Perspectives on Stage

Staging Utopia would be like asking a band of thespians to act out a dream you dreamt the night before. The problem is in perspective. “Utopia” was written completely in Sir Thomas More’s point of view of a perfect society, and attempting to stage one person’s complete viewpoint is an impossible request to fulfill.

Actors are usually given roles of characters which they then adapt to and make their own. They undoubtedly keep the writer and director’s personality of the character at forefront, but tweak it in such a way to personalize it and lose themselves in the part. The problem with staging “Utopia” is that they would not be able to do this. The actors would have to completely act in Sir Thomas More’s perception. The only way for this to truly happen would be if “Utopia” was an animated movie voiced in the exact way he prefers, Sir Thomas More plays every character role, or he is simply a puppeteer. Without being done in these ways, the original view of Sir Thomas More would be lost in the modified perspectives of the actors.

Another major conflict would be plot. Although Sir Thomas More describes various aspects of “Utopia” there is no one story that it is centered around. If a screenplay was to be adapted to his writings, a plot would have to manifest. One way this could happen would be if the storyline followed a single family living their daily lives in “Utopia.” Another possibility would be someone who grew up in “Utopia” but questioned its’ differences between the mainland, or vice versa: someone who escapes from the mainland and somehow manages to cross the obstacles on his journey and reach “Utopia.” Either way; however, making a plot out of Sir Thomas More’s writings run the risk of changing or tweaking his perspective, and if this happens it truly isn’t his “Utopia” anymore.

The key point is that “Utopia” can undeniably me made into a play or screenplay, but it would no longer be Sir Thomas More’s personal views of a perfect society. His original ideas would be lost in the adaptations of other writers and directors amends. There is no possible way that the original “Utopia” could fully be transferred onto stage unless Sir Thomas More was still existing, and planned to make the entire script himself as well as act it out or voice it. If these things are not done then it is not his “Utopia” anymore, and who is to say that anything besides his exact words is still, in his mind, a perfect society?

Where is the Love?

Sir Thomas More describes, what seems to be, an effortless and altruistic living situation, disconnected from the callous and material cravings of mainland life. However, this way of life that seems too good to be true is also stripped of the one emotion that our society’s family life is grounded upon: love. Throughout his elaborate depiction of “Utopia”, Sir Thomas More describes many aspects of the family that are completely void of emotion and affection, raising the question if his writings are a reflection of his personal marriages or family life? From what is documented of his life; however, Sir Thomas More was very involved with his children, writing letters to them often and seeing to it that they all, daughters included, received a quality education. Therefore, either his writings must reflect inner emotion about family that he tried to rarely show, or “Utopia” is simply a creative, fictitious manifestation of thoughts distinct from his true thoughts about life.

On page 551 he writes, “As a rule, the son is trained to his father’s craft, for which most feel a natural inclination. But if anyone is attracted to another occupation, he is transferred by adoption into a family practicing the trade he prefers.” The act of adoption is usually an extreme action taken only in severe circumstances. Sir Thomas More describes adoption in very light terms, hardly taking into consideration the separating of families that ultimately accompanies it. This could reflect the fact that he regarded the children of his second wife as his own, or that he became the guardian of a child without extreme difficulty. Regardless, “Utopia” takes the learning of certain trades as far superior to the bonds of a family that are so crucial in modern societies such as ours.

Later Sir Thomas More describes how the nurses of “Utopia” do most of caring for infants. “Thus the nurses may lay the infants down, change them, dress them, and let them play before the fire. Each child is nursed by its own mother, unless death or illness prevents. When that happens, the wife of the syphogrant quickly finds a suitable nurse. The problem is not difficult” (p. 555). Although mothers provide the milk for their children, most other activities necessary are carried out by a nurse, and if a mother dies she is quickly replaced with no problems. Usually when a mother bears a child she wants to spend every moment possible with them, only lending them to alternate care when necessary.

