Prologue to Year 2

Have you ever been betrayed and give an example?

I dont normally show emotions or let people in on my feelings so it is a rare occurance but yes I have been betrayed and in fact it was a quite recently. You see one of the benefits of the Antigua State College is the mergeance of all the secondary schools, so when school opened last year I was re-acquainted with an old flame. So being teenagers alot of the free time we had was spent flirting with one another mostly in jest, or atleast so i thought. Fast forward now about a month of flirting and catching up, we went to a party on the weekend and we spent the night in the same manner. Knowing how young people behave a party isnt complete without rum, so a group of us were having fun, drinking etc. The girl and I spent the bout half the night together but never in a secluded "we're a couple" kind of setting just talking and joking and an occasional flirt or what not. Towards the end of the night we are all winding down about to head home and the corner of my eye I see the girl and my good friend walk off. Now please note I was not jealous or anything I was just observing, as far as I knew we were just friends, but then they started kissing... I instantly became irate! Apparently without my knowledge*  I had caught feelings for this girl and my good friend just ignored all of that and threw me under the bus like that.  *(I say without my knowledge because we were always flirty and playful but this problem of jealousy never arose before, its possible because of the fact that it was a daily repitition I had just started assuming that she was mine But either way my friend didnt know whether or not my feelings for her were real as far as he knew I spend everyday at school with this chick, I always talked about this chick and what not. If he was confused about whether or not I truly liked her he should've atleast checked or something but whatever am over it now.)

What did you do & how did you feel?                                                                                           

At the time it happened I was angry, I just left the party without a word and found my way home. I didn't want to deal with any of them. I just left to avoid an altercation. Didn't make sense to fight for something that wasn't there.   

Ever felt betrayed and in the end misunderstood the situation?    

Honestly I want to say no because I believe that I either stop the situation before I get betrayed or never know about the situation until its in my face. There was one time a friend of mine was troubling a girl that I was troubling I didnt really feel betrayed but I wasnt sure if he was serious or not. They claim that it was a joke but you can't trust anyone nowadays....

Looking at "Merchant of Venice" and "Much Ado About Nothing" , why do the characters always seem to resort to voilence and trickery?

In Merchant of Venice the main character Antonio went to an enemy to borrow money, Shylock and unfortunately for Antonio he could not pay back his debt. Therefore Shylock wanted a pound of flesh which was promised to him.
In Much Ado About Nothing Don John spends most of the play attempting to ruin his half brother, Don Pedro's, life. Both directly and indirectly through Claudio.
I think most of Shakespeare's characters resort to trickery because at the time of being written social problems were solved by only that medium. Police were rarities and vigilantes were popular. As seen in Merchant of Venice (when the deal was made no mention of police was said, the deal was made between the two and if broken would be solved between the two)

What is the Elizabethan theatre ?
 The Elizabethan theatre was established in the period of Queen Elizabeth the first because actors were viewed upon as liars and thieves by society. The nomadic lifestyle was inhibited thus giving way to the Elizabeth acting troupes and the Elizabethan theatre. The theatre was erected 1576 by a John Burbage, an entrepeanour who say revenue in the increasing popularity of the plays. In 1599 the Globe theatre opened with William Shakespeare as a co-owner and the business was a huge sucess.

What does the term "Theatre of the Absurd" mean?
Theatre of the Absurd refers to certain plays which stress the illogical or irrational aspects of life, usually to show that modern life is pointless. Examples of this genre of plays are Macbeth and Rosencrantz and Guildenstorm are Dead by Stoppard.

Who is William Shakespeare?

William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminant dramatist. Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon to John Shakespeare and Mary Arden. His actual birthdate remains unknown, but is traditionally observed on 23 April and he was baptised in Stratford-upon-Avon on 26 April 1564. Shakespeare began his career as an actor, writer and part owner of a play company called the Lord's Chamberlain Men (later known as the Kings Men) in London. Few records of Shakespeare's private life exist.

Most of Shakespeare's work was produced between 1589 and 1613, this included 38 plays(including Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth), 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems(Venus & Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece) and several other poems. His early plays were mainly comedies and histories, genres he raised to the peak of sophistication and artistry by the end of the 16th century. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights. Most of the plays were performed in the Elizabethan theatres of that Era. In his later years, Shakespeare became part of the ownership of the famous Globe Theatre where many of his plays were later performed. The Globe opened in autumn 1599, with Julius Caesar one of the first plays staged. Most of Shakespeare's greatest post-1599 plays were written for the Globe, including Hamlet, Othello and King Lear.William Shakespeare died on April, 1616. However, written upon his tomb stone is an appeal bearing a curse to anyone who were to move his bones. It read:"Good friend, for Jesus´ sake forbeare
To digg the dust enclosed here!
Blest be ye man that spares thes stones
And curst be he that moues my bones."
Shakespeare has been commemorated in many statues and memorials around the world, including funeral monuments in Southwark Cathedral and Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey.