#but most of the criticism seemed to be based in deviation from the source material

[cryptocism]

Here’s my thing about the twist at the end of IWTV season 2 (spoilers obvi)

The magic system that IWTV has is for flavour. It’s spice, it’s zest, it’s a lil bit of seasoning that gives the storytelling a fun supernatural kick. 

We are not given exact metrics or data for how exactly the Vampire Powers function, just examples of some that can manifest (pyrokinesis/telekinesis/telepathy/flight/mind control/etc) and that Vampire Powers get stronger as they get older. eg. Armand can walk in the sun – but is he immune or just resistant? How old does a vampire have to be before they can take a midday stroll minus immolation? Is there a time limit? An intensity where they could still be injured? Does the effect lessen if they have some shade like an umbrella or a large hat–

IRRELEVANT!!! The Vampire Powers are for SPICE and these kinds of nerdy-ass questions about scope and scale in this magic system does nothing for the characters or the story. You do not need to know the exact range or power of Louis’ Fire Gift in order to cheer and clap when he burns down the theatre. Lestat’s Cloud Gift doesn’t need a follow-up explanation on how high/fast he can fly in order to be devastating when he uses it to do a domestic violence. This isn’t Fullmetal Alchemist, this isn’t Mistborn. This magic system is SPICE, and getting into specifics about the powers and how they work distracts from the wonderful twisty soap opera of the gay vampires doing war crimes to each other.

So my thing about the twist is not that Armand was willing to let Louis die, and it’s not the reveal that Lestat was actually the one who saved Louis.

My thing about the twist is that it relies on a magic system that wasn’t built to support that kind of major end-of-season plot point. And the consequences that the resulting ambiguity has on Claudia, the greatest tragic hero of all time.

So the Mind Gift. 

Armand has that shit on lock. He’s shown using it extremely competently even before the San Francisco memory-alteration reveal. He’s the only member of the coven who clocks Louis’ recognition at Lestat’s name, he notices the “presence” in Louis’ mind when Louis hallucinates Dreamstat, he knows when Louis is lying to him about Claudia’s involvement in Lestat’s murder, when he tells Louis and Claudia to close their minds before his conversation with Madeline he says “I’ll know it if you haven’t.”. He’s able to knock out the entire coven in one scene, although it’s unclear whether that’s the Mind Gift or a combination of telekinesis and the time stopping(?) thing. Plus of course mind-wiping memory-alteration courtesy of the San Francisco saw trap.

Armand is the oldest vampire in the show so far, we know vampires get more powerful with age, and his previously shown competency with the Mind Gift means that when he says he compelled an audience full of people into banishing Louis, it’s a believable addition to his powerset. 

And, consequently, when he says “it took all my strength” we can guess that he’s lying his ass off. Daniel points out Armand saved Louis and not Claudia because he was trying to reveal the reasoning that everybody except Louis already knows. To quote Assad Zaman: Armand doesn’t give a fuck about Claudia.

Lestat on the other hand.

His one and only use of the Mind Gift (besides the generalized telepathy all the vampires share) is when he mindfucks 30ish soldiers out of his townhouse in the 1900s. His ears bleed about it – and we can pretty confidently interpret orifice-bleeding as a kind of catch-all for mind-powers being difficult. And then we don’t mention it again for a season and a half because the magic system is for spice and Louis is more concerned with other shit.

Until Daniel brings it up in his Big Reveal, and this piece of evidence allows for the truth to come out and Armand to be exposed as an opportunistic liar. Scene is played out brilliantly, Louis puts a crater in his wall via his ex-husband, good stuff.

HOWEVER

This twist has the consequence of shifting the focus of the story. The central question has changed slightly. Instead of the reveal being who killed Claudia, the narrative focus is now on who saved Louis.

And despite my love of Daniel’s reveal scene, despite my love of the Louis/Lestat reunion scene, “who saved Louis” ends up a weaker thematic question.

Claudia is the whole fucking point. Claudia and the way her fathers failed her. Claudia and the tragedy of her narrative doom. Claudia and the ways she never escaped that child’s body in that burning house, no matter how much she tried.

My thing about the twist is that it takes our previous understandings of Armand and Lestat’s respective power and agency in that scene from this:

Armand: Could’ve Prevented It (Chose Not To) Lestat: Genuinely Could Not Have Prevented It

To this:

Armand: Could’ve Prevented It (Chose Not To) Lestat: Could’ve Prevented It (Chose Not To)

And then doesn’t interrogate or explain further. There is no one that says to Lestat, “You saved him, but why didn’t you save her?” 

And look I can understand I’m meant to extrapolate that Lestat used all his strength to save Louis and therefore didn’t have enough juice to do the same for Claudia (his ears bleed about it and everything)

But they sprinkled so much doubt on Armand’s “it took all my strength” excuse and then immediately showed Lestat as much more powerful with the Mind Gift than previously assumed, and so I’m left with too many unanswered questions.

This is where the narrative puts too much weight on a magic system that wasn’t built to support it. The audience is aware, vaguely, that the older a vampire is the more powerful they are, but we aren’t actually given tangible comparisons between Armand and Lestats respective abilities circa 1949. Lestat is shown or said to have all of Armand’s same abilities by this point, but besides Armand being older, he’s never shown outmatching Lestat in power, and so we never get a real sense of Lestat's limitations.

I should mention that, on its own, this wouldn’t be a flaw. Like I said the magic is here for spice and zest and we don’t need Armand and Lestat to have a wizard battle in order to understand that Armand is probably nebulously more powerful.

But when you hinge a plot point on Lestat’s magical abilities and their limits, I would like to know for certain whether Lestat genuinely couldn’t have prevented Claudia’s death or, like Armand, simply chose not to.

If it’s the latter, it counterintuitively makes Lestat a much less sympathetic character, when (as far as I can tell) the purpose of the twist is to make Lestat more of a heroic figure, since post-reveal there are no further interrogations of Lestat's choices.

And I’ve read wonderful meta on Lestat choosing to let Claudia die and then regretting it forever: if he loved her more she would’ve suffered less, if he loved her less she might not have suffered at all, etc.

But none of this is given any focus in the show because besides Lestat’s single heartbreaking line about Claudia looking to him in her last moments. There is no illumination on whether Lestat’s inaction was due to personal choice or lack of ability. There’s no solid evidence in the show to swing it one way or the other, the magic system is too soft to support a solid conclusion about it.

And. Claudia was sentenced before Louis. So even if Lestat only had the ability to save one of them, he still made the conscious choice to save his strength for Louis.

Which is also not necessarily a flaw. Lestat making the choice to save Louis over Claudia would be an extremely compelling road to go down. My issue is that the show has changed the central question from who killed Claudia to who saved Louis and is now pretending that that road doesn’t exist.

There is no indication that Louis feels any kind of way about Lestat ostensibly choosing him over their daughter. There’s no indication that Lestat had any hesitation about his choice, despite his sadness at her death. I can interpret Sam Reid’s acting choices in the final scene as Lestat not realizing how much Claudia meant to him until she looked at him “like a child looking to her father” but by then it was too late – but that would still be speculative.

Giving Lestat the agency to save Louis and Claudia during the trial both puts too much pressure on a magic system that can’t support it, and puts wind-drag on Louis and Lestats reunion: what should be the emotional climax of the show.

And look to be clear: show good. I’m obsessed with show. 

But the structural integrity of the final twist makes me feel like an OSHA inspector in an otherwise competently made building that doesn't have railings on the stairs.

They don't establish enough information wrt the magic system so that Lestat’s sudden ability and subsequent assumed limitations can reasonably track. They don't interrogate the consequences of giving Lestat the choice to save his daughter and then him proceeding to Not Do That.

I don’t think it’s out of character for Armand to choose his coven over Louis considering his habit of clinging to the familiar even if it sucks. I don’t think it’s out of character for Lestat to choose Louis over Claudia considering both Lestat and Louis’ habit of doing exactly that.

But you cannot ask the question “Who killed Claudia? (or, through inaction, allowed Claudia to die)” the entire season and then answer it with “Actually, Lestat saved Louis!”

It shifts the focus, it muddies the theme, it relies too heavily on a magic system that is supposed to be vibes-based and most importantly it treats Claudia like an afterthought when Claudia is literally the entire fucking point.

Claudia isn’t even the main character in her own story, the most tragic of tragic heroes, only someone’s first choice in the moments before her death, and neither she nor the woman she loves can do anything to change their endings. Louis and Lestat’s realization of all the ways they failed her is meant to be the emotional catharsis of the show, but it rings hollow, because the consequence of the final twist serves to render her narratively and metanarratively another round in Louis and Lestat’s stormy romance and un-asking its own central question.

[queenvhagar]

asking you specifically because it's been on my mind and i trust your opinions!!!: someone who interacted with one of my posts said that it's their belief that condal & co. are planning on doing grand reveal rhaenyra as a mad queen who gets rightfully deposed at the end of the series and we as the viewers just have to be patient and extend a little more faith. and it got me to thinking, because i enjoy questioning my saltiness every so often... do you think that kind of an ending (hypothetical as it is) would be worth it? is it a far fetched hope to have? would it make up for what what they've done to the narrative (and to rhaenyra and the greens) so far? does that kind of a twist require better writing from the outset and is it too late for them to convincingly attempt it? i have my own ideas but i would love to hear yours!!

The show seems to be at odds with itself already on this. Simultaneously it's pushing a few different but contradictory messages: women are peaceful and reasonable, while men are the violent ones who want war; Rhaenyra and the Blacks are the superior choice in this conflict based on the alternatives; Rhaenyra and Alicent have no real agency or choice except when they absolutely are responsible for their own decisions; Alicent is wrong for not supporting Rhaenyra over her sons; Rhaenyra actually and uncritically does indeed have divine right to the throne (white stag, prophecy, Viserys' words); Rhaenyra is actually maybe instead of that just so delusional and high on her own superiority complex that causing a massacre makes her feel divinely ordained.

The lack of consistency with this season and the contradictions within its own writing, along with significant, lore breaking deviations from the source material, is what is plaguing this season the most. Despite the look of wrath in 1x10, Rhaenyra has been stuck in a 1x9 space for 6/8 of the season. She regressed as a character. She does stupid things and bemoans that nobody respects her for it while not actually taking any action to earn respect. Her relationship with the prophecy and religion have gone largely unexplored until this point. The show frames all of her actions as being the morally superior choice at all times until maybe this last episode. It is devastating to the character and the season that it took 7 out of 8 episodes for her character to start being meaningfully explored, and after next week it will be years until we see the next part of her story.

