Passion vs Intellect in Shakespeare: Titus Andronicus example

[OreadNYC]

It's very interesting to see the contrast between the emotional delivery vs. the intellectual delivery of this scene from "Titus Andronicus"...especially since I've heard that this is the difference between the way in which American theater and British theater typically approach Shakespeare. American theater tends to focus on the emotion, whereas British theater (at least historically) has focused on the language.

[Westythe3rd]

Dose any one else find the way Jon Barton dilevers is quite Shakespearian ? ( sorry about my spelling :) X

[appypollylogies]

It should be taken to note, he would not perform the role like this. This is an exercise, and it's not like he's spent months learning that role. As an exercise its brilliant though, and patricks acting, god damn

[VCRAGE]

Patrick stewart should have played in the merchant of Venice Film!

[TheAzraelKnight]

@VCRAGE I KNOW !!!!!!!!!!

[Kari166]

Okay... I can only take so much whimpering/moaning/noise for so long.

She sounds like someone doing a poor imitation of a ghost. I understand the reason for cutting out her tongue and cutting off her hands, but, really.

[MrOregona230]

@Kari166 sounds like a slowly deflating balloon

[Kari166]

@MrOregona230, LMFAO. XDD

[smellincoffee]

"Ravished" sounds so much more genteel than "brutally raped".

[KCityHoplite]

Hear me, hayden christensen, THIS is called ACTING

[dreemaze]

Engage!

[HergotH01]

What i want to see before i die is a Patric Stewart shouting "KHAAAAAAAN!!!!"

[Diosukekun]

his head's shape looks most funny in this

[C0mfortablyDumb]

Brilliant! but where's 7 of 9?

[xoxwhiterosexox]

@C0mfortablyDumb Haha, oh dear. If you have to make a Star Trek reference, at least make sure it's concerning the series that actually starred Patrick Stewart.

[abht01]

The emotion was there in the second one. Sometimes giving too much overpowers the meaning and concept. Both were pretty brilliant though

[hanshotfirst1138]

I think this is finally available on DVD.

[fenriz218]

Never seen Captain Picard having such an outburst since he went up against the Borg!

[nelma87]

Patrick Stewart's hot.

[berner]

So is the character begging for help or mercy (or both) or pitty from the heavens?

[wmcoughlan]

Agree with montgomery7. I would have preferred to have toned down the whimpering a bit. You still want it there, just a little less prevalent. And I completely stand behind the choice of 'reason' driving Titus' speech. This is the difference between the stage and film or TV. Stewart's second pass at it was much stronger, and the audience is privy to the thoughts of Titus (and it needs to be to understand the following action in the play).

[Simba92]

Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa........He is VERY good.

[MontyPython246]

The first one is absolutely brilliant!

[TheVoid]

@MontyPython246 it's not supposed to be.

[Mazurka1001]

WIth all due respect but she's rather annoying...Stewart on the other hand, very good...I like the original language spelling as well...

[dinosaurdino]

The host looks like Bob Ross.

[sondano]

jesus Shakespeare is just as repulsive as the era he was living in.

[SirChazbot]

I've seen the Livinia part played that way before, it's not a choice I would make but really, what does one DO on stage after losing both hands and a tongue?

[montgomery7]

Totally understand the fact that her tongue and hands had been removed. I'm just questioning the choice to have her whimper constantly. It somehow detracted from my suspension of disbelief.

[jezmuff]

@montgomery7 I think it's better in the second one; she's traumatised, she's just been raped and butchered, it's effective. On the other hand Stewart pisses me off.

[JMichaelFowlkes]

@montgomery7 I think it had to not do with just the drama of the situation but with the actual text that Titus says, the whole passage about her sighs and weeping and her pitiful state driving his. Without her there is no other direct stimulus for him saying those lines. It's logical and what the text holds.

I'm no expert but I'm just saying... it's there. That's just the text and not delving into the whole psychology of the scene.

[lolwatches]

It really is amazing how the first run-through is nigh-incomprehensible, but the second is almost as if Patrick Stewart is speaking in plain English.

[dan892k7]

I could understand both perfectly - in fact if anything I preferred the first.

[frenchtarheel]

I preferred the first one too; who could possibly speak that calmly after seeing his daughter mutilated and then losing a hand himself? The second one was easier to understand, but where was the emotion?

[Raius1]

@frenchtarheel The second one is more measured. More resigned; babble covering up grief and shock. More of a speech where HE'S asking, "How can I possibly be expected to deal with this?" In the first one, it's just a rant. An audience who is not well-acquainted with this kind of language won't hear it, they'll just get that he's very upset. The first may be a more pure feeling, but the poetry is lost. Of course, it all comes down to personal preference.

[montgomery7]

The girl playing Lavinia is horrendous! What an irritating choice on her part (or the director's).

[rosaf19]

Well, you know she's supposed not to have a tongue, right? So presumably the actress is assuming that's about the only sound she can make. And of course, this isn't a finished production of a play.

[soylencer]

Het tongue and hands had been removed

[AlwaysmilingPolitely]

Patrick Stewart is such an amazing actor!

[hazlitt1]

You should have seen Richard Burton! Now there was a Shakespearean actor.

[sondano]

@hazlitt1 Burton didn't come across as a particularly intelligent person. In fact he pretty much looked and sounded as your average aggressive male human