[In Defense of Mr. Rochester] AVM Blog Party -- Day Three.

Day Three: Choose a character to Discuss/Defend

I have decided to do a Defense Post on Mr. Rochester.

I really loved Mr. Rochester. I was surprised to hear what that a lot of Jane Eyre fans weren't very fond of the guy. I was like, "No but why? He is a sad little man!!" Since he is one of my favorite characters in Theatre, and yes, in literature too, I am going to do a post on him. The Musical follows the book almost exactly, so I'm going to use both as a reference in this post.

"Edward Fairfax Rochester! What's he like?"

Who is Mr. Rochester? He is the main male character in Jane Eyre.

Why do people dislike/hate Mr. Rochester? (I list the reasons in the order I address them in.)

1.) He was abusive

2.) He was immoral.

3.) He was a jerk. (manipulative, spiteful, cruel...)

4.) He didn't care about anyone. He was selfish.

"You are not naturally austere, any more than I am naturally vicious."

So here is a quick overview of Mr. Rochester's character. You don't learn much about his childhood. All you get from the book was that he grew up very wealthy and educated, and that his father was very stern, greedy, selfish sort of man. When he was about twenty years old, his father espoused him to a daughter from a very wealthy family. What neither the Father nor his older brother told him was that the girl was insane and wild.They tricked him into a marriage and suddenly Mr. Rochester was saddled with maniac who hated him.

He was married for about four years when he fled England and escaped his rather hellish life. While overseas he met and mingled with a few different girls, and there was one specific girl Celine Varens, who was more lovely than the rest. He fell in love with her. This woman, used him, cheated on him, and then left him. Some years later he discovered that the Celine had a child. She claimed the child, Adele, was his also, even though it bore no resemblance to him and really Adele could have been anyone's because Celine was that kind of lady. Mr. Rochester took the child in anyway, as his ward. He was all she had. Celine had all but abandoned the poor child in the streets. Yeah. Nice lady.

She had this child Adele... said she was mine as well. 

"Nothing lasts forever, Edward. Take good care and, oh yes,

Won't you take our lovely daughter? 
For you see dear I don't want her."

After finding no happiness overseas either, he returned to England cynical, harsh, and very angry. He hated himself and almost everyone else and he was tired of the world.

Then, as he rode up the path to his House, he met Jane and everything changed.

"When you came on me last night, I thought unaccountable of fairy tales,
and had half a mind to demand whether you had bewitched my horse."

Mr. Rochester was abusive. 

 No, he wasn't. People use the word "abusive" way too often. It is like the fall-back word. "Oh, I don't like that character. HE WAS ABUSIVE." Here is the actual definition of abusive. 

1.) extremely offensive and insulting; "abusive language"(Abusing; mistreating. Wrong, bad,excessive use of a person or object)

2.) engaging in or characterized by habitual violence and cruelty. (Coarse and insulting in language; scurrilous; harsh, scolding.) *Source : New World Dictionary.

Edward Rochester wasn't abusive. He was cranky and rude, and he could be a big jerk sometimes, but he wasn't abusive. He treated all his servants well and paid them handsomely for their work. He made sure that Adele was always happy and well-kept and he would often bring her back gifts from abroad. He even tried to keep his mad wife as comfortable and happy as he could and he payed very good money to see that she had a nurse to look after her. He wasn't abusive, He was a twerp and he had a hot temper, but he wasn't abusive.

Mr. Rochester was immoral. 

This is used in reference to how he treated his wife, the things he did while he was travelling, and the fact that he lied to Jane. This is an issue I'm going to spend the most time on because it is a huge part of Mr. Rochester's character and something he is judged very hard for. Let's start with his wife and the supposed 'marriage' he was in.

Bertha Mason was insane. She was completely mad and the worst thing was that both the families knew how bad she was. Rochester's father was an old acquaintance of Mr. Mason and the two parents set up an arranged marriage with between Rochester and Bertha. After the wedding both family's would benefit and the Rochester's would be very rich. They wanted the money, so Rochester's Father and older brother tricked him into a marriage with a lunatic before he knew what he was getting himself into. He was only twenty-two. He had never been alone with her and the few time he did see her they were at parties or dinners. They never spoke much. She was always dressed well and presented as some fine, great lady, so Mr. Rochester had a false idea of who she was. He never really loved her, he didn't even know her, but suddenly he was married and bound to her forever.

After the wedding both the families dropped Mr. Rochester like a hot potato. Bertha was his problem now and they would have nothing to do with her. They couldn't have her name soiling theirs and they couldn't be associated with a man who had such a horrid wife. Mr. Rochester couldn't go about in society because people mixed his name with his wife's and he got a bad reputation from it. He lost a lot of friends because of Bertha. Everyone was afraid of her and the fact that Rochester was married to a women like that sort of freaked everyone out. Even still, Rochester tried to be generous and good with Bertha. He tried to tolerate her and suffer through the judgement of society and the alienation from his family and friends. He fought it out for over four years and by then he was drawn to his limit. He couldn't take it anymore.

He couldn't sleep. He had nightmares about her. She would scream all night, and most of her screams were curses and threats directed at him. She hated him and she would attack him on sight. He was alone, isolated and miserable. By the end of those first four years, he was traumatized and desperate. He nearly killed himself. The only reason he didn't was because as he held the gun, he realized that there was another way. He could seek out friendlier shores. He would take his wife to the Mansion, Thornfield, and hire a nurse to look after her so that she would be well taken care of. He would leave England and start over again.

Mr. Rochster did a lot of travelling after this and he lived the life. He courted. dated. He made new friends and he made companions of many girls. From what I can tell, I think he had a couple of little flings with some of them. It sounds like there were about three, if you count Celine. This was over the course of about ten years.

Was this wrong? Yes, it was very wrong. But... that is kind of the point. You aren't supposed to think Mr. Rochester was in the right. The story is meant to show that good men who get hit too many times can do bad things. Mr. Rochester was emotionally devastated and he honestly didn't consider himself married man. He got weak. He fell. (I think in this case the marriage wasn't actually valid. If you're forced, pressured or tricked into a marriage then it isn't valid in the eyes of the Church. You both have to know exactly what you are agreeing to and consent to it with all your heart and will.)

After the catastrophe with Celine, Mr. Rochester finally gave up on love altogether and returned home to Thornfield. That is when he met Jane, the governess of his young ward Adele. He'd been travelling for about ten years so he was like... thirty-five or thirty-six.

"She found me handsome, my Opera Dancer

and like a fool I believed it was true..."

Here's the thing. Mr. Rochester did not want to fall in love with Jane. He tried his very hardest not to. He tried to be cold and withdrawn, to keep her at an arms length and silence his emotions. But Jane intrigued him. She was a shocking little spitfire with a calm, reserved mask. She didn't let him get away with much and if he was rude or sharp she would put him in his place. She made him laugh. She made him happy.

"Well, Jane?" .... "Well, sir?"

