Planning & perpetration task 2: Eight Basic Effort Actions . . .

So the eight actions are:

- punch 

- flick

- dab

- wring 

- press 

- float 

- glide 

- slash

We had to put ourselves into pairs and once one of the actions were described, we had to come up with a movement for each one to remember it somehow. For example, for dab, we spoke quickly and lightly so it was understandable and we used our index fingers to look as if we were tapping some this every time we spoke and it worked quite well seeing as it's one of the few I can remember properly. Another would be float, in our pair, we came up with the idea of to actually act as if we were floating and just sort if exaggerate our words (kind of like hippies from the 60's is what I was thinking). 

The best way to pick out which of these to use in a script, is to look at the section you are reading and look at the first and last word of every line and that way you can not only what you are talking about, but also, the mood of the character, and this will help to decide which basic effort action is best for your speech. 

Planning & preparation task 1: Skills I would like to develop . . .

Through thus unit, there are many skills that I want to develop; one being:

- Appropriate gestures without exaggeration ( I would like to be able to do this. To make gestures that will draw attention to certain lines but not over do them so it seems unnatural or forced)

Another would be characterisation (with body language, voice, ect) 

To build and maintain an actor-audience relationship (getting the audience to believe you, even though you all know that what is happening on stage isn't real) 

Research task 5: Open Minds Theatre Company . . .

Founded in 2003 by Steve Rogers and Katherine Fletcher; has since developed into an arts organisation delivering workshops and performance projects across a wide variety of art forms.

Mainly in Rotherham, but works throughout the North of England. 

We work in the community to assist in the developing and equipping of people to lead effective and fulfilled lives by improving their confidence, communication skills and self-discipline through their exposure to, and involvement in, the arts.

They work in communities to help in the developiand equip people to lead lives with confidence, self-esteem, communication skills and self-discipline through the arts.

They are committed to using drama performances and other art forms to open people minds to understand themselves and others. 

Research task 4: Shakespeare Research . . .

William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, in 1564; little is known about his life, but by 1592 he was in London working as an actor and a dramatist. Between about 1590 and 1613, he wrote at least 37 plays and collaborated on several more. 

Many of these plays were very successful both at the Queens court and in the public playhouses. In 1613, Shakespeare retired from the theatre and returned to Stratford-upon-Avon. He died and was buried there in 1616.

He wrote plays and poems; his plays were comedies, histories and tragedies. His 17 comedies include A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Merry Wives of Windsor. 

Among his 10 history plays are Henry V and Richard III. The most famous among his 10 tragedies are Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear. 

Shakespeare’s best-known poems are The Sonnets, first published in 1609.

Coriolanus: Considered one of Shakespear's histories. 

Most scholars date Coriolanus to the period 1605–10 (but most likely 1608–09) but with the little evidence we have, it doesn't give much certainty.

Some scholars note evidence that may narrow down the dating to the period 1607–09. Another possible connection with 1608 is that the surviving text of the play is divided into acts; this suggests that it could have been written for the indoor Blackfriars theatre (which Shakespeare's company began to perform in 1608); however, the act-breaks could instead have been introduced later.

The play's themes of popular dispute with the government have been connected with the Midland Revolt (a series of peasant riots in 1607 that would have affected Shakespeare as an owner of land in Stratford-upon-Avon); and with the debates over the charter for London, which Shakespeare would have been aware of; as it affected the legal status of the area surrounding the Blackfriars Theatre. 

The riots in the Midlands were caused by hunger because of the enclosure of common land. Shakespeare himself had been charged and fined several times for hoarding food stocks to sell at inflated prices.

The play was first published in the 1st Folio of 1623. Elements of the text - such as the uncommonly detailed stage directions, lead some Shakespeare scholars to believe the text was prepared from a theatrical prompt book (a copy of a production script that contains the information necessary to create a theatrical production, it's a compilation of all blocking, light, speech and sound cues; and any other relevant information that might be necessary to help the production run smoothly.)

Research task 3: Themes . . .

- War: The fights, the pain, the honour it brings to the characters involved. The war at the begging when Coriolanus single handedly beats the Volscians, the fight between Corionlans and Auffidus until neither are able to stand properly, then the revision from the plebeians. 

- Pride: what each character craves the most. Wanting it for their reputation and honour. Coriolanus' mother goes on and on about her pride for her son's injuries and 

- Reputation: Key theme, as it influences the legacy they leave behind; and Coriolanus strives to have the best legacy so people will look back at him and respect and honour him for what he did and the reputation he had, the one he got for himself by working hard to achieve it. 

