What's the dilemma?

In Shakespeare's Scottish play, act 1 scene 7, Macbeth's soliloquy talks about his decision to kill Duncan. In his soliloquy he says,"If everything goes according to plan then this will be quick! Just one stab and that's it! But this is all too risky! I have to think about the possible outcome. Nothing good will come out of this because what goes around must come back again. First of all He's my cousin, and further more my guest.cim suppose to look out for him and protect him not be the one to murder him. Duncan is a good man, everyone loves him. If he dies the town will be devastated and he will be greatly missed."

If I had my own soliloquy my dilemma would be on picking a nail polish color. It would start of with something like....

"Picking a nail polish at the nail salon is the hardest decision EVER,
there's just so many colors: there's over 20 different shades of blue, from baby blue to dark indigo; Pink is a girl's best friend, but It's fall, I think a bloody burgundy or a beige brown would look nice, but those are too dull for me. I always pick a seasonal color; In summer I like to get bright colors like neon green, orange, yellow: when they're that bright people are drawn too look like magnets. Mmhm now I think I want to paint them white; One, it'd go with all my outfits, it's simple yet bold; not to mention, white, says two things about a girl, either she's dope and fierce or simple and classy. It's not a seasonal color, but it suits practically anyone,  I think it compliments my complexion, I'll ask the nail designer what she thinks, maybe I can get any design I want: stripes, bedazzled jewels, 3D stick ons, like a flower, a bow, or maybe even an animated character. No wait I got it,white nail polish,with jewels on my pinky and a"S" on my index finger written in black polish."

A man is a supporter, husband, lover, protector and provider.  Humble yet wise, he is the rock of the family, the problem solver or that shiny knight in armor! Manlihood on the other hand is taught through integrity and responsibility.

Yesterday I asked all the girls in my family what does it mean to be a man, and they all said the same thing, "strength". When things get hard and you can't make ends meet, real man don't run from challenges. They provide stability for their family.

According to the guys being a man means being manly. If you're smart, making a good amount of money, can provide for yourself, and fit the typical image then you are indeed  "manly".

If you google how to be manly you'll see tips on how to be fit and sexually attractive.

When I was younger my father would buy me anything! I never knew how he got it, but that didn't matter to me; as long as I got what I wanted I was happy and so was he. He liked to be the "hero" of the day and amaze me. Like when he'd pick me up on his back and fly me up the stairs as if he were superman. Or kiss my head and stay up with me whenever I had a bad dream. If I couldn't do something daddy would teach me. Whenever he was around everything was ok.

I think a man makes sacrifices and is also the caretaker of his family. But from my perspective the art of "being a man" has degraded along the years. It's not about your potential, traits or qualities but more so of your appearance and possessions. "A man" can be that guy across the street with a big gold watch and fresh new sneaks. "A man" is the guy with more tattoos than the years your required to finish school.

As I grew up I found out ironically that mommy can be that man too. It was no longer daddy teaching me what to do, because mommy stepped up to the plate and wore his shoes. She played both roles by putting a roof over my head and raising me to be the young lady I am today.

In my eye a man is witnessed in your everyday, but only your opinion on what it means to be a man can define that.

Men in Tights!

The life of an actor has changed drastically since Shakespeare’s time. Acting had a bad reputation. Actors were seen as unruly and a threat to society. During this time acting was only open to boys and men. Since it was illegal for women to act in plays, the men played the female leads. Women were very limited; they were denied education, land, rights, freedom of speech, and the opportunity to hold office. In a play women were required to read aloud but doing so goes against their duty to be quite and lady-like. 

Actors were normally lower class people performing for upper class people. Considering the fact that Shakespeare was a high school dropout, I think that social-class did not have an effect on your acting career. Because acting was similar to a part-time job you’re background did not matter.

Many theaters operated a shareholder system, where shares in the company earned more than the workers. Actors were paid depending on their position and where they played. Boy actors were paid three shillings a week. The main actors were paid at least two shillings per day. Part-time actresses were paid one shilling per day.  And if you played a female role you were paid less. Shakespeare was a sharer of a group called, The Chamberlain’s Men, who later  became the King’s Men in honor of James I. James loved theatre and was so intrigued by Shakespeare’s acting group that he gave him a sponsorship (Globe Education Actors).

The benefits of being an actor back then were that you’d potentially become a writer or get famous. The Disadvantages were the stage conditions. Actors had to improvise most of the time. Most of them couldn’t fit on the stage all at once. They didn’t have scenery to create scenes. Whenever they switched scenes they’d use signals, since there was no curtain (Staging and Performance).

In contrast acting today is completely different! Gender does not matter, you don’t have to be apart of a company and there’s a variety of sceneries. Theater is more popular and entertaining. Today, Acting is all about references and experience. The more acts and plays the better. Actors are still paid based on their position and how many plays they play in. In order to become an actor or become an actress, you must insure your financial stability.  Most actors aren't able to have a long-term job. But don't worry,there's always the next big gig or audition.

 

People today do acting for a variety of reasons. It could be to try something new, to meet new people, to boost confidence or self-esteem, or just simply for the pleasure.  If you were an actor what time period would you like to act in and why? Which century do you think was more lenient and beneficial? What is the difference between modern acting and acting in Shakespeare's time? Is it a good change or bad change?