He never told told Jane about the mad wife he had locked up. With Grace in her room, Bertha was usually quiet. If she did have a bad night she was quickly silenced and in the morning Edward would explain the screams by saying that the a servant had a nightmare. Usually the servant who took the fall for this was Grace herself. He kept Bertha a secret and courted Jane. He got engaged to Jane and still kept the secret. He didn't want to lose her.

Was it wrong to keep Bertha a secret? Yes. Should he have told Jane the truth? Yes. Did he? No. Does that make him a horrible immoral person? No.

You have to remember that Rochester didn't consider Bertha his wife because of the circumstances that the marriage had taken place under. He told himself it was okay to date Jane. He knew she would see it differently and he didn't want to risk that.

"I was wrong when I deceived you, but there was not other way.

Your character wont let you live the life I must obey."

Mr. Rochester was a Jerk.

People think Mr. Rochester was cruel because he locked his wife up in Thornfield and kept her in a room upstairs, isolated from the world. I think they are not seeing the whole picture. Bertha was a menace to herself and everyone around her. She tried to kill people. She tried to harm herself. She even attacked her brother on the very rare occasions when he visited. Once she bit his neck and almost killed him. The girl couldn't be loose to do as she pleased. It wasn't like Mr. Rochester just left her up there to rot either. He got a nurse, Grace, who spent the day caring for her.  He would go up and check on her sometimes, just to make sure she was being treated well. And he was always very good with Bertha. He never hit her or yelled at her. Even when she attacked him he never fought back. He never hurt her. He would wait until Grace could grab her and pull her back.

Honestly, he could have done a lot worse. He could have thrown Bertha into an asylum and been done with her, But he couldn't find it in his heart to do that. He was afraid she would be mistreated and that life in the asylum would kill her. So he kept her with him and did everything he could to make she she was okay. That isn't a cruel man. That was very kind and even merciful.

I will say, for most of the book Mr. Rochester wasn't very kind to Adele.  She looked exactly like her mother and seeing her brought back a lot of painful memories. It was that much worse because he didn't think she was his child at all. He was very stern, even cold with Adele, and didn't have much patience with her. But he didn't mistreat her either. He got her the best of everything, even supplied her with a governess, and often brought little gifts to make her happy. Sometimes when he spoke to Jane he would call Adele a brat* silly, idiotic or dim, but he didn't do it too often. Mostly he just kept quiet about Adele altogether. And he did get better toward her as the story went on.

*Note; he only called Adele a brat a couple of times, and I think it was actually the older definition of the word, which is basically just 'child.' He said it in that context too, so I don't think he meant Adele was a bad kid, just an annoying one. (Brat: Noun, derogatory, humorous. A child. Typically a bad behaved one. longer definition HERE)

"She is the Image of her mother, Miss Eyre. 

A breaker of hearts in training."

At the beginning of the book, Rochester was very short with Jane. He didn't trust woman, he thought they were all liars and manipulators, so he was on his guard. He picked at Jane and he was flippant, as if daring her to just try him. But Jane didn't let him get away with his attitude and usually she said one sentence that put him off his high horse. She was unlike anyone he'd ever met and he appreciated her honesty and bold answers. I think most of the reason he fell in love with her was because she never tried to put on airs or sugarcoat anything. She would tell things how they were and it was good for him to have someone like that, someone who wasn't afraid to stand up to him.

"Women are inhuman, worthless, coarse and savage, on the average..."

As for the other points of this topic: Mr. Rochester was a little manipulative. (I mean, he tricked Jane into thinking he was going to marry a wealthy, beautiful, lady just for the sake of getting her jealous. That's one example....) He also could be a little spiteful, especially at the beginning of the book. His language was rough, his temper was quick and sparked suddenly. The guy had issues. But he wasn't a bad guy. He was cranky, he was angry, he wasn't bad. He certainly wasn't evil.

Jane was Rochester's redemption. He needed a reason to believe in goodness again, and he needed someone who could see good in him when he couldn't even see it in himself. She gave him hope. For the first time in his life, someone actually cared about him, not just his money or his title. She made him think that maybe not all was lost. Maybe he could change. Maybe God was, in fact, good.

"Her spring of life draws me near

Her gentle voice I hold dear

Her life has infected every wound and every pore

I feel her mystery possess me....

And I pray that mercy's hand will bless me!"

So yes, when the story begins Mr. Rochester is angry and harsh, but he doesn't stay that way. He changes. He gets better. Jane makes him better. It takes a while, but after a few months of Jane being there, Mr. Rochester starts to be kinder. He starts to soften a little. Is he a jerk sometimes? Of course! But when he brings down his walls, he is so sweet with Jane. You can just tell he has a big heart and he can love so much, if only someone would love him... It's adorable.

"My hope of heaven lies inside your precious eyes."

This is a story about Conversion and Redemption. It is meant to show how men (and women.) can falter and sin, but no one really has the right to judge another person's soul. You can say that Rochester's actions were wrong. (No arguing that. He did some hanky stuff) But in justice, you have to take in the whole situation and not just his mistakes.

When Jane discovered Bertha, Mr. Rochester took the time to sit alone with her and just explain. He was so young and so desperate...

He knew it was wrong to lie, but he couldn't bear to lose her. He confessed how careless he had been when he was younger, and the different girls he stayed with. He told her he hated himself for those years and he regretted them with all his heart. He called himself a brute and he told her that he was entirely in the wrong. He asked Jane to forgive him.

Mr. Rochester lost his way. He is just a man, and men make mistakes. He wasn't evil, he was weak, and he hated himself for that. He was sorry for his past. People can change. People can be redeemed. Mr. Rochester wanted that, he wanted redemption. If he hadn't had any remorse, then he wouldn't be worthy of forgiveness, but he had nothing but remorse. In his heart, he wasn't an evil man. He was a flawed man who wanted to be better.

"Jane - it would not be wicked to forgive me."

When Mr. Rochester found Jane gone the morning after their wedding day, he fell apart. He couldn't believe that God could be so cruel as to give him Jane and then rip her away. He was angry with Jane, angry with himself and very angry with God. He went wild with grief and he started venting and cursing and throwing a giant tantrum.

"God should strike me down if you are truly gone

But why must I have eyes to see you're not there?

Why must I take one more breath? Let lightning strike,

that's not the worst! I'd rather burn in hell, 

damning my soul as well, lost in my pain! 

Then to live here on earth without my Jane!"

That is pretty low, right? Mr. Rochester hit rock bottom and somehow got lower. It's easy to wonder how someone can come back from a (prayer?) like that. This is when I talk about Mr. Rochester's character ark.

After Jane left, Bertha somehow escaped from her room and started a fire in Thornfield. This is when you see the who Mr. Rochester really is - you see his true colors. He wouldn't leave the house until he was sure everyone else was out. He carried Adele from the fire in his arms. He helped all the servants escape, going so far as to hold them and drag them to safety, Finally, he went up to Bertha's room and tried to save her also. She was standing at the window and he climbed up, calling her name, telling her to come down. Bertha was like "NO I HATE YOU!" And she jumped out the window to her death. There was nothing else to be done, and only then did Mr. Rochester try to get to safety. But he was too late. Before he could get out, the house fell down on top of him. He was crippled, blinded and left helpless.

