money or of having done someone a favour. Nevertheless, while we can easily think of examples of powerful people, we may have great difficulty thinking of a case where someone has absolutely no power. Could it be, however, that Offred is one of these isolated cases? To understand Offred thoughts properly, it is first necessary to understand the situation she is in. As a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, her sole function is to bear her Commander children. She is regarded by the state as a thing, not a person – hence her name Of-Fred (Fred is the name of her Commander). The Commander and his Wife are both superior to Offred in Gilead's hierarchy. Below her come all the other members of society. Of course, this does not automatically mean that she has power over all the lower classes. They are responsible to the Commander and his Wife only. Offred herself, of course, is responsible to the Commander, although the Wife also has the power to get rid of her: â€Å"If I'm caught it's up to Serena's tender mercies I'll be delivered. [†¦] I could become an Unwoman. But to refuse to see him could be worse. There's no doubt about who holds the real power.† This passage, of course, refers to Offred breaking the rules, so in that sense the Wife would have less power over her if she stuck to them. Offred addresses the issue of power in another extract, too: â€Å"But remember too that forgiveness is a power. To beg for it is a power, and to withhold or bestow it is a power, perhaps the greatest. Maybe none of this is about control. Maybe it isn't really about who can own whom, who can do what to whom and get away with it, even as far as death. [†¦] Maybe it's about who can do what to whom and be forgiven for it.† This is no doubt one of the most important parts of the book. Why would begging for and granting forgiveness be a power? Begging for forgiveness is, I think, not really much of a power. On the contrary, I feel that begging for anything is wanting, and therefore a weakness. Offred herself says: â€Å"To want is to have a weakness.† To forgive someone or not, on the other hand, is a power, and a great one at that. This can be simply explained by expanding on the idea that to want is to have a weakness. Weaknesses can be exploited, and if you do this, you have power over the person with the weakness. So if someone is begging for forgiveness, it automatically puts you in a powerful position, whether you grant forgiveness or not. Of course, this power is purely psychological. No physical power is being exerted. Yet we must not downplay psychological power in any way. In fact, most power is in the minds of those it affects, and is not based on tangible things. Of course, it may seem more logical that the power to kill someone is bigger than the one to grant forgiveness. This is not necessarily so. Death will get us all, sooner or later. The important part is life itself, and how it is spent. To live with a psychological power will therefore last until both people are dead, far longer than if one were simply to kill the other. The Commander and the Republic of Gilead may have power over Offred's body, but she now has power over the Commander too. From the moment on where Nick asks her to visit the Commander, she knows that he needs something. If he needs her, for whatever reason, she can control him. The fact that he has also overstepped the line means that he too can suffer grave consequences if the relationship were to be exposed, even if by the Commander's Wife. As we read on in the book, we strongly notice how the ‘balance of power' is shifting slowly from the Commander and the state to Offred herself. The more people need her (Nick also seems to want something from her) the more power she will have. The Republic of Gilead, of course, tried to remove all power from the Handmaids, but because they occupy such a vital position in society, they automatically have quite a lot of power over the whole of society. This theme of power changing hands was no doubt one of the main ideas that Margaret Atwood aimed to weave into her story. Personally, however, I feel that it tends to be overshadowed by the many other themes (most notably utopian society and gender politics) so that it really does lose a major part of its impact. Indeed, my main criticism of the whole book would be that there are so many things mixed into it that it is impossible to appreciate all aspects fully.

The Importance Of Technology - 998 Words

â€Å"Every once in awhile, a new technology, an old problem, and a big idea turn into an innovation† New technology is being created every day. It extends the possibilities of the human world. There is always a problem that can be solved by the technology that people brainstorm ideas to solve problems. Without technology, life would be 10 times harder than it already is. Tech is all around us. Every problem can be fixed with tech that is made to fix a problem. Scientists are always using technology to cure diseases and it saves lives. Technology has found cures and treatments for my Lyme Disease and my mother’s cancers. Technology is used to collect blood. It can measure speeds of car and measure things that can’t be measured by normal tools.†¦show more content†¦It helps with everyday problems that doctors might come across. Technology is improving each and every day. The technology in cars are becoming more and more advanced. The airbags are improved Cars now have the capability to alert drivers about traffic behind you so that you don’t wreck when turning into the other lane. They can stop your car if you’re not paying attention to the road and keep you from driving someone over. The technology for safety is providing cars with the ability to alert you or automatic stopping. A company in Japan is working on creating a drone delivery service and flying ubers. Scientists and engineers are always working on ways to improve your life. New tech is coming out everyday to improve living qualities. There is a water purifier that cleans your water so that you are prevented from ingesting harmful bacteria that can kill you. So many new ways are being invented and used in everyday technology to keep us safe. We are always using tech in our jobs and classrooms. Computers are used for everything. We use them to calculate tax and how much money that we need to make so that we are able to live. We use them for research and development. There are computers in the registers at the store or restaurant. It keeps track of how much money is collected and taken out. The security cameras that keep us safe useShow MoreRelatedThe Importance of Technology1118 Words   |  5 PagesAccording to Vikram (7), technology refers the application of scientific knowledge and skills for practical purposes in diverse fields such as industries, education, and agriculture among other fields. Technology is therefore an organized knowledge for practical purposes in human day to day life. The fundamental purpose of every human life is to increase standards of living, improve the quality of his life and to always have a greater satisfaction in life (Vikram 8). These fundamental purposes canRead MoreTechnology Importance1088 Words   |  5 PagesThe Importance of Technology, which was always debatable, has now become more controversial. 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Technology will continue to advance and will eventually (if not already) become part of everyone’s daily life. For this reason, students must learn how to use technology now. Hence, all students should have access to a laptop whether it is their own or one provided by the school because laptops allow studentsRead MoreThe Importance Of Technology1806 Words   |  8 PagesAs time progresses, our conscious mind becomes muddled into the fast-paced society where we rely frequently on the usage of technology to solve our everyday life. Although, it is impor tant to acknowledge the development and capabilities of modernization, it is essential to be cognizant of one’s mind. Having an innate capability of free-will is a powerful tool for humans to utilize because it gives us the choice to think for ourselves rather than letting others or machines think for us. 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