For me, it is too little too late. With all the contradictions I mentioned above, their execution of any arc for her character will doubtlessly appear confused. Even if they lean into the delusional religious fanatic and later paranoid mad queen arc, they have so firmly established those other aspects of her character that it will be hard to show her shift from point A to point B over the next two seasons (and if they are as short as this one, that means likely less than 16 episodes to do the rest of her story in a convincing and meaningful way).

However their presentation of her as the new Daenerys that should have been is going to bite them in the ass if they truly attempt this arc for her. Her hardcore fans will cry misogyny like the writers themselves have cried. Her critics will be looking for a cohesive story to be told that will likely fail due to the lore and story breaking changes that have already been implemented into the show. Casual fans will think HOTD is just trying to capture the GOT hype by just redoing the Dany arc of the late seasons and make comparisons between the two.

Overall the story is a mess. I'm not sure a future mad queen arc could sufficiently redeem this adaptation given the appalling other changes made to characterization, removal of essential characters, defiance of in-universe timelines and logic, and inconsistencies. If somehow there was a new showrunner, new writing team, and GRRM stepped back in to salvage, maybe it could end decently... but it looks like after Sapochnik left the writing team will stay the same, and GRRM wants no involvement going forward with them, nor does he plan on taking part in discussions for future seasons. Basically, it's so over. And there's little hope for any other ASOIAF adaptations. They'll essentially aim for a new MCU style money maker, and that's what they'll get. Mediocrity and all.

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Karate Kid (2010)

Remakes of good movies are stuck in an impossible place. You can’t make them the same as the movie that inspired them because then, what’s the point? You also can’t deviate too much from the source material because then audiences will be disappointed. Ideally, you’d update movies that squandered their potential or no longer hold up, but that doesn't happen. This brings us to the 2010 version of The Karate Kid. If this was a standalone movie, it wouldn’t be so bad. Jaden Smith is a compelling lead and he has great chemistry with Jackie Chan. The problem is that it is not a standalone movie and since it is nowhere near as good as the 1984 film, it struggles to validate its existence.

12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) and his widowed mother (Taraji P. Henson) have just moved from Detroit to China. Bad enough that he doesn’t speak any Mandarin but Dre is also bullied relentlessly by a 14-year-old named Cheng (Zhenwei Wang) and his gang. Under the training of the most unlikely of teachers - the apartment building’s maintenance man, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) - Dre learns to defend himself.

I’ll begin with the things this picture does well. This Karate Kid was partially green-lit as a vehicle for Jaden Smith and he shows a lot of promise. He handles the stunts and the many dramatic scenes well. He’s got presence and personality. The film gives you ample reason to sympathize with him but it still wouldn’t have been effective if he wasn’t able to deliver his lines convincingly. I also want to call out the fight choreography, with one featuring Chan confronting Cheng’s gang without actually laying a hand on them being one of the highlights. This film is based on a strong foundation with heroes you love to cheer for and some big emotional payoffs. It’s easy to watch and doesn’t feel excessively long despite the 2-hour, 20-minute running time.

The fact that it is mostly good is what makes its flaws that much more frustrating. The picture may not feel long but it's still longer than the original (which clocked in at two hours and seven minutes) and somehow, the characters feel less developed. Part of the reason is the age difference. All of the characters in the '84 story were at least 17. The kids in this movie? They’re kids. Dre isn’t even a teenager and he’s having this budding romance with a girl in his class, Meiying (Wenwen Han). Where is that supposed to go? Precisely nowhere, you know that. Similarly, those bullies Dre is always running away from might be intimidating to him, but they’re small children. Even Dre’s mom could pick them up from the scruff of their neck and toss them around. They're non-threats even if you don’t compare them to the members of Cobra Kai, which were essentially grown men who could do real damage and felt dangerous, particularly against Pat Morita, who looked like a gentle grandfather - unlike Chan, who looks damn spry.

Gone is most of the humor. Miyagi - sorry, Han - is now an entirely serious, occasionally tragic character. You still believe Dre and Mr. Han as friends, but it just isn’t the same and the amount of time they spend together, combined with the violence Dre suffers at the hands of the bullies makes his mother seem irresponsible. I know circumstances were tough but she dragged her son to a country whose language he doesn’t speak and didn’t even prepare him for basic things like how to dress on his first day of class.

The problems go on from there, right up to the conclusion. Cheng is the pupil of Mr. Han’s rival, a brutal teacher named Master Li (Yu Rongguang). This man has hundreds of students, all of whom we must assume are as cruel as Cheng and his cronies. Even if Dre wins the big tournament at the end of the movie, it isn’t going to mean anything.

You may disagree with all of these criticisms but here's something undeniable: this is a remake of The Karate Kid that features no karate. They could’ve called it ANYTHING else but they didn’t call it “The Kung Fu Kid”; they called it The Karate Kid. All so Jaden Smith could have a spotlight on him, and so we could get some not-so-subtle glamour shots of what China has to offer to Western visitors. Apparently, the Great Wall is the place to go if you want a training montage. This film certainly wasn’t for Chinese audiences, who must've looked at the trailers and thought “Why are we supposed to cheer for some outsider coming to our country?” I won’t call 2010's The Karate Kid a bad movie, but it’s so unnecessary I could never recommend it to anyone. (American Cut, March 11, 2022)

[school-of-roses]

📚How to Read an Academic Paper📚

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go." —Dr. Seuss *̥˚✧

Reading an academic paper can be as much of a challenge as finding the source in the first place, if not more so. Knowing how to approach the process can help take you from struggling through it, to learning what you need to know in the least terrible way possible.

Structure of a Paper

Academic papers tend to follow a similar format.  APA is as follows:

Title 

The name of the paper, authors, dates, etc.

Abstract 

A short summary of the paper.

Introduction 

Introducing the paper. Sometimes this is written before the experiment starts. You often find the hypothesis here for an experiment. Sometimes it’s written after, but they’ll usually write it as if it was written before.

Methods and Materials 

How they did it and what they used.

Results of the Study 

What they found and how they analyzed it.

Discussion

What they concluded from the results and why, often with sources from other similar papers.

Conclusion 

What this means and what they concluded.

(No Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion [IMRaD] you are most certainly not RAD. >:( )

How to Read Papers by Type

Different papers from different fields can present unique challenges to reading and understanding.

Start with the abstract. Once you’re done reading the abstract mosey on down to the conclusion!  Ignore the middle bits! Most of the time the middle bits are there to tell other researchers “I gotta make sure this is up to the standard of academic research!” Once you’ve read it once you can go back to the Method and judge how they performed it.  However, at first this is a lot so go read the conclusion!  It should be short, sweet, and tell you what they have spent the last so-and-so pages arguing. This will make it easier to understand.

It may seem counterintuitive to go in this order because we are taught to read books top-to-bottom left-to-right, but academia is full of clowns who speak in code.

Humanities Papers

Humanities papers are the most likely to dunk the format of a research paper.  They are also usually based on the researcher’s interpretation of a primary source.

Because humanities papers are often based on the researchers' (albeit very educated) opinion it lends itself to a critical analysis of everything from translation to cultural or social bias from the researcher much more easily. (What primary sources did they base their conclusions on?  Would you have done the same? What have other researchers said? In the cultural context of the time, does this translation make sense?) However, this tends to come after you’ve successfully understood what the researcher is trying to say.

Primary Source

A primary source is first-hand knowledge of something. These can include a writing from a time period by someone who was there, a record made at the time, a photograph, or even an artifact.

Secondary Source

A secondary source is second-hand knowledge. These are the papers written on the subject, textbooks, and accounts written by the people who were not around when it happened. They are not inherently worse than secondary sources, and are very important for spreading knowledge, but research based on secondary sources tends to be a compilation of a lot of research rather than direct investigations. [See: Historiographies. Synthesized studies. Meta Analysis.]

Scientific Papers

The abstract is your best best friend!!! They are not hiding the ball, it’s in the abstract.  Then once again take yourself on a trip to the conclusion. Scientific papers almost never deviate from this format. Read it once, twice, and thrice again until you understand what the abstract is saying.  This will help you understand the whole paper better.

Additional Complications for Scientific Papers

Experimental design can be, and has been, the subject of many an entire college semester for many people.  Don’t expect to understand it outright if you’re new! For the results of most studies, the relevant concept is going to be "statistical significance". This is the probability that the results were found by chance.  It is generally decided ahead of time based on what is being measured and notated similarly to p<.05. This means that the statistical probability of getting those results by pure coincidence is small enough to be significant.

Often in the discussion section you’ll see the author talk about their sample size, their potential biases, and the limitations of their experimental design (if they don’t the other academics will laugh at them). While you can look at this yourself and decide, this often gives a good idea of where there could be room for error.

Qualitative vs Quantitative

Qualitative data is the how, what, and why of research. Quantitative is the numerical measurements. [Think “quality vs quantity”.] There are different statistical terms and analyses for these different types of measurements, but that could be a whole course, let alone document, in and of itself. They use big words like they’re being sponsored by WebMD and Webster both.

Think of it like this: if you do an experiment and adding something to someone’s drink causes it to taste sweeter, that’s a qualitative measurement.  If you’re adding something to someone’s drink and it raises their blood pressure from 100 to 120, that’s a quantitative measurement. Differentiating between them can be tricky, but a good tip to keep in mind is if it’s studies with people is that qualitative research is usually done with small groups of people - often 100 people or less, while quantitative research will often be upwards of the hundreds. This is because with quantitative research you often need large sample sizes for the data to be meaningful. 

There are many types of qualitative research, including interviews, ethnographies, oral history, case studies, focus groups, record keeping, different kinds of observations, etc, while on the quantitative research side of things, we have our surveys, descriptive research, experimental research, correlational research, comparative-causal research, and more.

Causing you Problems

Those are the general rules and advice, now let's talk about how they are broken.

Style

The structure of an academic paper differs by style. APA sticks to this format very strictly.  However, Chicago (my mortal enemy) is going to have footnotes to contend with, but could still have an abstract and a conclusion. If it has neither of those, lament them, shame them, and curse the author to the pit before skirt skirting your way to the first paragraph (approximately the abstract or introduction), and the last two or three paragraphs (approximately the conclusion). They tend to have generally the same information as would be found in a labeled heading.

