Tuesday, February 13, 2018

First Words First

Image result for first words first 
 
                                             …fruits that blossom first will first be ripe
                     Iago, Othello (2.3)

“First place,” “first glance,” "first" anything"—birthday, date, car, taste of pomegranate—is “first and foremost.”  In other words that embody firstness: we forefront priorities—primarily prize what’s premium.  Once there is that first mark on a blank page, the paper is forever transformed.  First impressions last.

This is especially true in reading literature.  Let's take Horatio's first word in Hamlet: “Friends” is Horatio’s first word Hamlet.  Throughout the play, he is, scene after scene, Hamlet’s only and most abiding friend.  Using the concept of friendship as our first-word point of entry—we can read Hamlet through the character of Horatio.  We can characterize Horatio either deductively—identify core characteristics of friendship and find examples of them in Horatio’s words and actions.  Or, we can interpret inductively—discern what friendship means by describing Horatio’s character as he moves through the play.  The most interesting interpretations combine both a deductive and an inductive approach.

For those who prefer to interpret Horatio deductively, it’s helpful to find what experts have to say about friendship.  In his book Buddy System: Understanding Male Friendships, Geoffrey Greif identifies four levels of friends: must, trust, just, and rust.  The must friend is the go-to guy for all things earth-shattering.  The trust friend is less close than the must.  The just friend is just that—a casual acquaintance.  The rust friend floats in and out of the relationship.  Which kind of friend might Horatio be, and what’s our proof?

When, at the beginning of the play, Horatio sees the ghost of Hamlet’s father, he is the one who says

Let us impart what we have seen tonight
Unto young Hamlet; for upon my life,
This spirit, dumb to us, will speak to him. (1.1.175-6)

A just or rust friend might run away both from the ghost and having to “get involved.”  A trust friend might be hesitant to get involved.  But must friend identifies the crisis, is aware of the context, informs his friend, and “has his back,” as they say.  The bearer of bad news is always at risk of the receiver’s reaction.  But Horatio will go boldly to his friend’s side. 

In the one expression “upon my life,” we can see how much Horatio would risk to empower his friend with information.  Note, as well, that Horatio does not say I will impart what I have seen tonight.  Horatio speaks in terms of us and we. He is a man who values connection.  He doesn’t say “Go tell him” or “I will tell him,” he says “Let us”—collaborative, respectful, inviting.

            And so we would proceed, seeking out scenes that either include or refer to Horatio, and considering each as proof or disproof of Horatio’s friendship.  We would apply Greif’s categories, deductively; and articulate, inductively, the various traits of friendship Horatio displays.  We might ask the question: “Is Hamlet a friend to himself?” We might compare and contrast how others treat Hamlet.  When we arrived at the scenes with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, we would further appreciate, because of their treachery, what a courageous friend Horatio is, in contrast.  In most productions of Hamlet, Hamlet dies in his arms at the end of the play.  How much more poignant and meaningful becomes Horatio’s final address to Hamlet because of our close attention to the course of their friendship:

                        Now cracks a noble heart.  Good night, sweet prince,
                        And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest! (5.2.361-2)

Notice that he uses thee and thy, instead of you and yours.  Originally, the form you instead of thou was used by the elite English to align them with the fashionable French tu and vous. It was distancing and asserted power positions above inferiors. Thee and thy were more intimate uses of the second person pronoun, as would be used in prayers.  In our time, philosopher Martin Buber used the more archaic thou to distinguish a reverent from a casual regard for another.  Interesting, especially in this context, is that those who practice Quakerism use the thee, thy, thou, thine form address during meetings, and call themselves “The Friends.”

            Because of the nature of interpretation and Shakespeare’s genius, first words will dependably clue us into his characters.  Horatio would never begin with I, as Katharina does in The Taming of the Shrew, nor would she be prompted to start with “Friends.”  And that makes sense.  Traditionally, readers have interpreted Katharina as the shrew of the play (for an alternate reading, check out the Titles chapter on pages #-#).  “Shrew,” when designating a person, means ‘violent, scolding, argumentative.’  Such a person would be self-centered, self-satisfied, selfish—all about “I” instead, as in the case of Horatio, “we.” 

When we trace Katharina through the first couple of scenes, we see her displaying what doctors Leonard C. Groopman and Arnold M. Cooper call “narcissistic personality disorder.”  Conducting a brief search, we find that the symptoms of this disorder include these:

  • envious
  • requires constant attention and admiration
  • calculating and manipulative
  • has no empathy for others 
  •  arrogant
  • expects special treatment

In 1.1, father Bapista calls Bianca, Katharina’s sister, “good,” and “my girl.” As we learned in the chapter on Rhythm, how a line varies from the classic ten syllable iambic pentameter is meaningful.  Katharina hesitates before she delivers these words, starting with a seven-syllable line:

                              A pretty peat! It is best
Put finger in the eye, an she knew why. (1.1. 78-9)

We can read that hesitation as proof of Katharina’s envy.  She feels slighted, and is calculating how to strike back at her father and sister.  Even without knowing what “peat” means, we can already discern the ‘scratch her eyes out’ violence of “put finger in the eye.” A quick dictionary check tells us that, in this context, “peat” means ‘a merry young girl’ and that “an” means ‘if.’ Katharina’s remark is sarcastic, devoid of empathy, angry that Bianca has their father’s affection.  In 2.1, Katharina ties up her sisters hands—in a gesture of bondage—and interrogates her as if Bianca were a criminal.  And does not relent when her sister pleads

                        Good sister, wrong me not, nor wrong yourself,
                        To make a bondmaid and a slave of me. (1-2)

In her book Identifying and Understanding the Narcissistic Personality, Elsa F. Ronningstam articulates the painful shame and insecurity that underlies the narcissist’s bravado.  In the rest of the play, we will see Petruchio humiliate, starve, isolate, and shame Katharina—thus reducing her to her underlying insecurities.  In the chapter on Dismounts, we will ask whether Katharina is ultimately tamed.

How do first words affect your life experiences?  How can focus on first words enrich your literary experiences?

