Henry V Trip

Thank you to everyone for your cooperation and behavior on today's trip. Since several of you have already taken it upon yourselves to express your thoughts, reactions, and/or reviews of today's trip, I thought I'd share some of my own, as well.

Although it was a relatively hectic beginning to our day, between the bus picking us up late, sitting in traffic on our packed bus, and having to practically sneak into the theater 15 minutes into the show (I was disappointed that we missed the tennis balls scene!), I was pleased with the way that everything turned out once we were settled into our seats.

I feel that the show was extremely impressive and I am glad that we had an opportunity to see it. I understand that it was very difficult for many of you to understand the language, but I am hoping that you were able to follow the story based on our discussion, the packets I distributed, and the lecture that I gave on the plot of Henry V. As for the Shakespearean dialogue, if it was difficult following what the actors were saying, just imagine how difficult it must have been for them to speak those words with the emotion and fluidity that they were able to (and for nearly three hours, at that!) I think that this really adds to the value of the performance. Several students have shared their favorite moments from the show. Aside from the extremely powerful and inspiring speeches given by Matthew Amendt's King Henry, I really enjoyed the comedic scene where Katherine was trying to learn to speak English from her maid.

Regardless of whether or not you understood or enjoyed the play, I am confident that it was a worthwhile trip. This was certainly the most "grown-up" show that I've taken my students to and I think that it was a great example of drama the way that Shakespeare intended it. Sitting in our own balcony section also helped to make the performance a unique experience, as our perspective of the action on stage was somewhat different than many of us may be accustomed to. Even if you do not seem to really appreciate today's show right now, I'm confident that it is something you will remember. At some point in your academic careers - whether in high school or college - you may be asked what previous knowledge you have of the works of William Shakespeare. I'm hoping that today's viewing of Henry V (as well as our upcoming in-class reading of "A Midsummer Night's Dream") will be something that you can look back on and share with a certain amount of pride.

If you'd like to share any of your thoughts about the show (not McDonald's...) or this post, please feel free to comment here. Otherwise, I encourage you to continue sharing your ideas via your own blogs.

-Mr. Gallo