The code clowns not only said “make it complicated”, they made it complicated across several different paper writing formats. If by some unholy tragedy you find a writing in MLA? Bite the author with your real teeth, and hope your highschool prepared you for this. At the very least MLA tends to be easier to read by starting at the beginning.

Jargon

Academic papers are often incredibly dense! Academia knows this!  Please don’t be afraid to look up words you don’t necessarily understand!  It’s not shameful! Shame them for using big words, like the pompous elites they are, and pull out a dictionary. Understanding is important! If all else fails, no one needs to know you looked up a word, you can just do a quick Google search and look like a pro.  I do it all the time.

Plus there are often tons of educational materials for learning academic jargon because no one is born educated. They had to learn it, they are just expecting their audience to be someone who has already gotten a degree on the subject. It’s dense and boring, “no one else is reading this shit, surely,” they think while dunking a donut in a cup of hot Red Bull.

[night-unfurls-its-splendour]

Bridgerton & Selective Justification: A Rant

With a Particular Aside in Which This Author Questions if There Isn't a Double Standard at Play in Televised Historical Fiction.

Ok so the other day i posted complaining about how ludicrous the "Will Daphne marry Prince Friedrich?!" Plotline is to me and i referred to Daphne as a "commoner". I got two comments on that post of people saying Daphne *isn't* a commoner because she's a Viscount's daughter. I did respond but I'd like to go a little more in depth into it my thoughts on why this plotline verges on abject silliness to me, based on my (i will freely admit) *limited* knowledge of British aristocracy and the source material itself.

So if anyone reading this has a more detailed knowledge of the Peerage and how it relates to Bridgerton please correct me I'm eager to know more.

So to start out my understanding of the pecking order goes like this:

DUKE/DUCHESS = Highest ranking title in the peerage. Often bestowed on important members of the Royal family not in direct line for the throne. Worth noting is the fact that a Duke in British peerage is different than a Continental Duke. On the European Continent title Duke/Grand Duke can be associated with sovereign rule of an independent state, which has never been the case in England. Dukes and Duchesses are addressed as "Your Grace"

MARQUESS/MARCHIONESS = English equivalent of Marquis/Marquise. Very high ranking in the peerage, closely related to Earldom, but more important  since it has it's roots as the title of border (marcher) lords instrumental in a country's defense.  

EARL/COUNTESS = Referred to as a "count" everywhere else. The difference is the heavy germano-scandinavian influence on early medieval England. "Earl" is derived from the Nordic term for what could be considered a chieftan. Earls being only slightly lower in rank than a Marquess could be very rich and very important. The Earldom of Northumberland was one of the richest in 16th century England.

Now at this point we start to get into the lower peerage.

VISCOUNT/VISCOUNTESS = Addressed as "The Right Honourable". Viscountsies in England tend to almost exclusively be secondary titles held by Marequesses and Earls and passed down to their sons. Any son of a Marquess or Earl is a Viscount. The oldest son inherits the title of Earl plus all subsequent lands estates and incomes. The younger sons could also be viscounts wherever there are titles enough.

BARON/BARONESS = lowest rank of the peerage.

BARONET/BARONETESS = The only British title that doesn't land you in the peerage, the rank of baronet is (as I have heard it described) the barnacle on the bottom of the British aristocracy. It's basically a weird limbo between a Lord and a Knight that was invented by King James I in 1611 primarily as a way to jack up taxes so tbh its kind of a joke.

So Daphne's brother Anthony is a Viscount. He inherited this title from his father which likely means that their father was a second son. As you can see from this ranking list I just did, in marrying Simon, Daph married up. Way up. Not unsusual, given that her family has money and is well regarded.

Now clearly Bridgerton works differently than ACTUAL Regency England. Here, APPARENTLY if you just make a good impression on the Queen she takes a VERY PERSONAL interest in your life and she will marry you off to whatever Foreign prince she's related to who happens to be visiting. But here's where it's a bit wooly for me because there are two different contexts for the term "commoner" in England.  I think we all pretty well know how the European Royal marriage market  worked up through the 19th century, since we all like to make fun of them being inbred. Because there's a bit of a hang up not just about "Royal blood" but also Diplomatic marriage.

In the context of people with titles or peerages being nobles/aristocrats and any one without being a commoner then of course, Daphne is a noble. HOWEVER the context in which I used it in my previous post was ROYALS vs NOT ROYALS. It's perfectly acceptable to refer to someone not of Royal Blood as a commoner. In my replies I used Elizabeth Woodville as an example of a commoner. Now she DID marry a royal (Edward IV) and of course this was a few hundred years before Bridgerton would be BUT EVERYONE thought Edward was crazy for marrying her and she was not well liked because she was seen as at worst a gold-digger and at best an upstart. It was not only an uneven match but a purely domestic one which cut of England from potentially politically critical strategic foreign marriages. This is how royalty worked.

Naturally the strategic aspect of marriages was *slightly* diminished in the nineteenth century, but not really and it was still considered extremely important. Usually a young royal looking to get married was doing so at their family's behest and had a pre-determined pool they more or less HAD to choose from. Marriage to commoners of course  DID happen. It was called "Morganatic Marriage". Prince Augustus of Prussia had a morganatic marriage to a Polish aristocrat. One of Charlotte's own sons, Augustus Fredrick, had TWO morganatic marriages which kept him away from court because his wife could not be recognised due to their having married in defiance of the Royal Marriages Act of 1772, which requires all members of the  British Royal family to obtain the monarch's consent before marrying.

So I posed the very realistic question of "how would this choice to marry Daphne affect the Prince?" I don't know how morganatic marriages were looked on based on Prussian law but it seems likely, especially since Prince Friedrich is the direct heir that this marriage would have caused problems and i find it doubtful that Daphne would ever find herself addressed as "Princess".

I know that Bridgerton is fiction and that in being fiction it is pardoned  for not following courses that would be realistic in actual history. But at what point does "it's fiction" become an excuse for sloppy execution of world building?

The show takes the time to explain to the viewer (in one of the precious few moments of actual exposition) why there are black aristocrats [because the king married a black woman and things changed - which JUST IN CASE anyone is wondering, no Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was not in any meaningful way "bi-racial" irl, based on the research I've done.] With this kind of deviation from history in a Drama that does, without any official caveats in the marketing, claim to be set in England in 1813, the writers recognised that this needed to be qualified. And in qualifying it, they justify it. They take it beyond fiction into fantasy, but it is justified.

The reason they recognised it had to be justified is because they know that most of the viewers know this is not how it went in history and would hold them to account. So why isn't more care taken to qualify the Liberties taken with the REST of Recency Society?

They talk repeatedly about "Coming Out" into society, particularly regarding Eloise. And Eloise wears her hair down and wears shorter skirts because she's still considered a child because she isn't out. But the IMPORTANT, PRACTICAL parts of not being "Out" are COMPLETELY IGNORED. She and her younger siblings are OUT at SOCIETY EVENTS. CONSTANTLY. Eloise speaks when not spoken to. She speaks DIRECTLY TO THE FOPPING QUEEN (TO WHOM SHE'S NEVER BEEN PRESENTED, BUT I GUESS IF YOU'RE DaPhNe BRiDgErToN's sister you can do whatever you want). There are BABIES at BALLS in this show. For a story that's trying to sell you on the Strrrrrrictures of RRRegency Societeh they're TOTALLY NOT INCLUDING MOST OF THOSE STRICTURES except when the plot demands it.

Why, I ask, is this? Perhaps it is pure ignorance on the writers part. They don't qualify it because they don't know rules like this existed. In which case its just bad, sloppy writing.

OR

They do know about it and ignore it and don't bother to qualify it with a "Oh Daphne a match with Prince Friedrich is so advantageous how marvellous Prussia has recently accepted Morganatic Marriage ahahaha" because they think we a) don't know or b) don't care and ITS STILL SLOPPY WRITING. Which hey, most Bridgerton fans who swallow any swill where hot people catch feelings probably don't care, but that doesn't mean its not careless writing and it doesn't make it NOT condescending. Never write DOWN to your audience.

This show approaches (but by a hair's breadth doesn't reach) REIGN levels of bad in terms of historicity. And the writers of Reign, like the writers of Bridgerton never claimed to be making an authentic representation of history. But perhaps it's because BTon only has 2 actual historical figures (one of whom is SO UNRECOGNIZABLE from her historical counterpart in countenance and personality that they might as well have just made a composite character - "How much can you change a thing before it isn't that thing anymore?") Or perhaps it's the inclusivity shield  but it seems like Bridgerton is getting a lot more leniency than Reign did.

The pass I see given to Bridgerton is "its frothy fun" (and yeah okay these costumes are worlds more realistic to the claimed period than Reign was even with the jacked up, flat bustlines) BUT. SO. WAS. REIGN.

I don't even like Reign but I do think there's a double standard here and I would like to know why.

[coppicefics]

Masked Omens: Week Seven, Part One

[Image Description: Image 1 - A simple rendition of the Masked Singer UK logo, a golden mask with colourful fragments flying off of it. The mask has a golden halo and a golden devil tail protruding from either side. Below, gold text reads ‘Masked Omens’.

Image 2 - A page from the Entertainment section of the Capital Herald, dated 6th February 2021. Full image description and transcript below the cut. End ID.]

Read the fic here! All news stories and events are entirely fictional; real names of people (with the exception of image attributions) and places are used only for context. No affiliation is implied, and no disrespect is intended by the use of their names in this work of fiction.

[EDIT: With thanks to HolRose/@hasturswig for spotting that I had overlooked the sad passing of John Noakes, who originally appeared on this page!]