57 comments:



  1. STUDENT INTERPRETATION

    Excerpt from “The King of Plateau: An Analysis of Pericles”
    by Andrea Arevalo
    William Shakespeare often wrote about men no real women would want. He gives the world Petruchio, Macbeth, and now…Pericles. Oh, Pericles! He’s the self-absorbed man who only worried about himself and his journey. Although he traveled, fought battles, and met new people, none of it held true substance for him. Pericles was on a plateau-like journey from beginning to end.
    When analyzing the character Pericles, it is impossible to ignore his first word, “I.” A man that is so self-absorbed and preoccupied in only his personal thoughts and hardships would rightfully begin with “I.” In the entire play, Pericles only worries about my pains, my losses, my troubles, and my wife’s death. Interestingly enough, although he is self-consumed in his own life, he devalues it, “I am too little to contend” (1.2.17).
    The most prominent point of his selfishness arises after the death of Thaisa, his wife. Pericles is presented with his daughter and he immediately avoids responsibility and questions it, “How? How, Lychordia?” (3.1.18) Oh, poor, pitiful Pericles! He makes it seem that he is far too devastated by the loss of his wife to worry about the “piece of your dead queen” (3.1.17). He uses the devastation as an excuse to disregard his responsibilities as a father. Rather than embracing “all that’s left living of your queen” (3.1.20), he pushes her away, literally. His selfishiness has him too far-gone to take on his own “little daughter” (3.1.21). So he does what he finds to be the reasonable thing to do—what he always does—run away. Shame on anyone for calling Pericles a hero.
    Shakespeare manages to sneak in and deliver a powerful message in the story of Pericles. The message is of how unfortunate is the life of a man who does not grow or change throughout time. A man must be pretty stubborn to stick to his tendencies and beliefs if his own child can’t change his behavior. He leaves the child behind to continue on his non-evolving path. It must be nice to live the life of Pericles, a man too selfish to learn and grow.



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  2. In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Benvolio’s first words is “part”. Benvolio acts as the best friend of Romeo, he is also the voice of reason. He tries to end violence and is willing to help his friends. By parting he is ending violence and trying to keep his friends safe. Another way parting is important to Benvolio’s character is he loses all his friends. He begins the play having friends like Romeo and Mercutio, they fool around, make jokes and pick fights with their enemies. As the play continues he first loses Romeo to Juliet because Romeo is no longer honest with him and he chooses to be with Juliet thus betraying their family. Afterwards he loses Mercutio during their final confrontation with Tybalt. As he begins dying Benvolio tries to save his friend but instead causes them to part ways. Benvolio parts with Romeo a second time, this time also through death. He loses him once Romeo commits suicide and he is last of their friends to survive the tragedy.
    Lastly, Benvolio by the end of the play he also parts from the family feud between the Montagues and the Capulets. The death of Romeo and Juliet end the rivalry between the two families, and the past is buried. As a member of the Montagues, Benvolio is parted from the violence that he tried to avoid and that rivalry no longer defines him.

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  3. In the play, Romeo and Juliet, the first word in the play is "two" and is in the prologue and I think that the concept of two plays a big part in this play. There are many different things can reference and support the two concept, even in the prologue itself. The story as a whole is about TWO families feuding and is about TWO people who are "star crossed lovers". You can even look that there are TWO people that know about Romeo and Juliet, which is the nurse and Friar Lawrence.

    When looking into the prologue and trying to find things that were in twos, there were parents, ears, two hours, their, etc. All of these things has two.

    I never really thought about how the first word in a play can mean something for the rest of the play, but it is definitely something cool to know. By focusing more on the first word in literature, it can give me a chance to have a different outlook on the literary piece that is being read.

    In the beginning, you said "First impressions last" and I really like that and it is totally true. First impressions are important and will last forever. Someone once told me, "People will forget what you said or maybe what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel." and to me, that kind of relates to first impressions. People will never forget the first impression they had of you.

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  4. Dr. Rich
    In the play "Twelve Angry Men", The first word spoken by the foreman is "He". Such a word along establishes the intense male dominance that encompasses the entire play. It sets the tone for the audience in the sense that there is also a strong individual importance to each "He" that will be mentioned. It invites the reader to paint a picture for each an every juror that there will be. The play does not start with "they" because that would take away from the complexity of the story to be unfolded. Each and every juror within this place is unique and carries many different important qualities that help the story develop and push forward. Each "He" struggles with something that create a tug-of-war kind of plot. It is examples such as this that highlight the importance of first words within a text. While reading your excerpt, I began to also think about just how much first impressions impact our lives and just how much consideration I give to them. Majority of the time, whenever I am meeting someone new, I pay lose attention to the words that come out of their mouths and the actions that they engage in. If it ends up not aligning with my morals then I am immediately uninterested in forming any type of relationship with them unfortunately.

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  5. Dr. Rich
    I never realized how much meaning the first word of something can be. In Hamlet, the first word is who's. As you go on to read the play, you begin to see that is the main theme of the entire play. Who's there? Who killed Hamlet? Who can Hamlet trust? The entire play, Hamlet tries to find out who killed his father and how he can get revenge for it. He also questions who his mother is since he not only betrayed her husband but her son also. It's hard to believe that one little word can have so much meaning. I never would have thought that the first word of something can foreshadow everything that is about to happen. Focusing on the first word in literature gives you the ability to see things from another perspective. When you said "once there is that first mark on a blank page, the paper is forever transformed. First impressions last," it really impacted my thinking. I knew first impressions where important but thinking of it as a word on a fresh page,it really changed my thought process. Once a word is there you can't take it back. It makes me wonder what my first impressions where to other people. Were they good?

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  6. I’ve never really taken notice of the impact first words have on anything. However after reading this post I’ve made some revelations about the significance of first words. Being first in our society , in any regard, is an accolade. Therefore, first words in life have always held a sort of significance. From the silent competition between two parents about whether of not their baby’s first words will be “DaDa,” or “MaMa” to the first words you say when you’re just meeting someone. This is because we believe as a humanity that first words set the tone. So from a literary perspective, focus on the first word of any piece of literature could alter a reader’s entire experience with a piece of work. It could set the tone. Like first word of the Bible in every version is the word “in,” which really compels you to read more. Even in class, when you edit our poems, you emphasize the first word. I remember you telling us to chose words that are unconventional and bold, that way the reader will be captivated and your poetry will be more memorable.

    I’ve been inspired through this post to experiment more and revel in the power of my first words, in conversation, and literature.

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  7. After reading this post, I never really thought to look that deeply into the first words of anything. It when taking the other Dr.Rich's class is where I heard about having the first line stick out to the reader. But in this class the first word to make a change to the story. Normally, people tend to think of first as being on top like first place, first one, only one and things like that. Now I am looking at the textbooks and novels I read and really exploring this idea of the first words saying it all. Now I will probably go as far as to look at slogans and public boards to see what the first words marketing associates would use to draw people's attention. To use word to give base and then the others describe it all. It almost sounds like a crazy mad scientist English experiment. Which I am willing to do my best and take on. Shakespeare, in my experience seems to be always the center of attention when it comes to go writing so bravo again to him. His use of words and hidden undertones is something all my teachers adored about him. But I have never looked at his work in regards to the first word in their first line.

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  8. I would have never thought of first words in a play being significant to the entirety of play before I read this blog. Again, your creative touch came out. I opened up Comedy of Errors right away and thought about the first word. The first word Egeon says is, "proceed."

    and I was thinking to myself, how does that reflect the entire play? I thought about it for a coupe of minutes until it dawned on me that it means move forward which is basically the whole play since everyone was always on the go in the midst of confusion. I think this way of seeing the story, through first words, is clever. You can predict the way a story might go through first words and that's awesome.

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  9. While famous last words are a popular topic, I've never heard of a discussion or analysis on a person or character's first words. After reading this I wanted to go back and check to find where this maybe could provide some insight or maybe foreshadowing within some of Shakespeare's plays. For my presentation on Shakespeare's tragedies, I focused on Macbeth, my favorite of Shakespeare's plays. The very first word of the play is incredibly meaningful in two ways. First, because it is said by one of the witches, which I've noted before are the puppet masters of the entire play. Without their handy work, there would be no play to speak of. Second, it is significant because it is the word 'when' which speaks volumes to the play. Throughout its entirety we're told prophecies of the turmoil that's soon to come, but the question is 'WHEN?'. WHEN will Macbeth actually take the throne? WHEN will this person or the next meet their tragic death? WHEN is this all going to blow up in his face already?!
    Examining more specifically down to a character's first word, Duncan's first line of the play begins with the word 'oh'. Oh, as an exclamation, can signify surprise, horror, or ecstasy. In Duncan's case, we know that his exclamation of 'oh' was probably, "OH God, please don't kill me".
    In searching for Banquo's first lines, we find that his first word was 'how'. A question that represents his character perfectly. 'HOW is this happening right now?' 'HOW can you not see that this is going to end very badly?' 'HOW can I avoid my son and I being murdered by my best friend who's losing his mind?'

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  10. The first word of Much Ado About Nothing is "I" — a notion that everyone in this play is so caught up with themselves and their own affairs. The constant miscommunications and deceptions occur because everyone is so wrapped up in their own lives and their own affairs that they make it easy for Don John to come in and plant his seeds of doubt in the young lovers.

    It's also spoken by Leonato, who puts his own life and reputation above his daughter, later, when she's "revealed" to be impure and unfaithful, and then states he'd rather her be dead than alive with this shame.

    First words are a fantastic gauge for the theme of a play as well as a theme for a character from the very beginning.

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  11. Dear Dr. Rich,
    I never really thought about the power of a first word. I always hear expressions like the last laugh or the last word, but reading this blog post has made me start to think more about the first word and its impact. The first word seems to go hand in hand with first impressions. Whenever you meet someone for the first time, your first impression will often affect how you perceive them in the future. Someone who greets you by cursing at you or insulting you the first time you meet will forever be remembered as a rude asshole. In films when a character is first introduced, their appearance and their lines change how we see them and whiter we like or dislike them. The example with Horatio was especially well said. Throughout the play he is one of the few characters I actually liked, and one of the few who didn’t actually die. He is immediately established as a good and loyal friend thanks to his lines and his actions which help to show the importance of the first word. This made me start to think about the people in my life and what our first interactions were like.
    Stephen Corrales

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  12. I went back and checked a couple of plays I read years ago and looking at Hamlet if looking at the first line you see the words “Who’s.” With this line I think about the concept of “who’s” it is like a game of clue. In the scenes like when Hamlet kills Polonius is was a question “who’s there” behind the curtain. Then when the ghost of the late King Hamlet is with the question of “who’s the person who killed you.” Later on when Ophelia kills herself, her brother asks “Who’s killed her.” The ending is a reflection of who the story of who did what. In the end the king asks “who has done this.” He is refereeing to the deadly battle with the dead bodies all over the throne room. Another question that can be asked by the audience with “Who’s left.” The ending of Hamlet is a reflection of what happened in the beginning where we meet a ghost and in the end the floor is littered with bodies most likely with the ghosts of people who have died.

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  13. Dear Dr. Rich,
    When reflecting on the very first words uttered by a character, I distinctly recall Romeo’s first words in Romeo and Juilet. “Is the day so young.” With just this simple quote we relate with hims because he seems to not be happy that he is up too early in the morning. But as the play progresses we learn that he allows the slightest events in his life change everything. He complains and weeps about how he will never find true love due to Rosaline not being interested in him and only wanting to pursue a career as a nun. Then he falls in love with Juilet and of course tragedy is soon to follow. But when he started off complaining about how early it was after being greeted by a friend, instead of greeting him back he chooses to just complain about the day that hasn’t really started yet. It paints a first impression that this isn’t a man, but merely a child who is too focused on himself and what he thinks he wants in life instead of actually knowing what is for the best. And this type of mentality of believing he is right is what leads to his downfall.

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  14. First words can set many different things that I would have probably never noticed if it wasn't for you Dr. Rich. I see how we took Romeo and Juliet and really broke it down starting from the prologue. As the semester went on I noticed in my other class how first words or first sentences can play a major role in most literary works. Firsts in almost anything is important such as first impressions. First impressions can show a lot about a person and those first impressions stay engraved into your mind for further impressions what will come after.

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  15. After reading this blog, I noticed how important first words and first impressions can be. I can see in some of Shakespeare’s play. In Timon of Athens, his first word was imprisonment, which foreshadows the play, and tells who is Timon and how he is a prison of his own desires and actions. He was so obsessed of showering his friends and gifts, trying to buy them out, without any precautions of his own finances. I also found it interesting being a Romeo and Juliet lover, that the first words that Shakespeare mentioned is “two” families who hated each other, as “two cross lovers take their life” gives a huge impression in how the play is going to be. First words are also important in real life as well in how you present yourself in a job interview, or meet someone for the first time, or even baby’s first words can maybe predict what kind of character may have. First impressions help an individual discern if the other person is trusting or not. It also gives an idea on how that person makes you feel, to watch what you say or act around that person. For example, I will not act the same way that I am with my friends and when I am around with my parents, so I need to make sure that I am not leaving a bad impression all around because everyone is different, we all may interpret things in our own different way.