"Thornfield was burning, we all would have died,

had not Mr. Rochester gone back inside....

Edward saved everyone else who was there,

But got out too late for himself...."

Let me ask you a thing. If Mr. Rochester was evil, cruel, or selfish, why would he risk his life to make sure everyone was safe? This act of bravery wasn't spur of the moment. It wasn't like he helped one person get away and then lost nerve. He literally stayed in the house as it burned down around him, running into different rooms and pulling servants out of the fire, getting them to the door and then running back to help the others. He went up to the attic and tried to save his wife, the wife who hated him, the wife who had made his life a living hell. He wouldn't leave her alone, he even tried to pull her out of the window. He did everything he could to save Bertha. That is not an evil man!

"The secret of the flame
Is that there is no more to hide
It cures our blindness and our pride..."

That fire was the a major part of Mr. Rochester's redemption. It showed that when it mattered, when it was life and death, the side of him that won out was the side of courage and honor and kindness. And that was his real turning point. His honor in that crisis brought back his better side. And after the accident he continued to be better. He resigned himself to the fact that he would never be happy. He accepted the suffering as penance for his sins. He acknowledged that he had done a lot of wrong and this was the price he had to pay. He repented and turned to God for forgiveness and reconciliation.

 "...I began to see and acknowledge the hand of God in my doom.

 I began to experience remorse, repentance; the wish for reconcilement to my Maker. 
 I began sometimes to pray: very brief prayers they were, but very sincere."

Jane returned to Thornfield the next year. God gave her a sign and she knew she had to go back and check on Mr. Rochester. She finds him blind and crippled and learns what happened that night after she left. The past few months have left Mr. Rochester very changed and humbled. He doesn't think he deserves Jane's love, let alone her hand in marriage.

"I am no better than the old chestnut, 

struck down by lightning, it's life cleft in two

For why should you marry a blind man, a cripple?

Tell me Jane, what right do I have to you?"

Edward Rochster was very flawed. He made a lot of mistakes and he did a lot of wrong, but in the end his heart won through and he found redemption. He risked his life to save others and when he was crippled, he blamed no one but himself. He made his peace with suffering and slowly, slowly, he gave his soul entirely to God. It was only after all of this that God allowed Jane to return to him. Mr. Rochester had asked that he might be taken from this world soon, but instead God gave him a second chance with his life. He was able to marry Jane after all, and two years into the marriage, the sight in one of his eyes returned to him. He was blessed to see his first child and all the children after that, and for all this he thanked God. He never stopped thanking God.

"I will never lose faith, I will never lose heart

For you have restored my trust..." 

At the end of the musical, (and the book) Mr. Rochester is not the same harsh man he was when Jane first met him. He has grown gentle. He loves Adele like she's his own. He takes care of his servants like they are family. He is softer, kinder, more patient and generous. He can still be a brat, but he is a good man, and I think that is the only thing that really matters.

"I know you're afraid, I'm as scared as you are, but willing to be brave... brave enough for love."

Have you read Jane Eyre? Have you heard the musical? Do you like Jane? What do you think of Mr. Rochester? (It's OK if you don't like him. We just won't go there.)

Peace out y'all!!!

*swings around capes and jumps off stage*

Bella

[Jekyll and Hyde] AVM Blog Party -- Day Two

Day Two: A Musical You have a Love/Hate relationship with.

"There are two sides to each of us. Good and evil, compassion and hate..."

This is another musical that I've known for a really long time. My sisters were all into the whole Musical thing, so I heard a lot of different musicals growing up, at least bits and pieces of them. I don't think I heard Jekyll and Hyde all the way through until I was in high-school. But I'd heard songs from it before, like This is the Moment and Take Me as I am. 

Most of my love for this particular musical is because we own the Original Concept Recording (big shocker, right?) And Anthony Warlow plays Jekyll/Hyde. Anthony Warlow is one of my favorite Broadway Performers ever. He is a phenomenal actor and his voice is beautiful. The way he portrays both Jekyll and Hyde is absolutely perfect. Jekyll is reserved, logical, full of hope and ambition. Hyde on the other hand.... Hyde is twisted and horrible and his voice is terrifying.

The Musical itself is really dark. It's about the evil inside the human soul and what happens if that evil goes unchecked and is allowed to run wild. It is about a man who went too far, a man who tried to change nature, something only God can do. He had the best intentions but they backfired and everything came crashing down around him.

(Just so you know: For the most part, I don't know the actors in the images I use for this post. If the pictures look good I will put them up, but I probably won't know where they're from. )

Jekyll is a scientist wanted to help mankind. He created a serum that, in theory, could separate good and evil. He wanted to stop hatred, malice and cruelty. He wanted to bring beauty and peace into the world. If the evil could be taken out of man, no one would do wrong anymore. Earth would be a second paradise where men lived in harmony with each other. If he could take the 'madness' out of people, he could also help those who had been struck with mental illness, maybe even cure them. Or so he thought. None of these are bad things in themselves, but it is dangerous to play with good and evil and the very nature of things as God put them into place.

I know my fate is yours to choose

But if they win, the world would lose

I am on the brink of great success!

Jekyll's project was voted down, but he refused to give up on his dream. He was desperate for success and decided to test the theory on himself. He took the serum and he waited.

The serum went wrong and instead of taking away the evil, Jekyll was viciously split in half. One side of him was good - one side of him was still Jekyll. The other side however was a dark, twisted mirror of himself, a man called Mr. Hyde. The second Hyde is introduced everything starts to go wrong.

"Bad is Good and Good is Bad!"

I'll start with the things I don't like.

1.) The musical has some "ladies of the evening." They aren't a huge part of the story until after Hyde shows up, but they're still there. The songs they have are pretty sleazy. If I listen to the soundtrack I usually skip them, I don't know how the scenes are if they're done professionally, like, on Broadway. As far as I know, nothing actually happens but the scenes with the Ladies are very suggestive and seductive, and I don't like them. I've only seen two productions of Jekyll and Hyde live, one by a Community College and one by a High-school. Both were a filmed production and I skipped all the scenes with the Ladies. They're just awkward and when Hyde comes out they're worse, because Hyde is a pervert. He takes a special fancy to one particular girl and for the rest of the musical he doesn't leave her alone. They have a couple creepy songs together, and while nothing actually happens it is very seductive, and depending on who the Directs the production, the scene could be cleaner or dirtier.

2.) Hyde is a pervert and he freaks me out.

3.) There are swear words in the musical. The swearing includes blaspheme/cursing. (like the bad version of gosh-darn-it.)

4.) I am not wildly fond of Lucy. She is one of the Ladies.I feel bad for her but she had problems. She's the girl Hyde likes. I hated that too because Jekyll is engaged, and Hyde is doing his thing without Jekyll knowing, which makes it creepy and weird. Also, because of what Hyde does, Jekyll feels a strange pull toward Lucy and I didn't like that either.