The Capital Herald - Saturday, 6th February 2021 Entertainment, page 15

Top left: Grasswater redo rumoured Will anybody tackle the ‘cursed’ adaptation? [Image Description: The ‘w’ in ‘Grasswater, ‘h’ in ‘the’, and ‘o’ in ‘adaptation’ in the above headline have been circled in pencil. End ID.] It's been nearly a decade and a half since the critically-acclaimed adaptation of Sir Thomas Parsett's The Grasswater Affair flopped into cinemas, and rumours are once again circulating about a possible reboot. The first attempt at transferring Parsett's magnum opus to the big screen was released in 2009 after a series of setbacks to the production process. Among the calamities that befell the set were a fire in the wardrobe department, an overdose requiring producers to recast the lead role of Fabian, and a bout of food poisoning that halted filming for over a week. There were whispers, among the more superstitious, that the film was cursed. By the time The Grasswater Affair was finally released, the delay had whipped the original book's fans into a frenzy of anticipation, and excitement over the forthcoming film actually pushed the 19th-century novel into the bestseller lists for the first time in the weeks before the release. Early reviews were promising, and the good press only fed the hype machine. But the crowds that packed into cinemas to watch it emerged disappointed; while the reasons they gave for their disappointment varied wildly, everybody from casual viewers to die-hard book lovers seemed to find it lacking in some aspect or another. It deviated too far from the source text, while adhering precisely to the minor details that didn't matter; it featured a young actor fresh out of drama school, rather than the promised household name; it lingered too long on shots of the actresses' bosoms, and the key object that proved key to the plot was left entirely out of focus in the background of a crucial early scene. While, naturally, some audience members enjoyed it in its own right, it never became either a blockbuster hit or a cult classic, and it still boasts a lowly 2.9 stars on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) and 24% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This being the case, it might be hard to understand why rumours continue to circulate about a revival of The Grasswater Affair, or what might make this time different from the many, many other occasions when such a story has surfaced on the internet. The first question is easily answered by a look at the thriving community of Parsett fans who adore the original novel – and, indeed, the rest of the series The Grasswater Affair is part of. Following first Fabian, and then various other heroes, through a sort of alternative 19th century underpinned by magic and other fantasy tropes, it's been hailed as a masterpiece – and it's aged surprisingly well despite the shift in society's views and tolerances since its publication. The first novel sees Fabian locked in a battle of wits with his somewhat older rival, Rafferty, as they seek to make their fortunes in a society rife with danger and – worse – scandal. As for the second question, the recent rumours have an extra ring of truth to them thanks to the attachment of an actual name – writer-turned-showrunner Noel Garmin is said to be in talks about the project. Having adapted several of his own books for the small screen, could he now be turning his famed respect for written source material to a film or series based on Parsett's masterpiece? If he does, book fans can expect to be very pleased with the result. Garmin was asked about his upcoming projects at a recent convention panel, and his answer, while enigmatic, seemed promising.“Well, I've got to write some books, at some point! But I do also want to work on some more TV, it's a fascinating way of telling a story and it's still quite new and exciting for me. Perhaps I could tell one of my favourite stories, one that I didn't originally write. I'm actually talking to some people... We'll have to see. Hopefully I'll have news for you soon.” Hopefully you will, Noel. Hopefully you will. CITRON DEUX-CHEVAL Top right: Summer’s operatic offerings Last of Glyndebourne festival announcements [Image Description: The apostrophe and ‘s’ of ‘summer’s’ and the ‘t’ of ‘operatic’ in the above headline are circled in pencil. Below the headline is a short, wide picture of a theatre auditorium with red curtains. Small text over the bottom of the picture reads ‘Photo: Gabriel Varaljay | Unsplash’. End ID.] Opera fans are in for a treat this summer, as Puccini's Turandot returns to Glyndebourne Opera House. The venue in Lewes is renowned as the home of great opera, and Turandot is a favourite no matter where it's performed, so this combination of the two is a perfect match. Throw in popular young tenor Jeremy Wensleydale – most recently seen on ITV's The Masked Singer - performing the role of Calaf, and it's a performance guaranteed to impress. The play follows Calaf as he sets out to win the hand of the titular princess. Each suitor is asked three riddles, and failure means instant death. But answering three riddles is not enough to win the heart of Princess Turandot, and Calaf strikes a desperate bargain; if she can guess his true name by daybreak, she may put him to death regardless. If she fails, the marriage goes ahead. It's an interesting method of courting, to be sure, but the opera has enchanted and delighted audiences for many years now. And, if nothing else, who can resist an opportunity to hear 'Nessun Dorma' live? Glyndebourne members can book tickets now for dates between 25th May and 22nd June; remaining tickets will be available from the 18th of April. Turandot is the latest title to be announced by the opera house and completes their summer season's line-up. There will also be performances of Cosi Fan Tutte, Tristan and Isolde, Il Turco in Italia, and an array of concerts and other events. The Glyndebourne Summer Festival is always a highlight of the arts scene in the middle of the year, but there are events all year round. Currently, the opera house is a stopping-point for a touring production of Romeo & Juliet, which has already passed through the Chichester Festival Theatre and will then go on to Colchester, Ipswich, Cambridge, Sheffield, Manchester and Leeds. The show is a daring new interpretation of the age-old Shakespearean tragedy, fusing music and dance with the familiar story, and a full review will appear in the Capital Herald on Thursday. From the middle of February, Romeo & Juliet will be replaced at Glyndebourne with a more traditional #approach to La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi. The music of La Traviata may be familiar, even to audiences unfamiliar with the story, as it was rather liberally plundered for inspiration by Donato Lovreglio in 1865. Of course, that does assume a familiarity with Lovreglio - but if you find yourself humming along during your first attendance, that might very well be why. Incidentally, for more opera and classical music trivia, you might find my recent book, Inside Opera, worth a read - especially if you need to brush up on your cultured conversation points before you visit the opera house this summer. EDWARD BIGGS Inside Opera, by Edward Biggs, is published by Byker Press and is available now in all good bookshops. #Hardback RRP ￡9.99/€11.99.

Centre left: Capital Herald scoops NMA Star-studded ceremony honours news greats [Image Description: The ‘H’ of ‘Herald’, ‘A’ of ‘NMA’, and ‘t’ of ‘star’ in the above headline are circled in pencil.] The 2021 News Media Award ceremony took place on Thursday evening at a glamorous event held in the Mayfair Room at the Connaught Hotel, Mayfair. While many of the attendees are more used to operating the cameras than parading in front of them, they rose to the occasion with great aplomb, rubbing shoulders on the red carpet with some of the most famous entertainers in the UK who'd come to add their own special touches to the ceremony. It will come as no surprise to learn that Trevor McDonald, Natasha Kaplinsky, and Naga Munchetty were in attendance, as were Tom Bradby and Dan Walker. But the attendee who really got heads turning was Carmine Zugiber, notorious for attending very few events on UK soil. Although she's normally out in the field, she's been based in London for the last couple of months, covering the political beat for News World Weekly in Uriel Scrolle's absence, and it seems she couldn't resist the opportunity to collect her awards for Best Combat Coverage and Outstanding Field Reporting in person. Wearing a glamorous Ligur gown in striking red to match her hair, she paused on the red carpet to exchange words with some of those less fortunate reporters covering the event. “I don't know what to do with myself, with nobody shooting at me!” Zugiber joked. “Where's my bulletproof jacket?” The ceremony featured a performance of 'Messy (If I Want To Be)' by rapper P-White, who also presented an award for Entertainment Columnist of the Year to the Capital Herald's very own Citron Deux-Cheval. Another of the Capital Herald's staff writers, Edward Biggs, was nominated in the category of News-Adjacent Achievement for his 2020 trivia book, That Guy From That Thing. While the award, presented by Dame Angela Crowley, eventually went to News World Weekly's Donald Eath for High Score: A Study in Arcade Machines, Edward did get a chance to meet Dame Angela and exchange a few words. “She said I shouldn't feel discouraged, as she didn't win anything at her first awards ceremony either – and she wished me every success with my new book, which has just come out,” said Biggs of the star. “Hopefully, next year, I'll be bringing home a trophy too.” At the end of the night, as the winners and losers drifted home, the presses were already roaring into action to print the morning's papers. The news never stops; there was precious little time for the winners to enjoy the warm glow of appreciation, and no time at all for the less successful nominees to lament their losses. But at the end of the day, the whole industry could sleep safe in the knowledge that the work we do is valuable, and valued. MARY HODGES

Bottom left: Blue Peter garden party ‘22 Celebrating 10 years in show’s new location [Image description: The ‘B’ and ‘e’ of ‘Blue’ and the ‘h’ of ‘show’ in the above headline are circled in pencil. End ID.] The BBC has announced that it will be holding a party for former Blue Peter presenters, guests, and viewers in 2022. Held in the Blue Peter garden in Salford to celebrate ten years since it was relocated from London, the party is expected to provide an opportunity for Blue Peter presenters, past and present, to mingle and let their hair down, as well as catching up with some of the guests who've appeared on the show over the years. Former presenters such as Adam Young, Katy Hill, Radzi Chinyanganya, Anthea Turner, Gethin Jones, Pat Maputi, Yvette Fielding and Konnie Huq can expect an invite, of course, as can the current team of Lindsey Russell, Richie Driss, Mwaka Mudenda, and Adam Beales. But the former guests are an even more varied bunch; everyone from Idina Menzel and Sir Chris Hoy to McFly and Tim Peake could be invited, to say nothing of the hundreds of farmers, bakers, teachers, parents, and kids who've taken part in the show. While the party is quite a long way off yet, the BBC are already hard at work figuring out a lottery system that will allow them to give every viewer an equal chance to be invited to the party. Register your interest now on the Blue Peter website to make sure you don't miss out. SARAH JEUNE Ad, bottom right: [Image Description: A black background with a dark-grey crown resting on it. There are smudges of a lighter colour on the background. Above the crown, graffiti-style text reads ‘P-White’. Below it, written as if in chalk, are the words ‘Chalkdust tour’, underlined as if in chalk. Beneath it, a red bar reading ‘New dates added’ covers the words ‘Sold out’. Below that is the web address ‘www.chalkdust-tour.com’. Tiny writing in the bottom right hand corner reads ‘Photo: Zach Angelo for ProChurchMedia | Unsplash’. End ID.]

[End of transcript]

[bellarosestudyblr]

Anne of the Island - L.M. Montgomery

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

This was the 111th book I read this year, and the third in the Anne of Green Gables series. I read the previous two books earlier in the year, as well as Montgomery’s lesser known work, Emily of New Moon.

Montgomery’s books always leave me wanting more. Anne only seemed to be a child for a short time, before growing up, studying and becoming an adult far removed from the whimsical and unconventional child she was in the first book. In this foray we follow Anne as she attends a four-year college to achieve a BA degree. In a mere 220 pages, we cover four years of Anne’s life. Anne completes her degree; makes friends and moves into a home with them, recieves five marriage proposals, sees Diana marry, and returns home multiple times for visits. This book, at times, felt like a short overview of a larger work, or a series of tableaus, rather than a novel in itself. Interestingly, there are few mentions of Anne studying and we do not see her attend classes.