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  16. Dr. Rich showed us this method of writing in one of our classes and I absolutely loved the idea. My only concern is that I thought I ran out of things to say in the first paragraph. I just thought that; it wasn’t true. In my first paper, I wrote about How Timon, in Timon of Athens is mentally imprisoned throughout the play. “Imprisoned” is the first word he says so I played with that word. Once I wrote down all of the reasons he was imprisoned, I was stuck. So I did some research on imprisonment in literature. Timon stayed in a cave for sometime so I researched caves as a sign of imprisonment. I found one article that told me everything I need to know. In American literature, caves are used as symbols. So I made this connection to Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens. I also write about how powerfully his first line was spoken and I wrote about the sentence structure and this made me think of another idea. My final topic was “Imprisonment as Power in Timon of Athens.” Words were flowing on my paper and each and every sentence was interesting and unique. I ended up writing a four- page paper on one word, “imprisonment.” Even though it is just one word, it was the word that described the whole protagonist of the play.
    Priya Jhaveri

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  17. As a future educator the words we write onto paper is what defines us and how our skills with literature shows. I like this post as well because the first words first method is a cliche that some writers will do just to prove their point on a given subject. For this I am guilty as well and it's something I need to improve on as a writer. I have some struggle when writing a long paper and stuck at a certain part of what I’m trying to say so I revert back the the first things first method. However, as a writer I feel as if it can work both ways sometimes because you can become straight forward on what you are trying to say and thus getting straight to the point is never a bad option. First words are perhaps the most important part of a paper because it allows the reader knowledge of what the writer is making his/her point on. This is relevant because whenever i read Shakespeare's plays he always tends to allow the audience know the topic his plays are going for with at least the first words of what the character is saying which I find that really interesting. This is also a method in which I need to improve my skills on as a writer.

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  18. Personally I struggle when it comes to writing with coming up with an idea on what im going to write. Being in Dr. Rich's class has taught me a completely different way of thinking about what to write for a paper. Having the opportunity to write what I want makes it much easier. I love the idea of finding one word and writing a paper based off that one word. Instead of having to focus your paper on one specific topic, choosing one word as your "paper clip" makes the audience more engaged knowing that the topic is one little thing versus writing a paper on a big piece of the writing just makes everything confusing and overbearing. I can admit I am still not a 100% strong writer as im still trying to figure out which style suits me best. I would love to include the one word or first word idea when i become a teacher because I will get completely different papers instead of getting 30 of the same papers. Every student has a different mindset and chances are no two students will pick the same word to focus their paper on, and if they do, chances are the papers will be very different from one another. Giving students the chance to pick their own topic just by choosing one word and focusing their work on that will improve their writing skills and abilities and make it more interesting for the teacher as well.
    -Melanie Azevedo

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  19. I never paid much attention to first words a character has in a novel. There's character growth why should the first thing someone says truly define them throughout the work. They could say one thing but later we see they are a pathological liar are we still going to stand true to what we learned previously?
    However first impressions in real life do stand out to me. Girls tend to be very judgmental, perfectionists at the first impression judgment. I think it has to do with how a person carries themselves and speaks to others. For instance on a first date if the guy is checking his phone often or being in any way rude or demeaning to the waitress I will not stick around for a second date. That first Impression could be your only chance with people which is daunting. Knowing this when meeting new people I always try to be kind and aware of myself. However everyone has bad days and some days it's harder to be cheerful and give everyone your best side. That's when I think second chances for first impressions would be important don't make your mind set on someone from an initial glimpse into their life. I am going to try and focus more on first words in a novel and see if they are true to the character or if their demeanor changed throughout.

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  20. It was not until your class that I realized how important first words are. Especially when we went over the first words of people in Timon of Athens. How symbolic people’s first words were to who they were as characters. Like how Timon’s first word in Timon of Athens is “imprisoned” which he is by the naiveness that he has but gets a brutal awakening from. Again, I must say that I really take pleasure in your creative style of helping us understand some very important lessons. You really do practice what you teach professor, because I bet it was not plot summary that you got to this realization of the importance of first words. It was by dissecting the play and finding your paper clip, which is some of the greatest terms that I have come to know as a writer and a person. As a future teacher, the many many lessons that you have taught us can help so many other generations of writers and just students in general. That is what I find so fascinating about your blog posts and teachings. I hope that you continue to be true to yourself and helping impact the world just by being you.
    Grace Carranza

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  21. First impressions mean everything. The first words out of your mouth is extremely important. The minute you meet someone they automatically judged you by based off of your looks and the way you speak. If approaching a female and you say, “Hey shawty” a women automatically thinks your uneducated and “ghetto”. The first words out of your mouth when meeting a women should be polite and courageous. Women like a men with confidence. In my life I have experienced many scenarios where I meet people for the first time and what they say completely baffles me. I would never approach my new boss and say, “What’s up bitch, what work do we got to get done today?” First words and impressions are everything in the world.
    Taking Shakespeare survey I have come to realize how important every word in every line is. They are just words to take up time in a play, but words that actually mean something meaningful. Looking at each character of a play and looking at their first words really helps you to understand the specific character. Using the example that you gave, Horatio, his first word in Hamlet is “Friends” and the entire time he is Hamlet’s only good friend. Not only are we getting the sense of his character but his role throughout the entire play, all by just the first couple words. Learning this is an eye opener to myself as an English major and understanding future plays and characters.

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  22. THIS IS MY FAVORITE THING I’VE EVER LEARNED IN ANY CLASSROOM EVER. I have never been more engaged in a lesson than when we learned the first words lesson. I was in absolute awe when going over this. It has impacted me so much, that I have used it in everything I’ve read since then. Looking at the first words can be so influential when reading the story, because for example, in Hamlet, Horatio’s first word is “friends”. We know that Horatio is Hamlet’s friend, but in the end, he is stays true to first word of “friends”. He never betrayed Hamlet the way that everyone else around him did. Although first words may not always jump out at you, looking back to them after reading the play/novel/piece of literature, you can get a different sense of the character. This theory is absolutely incredible and I’m so glad that you taught this to us. I even used it for my presentation in the class, just to see how the class could interpret different characters from different plays. It was an interesting exercise, because some people had different ideas and it was cool to see the different ways people can read the first words and how they relate to the entirety of the play. It’s something that no one else has shown us as students, and gives us such a different perspective on reading a play. You can always go back and reread to figure out where the first word can mean. I appreciate that everything is left up to interpretation.

