EC - The Libertine

Anyone who has seen a Johnny Depp movie before is aware of how brilliant he can portray characters, especially those with sinister or demented personality traits. That being said, his performance in the Libertine still does a stunning job showing us how blunt, intimidating and (this adjective is a cop-out) debaucherous the Earl of Rochester quite possibly could have been.

First off, it is quite obvious that Wilmot was a genius. Secondly, it is obvious that he is fully aware of his intellectual standing relative to nearly everyone he encounters. Whether it’s a comment he makes to his wife about her lack of an exciting personality (and how he prefers a monkey for company instead), a lesson he teaches to a nobleman in the street about life with regard to a possibly dishonest servant, or his condescending attitude toward King Charles II, the ruler of England, Depp hammers home the point that his character knows he is smarter than everyone else, most of whom consistently bore him. Even the other contemporary writers who seem to be his closest friends are kept at an arm’s length.

His greatest loves, according to legend were drinking, seduction of both men and women, and the literary arts. We can prove this by reading poems like ‘the Disabled Debauchee’, which gives us the stanza: Should any youth (worth being drunk) prove nice/And from his fair inviter meanly shrink/’Twill please the ghost of my departed vice/If, at my counsel, he repent and drink. Depp does an amazing job showing his love for seducing (only women though) the arts, and drinking. Additionally, the screenwriter added a very telling dialogue in which Wilmot asks his servant for ink, who instead brings him a pint of ale, thinking that he heard “drink,” leading us to believe that this was an oft-repeated request.

While the movie is very crude at times, Depp has no sex scenes, although his crude manner permeates the movie nonetheless, making actual sex needless to show this side of Wilmot. The movie spends a good amount of time around his life as a literary artist, detailing poems he has written in the past, a play he writes for the king, and even his ability to turn Elizabeth Barry, a strongly opinionated, poorly trained beauty into an amazing actress. The movie also shows in great detail (as I have previously mentioned in a blog) how he despised King Charles II, a claim made valid by his stanza in ‘Upon Nothing’ where he states: Whilst weighty Something modestly abstains/From princes coffers and from statesman’s brains/And nothing there like Something reigns?

The fact the Depp can bring this character to life seems to merely be a tribute to his acting, but the fact that his performance was so brilliant and so breathtaking leads me to believe that a little of the credit should be given to Wilmot, the vivacious debauchee himself and the colorful life he provided for Depp to imitate.

EC - Tom Jones

Weeks after watching Tom Jones I was still unsure of how I could relate this story to a work we read in class. Even though it was set during the same time and in the same place as most of the works we have read during the year, I could not think of a similar theme or work and grew continually frustrated. While re-reading Everyman for the final, the light bulb turned on, and hopefully that will enable me to formulate an intriguing comparison.

This play/movie can be treated as a morality play with very similar themes to Everyman. For reference, I have created a list of the roles that characters in Everyman would be represented by in Tom Jones. Not every characteristic portrayed by an actor in Tom Jones had an accompanying characteristic in Everyman, but if they didn’t, I compared them to a type of character that could conceivably by cast into this kind of play.

• Tom Jones, of course, is Everyman, a poor confused soul who does not know his place in life and may die very soon.
• Squire Alworthy is God, the figure who has adopted the unworthy child but who eventually comes to feel (and rightly so) that the child does not appreciate all that has been given to him, despite God’s efforts to grant mercy.
• Sophie is Discretion. Though Beauty might be the more obvious choice, Discretion is the better characteristic. Discretion carries more redeeming value than Beauty and although it takes him a long time, he finally comes to see the value of Discretion first and foremost. Ultimately, Tom will be better off by choosing her.
• Molly is Lust. Plain and simple, by pursuing her, Tom will be putting carnal pleasure above everything else, as she has nothing to offer but sultry sexuality.
• Mr. Square is Knowledge, whom Tom is affected by, even if he does not actively pursue learning. I have no explanation for the love affair between Lust and Knowledge in Tom Jones but hopefully this can be overlooked.
• Mr. Thwackum is Good Deeds: While Thwackum’s idea of Good Deeds is a strict adherence to scripture, Tom has a different philosophy of how he can truly be good and honorable, unconventional though they may be.
• Squire Western is fellowship. As Tom has no actual friends per se, it logically follows that Western is the next best choice because as long as he is happy with Tom, Tom is free to socialize with who he wishes, free from persecution or attack.
• Mr. Blifil is Strength. Although he his far from powerful by conventional definitions, nearly every character in the play is enthralled by him and only through an equal strength of will can Tom hope to overcome this dangerous rival.

The play follows a linear storyline, similar to that in morality plays in which the lead character can make the right choice or the right choice and is influenced along his path by characteristics that are both helpful and harmful. Being tempted by Lust and not adhering to the guidance of Knowledge and Good Deeds will anger God, but in the end, Tom finds enough inner Strength to overcome his adversaries and chooses Discretion, which saves his from an unfortunate end.

Even if this seems a little farfetched, there are undeniable traits of Tom Jones linking it to morality. Despite Tom’s shameless flirtation he always treats the ladies with the utmost courtesy and respect. He seems to want what is best for each of them. He visits Molly at home to court her at her request and saves Sophie from her runaway horse at his own peril. And although I won’t deny that he enjoys their company, I make the argument that respect, not lust drives his fornications. He respects each woman too much to turn her down, not wishing to disappoint and reject her. With the exception of Sophie, Tom never initiates flirtation, only returning it and letting the women lead him down the path that they desire.

EC - Shakespeare in Love

When we think about Shakespeare, we think of a Romeo and Juliet, Henry V, Macbeth, Julius Caesar and so many more of his dazzling works filled with true action, wit, and amazing quotes. But for many years now he has only existed on paper, as a reflection of his work. Shakespeare in Love tries to recreate this, showing us what William Shakespeare’s life and ambition for living could have been.

The main thing that stuck out to me in the movie is how Shakespeare was able to accommodate everyone. Shakespeare managed to include cheap humor to satisfy the masses without tarnishing the overall quality of the play; he had Queen Elizabeth believe that his plays were written with her in mind and Henslowe believing he’d get to produce a pirate story. Viola (and Rosalyn) had plays written for them, Alleyn (Ben Affleck’s character) thought Romeo and Juliet was written for him to star in, and even the financial backer found himself playing a role that he deemed important. Shakespeare seems to have disproved the age-old adage; you can’t please everyone, at least when it came to his writing.

As for the story though, no matter how talented he was with words, it’s hard to believe that he could speak of love so powerfully without a model to project his words upon. Lines like And for a woman wert thou first created/Till nature as she wrought thee fell a-doting and Let not my love be called idolatry/Nor my beloved an idol show go to prove that Shakespeare was not only in love with a woman, but he literally worshipped her. What was this woman like and what did she do that caused such infatuation in Shakespeare? Did she dress up like a boy to more truly express her love, giving him inspiration for Twelfth Night? Doubtfully. But whatever trick she used, she managed to catch him hook, line, and sinker, reeling him into her heart and possibly inspiring some of the most beautiful poetry and prose available to speakers and readers of the English language. Shakespeare had to have a model for this grand affection. No one is talented enough to produce such quality work out of thin air… or is there?