At times, everything felt far too convenient. Anne and Gilbert are both awarded top grades and scholarships, Anne gets her short stories published to critical acclaim, Anne manages to secure her dream apartment on the richest street in the city despite having little money, and Gilbert’s love affair that sees Anne jealous for much of the book is revealed to be a performative hoax so they may end up happily engaged by the end of it.

Another issue I had is Anne and Marilla’s neglect of Dora while Davey recieves all the attention. I understand Dora exists merely to juxtapose Davey’s bad behaviour with her own angelic personality, but it becomes tiresome. While Anne sees much of herself in Davey’s sheer disregard for societal convention, his questioning nature, and his perchant for getting himself into trouble, I do not believe she would push Dora away as she does, given her own history of neglect and abuse.

This brings me to my final point: Anne’s out-of-character behaviour. Anne, the girl who made friends with flowers and trees, and who named a lake because it was beautiful, is now happy to kill an innocent cat because it’s presence in the house becomes annoying. This marked a change in Anne, from the free-spirited young girl we first met, to an adult who secures a sensible job teaching, ensures her adopted siblings behave in a way that is proper, and rejects small and insignificant things — like that cat — that she would have once adored and doted on.

Irregardless of my criticism, I still want to know what becomes of Anne, so I will continue with the series.

Over the years, many film adaptations of Anne of Green Gables have been made. One recent example is Anne with an E a joint CBC and Netflix venture. I watched and enjoyed this series, despite the deviation from the source material. I believe these changes were made to appeal to, and educate, a modern day audience. Topics like racism, indigenous integration schools and homophobia that are not present in the book, are discussed in the series at length. Anne argues against discrimination and points out the ridiculousness of judging others based on skin colour or orientation, and thus shows her willingness to go against the grain to support what she feels is right, irregardless of what others may think of her. So while the issues Anne faces are different in the series, fundamentally, she remains the same character Montgomery developed a century ago.

A few interesting facts:

Emily of New Moon was developed after Montgomery entered a lengthy battle over withheld royalties from the Anne series, with her previous publishing company, L.C. Page & Company. Emily was to replace Anne, and hence they are similar characters and similar stories. Louis Page, the owner and known menace of the company, defrauded Montgomery out of thousands, taking all but 7cents in the dollar for every Anne book that was sold. Believing she would back down rather than go head to head against a millionaire in court, Page was astonished when Montgomery did not. The courts eventually sided with Montgomery, but Page continued an unsuccessful smear campaign against her until his death. Seeing how terrible a man he was, no one wanted to publish with him. He eventually lost all his clients, and his business. Montgomery waited over ten years, but she stood up for what she was rightfully owed and eventually received her money.

Montgomery was a prolific writer, publishing 20 novels, a biography, a collection of poetry and over 500 short stories during her lifetime. Often drawing from her own experiences. She said Emily was the character most similar to herself.

[autoirishlitdiscourses]

Discourse of Friday, 14 May 2021

Extra credit cannot lift you naturally into the midterm and recitation of a rather fine line about how you might mean by passionate, insightful, focused discussion about the family relationship in The Butcher Boy is going on the poetry discussion of An Spalpin Fanach. In each case, each will have to drop courses without fee via GOLD. Think about what's likely to be unable to do the following categories best describe it: A-range paper does what it means to go with this group of people haven't done the reading. I will be by the selections in which Celtic myth informs one or another of the texts listed on the test in a very solid job tonight! A piece of work to make your arguments further in the first six minutes of your discussion and question provoked close readings. If you have any substantial problems, including those which incur no penalties. 5% of course agree with opinions that have been balanced a bit over 91. This is a good selection, in part because it's a very difficult thing to think not about how to properly attribute the language and ideas in a paper. There are several potentially productive move might be the two tests by nearly thirty points, though, #3, what he can find out. /Viewer, and below 103 to drop it off at the end of the Yeats poems on the section during our last two; and elsewhere. Presenting a paper before I pass out a reminder that you're aware of areas where it could have gone beyond. Again, thank you for a long selection and you are absolutely capable of doing an excellent delivery, which pulled the grades up for the announcement in lecture tomorrow! Many students are correctly identifying at least twelve lines of poetry or prose from an interesting passage and have decided to transition us over to how you're going to be reciting as soon as I can say more specifically about your own questions quite so quickly.

Your writing is also available. You picked an important maneuver. Wikipedia article on poitín for more information. /That you must at least twelve lines in front of a country Begins as attachment to our understanding of the recording of him consenting to be making a specific set of additional purposes, as critic Harold Bloom phrases the relationship between the two dogs at it from being in front of the relevant chapters as a way that specific speeches have influenced people is a good weekend!

Each of you will receive a passing grade; made an incredibly long time, he is the cluster of assumptions that you should come first, it seems pretty obvious. So I had more I could have been done even more specific feedback if you'd like. From French poulet. But moving up into the final exam schedule.

It can be hard to pull your grade to demonstrate what a bright student you are scheduled to recite and discuss this coming Wednesday 4 November. I will cut you off. Etc. As I told him that I haven't marked deviations from the Oct 17 vocab quiz: Matthew Arnold's/On the other members of the room. Thanks again for a bit more so that I still say that I didn't hear that. Of course! I think it's an essential element from the evil criminals who are advocates of reform as a discussion of Rosie's attempted seducation of The Butcher Boy particularly difficult in multiple ways. Soon to be on the most incredibly minor errors, but I thought I'd responded to being told that not doing this in your paper are yours and which texts have a sense of where you need me to file an informational report that doesn't work, and choose a good narrative path through them and wind up attending section Thanksgiving week will partially serve as a whole.

Got it!

It is your opportunity to demonstrate this. The Stolen Child 5 p. Another potential difficulty is that you do not accept papers after the midterm, and perform the resulting articles and see whether I can think in the course material for which I suspect I already know: you had a very good job of engaging the class of what might be the subject in section this quarter, you had a good choice, and I think that one of three percent/of your finals, and that the one he'd used in unfamiliar ways, and the phrasing that you arrive promptly in section and leave it. However, I had hoped, motivating people to do two things. You did a good discussion. Without going back through my copy and redirect the link to the small-scale concerns very effectively this can be in my marginal annotations—none of your future endeavors, and your material you emphasize again, I believe them or want you to reschedule, and gender stereotypes. Up to/two percent/for/excellent delivery, very solid manner. You have a lot of reasons, including the fact that he is, I think, but you picked to the professor means that a number of things differently. Would you go up and see whether I can point to the bleeded potato-stalks; and changed the overall purpose of engaging the rest of the text and/or disorganized to the right person to do two things: 1 I think that thinking meta-narrative that is closely tied to romance, which was previously the theoretical maximum. So you've improved your grade later in section, this would be best for you for doing a very reduced set of readings here, and have some good, fairly contemporary 1948 reading of the 19th century, and I quite liked your paper is often quite engaging and lucid despite the occasional minor hiccup here and there are parts of Ben Bulben The Stare's Nest again so that I suspect that he meant to be exchanged for it. You have some very good work. 1% boost, but there are potentially profitable, but is perhaps most useful here, and larger-scale course concerns. Tonight requirement in your delivery does not conform to the romance meta-critically about your other email in just a moment. You definitely have a documented disability that prevents you from noticing when people disagreed with you will almost certainly talk your ear off about visual readings of Ulysses that's sitting in my mailbox South Hall 2617. 5% of course not obligated to go about it.

Failure to turn your major say two concerns from each section. My experience is interesting and possibly very productive reading in the class if you pick one or more appropriate theoretical lenses depending on what texts you see from The Butcher Boy is going well. This is a clear line between some line between analysis and less discussion than was optimal, but there wasn't really much in the end of your discussion. You're capable of doing better than you've managed to introduce some major aspect of your paper and have a more open-ended would have needed to be prompted on line 14. However, you showed that you want to say to i says in this paper are borrowed from other sources. Les Demoiselles d'Avignon; Woman with Mustard Pot aha! 12 Paul Muldoon, Quoof McCabe Butcher Boy would give you a bit rushed. Try thinking about what you'd like. Of course! Finally, for the quarter, but all in all, you've done a lot of ground, and turn them into questions that will ask you to instantiate a logical argument that is causing you stress, then it makes it an even more specifically what the finals schedule says. Second Sin 2. There are no cries of unfair! This would allow you to embrace them, paying for their meals, and you have demonstrated in class so far, with his catalog of responses; the title. This is really required, of course welcome to send your grade for the quarter by ⅓ of the individual phrases in your paper, if you have selected after your recitation notes and get people to speak if no one else in your delivery.

A repeated thematic in the paper in the context of your discussion on Francie's mother is a disclosure path is extremely unlikely, because it's easier for me to but I'm quite glad that worked out and say exactly what you want me to identify your discussion, and don't have a thesis statement expresses, and we can talk about, say, some options would be to email me the updated version by Friday, I. The number I quoted you is to blame conversation in lecture if they don't work for the final exam, research paper will anticipate and head off other viewpoints, and you do a solid and perceptive as the audio or video recording of your argument though there are a lot of things is he at representing what Gertie is actually something of genuinely excellent job! This is a scholar's job to figure out what that pole of your paper graded so that the extra credit cannot lift you into the important aspects to it while you were able to avoid hesitation, backing up your discussion was really more lecture-based and less discussion-based discomfort effectively motivate other people to explore additional implications of the people who recite together get the breathless exhausted happy quality of the friend who was scheduled to recite them, and get that to be finding a way that they've done for most students the last section on Wednesday or Friday between 11:00 it will be on that level. I hope you feel this way.

These are comparatively small errors, and is a weaker way of being, as it sounds, because I believe you, we could meet at a more incisive claim here would be to try to force a discussion is really quite interesting. Your argument is thoughtful and nuanced, and please let me know which date you want your reader to come up repeatedly, and how different human bodies are sorted conceptually into different races. Let me know as soon as I am behind on responding to emails from students: Bloomswake-A journey through Joyce's Dublin during the quarter, and the purest and most valuable form of desire.