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  23. A character’s first words are often overlooked, seen to establish a tone and exposition. Rather than allowing the first words to speak to the audience as a reflection of the character, they are tossed away, never to be thought of again. When we first discussed this concept in class, in all honesty, I thought I was going crazy. Why were we talking about one, singular, insignificant word and connecting that to the character in question? What good can come from spending more than five seconds translating its meaning? The most defining moment of a play for a character is their introduction. If they have a lackluster introduction, they will most likely be forgotten. In these first words, we often find a clue as to how a character will act or how they will be defined by the end of the play. Not only do these first words give the audience insight into a character’s motivations, they create a starting point. In Pericles, Prince of Tyre, Pericles' first word is "I". Being that he is very independent throughout the play, overcoming many obstacles, the distinction that he lives for himself and for others, is well deserved. Pericles knows what he wants and what he needs to do to find success and never steers away from a challenge until all that he earned was lost. He never lost hope, he lost his will to be more than himself. A word is more than just letters put together, they have a lot of meaning, often overlooked by the naked eye. By using this strategy, the average reader can become extraordinary, finding meaning in what seems to be useless.

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  24. Dear Dr. Rich,

    Prior to taking your class, I never once noted the first words of a character. Probably because all of my past teachers taught using their left brain, in a one dimensional manner. Either way when you wrote "Because of the nature of interpretation and Shakespeare’s genius, first words will dependably clue us into his characters" I truly began analyzing Shakespeare's play in a different manner. My eyes were truly opened to how multi-dimensional literature can be. In addition, I started using this strategy in various other texts. In my most recent paper, I even applied this strategy to Margaret's first word. It was actually shocking to see how accurate her first word is in relation to her power hungry demeanor. "Great" after her uncanny pursuit for greatness and power. I guess this is a true testimony to just how accurate your strategy is in practical use. In conclusion, I would highly recommend any literature students to re-read Shakespeare works using this technique. I promise it will open a world of Shakespeare that you thought didn't exist before.


    - Robin Gill

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  25. Dr. Rich,

    One of my favorite songs by an Irish band called, "The Script" is called, "For the First Time". They do put on a wonderful show, so if you have heard of this band and they are playing near you, I highly recommend seeing them! The song is about a couple breaking up and getting back together again -like most songs. The difference is that within this song, it mentions feelings that someone experiences when going through a break up for the first time. It also mentions (in return) the feelings that someone gets for the first time when they meet someone who they find attractive. As you mentioned previously in this post, there is a first time for everything. In literature, usually authors and poets will emphasize in great detail how something was for them (or for a character) for the first time. This can be a positive or a negative experience. For example, when Romeo falls in love with Juliet, that was the first woman who he ever truly romantically loved before. Thus, Shakespeare made a big deal out of it - and rightfully so! I am sure that I can speak for most of us, when I say that the first time you said your partner's name out loud (which can also be viewed as a word), that you felt butterflies in your stomach. The first time that we say a word that is meaningful to us, something happens not only within our bodies, but within our souls. That is truly a powerful gift.

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  26. First words have always made an impact on everyday life. You can tell how someone day has been by the first word they say or how your own day might go by the first news you hear. It is surprising that I never decided to take that from a literary standpoint before reading this blog post. When trying to impress someone for the first time at a party, some could leave with a simple hi, or hey, or hello, but would that really tell you much about the person. Starting by giving a person a compliment or saying a funny comment about someone could give anyone good impressions about a person who is interested in them. When looking at Othello, Act 1 scene 2, the character Emilia first word is “You,” (895). In this play Emilia plays a maiden for Desdemona, looking after her and making sure she is happy. It would make sense that of course, her first word does not deal with herself since she is always looking out for other people. Now looking at the entire first line, “You have little cause to say so.” It is obvious that Emilia is responding to someone with a direct cut to them. She was cutting at Iago, her husband, disagreeing to his previous statement about a woman. Further, along with the play, an audience can see that Emilia is a strong-willed woman who is willing to say what is on her mind. To further analyze character’s or plays, it is safe to say that the first words or lines of characters can tell you how they will be.

    ~Asia McKnight

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  27. If someone were to start with “first” I sometimes relate it to be being too confident or argumentative if the tone matches). Sometimes when people say “first of all” it’s argumentative and confidence “like no, I’m right, you’re wrong, and say something else and I’ll punch your face!” kind of tone.

    With taking the first word and analyzing that alone to determine how someone is - I have never done that. Nor have I ever thought of it. I’m going to walk around today analyzing people’s first words and then watching them from afar (without looking like a creeper) to see if the first word fits what I assumed they would be. It would probably work better with someone I don’t know who I will see everyday since I get to see the progress.

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  28. When hearing that you wanted us, the students, to focus on a small portion of each play in regards to writing our papers, I was taken back as I had never written a paper in that manner. I was even more startled when you introduced the interpretive strategy of focusing on a character’s first word. I did not understand how I would discuss a character’s first word and reach four to five pages. How can an individual’s first word be so significant? I soon came to realize that a character’s first word could relay a lot of information to a reader. For instance, when creating my presentation on King Lear I located his first word in the play which was “be.” From King Lear’s first word I was able to deduce that he is a character that holds dominance. The word “be” can see used as a command, therefore, this word foreshadowed the character’s disapproval of his daughter not wanting to state her love for him. It was evident that a character’s whose first word is a command would not be okay when he/she is told no. From a first word readers make opinions and thought about a character and what they will do at the end of the story. Individuals then want to see if their thoughts are right and how they can explain and give reasoning even when their thought is “wrong” in someone else’s eyes. In the end, I appreciated this strategy as it also allowed me to use my creativity and tap into my own thoughts.

