Book #22: The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare

You can’t be an English teacher without some experience with Shakespeare. No doubt we have all read him…or the Spark Notes version of Willy. I’m not stupid, I know a decent amount of students end up reading Spark Notes instead of the actual plays, but a teacher can dream!

            In episode four, Rory is studying for an important English test on Shakespeare. I’m goingThe Comedy of Errors, which also happens to be the first play Shakespeare wrote. Lorelai has Rory recall the date that the play was written (1590) and the date that it was published (1623); however, Rory has trouble remembering the latter. Lorelai, though, has a rule that any date within a hundred years is close enough. My history teacher friends would say otherwise…

to breeze past the subject of Lorelai dating Rory’s English teacher and just focus on the task at hand. Several Shakespeare texts are mentioned in this episode. The first is

            I am fairly well versed in Shakespeare, but I definitely would not say I am an expert. I own a Riverside Shakespeare Complete Works and have spent a couple of weeks studying at Stratford-upon-Avon, but there is so much more that I want to know. Many people groan at the thought of reading Shakespeare because the language is difficult to understand. That is precisely why I enjoy reading Shakespeare! I enjoy the challenge. I find it rewarding to read something that takes me a little bit of time to decipher. It is fun to pick apart the language and discover the double meanings at play. No matter how many times you read or see a Shakespeare play, there is always something new to uncover.

            The Comedy of Errors is a new play for me. I have read several of Shakespeare’s comedies (As You Like It, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream) throughout my education, but never this one. Perhaps this is because in comparison to Shakespeare’s other comedies, The Comedy of Errors falls a bit short. Don’t get me wrong, it is still Shakespeare so therefore it is still infinitely better than a lot of literature. But it can be argued that Shakespeare plays with similar themes and motifs better in other plays. This comedy is often defined as a farce, a type of comedy that resorts to cheap slap-stick humor and crude jokes. The characters are archetypes without much development. With so many more well developed characters and clever jokes in other plays, The Comedy of Errors just doesn’t compare.

            The Comedy of Errors focuses on two sets of twins who are torn apart from their siblings when they are babies. Sounds confusing, right? It gets more confusing when it is revealed that the twins have the same name. There is Antipholus of Ephesus and Antipholus of Syracuse. Each Antipholus brother has a slave by the name of Dromio so there is also a Dromio of Ephesus and Dromio of Syracuse. This made it confusing to read and the narrative difficult to follow. However, it was necessary that the twins had the same name because it lead to the majority of the comedic situations. Personally, I found the comedy in this play frustrating because you can see what is going to happen before it does. It is like an episode of I Love Lucy. The situation is over exaggerated and repeats itself through the play. Each character is aware that they have a twin so why don't they realize what is going on sooner? How many times do the twins have to As You Like it and Twelfth Night. Shakespeare also didn't have to spend thirty lines comparing the size of a woman’s butt to different countries (“She is spherical like a globe. I could find out countries in her.”). Those thirty lines could have been better spent, but I guess butt jokes just never get old. 

I always wished I could study at Luke's

be confused for them to realize "oh hey, it is my long lost brother"? I think Shakespeare handled the subject of twins much better in

            Shakespeare touches on a fear that reappears throughout literature in this play. I previously discussed the fear of the doppelgänger in relation to The Prince and the Pauper. The fear of the doppelgänger is rooted in the fear of someone not believing that you are you. What happens when even your closest family and friends don’t recognize you as you or believe that someone else is you? It makes you question your sense of self. If the people who claim to know you the best can’t recognize you or tell you apart from an imposter, what does that say about who you are? In many of his plays, Shakespeare focuses on this theme whether it is in his comedies, tragedies, or histories. 

Next on the list is one of Shakespeare’s histories (and tragedies), The Tragedy of Richard the III. This one is also new to me and I am looking forward to reading it as I am also a history buff. 