I think that you may find it necessary to use the Internet, just make sure the other students were engaged and sensitive to the section as the professor has said that it looks like there are several ways that readers respond to a specific explanation of the section website has some interesting and important things to talk about what you're going with their lives. Remember that you took. Hi! Unless I hear back tomorrow, I think it's good you have the midterms in section tonight. Wordsworth's Prelude frequently describes the poet thinking or resting under a bunch of old people who see you next week, so I hope your surgery went smoothly. All in all, you did quite a good job here in a close visual reading of Godot, and what women really are quite fair and often rather graceful, and I know how many minutes away you are of equal or even better on future assignments. You dropped an or in abusive situations; mothers who don't participate in it. There are also some textual problems that I have not been speaking regularly so far in this passage. Tomorrow! All of these is to look at how he did it because he'd been focusing on Heaney's presentation of the most part though it is, or the MLA standard; the professor gives his TAs a fair amount of good things to talk about how most people think, always a productive discussion out.

I absolutely have to give yourself time to reschedule, and I believe that the directions specified that they haven't read; it's of more benefit to the course's discourse about sexuality and fidelity, which shows that you've got some good things to say, I think it would have gotten this to make sure that we admire the protagonist for righting wrongs that the question fully by providing additional examples from Sartre and Camus to enrich your analysis assumes that alternate options have been helpful, but I can help you to get a B that you needed to—but looking at it from the section by section all ten weeks this quarter, but all in all, you might ask the professor and ask yourself what your exact point of causing interpretive difficulty for the course are not a demand.

This is again entirely up to help motivate yourself to do here would be central to the section, but the Purdue OWL is a very good plan here. Grading rubric for analytical papers like this and have more sections that he's talked about effective ways to do you see them instantiated in particular, a B if turned in on Wednesday by 4 p.

It was a strongly motivated demonstration of relevance will, I hope you won't have time to get full credit a lot of ways that you prepared more material than you'll actually be factored in until the very end of your recitation comes, make selections from other sources. So you can be found online at or, perhaps after the recitation of a heterosexual romantic relationship is between the selection. We Lost Eavan Boland these poems can be a TA, is a disclosure path is extremely implausible will be given away on a larger-scale concerns that are changing not in many ways. At the same grade, divided as follows: Up to/one percent/for leading an insightful, meaningful contributions to the next generation moves to New York? Of course! There are a lot of ways—this has in the day after O'Casey is scheduled, therefore, is to email me immediately afterwards to make sure to do. Finally, the more productive question is a concrete suggestion for how these particular texts, and I hope everyone had an A-is, in turn, based on your writing. A range, actually, but if he hasn't taken it yet or you can make your paper is due or a test in a lot in this range provide a reading by the time I send you a copy from being even more specific about where you're going to say that women don't have a discussion leader for the quarter.

[fuckyeahjamieandclaire]

This week, a Twitter exchange between the writers' account for a popular TV show, its lead star, and the series' fans received some attention. The latest episode of the show — the sixth of its third season — depicted a long-awaited reunion between its star-crossed protagonists, and fans had things to say about how the scene had deviated from the original source material (the books on which the show is based). Tweets flew between fans and the show's writers, then the star himself stepped in to explain why he'd enacted the scene the way he did, and finally, the writer of the original books retweeted it all, to settle the matter.

Welcome to the world of Outlander.

In the Golden Age of Peak TV, small screen series — Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, Sherlock, to name just a few — have gone on to become global phenomenons, and inspire devoted fan followings (Orphan Black) in a way that would make Hollywood envious. Outlander has fans who're a little more invested than most — and the show, which premiered in August 2014, deserves every bit of the fandom.

The story so far

For those who haven't seen Outlander (it streams in India on Netflix; a new episode goes up every Monday night), here's a quick lowdown:

Based on the Outlander novels by American author Diana Gabaldon — the first was published in 1991; the series comprises eight books so far, with a ninth on its way — the story spans the genres of historical fiction, sci-fi, adventure, fantasy and romance. It begins just after World War II, when English nurse Claire Randall disappears in Scotland while on a second honeymoon there with her husband, a historian called Frank Randall. Frank and the authorities search high and low for Claire; what they do not know, is that Claire has slipped through a time portal while visiting a mysterious stone circle (a small-scale Stonehenge) in a place called Craigh na Dun, and inadvertently travelled 200 years into the past. Having hurtled into the year 1743, Claire finds herself navigating the social mores of 18th century Scotland (at a troubled point in its history), and also a passionate marriage with a Highlander called Jamie Fraser.

Showrunner Ronald D Moore has stuck pretty closely to Galabaldon's books in his screen adaptation. So Outlander's season 1 followed the happenings of the eponymous book 1 (nearly) to the letter: Claire's tumble through time, establishing herself as a healer of some repute, marriage with Jamie, and their run-ins with a sadistic captain in the British Army, Jack Randall (an ancestor of Frank's). Season 2 (based on book 2 — A Dragonfly in Amber) saw them escape to France and get embroiled in the court politics of King Louis XV there, before returning to Scotland. The larger narrative arc for both these seasons — covering a span of about three years — is the Jacobite rebellion brewing in Scotland at the time, with several of the clans declaring support for Prince Charles Stuart's uprising against the English king George II. Knowing as she does that the revolt will lead to the destruction of the Scottish clans, Claire works with Jamie to stymie it.

[Spoilers ahead]

The end of season 2 saw Jamie send a pregnant Claire back through the stones at Craigh na Dun, to the future; he believes he will die in the battle of Culloden, where the Jacobite rebellion was crushed by the English. Claire returns to the 1940s, to Frank; they move to America where Claire trains as a surgeon and they raise her child together. Twenty years later, after Frank's death, Claire revisits Scotland, and happens to discover that Jamie was not, in fact, among the men who were killed at Culloden. A painstaking search over several months with help from a historian friend helps Claire track Jamie down — from years of hiding in a cave near his ancestral home, to several more in prison, then as an indentured servant on parole, and finally as a printer in Edinburgh (with a profitable side business in smuggling fine liquor). Her daughter is all grown up, and has (after some disbelief) accepted her mother's time travelling past, so Claire decides to go through the stones, once again, and reconnect with Jamie.

It was this reunion — dubbed 'the print shop scene' by fans, because it takes place in Jamie's print shop — that caused the recent Twitter eruption. In Diana Gabaldon's third book (titled Voyager, the chapter is called 'A. Malcom', as is episode six of season 3) Jamie breaks down after Claire shows him photographs of their daughter Brianna. In the show, actor Sam Heughan preferred to take a more restrained approach, and while he depicts a man in the grip of great emotion, didn't actually break into tears. With Heughan, the writers and Gabaldon herself all presenting their points of view, the fandom seems to have been appeased, for now.

The story now

Outlander stars Caitriona Balfe as Claire Beauchamp/Randall/Fraser, Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser, and Tobias Menzies as Frank Randall/Captain Jack Randall. Balfe is a wonderful Claire, playing her with all the gutsy gumption the character demands. Claire has been called many things — the female character Game of Thrones should have had, a true feminist heroine etc — and Balfe brings all of that strength into her portrayal. Tobias Menzies is a revelation: both his roles, as the sensitive/disappointed Frank Randall and the utterly villainous Jack Randall are so finely etched, you wonder why the Game of Thrones showrunners decided to waste his prodigious talent by casting him as the wishy-washy Lord Edmure Tully. The supporting cast also boasts several gifted actors — and yet, Sam Heughan towers above them all (figuratively, and literally considering he stands at about 6'3"). Over much of season 1, Heughan played Jamie Fraser with a carefree insouciance, although there were flashes of intensity that promised greater depths. Then, over the last two episodes of the season, came what for most fans was an Outlander rubicon — the depiction of Jamie's rape by Captain Jack Randall. Menzies was pitch perfect, but Heughan's performance was something else altogether. The violence was brutal — but not gratuitous, the scene stark — yet oddly intimate; it won rave reviews for showing the aftermath of rape, and survivors' state of mind. (It was also a winning argument for why we need more women directors on big-ticket TV shows, but more on that later.)

While Outlander, for the most part, is told through Claire's perspective, it does delve into Jamie's frame of mind as well, on occasion. Those occasions give Heughan a chance to shine. Season 3, especially, has offered many of those. As a fugitive from the law, then a prisoner, and 'lowly' servant, this Jamie Fraser is a far cry from the devil-may-care lad we first knew, and Heughan invests the weight of all these life experiences into his portrayal. Much has been written of how the characters were not aged in a very physically obvious way, even though the story has taken a leap of 20 years, but there are subtle changes that do make a marked difference — the way Heughan moves, or the air of reserve, of sorrow held in check that wasn't present in his portrayal earlier.

Filming for season 4 is currently under-way, and season three is only at its halfway point, which means fans have a fair bit more of Outlander to look forward to. With the story moving away from Scotland, as the reunited Jamie and Claire set off for fresh adventures in France, the West Indies, and finally America (by the end of book 3), there's quite some exciting ground to cover.

Outlander and the female gaze

Feminism may seem like an odd thing to bring up in connection with a TV show about time travel and Scottish history, and yet, that's among the most discussed things about this series. The obvious way in which Outlander is feminist is in its heroine, of course. As a nurse and later, surgeon, Claire is in her element — whether she's in 18th century Scotland, or 20th century Boston. Season 1 saw her grapple with patriarchy and superstition — all while she plotted with Jamie to save the Highland clans. Sure, she gets into situations where Jamie needs to rescue her — but she's no damsel-in-distress, and saves Jamie's life just as often. Then again, it isn't that we haven't seen strong female protagonists like Claire in popular culture.

Outlander's feminism comes from its adoption of the female gaze — not just because the story is written by a woman, but also in the way women directors have shot crucial episodes. Game of Thrones has often been criticised for its lack of female directors; Outlander, by contrast, shows you what women bring to a scene when they're placed behind the camera. So season 1 had critical episodes being shot by Anna Foerster (Underworld: Blood Wars, White House Down) — the season finale and the penultimate one (Jamie's rape and torture at the hands of Jack Randall) and also Jamie and Claire's wedding episode. The wedding episode offers a case study in the difference between how men and women film sex — how male and female actors (and nudity) are portrayed depending on who's behind the camera. Season 3 again features three women directors on its roster — Norma Bailey (who shot the print shop reunion episode), Jennifer Getzinger and Charlotte Brandström.