    Bailey Vick

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  29. Dr. Rich,
    I have recently been on a "first words are first impressions" kick lately so I LOVED reading this post. As a kid it was always drilled to me that first impressions are very important, and I have recently been expecting the same thing from the literature that I choose to read.
    The first line of Venus and Adonis "Even as the sun with purple-colored face" is such a good introduction for the rest of the poem. It quickly introduces us to Shakespeare's use of language, but also about how Venus feels for Adonis. These masterfully crafted first words set the tone for the entire play. This clever way of introducing the text is a technique that I have grown to appreciate as the first words of a poem or a story can let us know whether we should be interested in what is written or not.

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  30. I have never thought about the words I put down on paper as a first impression. This blog post opened my eyes to that. The Hamlet example really helped me understand the point of how such a simple word can become so much more significant throughout the rest of the piece. I found this to be extremely interesting and looking back at my work, it makes me wonder why I never came to this realization myself. It becomes a helpful tool in my own writing experience and how simple words or even a word can take on an even bigger role in the text itself. I am usually very careful with my word choice, but this is a way I have never thought about in writing my own work. When we worked with the dictionary in class, I became even more interested in words themselves. How I may think I know the meaning of a word, but it may have other meanings, and can be used in other ways I may have never even thought of. I have a new found appreciation for words and am very excited about it. Words have an everlasting impact and I now know to choose them even more carefully than I have before and instead of using the first word that comes to my mind or jumps out with me, I can play with the meaning of other words and make them work just as well, or even better than the original word.

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  31. Dr. Rich,

    I think focusing on first words will be extremely enriching for my literary experiences. This was made especially clear to me during our class discussion of King Richard II. We took time to focus on different characters through the lens of their first words. It was extremely interesting to be open to that type of interpretation, which is inherently subjective, but also extremely insightful at the same time. Examining a character's first word offers a glimpse into their motivations, their personality, their very being. The subjectivity of this approach only amplifies the richness to be found in the literature, because every person might interpret the first words in a different, new way.

    I also enjoy this approach because it focuses on the importance of language. By doing extended interpretations of just one word, there is an emphasis placed on the significance of this one word. One word, even a syllable, can communicate so much. This approach to relishing literature really focuses on the power of language. The emotion and context that can be conveyed in this small combination of letters is amazing. Spending time with a single word is a beautiful exercise.

    -Kathleen Peregrin

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  32. Like the professor said in class and in this blog posts, first words share a lot about the character. In Hamlet, Horatio's first word defines him as a person and then you can find proof of his loyalty towards Hamlet throughout the play. We did this with Richard II, talked about how Old was King Richards first word and what this could symbolize.

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    1. Yes Megan, I totally agree with you. Our first word impact so much not only in our literature work but also in our daily life too. For example, when a baby is born, the first word he or speaks.

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  33. Dr.Rich,
    First words describe how we feel about people. I can remember the first word that was said to me in your class were "are you okay?" I thought that I would be misunderstood as being "not okay" in your class. I will agree that they shape the outline of literature but not so much in life experiences. In enriching my literature experience I will now choose wisely and now I know that I can build a secure foundation on my paper with proper first word choices.
    Najeeah

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  34. Dr. Rich,
    first words are indeed very important, kind of reminds me of when a baby says their first word in which most cases are either "mama, or dada". This puts the thought in my head that babies usually say those words as their first because their mom and their dad are the two most important and significant figures in their life at the moment, therefore they express their feelings towards them by either saying "mama or dada", and for the parents of course its something they will never forget. Until a few classes before I never thought of this idea, I never thought that the first word of a character can tell so much about their evolution throughout the story. The symbolic meaning of a first word holds so much power it is incredible, I will definitely take use this idea so much!
    Arianni Rodriguez
    11/17/19

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  36. First words are everything, but I never realized it until our class the other day. I never realized how much the first of a story, novel, play, song, etc. can hold such deep meaning. It even predicts the persona of the character being discusses. For example, the first word to describe John of Gaunt in The Tragedy of King Richard II, the word "old" gives so much away regarding his relationship to King Richard and his personality in general.

    A child's first words whether it be "Mumma", "Papa", etc.could also mean who they will be closest to in their life. The first of everything and anything is significant but its value in literature is on a completely different level. When you meet someone for the first time, their first impression is usually what sticks with you till an effort is actually made to get to know the person better. It's just like that in literature. The first word usually lets the reader make an assumption of what the character will be like, what the play will be like, etc. but it's the reader's job to research and read between the lines in order to get a more solid meaning of the words chosen to be in the play, and the reason behind being chosen.

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  38. Dr Rich

    Ahh the first word. One of the most powerful words in any text. The tempest starts fittingly with a loud cry of “BOATSWAIN” a term for a man on deck of a ship. It’s an odd word, an explorative word, the sea and its dangers and possibilities are all invoked by it.

    In the west, words themselves are innately magic, God made the universe not with hands or with his own flesh but with his words “ let there be light” . Nearly all magical grimoires or concepts we know involve using words as spells or incantations, forgoing physical acts over the beauty of spoken words. I am not the best at words at time

    James Patti

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  39. Dr. Rich,

    Ahh! Along with the staging activity that you had us do as a class, this was another one of your lessons that I truly admired and impacted me. It is something that I never thought to focus on, or saw as important. But that day in the four walls of your classroom, we looked upon each character that we were discussing, and discovered the importance of the first word that they said within the play, and how it directly reflected either a foreshadowing of the character or what was to become for the character.

    To think back on the impact of first words, I am reminded of something that my grandfather always said to me, “First impressions, something you never get to re-do or take back, so make it count” – with regard to my grandfathers words and your question of how first words affect life experiences at the end of this blog post – there is a lot of importance focused on the word “first” – first birthday, first words, first steps, first day of school, first day on the job, first friend – FIRST anything holds as important and significant. As with all of the firsts I have mentioned, with regard to a first impression – that is someone’s FIRST opinion of you, and the one thing that people will never forget about you – their first interaction with you, and how that made them feel.

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  40. Dear Dr. Rich,

    Indeed, first of everything, the beginning of everything have very significant effect in most occasions. Especially when reading a piece of literature. It is true because a lot of times the first chapters I read were very much related to the whole theme of the book. And sometimes when I finish the book and then go back to the first chapter, seeing all those details that the author laid out to foreshadow what is going to happen later on in the book is fascinating to me! There are first of other things which play an important role such as first impression. First impression in real life is important, first impression of a character in a book is important too. There is a Chinese Chengyu (Chinese idiomatic expression) 先入为主, meaning that what you see or feel first sets a general idea and a foundation for certain things.