Some of my favorite lines from this play:

- “If the skin were parchment and the blows you gave were ink,

Your handwriting would tell you what I think.”

- “Every why hath a wherefore.”

- “And now let’s go hand in hand, not one before another.”

Pictures:

- https://ctxlivetheatre.com/static/media/uploads/posters/comedy_of_errors_opt.jpg

- http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/images/9044/normal

- https://watchusplaygames.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/luke-pie-violent-pencil-throwing-rory-gilmore-girls-deer-hunters-episode-4-season-1-screenshot.jpg 

Bonus Books: George Sand, Mark Twain, Schindler's List, and Plato

There are many authors referenced throughout Gilmore Girls that are not on the official list. Lorelai and Rory rattle off book and movie titles without skipping a beat. References can fly by even the most attentive viewer. I have a friend who would pause the show and look up a reference when he didn't know it. Personally, I only cared about the literature references. Being the book nerd I am, I have started to add these author onto my reading pile. It’s not as if I need to add more to the 339 book list, but, hey, I am a perfectionist.

George Sand

George Sand was referenced in episode two during the exchange between Paris and the teacher when War and Peace, Anna Karenina, and all the Dickens passages were mentioned. The teacher says that “Dostoevski’s main authorial influences…” and Paris responds with “George Sand and Balzac.” Books by Dostoevski and Balzac appear later on the list, but George Sand does not. George Sand is one of those names I have come across in my literature studies, but never made the effort to look up. It turns out that George Sand is a French FEMALE novelist from the 1800s. She was born Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin, but chose George Sand as her pseudonym. Obviously, more people would read her work if they thought it was written by a man in that time period.

            I found one of her short stories, “The Devil’s Pool” online. It is a pastoral novella which has a heavy focus on nature and human relationships. It follows a young widower as he travels to meet a potential new wife. However, he ends up falling for the young woman who is traveling with him to watch over his children. Sweet, right? No. He is 28 and she is 15…and she doesn’t really want to marry him. But he persuades her that she should and she says yes. How romantic? Am I right?

            It isn’t a very complex story and much of the narrative is focused on the day to day life of the French country side. If you recall, Dickens and Tolstoy spent much of their novels focusing on the day to day life of different social groups in their novels. While I see the importance of recording the everyday life of the people, it can get a bit boring to read. 

Mark Twain 

            Mark Twain is one of my favorite nineteenth century American authors. If you remember, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of my favorite classic novels. Twain is probably best known for his humor and that is how Rory mentions him while golfing with her grandfather. Twain is noted for saying “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” I couldn’t have said it better myself! Golf is boring and the only entertaining way to play it is through Putt-Putt at the beach.

            Since no specific title by Twain was referenced here, I chose to read The Prince and the

Pauper, a text I always wanted to read, but never had the chance. I am sure you all know the basic plot of the story: two boys, a prince and a pauper, who realize they look exactly alike switch places and trouble ensues. Variations of this story have been told again and again through films like The Parent Trap and Mary-Kate and Ashley’s It Takes Two. I’m also pretty sure there is a Mickey Mouse version of the tale as well as a Barbie version. 

            This tale is so enticing because every person always wonders what their life could be like if they had taken different opportunities or were placed in different circumstances. More so, the idea of the double, or doppelganger, is a motif that stretches across time. There is an innate fear of our “evil twin” or our dark side. Even though Twain does not make the prince nor the pauper evil, that fear of the double is still present. What if someone can’t tell you apart? Can your identity be taken? These fears are at the root of many stories on television today (The Vampire Diaries, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alias, Charmed, Supernatural).

            I enjoyed reading The Prince and the Pauper, but not as much as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Even though I liked the idea of the story, the writing did not draw me in as much as some of Twain’s other stories. Maybe it was the point in time that I read it, but I could not seem to really get invested in the book or the characters. That doesn’t mean that the book is not worth reading. It just means that I couldn’t connect to the story at the point in my life that I read it.

Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally

            Schindler’s List, the movie, was referenced in episode two when Rory mentioned that she had been part of the German club at Stars Hollow High. If my high school had a German club, I probably would have joined it purely because I have family there (not because I can speak German).

            It is common knowledge among book lovers that you must, you absolutely must, claim Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally is one of those instances. Maybe it is because I have a thing for Liam Neeson…

that the book is better than the movie. 99% of the time I adhere to this and it is usually true. I can only think of a handful of times when the movie is better than the book.

            All joking aside, the story of Schindler’s List is very intense and emotional both in book and movie form. However, seeing it on screen helps you visualize the horrors of the Holocaust. The black and white visuals make the story even more intense than it already is and made the story more engaging. Keneally’s writing style was not very engaging. The plot was there, but the narrative in which it was told was not. It is definitely an example of how a writer’s voice and style are essential to a story. A story can be exciting and moving, but if it isn’t told in the correct manner, it is not going to be as impactful to an audience. In the case of Schindler’s List, the movie tells the story better than the novel.

Plato

            Since Plato was name dropped in episode three, I decided to read Plato’s short piece “Crito” found in my trusty old AP Language 40 Essays Anthology. “Crito” is a dialogue between Socrates and his old friend Crito in which Crito tries to persuade Socrates to escape from prison. Socrates explains to Crito in this dialogue that he has accepted the results of his trial, which is

death. The entire exchange is propelled by questions, aka the Socratic method. Plato, who was a student of Socrates, wanted to showcase this method of reasoning. The Socratic method focuses on teaching through questioning. As a teacher myself, I see myself using this daily. Rather than just giving students facts or telling students what to think, I use higher order questions (There are three levels of questioning. I won’t bore you with them). We want to give students the tools for self-discovery and come to conclusions for themselves. Teachers are supposed to guide the discovery process and questioning is one of the ways to do so. Although I don’t agree with Socrates in this passage (I say, he should have saved himself), I understand his teaching process and what Plato was supposed to show in this passage.

            My sister has been taking a philosophy course this semester in college. She tells me about some of the passages she has had to read and I proofread her papers. Anything she has to say on the topic of Plato is probably ten times more interesting than what I just said.

Pictures

George Sand: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/54/George_Sand_by_Nadar%2C_1864.jpg/1200px-George_Sand_by_Nadar%2C_1864.jpg

The Prince and the Pauper:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bb/Disney%27s_The_Prince_and_the_Pauper_%281990%29.jpg

Schindler's List

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/914HFOPuVwL.jpg

Plato:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/da/Plato_Pio-Clemetino_Inv305.jpg/220px-Plato_Pio-Clemetino_Inv305.jpg

Book #21: My Life as Author and Editor by H. L. Mencken

         

After reading Mencken’s Chrestomathy, I already had some solid opinions about him. He did not exactly blow me away in either his writing or his opinions. If you recall, I felt like Mencken liked to be contrary for the sake of being contrary and had a little comment about everybody. My feelings did not change after reading his memoir. I don’t understand why Rory and Richard were so enthused by the man. I can only assume it is because his books are so hard to track down nowadays and finding a first edition of anything is always a treat.

            Mencken’s memoir, My Life as Author and Editor, was not published until thirty-five years after his death; a stipulation by Mencken himself. When the manuscript was found among his writings, his editor cut down the writings by half and yet the finished product was still quite large. Personally, I think the editor could have cut out more. Most of the memoir read as “I did this, I did that…” Mencken really enjoyed talking about himself and his accomplishments yet he did not really reflect on them. Memoirs are supposed to be a reflection of one’s life and hold some sort of deeper meaning. Mencken avoids anything relating to his personal life or feelings in his memoir and just focuses on aspects of his professional life. Even then, he doesn’t show much emotion. He spends too much time talking about the number of copies his magazine sold each month and the sales per year. At times, it seemed like he was just listing off numbers.

