Term test Review

15- actors today do not often train and perform as rigorously as actors did in the Elizabethan era. Based on what you read in the passage, write an argumentative response as to whether or not you believe actors should revert to the strenuous acting practices of Shakespeare’s time. Support your answer with cited textual evidence, address a possible counterclaim, and disprove it with textual evidence as well.

15- for reverting: Example

Actors should revert to the strenuous acting practices of Shakespeare’s time because their increased efforts made the plays more realistic. The author states, “An actor had to achieve the brutal reality of an actual Elizabethan duel without injuring himself or his opponent, a problem that required a high degree of training and physical coordination” (“Shakespeare of London” 1). This quote shows that actors trained so strenuously because doing so made their acting more realistic to the audience. Actors today could benefit from this; it would make our modern movies and plays seem more real.

While it seems actors should revert to the Elizabethan acting practices, some would disagree because of the dangers the actors faced in training and performing so strenuously. However, this argument is ineffectual because it is clear from the text that the actors trained for years to become experts; safety would have been a part of their training. The author states, “…an actor had to know how to take violent falls without damaging himself or his expensive costume” (“Shakespeare of London” 1). So clearly, actors practiced specifically so they would not hurt themselves or others, making the argument that the practice is too dangerous ineffective.

15- against reverting: example

Actors should not revert to the Elizabethan way of acting because it is simply too dangerous. The author states, “The actor had to achieve the brutal reality of an Elizabethan duel without injuring himself or his opponent, a problem that required a high degree of training and physical coordination” (“Shakespeare of London” 1). This quote indicates that at any moment, an actor could make a wrong move and potential kill his fellow actor on stage, just for the entertainment of the crowd. Considering the advancements in technology we have today, there is no reason to put actors in this kind of peril just for entertainment when we could just as easily use CGI or stuntmen.