5.) There is a Bishop who is a pervert. I've heard he wasn't like that in the Original Recording, but in the newer production he is and it's not good. He never does anything, but you get the idea.

6.) I really don't like the ending.

Things I like:

1.) Jekyll is a really good character. He sees beauty in everything and all he wants to do is highlight that beauty and make it perfect. He wants to stop evil, he wants to make the world a better place. He started this whole thing because his dad was mentally ill and he wanted to help him. His father is the motivation behind his work, and that is what drives him to think of others in the same position, people who just need help. He wants to save people who are lost, pull people away from sin. Essentially, he wants to save souls. I don't think he saw it as "Playing God." though many people warned him about that. He only saw it as helping humanity be better. In fact, he often prayed to God to aid him.

2.) I really like the faith aspect that comes into the story. I like how the story shows that there are some things that are best left to God and God alone. Humans don't have all the answers. We're not supposed to. The Nature of man's soul is something that shouldn't be toyed with and I really liked that moral, even though it hard to witness.

3.) Jekyll has a best friend, John, who is his confidante and support throughout the musical. I love John. John is an incredible person and the friendship he has with Jekyll hurts me so much. He is the first to see Jekyll losing himself in the darkness of Hyde and he is the first to step up and try to help him. He is there through it all and he does everything he can do aid Jekyll, even when Jekyll refuses to explain or help him understand what's really happening. (Hence the reason I hate the ending.)

4.) I really like Lisa. (she is Emma in the new version, but whatever.) Lisa is Jekyll's fiance. She is a good female character and I like how she is with Jekyll. She is loyal to him, even when she thinks he might be cheating on her. She stays true to him when he locks himself up with his work and won't come out for weeks. She is strong and brave and kind and I really like her. Their story is really sad too. Like, when things are at their worst Jekyll starts calling Lisa's name and it is like a knife in your chest because she is literally keeping him human. It hurts folks.

"You know who I am. Take me as I am..."

5.) The music is absolutely fabulous. I love it when musicals have those epic numbers where like, everyone starts singing at the same time, and there are all these different harmonies and lyrics going on, and the music crescendos and grows, and it's just beautiful and thrilling.... I love that. Those are the parts in a musical that hook me. Ensemble Numbers are the greatest! And Jekyll and Hyde has a lot of good Ensamble Numbers. Fascade, Murder, Murder! His Work and Nothing More... They have incredible harmonies and they are sooooo much fun to sing with!

6.) I love all the actors who sing in the Original Concept Recording. Even Lisa is pretty good, which is a big thing since female singers tend to be kind of annoying. John is fabulous. As for Jekyll/Hyde, Anthony Warlow sings him so of course he is fabulous! He does this amazing thing with his voice when he switches between the Good and Evil and it is the most terrifying, fascinating thing you will ever hear. He is gentle and light and suddenly his voice shifts and turns thick and gravelly, and now he is Hyde and he sounds evil. ITS SO COOL! Just listen to him....

The Transformation: (When he first tries the serum...)

The Confrontation: (when Jekyll realizes what he's done and confronts Hyde.)

Do you hear how fabulous this man is? It is like he is two different people, it is so freakin' cool. He's a very talented person to pull that off, I tell ya'. Not many people can do something like that.

Basically I listen to the musical for Anthony Warlow.  I haven't really watched a production that is more slanted toward the newer score. I've heard the Concept is a lot better though, and Anthony Warlow is the best Jekyll/Hyde. I love him and I wish they had put him on Broadway. When the Musical actually hit the stage they re-cast it, and I did not like the new Jekyll/Hyde. His name was David Hasselhoff and he was so not Anthony Warlow. He was just...no.

Actually, I've heard that they changed a lot about Jekyll and Hyde since the Anthony Warlow played in it. I heard it was tweaked so now the music and the story isn't all that good. It's a lot more sleazy and dark and dirty. This makes me sad because, despite it's flaws, Jekyll and Hyde is one of my favorite musicals, at least in it's original form. It would have been my second favorite after Phantom of the Opera if the ending had been better. But the end is depressing, *spoilers ahead.*

Jekyll spends the second half of the musical trying to get red of the Insane Mr. Hyde. He finally got a serum that will work against him and put his good and evil back together. Basically, it will fix him so there will be no more Hyde, just Jekyll. The stupid serum doesn't work though, and on Jekyll's Wedding Day Hyde surfaces. He goes nuts at the reception and attacks a bunch of the guests, then grabs Lisa around the throat. Lisa tells Jekyll that she knows he is in there and she knows he can fight this. Her voice breaks through Hyde's mad frenzy and for a moment Jekyll gets control again. He turns to John and begs his best friend to shoot him before it's too late. Earlier in the musical he had made John promise to stop "Hyde" if it was ever necessary and now he begs him to hold up that promise. Kill Hyde before he gets control again! In the Original Recording John can't make himself pull the trigger. Jekyll asks him to forgive him, and runs forward, forcing John to shoot. In the newer production John had a sword which Jekyll throws himself on. Either way, it is horrible and painful and I hate it. And then Lisa holds him in her arms as he dies, and he whispers her name "Lisa..." first as Hyde, then, softly, as Jekyll. He died himself.

IT. HURT. Anthony Warlow tears your heart out and stomps on it.

*End spoilers*

Anyhoosel, that is my post for the day. Have you ever heard Jekyll and Hyde? What are your thoughts on it? Do you like Anthony Warlow? (If you don't I am worried about you.) What is a Musical that you have a love/hate relationship with?

*swings around cape and leaps off stage*

Bella

AVM Blog Party -- Day Two -- Guest Post!

Christine Eyre has done a Guest Post on Till the End of the Line. Go check it out!

*swings around cape and leaps off stage*

Bella

[Phantom of the Opera] AVM Blog Party -- Day One.

Your Favorite Musical. 

Today I get to blog about my absolute favorite musical. I think you all saw this one coming.

Sing once again with me, our strange duet.

I think that no matter how many musicals I listen to and how many I fall in love with, I will always resort back to The Phantom of the Opera. One of my earliest memories, and I mean earliest is singing along with Christine Daae. The Original Broadway Cast is my favorite, it will always have a special place in my heart. It was the first cast I heard and I personally think they nailed their roles.

"Angel of Music, Guide and Guardian, Grant to Me your Glory!

Angel of Music, Hide no longer! Come to me strange Angel..."

"I am your Angel of Music. Come to me, Angel of Music."

The Phantom of The Opera is a very odd, kind of frightening story. I am not sure what it would be like to be introduced to it now. I'm sure I would like the music, and I know I would still like Raoul (because Raoul is fabulous) but I don't know if I'd actually like the story. It is weird. It is about this young chorus girl (Christine) who thinks the Angel of Music is teaching her how to sing. She thinks this Angel was sent by her Father after his death. Christine is very young - only about twenty or so - and her father died when she was like, sixteen or seventeen. It hit her hard, and to be visited by an angel from her father was a big comfort to her

"The Phantom of the Opera is there, inside my mind..."