Research task 2: Key Characters . . .

Caius Martius  -  A Roman general, given the name "Coriolanus" after he leads the Roman armies to victory against the Volscians. Brave, fearsome in battle, and extremely honorable; overly proud. His faults, combined with a dislike towards the lower classes of Rome (plebs)  lead to his exile from his native city. The main character that the story is based upon. Whom is essentional to all the key moments. 

Volumnia -  ( Coriolanus' mum) A Roman noblewoman, who is devoted to her son and delights in his military exploits, having raised him to be a warrior. Only proud in the wounds he returns in. She is a key character, as she has influenced Coriolanus to be the man he is, she made him into this psycho and see' snitching wrong in what she has done to him; also, she makes herself a key by minipulatin her own son into his death and she know the consequences of what she says to him, but she carries on anyway. 

Menenius -  A Roman nobleman, or patrician, and a friend to Coriolanus, also like a father figure to him. Gifted with a clever tongue, he has a reputation as a great wit, which he uses adeptly to avoid conflict. Key, as he is the one that gets Coriolanus to start rethinking about the attack on the plebians. He get the stones rolling for that which I think is why helps Coriolanus give into his mothers pleads. 

Research task 1: Plot . . .

In ancient Rome, in the aftermath of a famine, the common people, or plebeians, demand the right to set their own price for the city's grain supply. In response to their protests, the ruling aristocracy, or patricians, grant the plebeians five representatives, or tribunes--a decision that provokes the ire of the proud patrician soldier Caius Martius, who has nothing but contempt for the lower classes. At this time, war breaks out with a neighboring Italian tribe, the Volscians, who are led by Martius' great rival, Tullus Aufidius. In the campaign that follows, the Volscians are defeated, and the Rome takes the Italian city of Corioles, thanks to the heroism of Martius. In recognition of his great deeds, he is granted the name Coriolanus.

Upon his return to Rome, Coriolanus is given a hero's welcome, and the Senate offers to make him consul. In order to gain this office, however, he must go out and plead for the votes of the plebeians, a task that he undertakes reluctantly. At first, the common people agree to give him their votes, but they later reverse their decision at the prodding of two clever tribunes, Brutus and Sicinius, who consider Coriolanus an enemy of the people. This drives the proud Coriolanus into a fury, and he speaks out intemperately against the very idea of popular rule; Brutus and Sicinius, seizing on his words, declare him a traitor to the Roman state and drive him into exile. 

Desiring revenge against Rome, Coriolanus goes to his Volscian enemy, Aufidius, in the city of Antium, and makes peace with him. Aufidius is planning a new campaign against the Romans, and he welcomes Coriolanus's assistance, although he soon feels himself to be falling into his new ally's shadow. Their army proceeds to march on Rome, throwing the city into a panic--Rome's armies are helpless to stop the advance, and soon Aufidius and Coriolanus are encamped outside the city walls. Two of his oldest friends come pleading for mercy, but Coriolanus refuses to hear him. However, when his mother, Volumnia, to whom he is devoted, begs him to make peace, he relents, and the Romans hail Volumnia the savior of the city. Meanwhile, Coriolanus and the Volscians return to Antium, where the residents hail Coriolanus as a hero. Aufidius, feeling slighted, declares that Coriolanus's failure to take Rome amounts to treachery; in the ensuing argument, some of Aufidius' men assassinate Coriolanus.

(Taken from http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/coriolanus/summary.html) 

For me, the key pints would be:

- When we first see Martius with Auffidus; as we see that although they are great enemy's, they also have some sort of twisted respect for each other. They both see the honour and potential of the other and the great warrior that they both are and they take pride in being each others enemy's. 

- The relationship between Coriolanus and his mother. We see that she is very proud of her sown and his status, but she is more proud of the fact that he fights and gets injured, which seems strange for a mother to enjoy. And the fact that he does this to make his mother proud, he's basically a mummy's boy and she is his weakness as we see in act 5. 

- However, there's a good contrast to their relationship with the one Coriolanus has with is wife. She does nothing but worry about her husband, so his mother tells her she should basically not be weak and be pleased that her husband is wounded. 

- In act 4 and 5 (I think), we also see how Coriolanus will switch sides if it means he gets what he wants, he agrees to join the enemy as he believes he's been betrayed and wants to fight for revenge, then he sort of changes back after his mum guilt trips him into calling a truce which means he will been seen as some sort of 'hero'