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  41. Although I find the concept of first words rather interesting, I don’t focus so much first words in real life. Understandably, first words coming from a baby is important -- as they may contribute to what they gravitate to or hear the most. It’s essentially the first impression of the world -- what is on the baby’s mind? We also learn of something called “Famous Last Words” since we often care about what influential people say at the end of their world changing lives.

    Despite all of this, words do not mean much to me. I mean, obviously, poetry, plays, books, etc are fantastic and keeps the reader entertained, but spoken words in daily conversation hold no value to me -- unless they are backed up by facts and actions. We all live and see the political climate for what it is now. We constantly have to fact check the speakers to see if they are correct in what they say. Surely anyone can say a string of words, but to back it up by facts and actions? To make good on your promise? That’s a totally different issue.

    Having been both experienced yet inexperienced in love has left me to believe that words mean nothing without actions. I have been fooled many times by people who say sweet, cliched Nicholas Sparks type things and go back on their word. Some people will give you their word and then go back on it. It’s easy to get infatuated with words, but I have to remind myself sometimes that words mean nothing if you don’t truly believe it.

    In regards to words and dialogue, what someone says to you says a lot about them. When people start to gossip and talk sh*t about another person who is completely innocent, it makes me question their integrity. I strive to be a nicer, happier, and more generous person everyday. In fifth or sixth grade, a girl in my class got her hair chopped off because there was a rumor going around that she had lice. Whether this rumor was true or not I did not care. When she came back to school (after being absent for a week), her hair was in a pixie cut and everyone started whispering. Someone beside me said, “Wow, look! She cut off all of her hair!” I replied back with, “So what?” and let the conversation end there.

    I am not well versed in classic literature, but I will try to do what everyone else here has done. In the book, The Catcher in the Rye, the narrator’s first words are: “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born... the truth,” (Salinger 1). In this first sentence, the reader is able to tell what kind of person he is based on diction and syntax. The reader can tell that he is a negative fellow, most likely a teenager based on the way he talks. In his first sentence, the readers get a feel for Caulfield’s personality as well, allowing them to dive in head first into the perspective of Caulfield. The tone is set from the first few words since the reader is able to understand that Caulfield is not enthusiastic about anything (given that we find out later he has depression).

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  42. Over time, first words have been less and less important to me. A few years ago a first word was everything for me, I made a complete and final judgment on an individual based on their first words to me. Over time I've learned that I can't always make snap decisions about a person based on what they say. I've learned that even if the first words were weak or rubbed me the wrong way, I still try to give them the benefit of the doubt. However, when it comes to literature it is different. I am not as lenient when it comes to the first words from a new person I am introducing myself compared to first words from literature. My benefit of the doubt with people tends to be a gracious period, with literature, it is the first three paragraphs. A writer has had time to decide to publish it, why wouldn't they want to publish their best words? From my personal experience, It takes so much time to get to a great first line but it is definitely worth it.

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  43. The first word a character says so much about them. It is there first introduction and our first impression of the character as readers. Just like in Hamlet Horatio's first word is "friends" and throughout the play he is always there for Hamlet. I have used this tactic is reading plays and poems as well.

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  44. Words matter. They have power, we know this. Be it in writing or in speech, what you say and how you say it carries weight. First words will always affect our life experiences. In meeting someone new for the first time or going to job interviews. I feel I can know if I will like someone just based on the first interaction, I have with them. We learn a lot through first words alone. How formal will I have to be with this person. Did they say “hey” to me to a more formal “hello” or did the forgo a greeting completely?
    By focusing on first words our literary experiences can be enriched by picking up on foreshadowing or themes that will set the tone for the work. If the first word holds a lot of meaning it can clue you into what messages will be throughout the rest of the work.

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  45. Dr. Rich

    The concept of reading a characters first word is completely knew to me, yet so fascinating. This is a skill I wish I learned sooner. The idea that I can interpret so much about a character and their role in a story just by the first word they speak is amazing. It reminds me of the saying "first impressions are everything." You can learn so much about a person by the way they speak and act during your first meeting. Who knew that this can be applied to your reading, as well?

    When we initially discussed this in class, I didn't think it could be possible, but you proved it to be true. We took the time going through various characters, reading their first words and what we interpreted from them. Then, going through the text, we realized how accurate those interpretations were throughout their roles in the plays.

    I hope to utilize this skill when reading on my own. It seems so beneficial to interpretations.

    Thanks!

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  46. First words affect my life experiences very heavily. First impressions often come from first words; a single word can set the tone for a good amount of relationships whether it be formal, informal, friendly or intimate. First impressions do mean a lot to me, for I like to judge everyone and everything (I am human, after all!) However, after reading this blog post, I will pay more attention to whatever the first word of the text is. For when it comes to literature, the first word will set the mood not only for that section of the novel but for the whole book. It might as well start to foreshadow what is going to happen for the rest of the text.
    I did always think that words are important and that authors have a pretty decent understanding of what certain words mean. I also had an understanding that authors' placement and selection of certain words over others is also important; however, I did not know that even the first word of the piece of text mattered as well. Just taking a look at Moby Dick's opening line "Call me Ishmael", the word "call" has a very large amount of definitions to it. We understand that the meaning in this sense is to refer to him by a certain name. The word itself though is very demanding, and the tone of this could have been altered if the beginning word was something like "please". We know that this story will be intense from the very beginning.

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  47. Wow! I am very surprised to see how powerful the first word of a sentence can be. Moreover, it is so interesting that the first word of a sentence can impact the whole character. Also, it gives the reader a glimpse of what is going to happen in a story. I remember before I read this article, we discuss about this in our class and at that time too I was so amazed to see that. I never thought that any person first word would impact that much. Ever since we discussed about the first word topic in class, I started to pay more attention to the first word of each character. It is very helpful for me to understand the literature work. Also, It is very helpful in order to understand each of the characters in a play. Now when I think deep about it, I see that how big impact the first word leads us to and we don’t pay attention to it. For example, when a child speaks his/her first word, the child first word would be the person that he/she has spent much time with and the love for that person will make the child speak his or her first word which is usually his or her mom or dad. It is very interesting to see that such small act happens in our daily life that show our character just by speaking the first word. For now on, I will also think about my first word before talking to other people.

