MR.WONG PHUI NAM
In my opinion, Wong Phui Nam is a humble person. We have the opportunity to see him live as we have one session with him. He taught us on how to appreciate and enjoy poem and it is a good experience for me to listen from a poet himself. Now I know that one of the ways to enjoy poetry is by reciting it aloud so that it goes straight to your heart. There is a fact that I would really agree with him as he said that readers have to have background knowledge about that poetry so that they can make sense and enjoy poem. I think that is the reason why it is hard for me to understand and enjoy poetry. Besides that, the choice of words or dictions is also important in order to make a good and meaningful poem. But what make me interested the most is when we have discussed about his first play, Anike. He said that the reason of him did the version of Antigone is because this is his first time doing play, so he needs a guide to do so and I agree with him as we always need guide when we want to learn and do something new. All in all, it is a great pleasure for me to see him and I am looking forward to his lay, Anike, being performed.
Shirley Lim
It is a pleasure to have a writer in the campus and my group has been invited to go to the session with Shirley Lim. Frankly, I just read her work because I have to do so for the sake of the Malaysian Literature course. I am not really into her work because I think her work is quite difficult for me to understand especially the poem. In the session with her, she is promoting her new book which is Sister’s Swing and she said that she has to make 12 drafts only for the part where the Manglish (Malaysian English ) is concerned so that it would sounded like Manglish. But sadly, when she read out the chapter to us, I cannot really detect the Manglish language at all, that’s only my opinion. But the storyline in her novel is good as it is about siblings’ relationship. I hope she will always succeed in her career as an Asean writers.
The Homecoming by harold pinter
Watching a live theatre performance gives a lot of exposure to me. ‘Homecoming’ by Harold Pinter is my first and foremost live theatre that I have watched. There are bonus points if you have the opportunity to watch live performance compares with reading the text of the play. It is much enjoyable to watch the live performance as I myself don’t have to hold to my imagination as I just have to see what is in front of me. I feel that I am apart of the play because the place is quite small if compares with Istana Budaya.
‘Homecoming’…at first I thought it’s about people came back after been away for so long. But, it is a happy came back but in negative ways as it slips away from my perception of the title. Having experience watching live performance is good but I didn’t like the plotline of the ‘Homecoming’. Personally, I think the values is not really suitable with Malaysia context as most of Malaysian still abide with eastern culture, religion and norms but I keep telling myself that the play is an adaptation from the western culture to a Chinese family. The idea of sharing a woman between family members is really disgusting and unacceptable for me.
Apart of it, I do like the way the actors and actress performed. Actually, I do not know whether they are really good compares to others performers as this is my first experience but I like the way they speak, their non verbal expression and the way they feel their characters.
All in all, the first exposure of watching a live theatre performance does make me feel like making watching theatre as my hobby.
A Streetcar Named Desire
‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ by Tennessee Williams is my favourite play of all. This is because I like the plotline in the play as at the beginning of the play I didn’t know that Blanche will be the main character as my focus more on Stella and as the plot moves, I then realize that all the conflicts happen due to Blance’s behaviors.
Besides that the way the writer describes the characters is also interesting as such he uses animal imageries in portraying the characters. Those images do help me a lot in imagining and understanding the characters that involves. For example, from Stanley’s point of view, Blanche is described as ‘Tiger! Tiger!’ as she is portrayed as a person who tries to destroy other people. A tiger is an animal which kills and eats another mammal and same as Blanche who has been seen by Stanley as a person who will destroy his family but he will not let her to do so.
From all the characters, I sympathize with Blanche even though she has make mistake in her life. In my opinion, the reason why she goes to Stella is because she needs shelter and she didn’t trust anyone else anymore except her blood tie sister. She also wants someone to share her life with as she feels really tired to live as a prostitute.
In the play, there are times where she is trying to tell Stella about her past life but Stella is so naïve as she expects Blanche behaves the way she behaves. Stella is unaware of her sister’s condition. I think if she can be a little bit responsive she can safe her sister’s life. Stella also being ignorant to Blanche as at the end of play, she knew something bad has happened to her sister and it involves Stanley, but she didn’t have the guts to seek for the truth as she is afraid she will lose her happiness. In my opinion, Blanche is not deserved to be rape by Stanley even though she has slept with many men before. All in all, I do sympathize with Blanche because situation makes her to behave and life like that.