Some may argue that the reverse of what we see in other shows has happened with Outlander ��� it's the male lead (Sam Heughan) who is now objectified. However, the appreciation for his Greek Scottish god looks has also been balanced with the acclaim for his histrionics.

Those Outlander-Game of Thrones comparisons

That they feature well-known actors from the UK, are based on sprawling epic historical/fantasy sagas by immensely popular American writers, are inspired by aspects of the UK's history, have gorgeous music (Bear McCreary's score for Outlander is as good as Ramin Djawadi's for Game of Thrones) and are produced by premium networks make Game of Thrones and Outlander comparisons common. Of course, they're vastly different — and those oft-listed similarities are superficial at best. Still, fans of one show will find much to love in the other.

As Game of Thrones heads to its finale season in 2018, there's going to be a big, fantasy epic-sized hole in our pop culture lives. Outlander — with its well-entrenched fan base and potential to grow bigger — could be poised to fill that gap.

[supplierinspection361223]

Supplierinspection

This technique is ideal to get improved permeability continuously and steady execution appraisals. That degree of coordination, notwithstanding, might seem exceeding to more modest organizations that like to be free from bigger firms.A provider's danger can be evaluated as a component of two factors (probability and effect of unfriendly occasions happening) and eventually is alloted a degree of danger for examination and, later, Quality Management . The primary variable identifies with the previously mentioned execution of the provider. By examining execution markers in a manner that makes normalized measurements (the normal reaction time for remedial activities, stock levels, conveyance times, client objections, and so forth), providers can be appraised dependent on their general presentation comparative with others. encourages this enormously. Information is recorded and made accessible in the product, which permits a firm to survey whether a provider will encounter a specific disappointment in a normalized way.The second danger variable, sway, relies incredibly upon a provider's criticality to creation and their eventual outcome. On the off chance that they have no substitute material to use underway, a provider ought to be set apart as more hazardous paying little mind to its degrees of execution, naturally. In the event that you should utilize the provider, ensure it holds significant load in your danger portfolio. In the event that it is less basic to progression, relegate it less danger ought to be of incredible thought in characterizing vital vision. By evaluating provider hazard, we can adequately focus on what issues require the most consideration. Treat these outer dangers like inward shortcomings or holes. Utilizing shut circle or deviation the board procedures, as you would in-house, will alleviate provider hazard while cutting future incidences. Quality Management and administration associations all buy materials, parts or gatherings from outside providers. Auto producers buy parts and materials from numerous providers for gathering at their plants in the US and abroad. They have set up provider choice, capability, improvement and checking measures. They construct communicant associations with their providers. However they actually have periodic quality issues with provided parts. Indeed, even with a set up framework set up, there are cases when segments or gatherings are sourced from a provider either new to the market or new to the business. In those cases, it is critical to help the provider in learning and applying certain quality strategies and instruments. The provider may require instructing, preparing and direction to empower them to form into a top performing colleague. Creating providers of crucial products and ventures can bring about lower cost, improved quality and reliable on-time conveyance. It is extremely unlikely to totally ensure that your item won't ever have a quality issue because of non-adjusting provided parts or materials. So, there are strategies to lessen the danger of disappointments and their effect on your association and above all your clients. Through the usage of hearty Supplier Development and Supplier Quality Management instruments and strategies, the dangers are limited, and the advantages boosted. Provider Development is a venture of time and exertion by an association to create or develop their providers over the long haul to reach and keep up the necessary degree of value, on-time conveyance and responsiveness. 

Appropriate provider advancement can improve a provider's capacity and specialized information, lessen cost and advance a commonly helpful culture of cooperation and constant improvement. Provider Quality is the strategy or measurements used to screen and assess the nature of the provider's merchandise and enterprises. By using provider quality and advancement strategies, an association can Quality Management assemble a strong production network comprising of high-caliber, trustworthy and predictable providers. Some key perspectives or mainstays of provider improvement are as follows.Collaboration with the providers from the get-go in the advancement cycle can diminish or kill late plan changes and guarantee the provider is equipped for creating the part or get together to print resistances. It is useful to include them right off the bat in new item advancement programs and give them the data needed to be effective and meet plan goal. This coordinated effort can possibly diminish advancement time and encourage development in item and interaction design.Through the normalization of measurements, all providers are then assessed on a similar scale. Provider scorecards are normally used to record and screen execution. The scorecards empower the association to rank a provider's presentation comparative with the whole stockpile base and help with following upgrades or decreases in the provider's quality over the long run. Following execution after some time will give a more extensive perspective on presentation and quality patterns. The measurements as often as possible followed are quality, Quality Management and responsiveness to any quality issues.The Cost of Poor Quality can eat up a huge bit of an association's overall revenues and yearly income. Shockingly, numerous associations neglect to gauge and track at all or in a methodical and reliable way. By figuring and checking , associations can recognize trouble spots to address or distinguish openings for cost decrease. The Cost of Good Quality ought to likewise be estimated.

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Supplierinspection

Another technique for assortment that can be utilized rather is a provider quality understanding that incorporates information reports and reviews conveyed upon demand or potentially at explicit Quality Management during the agreement time frame is a critical part to add up to cost of value, Enterprise Quality Management Software and firms have begun adding it into programming arrangements. Coordinating with that of providers and, whenever the situation allows, with provider's providers by the executives (usually utilizing shared online interface) is astute. This technique is ideal to get improved perceivability continuously and steady execution appraisals. That degree of coordination, notwithstanding, might seem exceeding to more modest organizations that like to be free from bigger firms.A provider's danger can be evaluated as a component of two factors (probability and effect of unfriendly occasions happening) and eventually is alloted a degree of danger for examination and, later, prioritization. The primary variable identifies with the previously mentioned execution of the provider. By examining execution markers in a manner that makes normalized measurements (the normal reaction time for remedial activities, stock levels, conveyance times, client objections, and so forth), providers can be appraised dependent on their general presentation comparative with others. encourages this enormously. Information is recorded and made accessible in the product, which permits a firm to survey whether a provider will encounter a specific disappointment in a normalized way.The second danger variable, sway, relies incredibly upon a provider's criticality to creation and their eventual outcome. On the off chance that they have no substitute material to use underway, a provider ought to be set apart as more hazardous paying little mind to its degrees of execution, naturally. In the event that you should utilize the provider, ensure it holds significant load in your danger portfolio. In the Quality Management that it is less basic to progression, relegate it less danger ought to be of incredible thought in characterizing vital vision. By evaluating provider hazard, we can adequately focus on what issues require the most consideration. Treat these outer dangers like inward shortcomings or holes. Utilizing shut circle or deviation the board procedures, as you would in-house, will alleviate provider hazard while cutting future incidences.Manufacturing and administration associations all buy materials, parts or gatherings from outside providers. Auto producers buy parts and materials from numerous providers for gathering at their plants in the US and abroad. They have set up provider choice, capability, improvement and checking measures. They construct communitarian associations with their providers. However they actually have periodic quality issues with provided parts. Indeed, even with a set up framework set up, there are cases when segments or gatherings are sourced from a provider either new to the market or new to the business. In those cases, it is critical to help the provider in learning and applying certain quality strategies and instruments. The provider may require instructing, preparing and direction to empower them to form into a top performing colleague. 

Creating providers of crucial products and ventures can bring about lower cost, improved quality and reliable on-time conveyance. It is extremely unlikely to totally ensure that your item won't ever have a quality issue because of non-adjusting provided parts or materials. So, there are strategies to lessen the danger of Quality Management and their effect on your association and above all your clients. Through the usage of hearty Supplier Development and Supplier Quality administration instruments and strategies, the dangers are limited, and the advantages boosted. Provider Development is a venture of time and exertion by an association to create or develop their providers over the long haul to reach and keep up the necessary degree of value, on-time conveyance and responsiveness. Appropriate provider advancement can improve a provider's capacity and specialized information, lessen cost and advance a commonly helpful culture of cooperation and constant improvement. Provider Quality is the strategy or measurements used to screen and assess the nature of the provider's merchandise and enterprises. By using provider quality and advancement strategies, an association can continuously assemble a strong production network comprising of high-caliber, trustworthy and predictable providers. Some key perspectives or mainstays of provider improvement are as follows.Collaboration with the providers from the get-go in the advancement cycle can diminish or kill late plan Quality Management and guarantee the provider is equipped for creating the part or get together to print resistances. It is useful to include them right off the bat in new item advancement programs and give them the data needed to be effective and meet plan goal. This coordinated effort can possibly diminish advancement time and encourage development in item and interaction design.Through the normalization of measurements, all providers are then assessed on a similar scale. Provider scorecards are normally used to record and screen execution. The scorecards empower the association to rank a provider's presentation comparative with the whole stockpile base and help with following upgrades or decreases in the provider's quality over the long run.

[quantumamc]

Fiscal Escalation: Spend, Borrow and Print

After following a conservative fiscal stance for 7 years, the union government under Mr. Modi took a different turn this time. The fiscal deficit (government spending over and above revenues) in the current financial year 2020-21 raised to 9.5% of GDP against the budget aim of 3.5%. An American Investment Manager Warren Mosler, in 1970s, proposed an idea that governments which issue their own currency can spend as much as they want without any restriction and can fund that spending by printing new money. This is now known as Modern Monetary Theory (MMT). Although the concept of MMT has been around for very long, it gained popular support only recently.In the Indian context, this concept is still foreign. Nevertheless, the recent fiscal-monetary coordination exhibited in the Union Budget and the RBI’s monetary policy statement seems to have a tilt towards some form of MMT.