Come to find out this so-called Angel is actually a crazy, dysfunctional man, 20+ years older than Christine who has this burning obsession with her since she came to the opera house. The musical isn't clear on the timeline, but I think Christine came to the Opera House when she was about Ten. It couldn't have been long after that the Phantom found her and decided she was the one. He hides in her walls and sings to her while she sleeps. He lives under the Opera House and makes paths to his lair behind her Mirror. He full on stalks this poor chorus girl, brainwashes her into thinking he is the Angel that was promised to her, and lurks creepily out of sight, teaching her to sing for his music. It's. Weird. And creepy. And really disturbing, especially because, at least in the beginning, Christine trusts the Phantom and actually believes that he is from heaven.

"That voice which calls to me, and speaks my name."

Poor Brainwashed child.

So what exactly do I love about the Phantom of the Opera?

A big reason why I love Phantom so much is because it is the Musical I grew up on. A lot of really good memories are linked to it and it makes me feel happy and excited. Another reason is, I really, really love the characters, the cast and the amount of emotion that comes through in that story. Christine is young and naive but she is also strong, and I love that about her. Raoul is so incredibly fabulous. He shows up at the Opera House and he remembers Christine instantly. She was the little girl he used to play with, the little girl he had a real thing for. He obviously still had a thing for her, and she fancied him too, and it was adorable. He was so protective. - Anyway, more on that later. I love the music in Phantom. It sweeps you off your feet and it transports you right into the story. The lyrics are beautiful. the characters are layered and complicated. The whole story is original and fascinating and unlike anything you will ever hear again.

Because you can't do a Phantom post without some kind of Christine x Raoul gif

Andrew Lloyde Webber really is a master of music. (even if he has done things I don't approve of.) He wove together a strange story with beautiful, enchanting music so that you can't help but get a thrill from seeing the Chandelier rise as the Overture blasts all around you. Even you don't see the Chandelier rise, the music is so perfect that you can practically feel it rising. It is such a wonderful thing to experience. It is one of the very few musicals where I will listen to the whole four minutes of just Overture because, THE OVERTURE. 

Perhaps we may frighten away the Ghost of so many years ago
 with a little illumination! Gentleman!

What I also really love about Phantom is the depth all characters have, Christine has a strange trust, almost an infatuation, with "The Angel of Music." She thinks he is her guardian, someone her father sent to protect and teach her. At the same time she is also afraid of him, something that is very clear almost from the beginning. Then there is Raoul, who is young and gentle, but fierce and even reckless when it comes to protecting Christine. Literally the best part of the whole Musical is the love story between Raoul and Christine. THEY ARE SO CUTE! The Phantom himself is a very sad, mysterious character. He is this broken man, a genius through and through, who heard Christine's voice and fell in love with it - and then with her. If you can say nothing else for The Phantom, he did really care for Christine. He never took advantage of her and, up until the Final Lair, he never physically hurt her. He tried to be his best when she was around. She was his saving grace, the one thing in all the world that he really loved.When he gave her up, that was his redemption. (That is why LND is so horrible. It didn't just ruin Raoul. It ruined the Phantom and Christine too. It destroyed all the characters.)

"Forget me, forget all of this.."

The Phantom of The Opera is the musical that I am the most persnickety about. I am really picky when it comes to who is cast and all that. I grew up listening to the Original Broadway cast, and that is kind of the feel I always expect the musical to have. I know the story. I know all the characters inside out and backward, and therefore I get irritated if people don't do them properly or choose to show them in a way contrary to the original masterpiece. Love Never Dies really hurt The Phantom as a story. So many of the actors/actresses today take the LND story line and use it to help fuel their performance. For example, most girls play Christine as very close, very in awe with the Phantom. They give you the idea that she could love him, she almost loved him, she would love him if she would just let herself. Here is the point of fact; Christine did not love The Phantom. She pitied him but she did not love him.

what kind of life have you known?

The Phantom is also portrayed very differently from how Michael Crawford did him. Many of the Phantom's now are very aggressive and overwhelmingly powerful. They seem to bring a very angry side to the Phantom and almost leave the rest of his character behind. He is a lot more 'shout-y' than he should be. I'm not saying actors can't bring a bit of power to the role. My favorite Phantom on Broadway right now is James Barbour. He is an incredible Phantom. He has a lot of power behind him, but he is careful to even out the power with a gentle undertone. He will crescendo and get strong but then he goes back to gentle, alluring, entrancing. He is a lot more gentle than most Phantom's have been recently and I appreciate that. He is right under Michael Crawford in the fabulous rank. (On Broadway, that is. I really love how my singing teacher played him...) I also really like like Anthony Warlow and Hadley Fraser. They have incredibly depth and strength to their voice. There is nothing wrong with that. And it is also fine to portray the characters in different ways. That is what is so fun about theatre, seeing all the different actors play the same character in their own way. But I do think there is a root that should always be drawn on.

For example. The Phantom should always be more gentle than powerful, particularly with Christine. He should always be more creepy than angry, more cunning than cruel. That is who he is. Christine should always be very kind and gentle (especially her voice) She should always be naive and a little carefree, but with a hidden strength. As for Raoul, Raoul should always be amazing and sweet, fierce and reckless... basically, just be Hadley Fraser.

Rawr.

I honestly think some of Phantom's appeal and beauty is being lost on Broadway today. It is too much about how much you can amp up the emotions, and how loud or how powerful you can sing. (This doesn't just happen with Phantom either, it is the Theatre world at large.) If I was introduced to the musical now, I don't know if I would like it as much, and I know for a fact that I would have very little sympathy for the Phantom. He is just too angry. I wish the Directors would go back to the original score and stop trying to perfect it and make it 'bigger.' I personally think a lot of actors let the emotion of the moment take over and they get pitchy or drift away the real melody. They are trying too hard and giving too much and they just need to back off and play the role as it is presented. That is not to say the actors/actresses on Broadway aren't talented. They are! They are incredibly talented! I just think with Theatre, less is actually more.

"You'll learn to see, to find the man behind the monster..."

Regardless, The Phantom of the Opera will always hold a special place in my heart, since it was my door into the musical world. Christine Daae is my dream role, and if I could play her, even once, it would be amazing.

What is your favorite musical? What are your thoughts on The Phantom?

PEACE OUT Y'ALL!!

*swings around cape and leaps off stage*

Bella

AVM Blog Party -- Rules.

Oooohahaha. Ollo. Tomorrow is day one of my Very Musical Blog Party, so today I am going to post the rules and such like. I will post them tomorrow too, but if you want a head start with your post rules before always help.

RULES!

1.) You must follow my blog to participate
2.)The Blog Party will last ten days and each day will have it's own theme.
3.) If you don't have a Blog, you can Guest Post.
4.) Have fun and don't be nasty. 

Day One: Your favorite Musical.
Day Two; A Musical you have a love/hate relationship with.
Day Three: Choose a Theatre Character to Defend/Discuss
Day Four: Favorite Theatre Females
Day Five: Favorite Theatre Males
Day Six: Your Theatre OTP.
Day Seven: Pick a Character; Choose your Favorite Portrayal
Day Eight: Favorite Antagonist or Villain.
Day Nine: Favorite book-to-musical adaptation
Day Ten: FREE DAY!


