Punctuation in Shakespeare’s Text & Stage Blocking/Creation

1. Punctuation in Shakespeare’s Text& Stage Blocking/Creation Important Points to Consider

2. Why It Is Important • As you know, Elizabethan theatre did NOT use much scenery, lighting…so • He was selective in his language and punctuation to communicate settings and the mood of the scene in the play

3. Ok…So what do I look for? • Periods, Question Marks, Exclamation Points = Full stop (.) Full stops in your line reading naturally bring the sense and energy of the line to a close.  • Use of Infrequent commas (,) = slight pauseA comma forces a slight pause in delivery of your line to reflect a tiny development or shift in the character’s thought process.  • Repetition of commas (,)Commas can also cause a line to gather in emotional intensity. If you see lots of commas together, evenly spaced and splitting the lines into small snappy chunks, then this is Shakespeare’s way of asking you to emotionally invest in the dialogue and build up its rhythmic intensity • Colon (:)A colon signals that the next line should sound as if it is responding to the previous line, as in Hamlet’s “To be, or not to be: that is the question.”

4. Ok…I have noted punctuation…now what? **Circleverbs or important words– Those are usually the words you will need to stress to clarify meaning in the text. **Use a slash / wherever you decide you want to pause 

5. Emotions • This really takes some thinking on your part! • During your scenes you are NOT YOU! You are the CHARACTER! • We need to see logical emotions, facial & body gestures… • Write those items in your script!

6. Time to practice! JULIET: Ay me! What news? Why dost thou wring thy hands? NURSE: Ah, well-a-day! He’s dead, he’s dead, he’s dead! We are undone, lady, we are undone! Alack the day! He’s gone, he’s killed, he’s dead!

7. Let’s Try One More FRIAR LAURENCE: What, rouse thee man! Thy Juliet is alive, For whose dear sake thou wast but lately dead: There art thou happy. Tybalt would kill thee, But thou slewestTybalt: there art thou happy.

8. What do We Expect • Attitude – your group will only be successful if everyone has a fantastic attitude • Communication - through words, gestures, emotions • Teamwork - helping each other to develop your scene • Organized together – working together – setting goals • Respectful – to each other, actors

9. Apothecary: Who calls so loud? Romeo: Come hither, man. I see that thou art poor. (He offers money) Hold, there is forty ducats. Let me have A dram of poison, such soon-speeding gear As will disperse itself through all the veins, That the life-weary taker may fall dead… Apothecary: Such mortal drugs I have, but Mantua’s law is death to any he that utters them.

10. Movement, Levels, and Eye Contact It is important to move (with a purpose) to create interest! Try different LEVELS within your scene…someone sit or kneel…someone stand… You will now SEE WHAT WE MEAN!