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  48. This post rang true in my heart for a few reasons, but one of which being that I am the eldest of two siblings in my family. I was the first one to occupy the baby’s room. I was the first one to get “aww”-ed at and played with as a baby. I was the first one to get my diapers changed, and then a bit later the first one to be potty trained. I spoke with both of my parents separately to see if this was indeed true. Rewinding the clock back 25 years ago, the first word that came out of my mouth was, “mama”. It was true!
    I decided to look up the definition of what my first word was. “Mama” is defined as a term that is derived from the word, “Mother”. So, I looked up the definition of mother. According to www.dictionary.com, Mother is defined as a person who gives birth. Mother is also defined as a female who is related to her offspring. The last definition of the word mother than I found is someone who raises a child with affection. Interestingly enough, I cannot wait to be a mother, and I do have mother-like characteristics. I have an extremely nurturing, motherly personality which of course has its pros and its cons. This blog post goes to show just how important our first words are, and how those first words can bring us right back to our roots.

    Lexie Grell

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  49. Greetings Dr. Rich and fellow classmates,

    Multiple times throughout the semester we found ourselves calling out "sneaky boots!" as we noticed yet another ironic beginning word to one of Shakespeare's plays. This can even be tested in separate stanzas, or sonnets.

    Your statement, "Because of the nature of interpretation and Shakespeare’s genius, first words will dependably clue us into his characters," could not have been more true throughout the entire semester. I will keep this in mind for my own future writing, for I love the ironic blatant trickery of it. The very word can be the entire theme of the play.

    Thanks,
    Ellen

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  50. Dear Dr. Rich,
    I have always believed that first impressions matter. They tell you first and foremost how a person acts when meeting someone knew. You can tell a lot about a person from your first meeting of them. I think the same can be said for first words. I had never really given it much thought but a first word does hold a lot of impact. Whether it be in literature, in person, a play, or a text. I find myself thinking back to the first words I might've said to certain people in my life and how they have based my personality on that one word. I also wonder how many times I might have misjudged someone from their first words and impression. It's funny because many times I'll be waiting for my friend to text me and I won't text her because I feel that it's her turn to be "first", to be the one that reaches out to me. It never came into context that it has so much more meaning just waiting for a text, it's a way of showing that I am also important. We have so many different ways of communicating with people these days, but sometimes just from reading the first word in a text, an email, a blog post, we can deduce whether we want to continue reading or even respond. As I said first impressions are important to me and those first words upon meeting someone are part of that impression.
    Sincerely,
    Stacy Santos

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  51. I enjoyed how we discussed this in class when we realized how ironic the first or even last words can be. It can tell you what the entire play is about, like the Hamlet example that is used in the post. I like how it is stated that first words can reliably give clues into Shakespeare’s characters which reminds me about how first impressions matter. We are always told while growing up that first impressions matter whether it is the tone of a first hello, or a baby’s first word. If you say hello in a snotty tone or bothered tone, the person you are saying hello to can make a judgment about your personality. A baby’s first word can be a word they constantly hear or the person they are mostly with. The first word within a poem, play, or story sets the tone for a reader and sets the impression of a person. When I realized how important first impressions are, it has made me always reconsider how I first approach someone and how I begin my writing.
    Jacqueline Perez

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  52. The concept of reading the first word said by a character was definitely a different, but fun approach for me. I thoroughly enjoyed doing that in class and trying to interpret what the word could have meant for that character. It is definitely one of the concepts that I want to take with me outside of this classroom. I felt as if though this approach was very creative and brings you to a whole other world of ideas and methods of writing papers and essays because it truly does offer a lot. It helped to go through different characters in class and trying to figure out what the first word that they said says about their character. The first word that was said by each character truly did have an impact on them and did reflect in their actions or who they are as a person. First impressions do last and had it not been for this class, I would not have understood this in a broader sense instead of its literal sense.

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  53. Experiences are based on first expression, reaction, thought, idea and words. These choices are what we live off of and base our beings on. Our literary experiences deserve the real version of who we are. This encompasses all emotions, good or bad. Once released into words, a story is created and sometimes brought to life or becomes a shared experience. The type of situation or event is definitely taken into consideration.

    There are memorable speeches, plays, vows, quotes, treaties and etc that are formed as famous first words. When a child is born, the parents anticipate the time when the child will say his/her first words, vying for the position of being called first. Although the child may not remember that moment, the special memory of those famous first first words stays with the parent(s).

    I personally cannot recall a time when first words had an impact on me. I think from now on I will be more mindful about first literary words experiences.

    Meagan AWP 5000

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  54. “First Words First” This blog post immediately made me think about my friends and the first thing we said to each other and how our relationships are today. One quote that stuck out to me was, “A just or rust friend might run away both from the ghost and having to “get involved.” A trust friend might be hesitant to get involved. But must friend identifies the crisis, is aware of the context, informs his friend, and “has his back,” as they say.” When I think about books and plays I have read it is easy easy to label the characters. When it comes to real life it is a little harder, it is always easier to analyze from the outside looking in, easier to be critical and accepting because well it is not your life. I tried to look at my life and the “characters” in it the same way I would look at a book. I have a few “must” friends, specifically my best friend Lex and my mind jumps to her and how we met in tennis our freshmen year of high school. Also the first couple words of a novel is what keeps the reader interested. If you do not like the first sentence are you going to keep reading?

    Alyssa Ortiz

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  55. Through this blogpost as well as your Shakespeare Survey class, I now understand how important first words are in understanding character! The first word a character says truly is a first impression. It allows the audience to follow every word they say afterwords, and to analyze who they are and their intentions. It reminds me of the first word Juliet says in Act One, Scene Three of Romeo and Juliet which is "how." Although the rest of the line she says is "How now, who calls?" the single word "how" shows us into her character. Throughout the play, it is almost as though the audience is asking along with her "how." How will I (Juliet) marry Romeo? How could I love a Montague? The audience is right there with her asking these questions, wondering if these issues can be solved, which, unfortunately, they do not. However, it is still quite interesting to see how the first word she says shows us so much about her character.
    -
    Jessica DeLuca

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  56. Reading plays, I never really delved into the words that a character says. I always just found that the words were just words and nothing more. It was not until reading this blog post that I realized the importance of looking at the words, specifically the first words of a specific character can really tell you all about what they want in a production. It really opened my eyes when I wrote a paper on Ulysses' first words in the play Troilus and Cressida.

    David Rivera, Jr.

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