So here is how Guest Posting will work. I have another blog that I share with my friend. I can invite people to post on this said blog. I would need your email because that is how I would invite you, and how you would get the link to it. If you are uncomfortable with that, you can just email me your post and I can paste it into my other blog, but I mean, I will still get an email from you and so it's not that different. I would prefer to just invite you to Post. It's way easier and I don't have to go through and fix all the formatting, which is a big thing if I past text from an email. Let's try to go with the invite system :)

ANYWAY! This is my email.

bellawriter98 (@) gmail.com

Ask anything you want and tell me if you are interested in doing a Guest Post. I will send you an invite through your email. Then you can post all you want :-)

That's all! I will post sometime tomorrow! Remember, you can start late! Peace out y'all!

*swings around cape and leaps off stage*

Bella

BLOG PARTY ANNOUNCEMENT!

So remember when I mentioned a Blog Party? Specifically a Blog Party with a Musical Theme? Well I have decided to do it! 

The Blog Party will start on Tuesday, October 13th. It will last seven days, and each day will have it's own theme or slant. I will probably have one "Free Day" at the end like I normally do, since people seem to like that. The really cool thing about this Blog Party is that if you get too busy you can start late. The Musical Theme on my blog will last until the end of October so you can participate even if you start on the wrong date. Another cool thing is this; if you want to participate in the Blog Party but you don't have a blog, you can GUEST POST!!! Mhm. You can post on my other blog Till The End of the Line. This is how it will work. You can either email me your post and I can paste it onto my sight, OR I can "invite" you to post, and you can just do it right on the blog (which might be easier.) I will go into more detail about this when the date is closer 8-D

Autumn always makes me feel like writing. I get all my best ideas during autumn and they blow in so fast I can barely keep up with them. Currently I am working on the first book of a trilogy, the plot for my Gladiator book, and I'm thinking I might do a sleeping beauty retelling. Because there is some sort of contest that's going on and I'd like to try my hand at it. My musical has been put on stand-by. That is why you never got a plot or anything. I feel really bad, but I think i need to take a few music theory classes before I can pursue this any longer. And I also need to figure out how to write a script, cause I want to keep adding and I can't do that.

As an aside, I am trying to do research for a Historical Fiction book I want to write about England during the 1600's. It is something that I've wanted to do for quite a few years actually. I read Fabiola in Ninth Grade, and I really didn't like that book but it did give me an idea for my own story. That idea has been sitting in the corner collecting dust because I was too afraid to attempt historical fiction. I'm afraid to mess up the time-frame and the facts and to ruin it. But after I read A Tale of Two Cities I decided I would at least try to start researching. And I'm gonna tell you something. that time in history is hard to research - especially because my story is about the Catholic persecution./rebellion. That makes it really hard to research. My fabulous sister Mahri lent me some books, and I tried to read them and ... I haven't quite gotten through any of them yet. Not even sort of. They're huge and they're written in a way that makes you confused about what you just read. I made a promise to focus on WRITING and RESEARCHING during October and November. And yes, all winter too. I'm afraid I'm not off to a good start but I will keep trying.

Yes, yes. Have you seen these books??

Guess what else though! Guess what else Autumn means. IT MEANS ALL MY SHOWS ARE COMING BACK FROM HIATUS!

HIATUS HAS ENDED: REPEAT. HIATUS HAS ENDED.

This is the time of year when you can practically hear the fandoms sitting up, shaking out their blankets, dusting off their laptops. and just getting ready for feels that are about to be thrown at them. SHIELD is back, Doctor Who is back, Grimm is almost back, (Yep, I'm gonna watch Grimm. So long as they don't do a thing I will continue to watch it.)  and.... And... SUPERNATURAL. SUPERNATURAL IS COMING BACK! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.

OH OH. And guess what else?? Prison Break is going to come back. It's returning with a mini season, like ten episodes or something. This is so incredibly exciting! I can't even! Oh, and guess what else *SPOILER!*

Michael is alive! We all knew he was. HA! 

*END SPOILER.*


That ends my blogging for tonight. I will be posting again soon. Peace out y'all!

*swings around cape and jumps off stage*

Bella

A little of this and a whole lot of that.

I'm back, peasants.

It's the first of October! *flails* How have all of you been? Autumn has finally blown in here; our leaves are changing and the air smells like snow and ice and crushed leaves. We this brisk, sharp wind during the day and this glorious blue sky in the afternoon and you just feel like *doing* things. So what have I been doing?

Well, first things first. Last week I read Jane Eyre and I loved it. I thought it was really good, a lot better than I expected it to be. I cried at the end, and I probably would have cried harder if certain people hadn't kept interrupting me during the last chapters. *wiggles eyebrows at young sisters.* I will probably do a post on Mr. Rochester sometime in the near future because I quite like the man and I feel like I want to dedicate a post to him. Because he is fabulous! BOOM!

Sometimes I worry about  my taste in fictional men. Mr. Thorton, Sydney Carton, Edward Rochester, Dean Winchester, The Doctor, Eugenides, Severus Snape, Dragon, Dustfinger, Tony Stark....

I like brats. There, I said it. I like character who are kind of rude and bratty and a little rough around the edges. I also like cowards, apparently. (see; Dustfinger.) and that isn't really a good thing. In my defense I will say that usually if I like said brat, they have a character ark and they get better. They don't stay horrible. I think that is what it comes down to. I like stories where the Beast is saved. I like it when you meet the Beast and grow to love him and see all the good in him, and you just know he can be better because you see the man he really is, and then at the end the man inside wins through and the curse of the Beast gets lifted. This is applicable even with Dustfinger. He doesn't stay a coward. He has a fabulous character ark and he gets better and braver and at the end of the story he is a good and noble man.

I also like it when someone has a little more attitude. I don't like jerks, but I do like people who are kind of bratty and sassy. They put me at ease and make me feel more free to be myself.

*I think this is why I like British people.

*I say that word too much, I need to create a new word that is like Anyway but different.

Anyshmackin! I had a thought. As you all know, I really like musicals. A lot. A lot a lot. I don't know how many people would be interested, but what do you think of doing a Musicals Blog Party? It would last about five days and we'd cover a bunch of fun Musical-ish things. It would be brilliant. If anyone thinks they'd enjoy a Party like this, go ahead and comment and I'll think about dates. If not, I might just do a "Musical Theme" on my blog, where I'll just post about my different musicals for a while. My blogging pattern is weird, so if I do this, the "Musical Theme" might last a month, but only be like, four posts. I'd have to see how it worked out.  What do you think? 

I have a few reasons for this idea actually. See, I want to start tilting my blog more toward Musical Theatre. (hence changing the name.) and if I did a Blog Party/Theme Week it would help me jump start that plan. Theatre is where my heart really lies and it is what I get the most excited about. I'll still post about other things of course, but I feel like I should have some sort of "And Theatre!" day at least once a month. That is why I want to start Web-isodes. I want to start my Channel next month. My first myth will be directed toward Halloween because that has become a pretty big holiday and I think it would be good to start with. I might also show off lyrics and scenes. I might write music for my myths, I might perform scenes from my favorite musicals. It just depends on what works and what feels right. I will have to play around with it and figure stuff out.