            The only time we learn anything personal about Mencken is when he discusses other people,

other authors in particular. He name drops a lot of famous authors, but rarely has a good word to say about them. When he does pay someone a compliment, he will turn back around and criticize them a few chapters later. F. Scott Fitzgerald is an example of this. Mencken looooves Fitzgerald’s early work, but dislikes the widely acclaimed novel The Great Gatsby. It is almost as if he makes a point to dislike what has earned popular acclaim. Mencken boasts of all the authors he has discovered, but very few of them are ones we know today. He also rarely praises women authors and doesn’t give women much credit in general. Whereas he discusses his male friends’ personalities and accomplishments, Mencken only describes women by their physical appearance. Every time. He never talks about how a man looks, but every woman is described as “not quite attractive.” Either Mencken has really high standards for beauty or is just a misogynistic creep.

            Maybe I am being too harsh on Mencken. Perhaps it is because I read this book while I was sick and in the midst of a fever. But I do not think so. I did not enjoy reading about someone who only liked to talk about themselves  (the most boring parts of himself in particular). If you are going to write about yourself or write a memoir, at least make it interesting! Make sure you have interesting events to write about or stimulating ideas! Be likable! This is why I always tell my students that they need to have a strong authorial voice. Because when it comes down to it, you can write well, but if you have no voice, your writing will get you nowhere. 

**This is the last book for episode 3! We will be moving on to some Shakespeare next so be ready for my extra nerdy side to come!!

Pictures

- Book Cover 1:https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51YZr024IHL._SX322_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

- Book Cover 2:http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7e4cbd_af6c5fd84d6441f999a8db1eca67d81f.jpg/v1/fill/w_167,h_241,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01/7e4cbd_af6c5fd84d6441f999a8db1eca67d81f.webp

- Rory and Richard:https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/gilmoregirls/images/6/68/1x03_Rory_Richard.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/310?cb=20160213220043

Book #20: A Mencken Chrestomathy by H. L. Mencken

Finding a copy of this book was a tough mission. Out of all the books on the list thus far, this was by far the most difficult to track down. If you recall, The Mistress of Mellyn was also difficult and required me to order a copy off of Amazon. At least Amazon had a large number of copies of that book! When I began searching for A Mencken Chrestomathy, I was unable to locate it any of the public libraries I used nor was it listed in any main chain bookstore. Thus, I went to my trusty friend Amazon Prime and Amazon had to track down a used copy of this book all the way from England to send to me for the price of $8.99! Some people may say this is too much to pay for a book, but I had a gift card and free shipping so I say it is a win! By the time I finally got my hands on the book, I was ready for the task ahead of me and it was not an easy one…

            How many of you can say you have heard of H. L. Menken?... Anyone? ... Anyone?...That’s what I thought. I, for one, have never heard of H. L. Menken before I began watching Gilmore Girls. I always wondered who Menken was and why Rory and Richard were soooo excited to find Chrestomathy (Chrestomathy means “a collection of choice passages from an author or authors”). Now I know…it’s because his writings are not currently in print anymore. And imagine having to find a copy of his works without the help of Amazon!

a copy of his

            Mencken was a journalist from Baltimore who was popular in the early 1900s, specifically during the World Wars. His writings appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines and covered a variety of topics; some humorous and satirical and some controversial. To me, Mencken seemed to be controversial for the sake of being controversial. This is probably why he was so popular and memorable. He called America and mankind out on their crap and he didn’t do it subtly. Mencken does not appear to be a fan of anything popular (except for Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn). He would probably be that guy who listened to alternative indie bands and scoffed at girls who drink Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Personally, I believe that if something is popular, there is usually a good reason for it being so. Pumpkin Spice Lattes are popular because they taste good! If you actually like or enjoy something, don’t hide that because it is popular. Some people purposefully reject anything that is popular just because they want to seem “cooler” than the crowd. It doesn’t. It just makes you seem like an asshole. Mencken can

appear this way to a reader, but you have to remember he is writing this way to make a commentary on American culture of the time. Writers oftentimes put up a front and the way he appeared in writing might not be the way he appeared in real life.