Pygmalion
When I read Pygmalion, I feel like I have known the story. Then I realized that Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw is a quite similar with Educating Rita by William Russell. The plotline is almost the same as it is about a woman from lower class society who wants to change their status into a higher class of society. I do like the changes that have happened to both of the actresses. How they really determine to get into the changes really impressed me as they just need a few month to do so. This shows that if you really want to achieve something, all you need is to put all your efforts, be commitment and be able to face with difficulties even though sometimes you think you cannot take the challenges anymore. But what tingling in my mind is, why in both play shows that only woman who are going for changes and why cannot it be vice versa? So, I think that the play was written by men so that is the reason why only women who needs changes. If the play was written by women, I think it would turn out differently. Maybe it is men who seek for help to change.
Apart of it, I do like the way Mr.Higgin teaches Eliza even though he is being sarcastic to her. Even though, he concerns only with the pronunciation and appearance of Eliza, but he is really good as between a few month he has be able to change her into high class lady. What is lack in him is the good menace as he is a person who cannot treat other person politely except to his mother and Mr.Pickering. It is normal to have a person who is partially good and bad as not all human is perfect. Same goes with Higgin.
All in all, I do like the play as it taught me a lot of lesson and I hope I can learn from it and apply it in real life.
MacBeth
MacBeth by William Shakespeare is really a wonderful play. The storyline is excellent as it contains messages that can be learned. In the beginning of the story, I know that MacBeth is a good person but because of his wife keeps pushing him to kill the king makes him lose himself to the situation. After his first intentionally killing, he did not hesitate to kill again and again after that. He kills without being guilty. What I can learn from this example is if you start to do wrong thing once, you will repeated the actions again and again without hesitation and guiltiness. Besides that, many trusted have been betrayed due to the hunger for power and richness. Betrayal from Macbeth and the to the king. This shows that we cannot give fully trust to the people that we trusted because they can backstab us without our realizations. But I can see that not all characters in the play such as betrayer, there are people who really loyal for example Banqour and MacDuff. Sacrifices also can be found in this play. How Banqour sacrifices himself to save his son from the MacBeth’s army really touches my heart. The scene of how the MacDuff’s family is being killed also really touches my emotion especially when his son utters ‘He kills me,mother”. Another thing that I can learn is bad people will get his or her punishment later. Lady MacBeth commits suicide because she cannot take it anymore the punishment that she gets which is she feels that her hands is always full with blood it is not in reality. MacBeth also has been killed by MacDuff due to his arrogance and cruelty.
In addition, the play is so violence until I cannot take it anymore the violence’s. How the characters kill each others are so real until I can feel the pain by myself. The way the army plays with MacBeth’s head also disgusting. But I have to accept the fact that violence is normal especially in wars.
All in all, I do enjoy this play as I can learned many things. Furthermore, the play also helps me to feel what is the tragic play is all about.
Pygmalion-education
Education… As we all know, education is important in our life as it gives perception to others on which class of society we belong to and also what achievement has we achieve in life. The same situation also occurs to Eliza as she needs to be educated in order for her to change her status in life. The reason why Eliza wants to learn to speak properly at first is because she really wants to work in flower shop as the requirement is to have proper way of speaking. Due to her determination, we can see that how important education is as it has turned her into someone new and makes her standing in the eyes of the society. From education also, Eliza gain much respect from others if compares when she hasn’t change yet. All in all, being educate is important in order for us change out status in life and it is also for our future.
Betrayal
I would like to highlight one of the themes in ‘King Lear’ by William Shakespeare which is betrayal, as most of the plot in the play evolves within the theme. It is all about betrayal of children to father and betrayal between siblings. In this play, Lear has been betrayed by his two daughters who are Goneril and Regan that he has blindly misjudged them as good daughters. Due to that both of them has became powerful in Britain. This is all the same with Gloucester where he is been betrayed by his illegitimate son, Edmund in order for him to get rid of his brother, Edgar. Edgar also has been betrayed by his brother Edmund where due to that, he has to be someone else. Edmund has joined the two sisters doing destruction by using their power. As the plot moves, we can see that all the evil characters has to be paid due to their crimes and this shows that all bad deed will not turn up to have a happy ending. Personally, I think the situation can happen to all of us because not all human beings are as good as angel. So, I am taking lesson from this play that is to be good to all even though I have been betrayed as all evil behaviours will has to pay for the evilness.