One last thing. I finally got around to watching The Phantom of the Opera the movie. It is a lot better in context as opposed to just watching clips on youtube. I liked it, but there was stuff that I wish hadn't been in there.

The costumes should have been more modest, especially Christine's.  There was also some random crude//off color stuff that didn't need to be there. (Like the very annoying and random midget who had no point but to be a perve.) They also cut a lot of the songs short. Sometimes they cut out harmony, and I am sure that the whole musical was sung a note or two lower than it really is, which was a little odd. And they took out Raoul's epic sequence in "Wandering Child" and that made me sad cause I love that scene. He did ride in on a horse and yell "No, Christine wait!" But that isn't half so cool as, "ANGEL OF DARKNESS CEASE THIS TORMENT!" I just really love that confrontation and I wish it had been in the movie. But I think, despite it's faults, the movie was still pretty good. The actors all did a nice job with their roles. I really like Madam Giry - In fact I think she is my favorite Madam Giry. Christine was cute and sweet. Raoul was still fabulous. Gerard Butler was a good Phantom. Yes, he should have been more disfigured, but otherwise he played the part well. He was sympathetic, but still really creepy. (Especially in The Point of No Return. That part made me *really* uncomfortable.) And I appreciate that he was more gentle and mesmerizing with his voice and less powerful, scream-y and all-ruling. I'd rather have a Phantom whose voice isn't as good but who sings and acts more like the Phantom should, than a Phantom who has an amazing voice but portrays the character too vicious, angry and loud.  I hate loud Phantoms.* They drive me insane.

source

And actually, I don't mind a powerful Phantom. (For instance, James Barbour.) I don't like the shouting and overwhelming aggression that so many actors bring to the role. It just isn't. 

This being said, the vocals in the movie weren't anything special. I am very picky when it comes to musicals and I know what to look for in quality and in tone and everything, and it wasn't quite there. Christine had a sweet voice, but she sounded tight a lot, like she was trying too hard or something. She didn't open up very well. Raoul was good, but he needed more support and depth. The Phantom was good but he was obviously not a professional singer and his voice wasn't really a "Phantom." voice. It was good enough, but it wasn't great. You know? And that is how all the vocals were. I might say more about this in my Musical Week. We'll see. For now I must go. (They'll wonder where I am. Wait for me Raoul!)

Peace out y'all!!

*swings around cape and leaps off stage.*

Bella

I get to chat about fictional characters.

Well. Once again it's been over a week since I've blogged. I feel terrible. I'm not even that busy. I had a birthday gift I was working on for my sister Amy and that took up a lot of my time - and it's still late. Which sucks. It should have been done - it would have been done if the stupid freakin colors would work out right.

(On that note you guys, I really hate coloring videos. I can never get mine to look like I want them to and it ticks me off.)

ANYHOOSEL. I was tagged by Ivy Miranda. It seemed like a good tag, and I knew I'd forget if I didn't do it soon, so here it is!

FIVE MALE CHARACTERS TAG

Rules: 

1.) List 5 of you favorite male characters (book or screen)

2.) Tagging other people is optional

3.) If you are tagged link back to the person that tagged you

4.) Link back to Revealed In Time (preferably using the link to this post)

Choose one from each category.

1.) Hero

2.) Villain

3.) Anti-hero

4.) Best book-to-screen adaption

5.) Best character perception 

yes, let's keep that in mind.

I have lots of male characters I like.... this is going to be really hard. I'm going to feel guilty when I do this. I hate picking favorites. 

1.) Hero. 

Holy crap. There are so many heroes that I love! How can I narrow this down?? *grinds teeth.*

Okay. I think one of the most heroic characters ever is Sam Winchester. He always tries to do the right thing, even when it's hard. When he screws up he blames no one but himself and does anything and everything he can to fix the mistake. He lay down his life and surrendered himself horrible torture forever to save the world. He didn't know there was any way out. He didn't think he'd ever be saved. He did it anyway. He will sacrifice everything for his brother. He would die for his brother. He would rip the world apart for his brother. When it comes to family and friends (and almost everyone) Sam Winchester is unceasingly generous, kind, gentle and forgiving. Like he literally forgave his 'friend' for breaking open his mind, causing all sorts of hallucinations that drove him almost to insanity and practically killed him because the nightmares and visions made it so he could barely eat or sleep for weeks. He didn't just forgive him either - he stayed his friend and tried to help him! The guy is incredible!

"... and if you come with me, I can take you to it."

If Sam is selfish, its when he thinks of others - his family, his friends, or even strangers. He hardly ever thinks of himself. Like, the one time he was selfish for himself that sticks out in my mind was when he went to college. But I don't think that was really selfish. He was getting out of a toxic situation and finding some freedom. He just wanted to get a job, get married and be happy. I don't think that should be considered selfish.  Sure, he has his bad days. (And sometimes those are very bad days,) but at his core he is a good, strong man who is incredibly optimistic and always tries to see the best in people and in the world. He is very brave, very kind and very gentle. He protects people. He never gives up and he does what's right.

"I kind of know what I'm dealing with. A lot of people got it worse."

*other heroes that I love are Dean Winchester, Sydney Carton, Steve Rogers, all the Avengers, Michael Scofield, Matt Murdock, Fred and George Weasley, Rory Williams....the list goes on.

2.) Villain. 

Hmmm... Villains. I don't think Loki qualifies as a Villain. He's more like an Anti-hero/Anti-Villain, Sooo... Let me think. *cracks knuckles*

I like the Master from Doctor Who. He is clever and funny and he acts a lot like the Doctor but evil. He's a really good villain and I hate what they did to him in Season Eight. I also really like Saruman from Lord of the Rings, chiefly because I like the parallel Tolkien drew between Lucifer and Saruman and Michael the Archangel and Gandalf. I think it was cool how he showed that Saruman, this incredible, powerful, beautiful wizard with all this potential, got corrupted and fell into darkness; just like the devil did. He wanted too much and he thought himself better than all the other creatures of Middle Earth. He wanted to be a god and was willing to do anything to make that happen. Another villain that I think is really good is Julian Verrers from The Masterful Monk. He is a rabid Atheist who hates God and His Church, and he is super creepy and crazy and I hates him. He has a ton of charisma and this unnerving ability to gain the trust of others. He is like one of those horrible politicians with the hidden agendas, but way, way worse. He is a very good villain. He's the kind of villain you wish you could drop kick down a cliff. 

Okay. I don't think I have a favorite villain. Julian Verrers is horrible and evil so let's go with him.

3.) Anti-Hero. 

I'm guessing the Anti-Hero is the hero who works for good but has serious flaws and isn't completely 'pure' in his intention.

"These darker heroes can be jerks, pathetic, hard, jaded, or mean..." - source.