            There is a wide range of topics that Mencken covers in this Chrestomathy. After all, it is “his own select of his choicest writings” (makes him seem kind of arrogant, but that is besides the point). He covers topics such as different types of men and women, religion, morals, death, government, crime and punishment, democracy, Americans, utopia, journalists, criticism, literature, music, and “the lesser arts.” Here are some of his most interesting ideas:

·      Mencken explains that we view our relatives as caricatures of ourselves and that is why families do not always get along. We see how we could turn out or what could have been. This applies mostly to extended family members such as cousins, aunts, and uncles (15).

·      Mencken seems to give women more credit than many men during the early 1900s. He makes the argument that women can control and conceal their emotions better than men (28). This is the opposite of what most men would say even to this day. Women are often considered the more emotional and sensitive sex. I am not sure if one gender is better at controlling or concealing their emotions; it is a person by person skill. I know that I am not good at controlling or concealing my emotions very well. I wear my emotions on my face so people tend to know how I am feeling whether I like it or not.

·      “Men do not demand genuine beauty, even in the most modest doses they are quite content with the mere appearance of beauty” (38). So does this explain why women wear makeup and most men do not? Women wear make up to play up their features and to make themselves look more desirable. If men are content with the appearance of beauty, does that mean that if someone is not so attractive without makeup, but looks good with a lot of make up, then they won’t care? That is what I am getting from this, Mencken. Again, I don’t really think it is as clear-cut as he is saying. It depends on each person.

·      Mencken claims that writers write better when they are in misery. This is probably true. When you are upset, it is easiest to purge those emotions through writing. Getting those words out on paper is a necessity and you want to express how you are feeling as vividly as possible. Well, you do this if you are a writer that is. I don’t know what you normal people do when you are upset.

·      Being from Maryland, Mencken has some interesting things to say about us Marylanders. “The Marylanders are a gay and liberty-loving people, and drink and drab, perhaps, somewhat more than is good for them” (94). I suppose this is true. We are a pretty chipper bunch and are proud of where we come from.

·      The two key components of a long and happy life are humor and curiosity. It is true. Life is better when you are laughing. That sense of curiosity keeps us moving forward and seeking new adventures. When it comes down to it, humor and curiosity (and love and family) are what makes a happy life.

·      I always find it interesting when nonteachers explain their views and ideas on teaching. Some people are very dismissive of the profession and make me angrier quicker than anyone else. While others are appreciative of teachers. I prefer the latter. Mencken’s views on teaching made me chuckle. He writes “Next to the clerk in holy orders, the fellow with the foulest job in the world is the schoolmaster” (301). It isn’t because teaching is a bad job, but it is because “they [teachers] wear out their hearts trying to perform the impossible…to make the great masses of the plain people think” (301). Thinking about it, I do wear out my heart in this profession. You can’t help but care about what you are doing and when others don’t care as much as you, it is emotionally taxing. But caring is exactly what makes me a good teacher. If you don’t have a passion for it then you aren’t going to be good at it. Mencken considers teaching a talent; something that not every person was born to do. He explains that it takes that talent and a passion for the content for a teacher to be effective. I like to think that this is where my strengths lie in my profession.

·      Really hates the book Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser that I had to read for my American Realism class by junior year of college.

·      Overuses the word “sagacity.” We get it! You have good judgment!

There you have it! The most interesting parts of A Mencken Chrestomathy by Leigh! It was an interesting read for sure, but didn’t blow me away. Hopefully, it won’t be as long until my next post. I have some really interesting things to share on the way :) 

Pictures
-https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1405980870l/300841.jpg (book cover)
- https://mises.org/sites/default/files/static-page/img/H.L.-Mencken-amused.jpg (Mencken picture)