Aside from adoption and childbearing, “Utopia” also takes the act of marriage extremely lightly, almost as a burden. He writes, “The reason they punish this [premarital sex] offense so severely is that they suppose few people would join in married love—with confinement to a single partner, and all the petty annoyances that married life involves—unless they were strictly restrained from a life of promiscuity” (p.570). Love itself if not enough for the people of “Utopia” to sustain a marriage, they must be bound by contract and restricted from premarital sex. This is extremely interesting, for people of today’s society regard love as the main reason to marry and maintain this union throughout life.

The differences between “Utopia” and our society today are obviously extremely different, but differ the most in the emotional realm. Although today’s culture has changed tremendously from the time of Sir Thomas More, the idea of love was still present, as can be observed in other artist’s writings of that time period. It can only be speculated then, whether his lighthearted views on family in “Utopia” are a product of his inner emotions or simply make believe. 

WILDCARD LETTER To My Brother in Guam

Dear Tyler,

            I am extremely excited for you to come home from Guam and visit me, here, at UD! I’m sure the atmospheres are polar opposites so hope you aren’t too “shell shocked” (ha ha) by all the outrageous college kids.

            Anyway, how is Guam? The last I was able to hear from you, you said that you were in flight training but had to go to Texas to take the final text—hope you passed and are alive! I am so proud of you for, not only pursuing your dream, but also helping protect our country (and our puppies).

            Believe it or not, I’m graduating this Spring—weird, I know. I’m currently crossing my fingers that I get accepted into grad school but won’t find out for sure until June. I know dad isn’t excited, though, he’s already shoving student loan bills down my throat. I wish there were better financial aid plans that give students more wiggle room to keep going further in school. That’s life for ya though, I guess!

Can’t wait to see you in 15 days!

Love ya bro

Bren

Sexist or Spiritually Influenced?

On first pass of John Donne’s “Elegy 19 To His Mistress Going to Bed” the forwardness of his writing is quite alarming. It is hard to ignore the poem’s boldness such as in line 7: “Unpin that spangled breastplate which you wear.”Donne seems to abandon genuine love for another that can be found in many of his other poems and focus principally on the physical body. He certainly focuses on sexual behavior in his other writing’s, but his language throughout Elegy 19 seems to be on another level than the others. However, when taking his Neo-Platonic views into consideration, his descriptions of the female body could very much be taken as a compliment rather than a cheeky pass at women.

Line five of “To His Mistress Going to Bed” writes, “Off with that girdle, like heaven's zone glisterin” (line 5). At first glance, Donne is making a very provocative demand; however, when you look closely at the metaphor he is comparing a woman’s body parts to an eternal Utopia. Further, in line 21 he writes, “A heaven like Mahomet's Paradise” (line 21). Mahomet refers to the prophet Muhammad further establishing the comparison to heaven.

Later in the poem Donne begins to compares the sexual exploration of the female body to colonialism. He writes, “O my America! my new-found-land,/ My kingdom, safeliest when with one man manned,/ My mine of precious stones, my empery,/ How blest am I in this discovering thee!” (line 27-30). “My kingdom” representing her body, could represent heaven directly or royalty which is believed to be closely tied to holy entities. Discovering more of her body is related to the discovering of land, and that it is better for just one man to occupy her land.

At the closing of the poem, Donne again equates the female body to holiness using very provocative language. “Themselves are mystic books, which only we/ (Whom their imputed grace will dignify)/ Must see revealed” (line 41-43). A woman’s body is as sacred as holy writings and only he should be able to see her revealed. The last line writes, “To teach thee, I am naked first; why than,/what needst thou have more covering than a man?” Her body is so beautiful that she does not need clothes, just a man to lie above her.

Donne undoubtedly voices his love for sexual exploration in a very aggressive way, but underlies the poem with many complimentary comparisons of women to an eternal goodness. This is consistent with Neo-Platonic views of an eternal good and it is interesting how he ties his love for the female body and sexual endeavors to heaven.