Severus Snape. Snape is one of the biggest fictional 'heroes' ever. Almost everyone knows about him. Whether you are a Potterhead or not, you will hear about Snape. 

I'm going to be frank here. I didn't care much for Snape in the books. I liked him in the movies. I watched them before I read the books and I thought he was a good character. He was a jerk, but that wasn't all he was. When I read the books though, I didn't connect with him the same way. I felt bad for him but I didn't really like him. Yes, his death was sad. Yes, he had a hard back story. No, I didn't hate him - how could I? But I do think J.K. Rowling wrote him way too dark. Alan Rickman did a good job with the character because he brought out a very sympathetic, human side to him. He's the reason I like Snape.

Too fabulous for you.

Snape is a very complex character. He isn't the type of person you could get close to easily, if at all. He is cold and distant, spiteful and sharp. He isn't very nice to the students at Hogwarts and he picked on most of them, especially the popular ones, like Harry. But Snape was dealt a bad hand in his life. He grew up in an abusive home. He didn't have friends because he was so quiet and odd. Even at Hogwarts he didn't find the safety that it brought most children. He was a Slytherin, so he was instantly hated and bullied. James Potter and his friends made his life miserable. He had one real friend, Lily. She was a girl at school that he eventually fell in love with, but he lost her after an especially bad day when he called her a dirty name. Lily never forgave him and terminated their friendship. Then she married James, the very man who had tormented him his whole childhood.

Snape was with Voldemort for a short time, but turned on him and joined Dumbledore. He tried to protect Lily and her family from the Dark Lord and even asked Dumbledore for help, but he lost her all the same. He then dedicated the rest of his life to protecting Harry (who, by the way, looked just like his dad.) And he didn't stop there either. He played spy for Dumbledore and took the fall for Hogwarts over and over again. He allowed himself to be framed as a traitor to protect the school, the students and Harry. He gave up his reputation, his home, and the few teachers whom he counted as friends, all in the name of love and loyalty. He never defended himself against the lies or the hate. He stayed on the outskirts, watching over the students and teachers from afar, and he defended them against all the attacks he could. And he took care of the children, even when it seemed like he hated them. (I actually think some of the reason he acted like a jerk was because he had to play the role of the traitor, and kids like Draco reported back to Voldemort.) Severus Snape was an angry, bitter man, but he loved and sacrificed himself for love, and ultimately lay down his life to protect others. And that is pretty heroic.

"Look at me."

4.) Best book-to-screen adaptation.

One of the best book-to-screen adaptations I've ever seen is Aragorn, from Lord of the Rings. I think Peter Jackson did a really good job writing his character for the movie. No one else could have been Strider. No one could have done Strider better. He was Strider. He wasn't quite as ridiculous as he was in the book, but who could be? Tolkien was ridiculous, and sometimes that kind of ridiculous can only be read, not acted. (Could we really have Aragorn pulling out his sword every two seconds to say "this is the blade that was broken! Rawr!!") He made him a little more serious, but otherwise he was shockingly accurate to the book. I absolutely LOVE Aragorn in the movies. He was so perfect. From the minute he appeared in the Prancing Pony, he was perfect. He was noble and strong, but hesitant to take his rightful place on the throne. He was brave and kind, with a wry sense of humor and a cranky sort of attitude, but a soft, kind gentle side. And Peter Jackson didn't do anything in the movies to blemish his character.

Because Aragorn is FAbuLous.

5.) Best Character Perception.

I'm not sure... I'm guessing this means a character who has the best (or most accurate) idea of himself? Like, a character who doesn't really change but is simply revealed as who he really is.

Alright. Sydney Carton. (you knew that was coming didn't you?)

"I am at less than my best on a fairly regular basis."

Sydney Carton is one of the best characters that has ever been written. When he is first introduced, (especially if you don't know the story) he comes off as a very careless and rude character. He has a lazy sort of attitude and he seems like the type of man who doesn't bother about anything. He seems to have no respect for anyone, including himself, and he appears to take way too much liberty with pleasure. You wouldn't think Sydney was a good man at first. You might think he was kind of a lowlife. Pathetic, yes, but still a lowlife. This is, in fact, how Carton views himself. He thinks he's pathetic, rude and a failure at everything he does. He's a filthy drunk with no worth and no friends. This attitude and rough idea that he has of himself projects very loudly and it is what the audience sees; A lost man who really needs to sober up and get his act together. But as the story goes on, the audience starts to see more of who Sydney actually is. They see how he is treated. They see how he is abused by his boss and his 'friends.' They see how much he wants to be better but that he thinks change is impossible for a man like him. As the story continues, the audience realizes that their first idea of Carton was wrong, and slowly their view of him starts to change. They see a kind man, a gentle man. They see a man full of courage and love who has so much to give, so much to share. They see a man who cares deeply and viciously and who wishes to be better if only he wasn't a failure, if only he was 'stronger.' They realize he is flawed, but behind his flaws there is a man who would sacrifice anything in the name of love and friendship, a man who is strong and brave, a man who will fight on when everyone else gives up.

Sydney does go through a character ark, but it's more like character fulfillment. We see him make friends with Lucy and her family. We see him drink less and less - and he never drinks when he is at Lucie's home. We see his flaws start to pull away and the man inside become more and more clear. At the end of the story, when he gives his life to save Charles Darnay, it isn't really a shock or a change for his character. You realize that this is who Sydney was all along. He always had the potential to be stronger and better than he was.He always had the goodness in his heart, he always had the courage in his character, it was just hidden behind his anger and self-hate. His sacrifice for Charles, Lucy and their child was just a fulfillment of who he was. You guessed what he was going to do before it even happened; Oh. Sydney Carton is going to die for Charles. Of course he is. He's Sydney. Ack!!!

Yes, Carton does change, but I think all characters do. He tried to be better for Lucy, he tried not to drink so often, he tried to see the world as it could be, not as it was. He never saw the goodness in himself, but the audience saw it very well. He was always a bit of a brat, but when he was sober and himself he was also very kind (and he had an obvious soft spot for children.) And he took care of others. When he went to Paris to help Charles, he spent the last days of his life comforting everyone else, all of Lucie's friends and family that had somehow become his too. He never asked for any comfort himself. He never told anyone about his plans. He never boasted or showed himself as the heroic martyr. He was quiet about his sacrifice. And up until his death, he still thought he was rather worthless and ridiculous, and he actually believed that no one would miss him when he was gone. It wasn't until he was walking up to the Guillotine that he finally saw the good he was doing, and the man he had finally become; the man the audience had seen all along.

perhaps in death I receive something I never had in life
- I hold a sanctuary in the hearts of those I care for."

ALL IS FINISHED!!! I tag;

Kat

Amy

Hannah

Mahri

Treskie

You are under no obligation to do the tag, of course. I know you are all busy. But if you do, I bet it would be lots and lots of fun. And of course, if anyone else wants to do this tag, feel free! You won't regret it. Now I have cookies to make, so I bid you all a very fond farewell. PEACE OUT Y'ALL!

*swings around cape and leaps off stage*

Bella