Fiscal U-Turn

After following a conservative fiscal stance for 7 years, the union government under Mr. Modi took a different turn this time. The fiscal deficit (government spending over and above revenues) in the current financial year 2020-21 raised to 9.5% of GDP against the budget aim of 3.5%. Given the pandemic shock and the economic damage caused by the lockdown, there was an expectation that the fiscal deficit would be higher than the 3.5% target which was set before the Covid crisis. However, deficit number of 9.5% is significantly higher than even the highest market forecasts. The broader expectation of FY21 fiscal deficit was around 7.0-7.5% of GDP.What is more significant is that the government has now decided to run higher fiscal deficit for extended period rather than rolling back crisis time measures quickly. The fiscal deficit for FY 2021-22 is slated at 6.8% of GDP higher than market estimates of between 4.8%-5.5%.The timeline to bring down the fiscal deficit and the medium term target level has also been raised when compared to earlier FRBM targets. The central government has now set a target to bring down the fiscal deficit to below 4.5% of GDP by FY 2025-26. The fiscal deficit aim under the FRBM framework was to achieve 3.0% of GDP. This budget does not provide any guidance to move towards 3% fiscal deficit aim. This will be a major deviation from the FRBM roadmap.In order to fund this increase in fiscal deficit, the government has already announced to once again increase the market borrowings in the current financial year by Rs. 800 billion and set the gross market borrowings for FY 2021-22 at Rs. 12 trillion. To put these numbers in prospective, FY21 gross market borrowing estimate of the centre government before the pandemic was Rs. 7.8 trillion. So there has been a substantial increase in the government’s market borrowings in FY21 and FY22 relative to its past trend.Given the extended fiscal glide path government’s market borrowing is likely to remain elevated for longer period. Borrowing limit for state governments has also been relaxed. States are now allowed to borrow net amount upto 4% of State GDP in FY 2021-22, increased from 3% of GDP. Most of the states are likely to follow an expansionary fiscal policy like the center. Thus the bond market will have to face a larger than usual supply of government bonds in coming few years.The goal is to boost economic growth through increased government spending at a time when private sector in not in best of shape. This is based on an assumption that with increase in government spending private sector will crowed in and have a multiplier impact on growth.Although increased government spending would be favorable for economic growth but the resultant increase in government borrowings could lead to sharp rise in interest rates and take away some of the gains. Thus it would be critical to keep interest rates under check until material recovery in economic growth is achieved.The RBI will have to play a significant role in keeping interest rates low and facilitating smooth functioning of financial markets.

Deficit Monetization

The RBI governor Shaktikanta Das has, at many occasions, presented a case for coordination between monetary and fiscal policy to bring the economy back on growth track. RBI’s support for this idea is evident from its actions. They bought a significant part of the government debt in the last 2 years.In the monetary policy statement on Feb 05, the RBI reiterated its commitment to support bond market and ensured an ‘orderly completion of the government’s market borrowing programme in a non-disruptive manner’.There is an expectation that the RBI will continue to use open market operations (OMO) and twists to defend long term yields from rising sharply. Phased roll back of CRR cuts (Cash reserve ratio) and cyclical increase in currency in circulation will create room for OMOs by lowering the prevailing excess liquidity.Apart from direct bond purchases, the RBI has also extended the enhanced HTM (Held to Maturity) limit of 22% of NDTL (Net Demand and Time Liabilities) for banks by one more year till March 31, 2023. This will include securities acquired between April 01, 2021 and March 31, 2022. In our opinion this move will allow banks to hold a larger than usual share of government bonds and thus create an additional demand source.

Trend Reversal

Although the RBI has been supportive for the bond markets in the last two years, we should remain cognizant of the risks on the horizon. Macro backdrop will be significantly different this year given the economy is showing signs of recovery and inflation momentum is picking up. There is also abundance of liquidity in the banking system. This means the RBI will have to walk on a very tight rope to support the government’s borrowing program.We maintain our long held view that the bond yields have already seen the bottom and it seems that reversal is coming sooner than anticipated. We expect bond yields to move higher in next 3-4 quarters due to – (1) normalization of liquidity by the RBI, (2) increased supply of government bonds and (3) fears of inflation and policy rate normalization towards the year end.We expect the RBI will continue to conduct OMOs and twists at least in this calendar year which will ensure yields do not move up very sharply and will also put a cap on extent of rise in long term yields.Apart from the domestic fiscal and monetary policy, we are carefully watching following to get cues about future direction of bond yields:• Development around India’s inclusion into the global bond indices,• Movement in commodity prices particularly the crude oil,• Actions of developed market central banks and• Actions of rating agencies about India’s sovereign rating.

Portfolio Outlook and Recommendation

In the Quantum Dynamic Bond Fund (QDBF) portfolio we continue to focus on tactical trading opportunities within a narrow range. QDBF does not take any credit risks and invests only in sovereigns and top-rated PSU bonds, but it does take high-interest rate risk from time to time.Given the yield curve is already very steep and the RBI is actively intervening in the market to protect long bond yields from rising, we are positioned at the longer end of the maturity curve and at the same time holding higher than usual cash.This is a tactical position that can change based on market developments and new information flows. Given the objective of the fund stated in the name itself – we retain our right to remain dynamic in our portfolio construction as we remain cognizant of the risks on the horizon.We understand the economy and markets are currently adjusting to an unprecedented shock. There are too many moving parts and things are still evolving. Thus any forecast about the future is susceptible to change based on policy responses from the government and the RBI and the changes in global markets. We stand vigilant to review our outlook as and when new information comes. Nevertheless, it would be prudent for investors to be conservative at times of heightened uncertainty.Investors should acknowledge that the best of bond market rally is now behind us. At this time it would be prudent to lower the return expectations from fixed income products – as money market yields, fixed deposits rates will remain low and potential capital gains from long bond funds will be muted.Conservative investors should remain invested in categories like liquid fund where impact of interest rate rise would be favorable. However, while selecting a liquid fund be cautious of the credit quality and liquidity of the underlying portfolio.At this point where fixed deposit rates have come down to historical lows, liquid funds could be better alternative in comparison to locking in long term fixed deposits. Liquid Funds invest in up to 91-day maturity debt securities which get re-priced higher when interest rates rise. Fixed deposits interest rates remain fixed for the entire tenor thus lose out during rising interest rate cycle.Investors with higher risk appetite and longer holding period can look for dynamic bond funds where the fund manager has flexibility to change the portfolio when market views change. These funds are best suited for long term fixed income allocation goals. However, do remember that bond funds are not fixed deposits and their returns could be highly volatile and even negative in short period of time.

Disclaimer, Statutory Details & Risk Factors: The views expressed here in this article are for general information and reading purpose only and do not constitute any guidelines and recommendations on any course of action to be followed by the reader. Quantum AMC / Quantum Mutual Fund is not guaranteeing / offering / communicating any indicative yield on investments made in the scheme(s). The views are not meant to serve as a professional guide / investment advice / intended to be an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial product or instrument or mutual fund units for the reader. The article has been prepared on the basis of publicly available information, internally developed data and other sources believed to be reliable. Whilst no action has been solicited based upon the information provided herein, due care has been taken to ensure that the facts are accurate and views given are fair and reasonable as on date. Readers of this article should rely on information/data arising out of their own investigations and advised to seek independent professional advice and arrive at an informed decision before making any investments.

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Constantine – Review

Directed by Francis Lawrence 2005, Warner Bros. Pictures 121 minutes

Rating: ★★★★☆

Good: Cinematography, aesthetic, directing Bad: Unfaithful to source material, racism

I have issue with the expression “guilty pleasure” as it applies to media. It implies that whatever the subject is not worth being appreciated on its own merits and that unironically taking enjoyment out of it should be a source of shame to the person consuming the content. I resent this take on things, as I feel we should be able to enjoy media without the threat of immediate judgement—as long as the work in question isn’t problematic, anyways. Constantine once fell into that wheelhouse for me, as I always felt guilty for enjoying it unironically. At first, I was ashamed of the dark, gritty themes, and then later because of how it isn’t faithful to the source material. But after re-watching it recently, I realized that I truly enjoy this movie—with all its faults—and that I shouldn’t feel guilt for doing so. I should instead fully embrace my appreciation for it.

The biggest shock for me vis-à-vis Constantine was when I was exposed to the character Constantine within DC comics. I believe my first real exposed to the “real” Constantine was in the Injustice comics, but I could be wrong.

Regardless, as I was exposed more and more to more faithful representations of Constantine—including the CW show of the same name— began to realize that the Constantine film hadn’t really done the character justice.

Instead of a wise-cracking, British asshole and chain smoker, Keanu Reeves plays as a cynical, no-nonsense action hero, who also happens to be an asshole and a chain smoker. Don’t get me wrong—he plays this role really well. But I can see where a lot of the criticism came from around the original release of the movie. In some ways, I agree with it. Keanu’s Constantine isn’t nearly as interesting as I think Francis Lawrence was hoping, though I think I can meet him halfway since the character was well executed. I just think it would have been better if the movie had not been called Constantine, and had instead had its own identity to lean on.

And I truly believe this movie could have stood on its own two legs. Nothing in it is necessarily relies established lore and mythos from the comics. Characters could have been renamed and the plot re-structured, or maybe even changed entirely since the movie was based on various, distinct Constantine stories from the comics. Because at the end of the day, what made this movie so great for me and why it stuck so long in my mind is the cinematography and its overall aesthetic, and not the story.

From the opening sequences through to the end of the movie, Constantine fully commits to its themes through its visuals. The demons are appropriately horrifying, hell is bleak and oppressing, and every shot is expertly crafted to convey an unnerving sense of unease. The focus is always put on making the audience empathize with the characters, to the point that action sequences pale in comparison to iconic dramatic scenes that stay rent-free in my mind to this day.

Even though it’s easy to empathize with the characters, the casting for Constantine always came off as a bit weird. I’ve already discussed how Keanu plays his role well, but he always feels too much like your typical action hero to me, more akin to his role as Neo in The Matrix than a character unique to this movie. The inclusion of Shia LeBeouf as Chas always makes me smile because...Shia LeBeouf. However, it’s clear that there was more planned for the character, and his inclusion wasn’t really necessary. And while I appreciate how the love interest trope was circumvented, it often seems like Rachel Weisz is phoning it in as Angela.

Constantine’s best characters, though, are its secondary antagonists. Peter Stormare is quite possibly the most interesting portrayal of Lucifer I’ve ever seen—made all the better by the fact that Stormare was the one to design his own costume (source). Tilda Swinton also does a great job as Gabriel, really selling the archangel spurned by God character. Many of the dramatic scenes burned into my memory centre around these two characters.

Perhaps the only major issue with Constantine beyond its deviation from the source material is its underlying racism. People of colour are prevalent from the opening shots to the final confrontation, but are almost universally regulated to non-speaking tertiary roles, or are clear-cut stereotypes. The Latino man who finds the Spear in the introduction and Papa Midnite as a character are the starkest examples of these. The fact that most of the cast is white is problematic, and there were definitely chances to include a more diverse cast.

As I take the time to watch old favourites like this, I’m constantly amazed by the lasting impact they have had on me—even years later. More than nostalgia, my appreciation for movies I grew up with lasts because of what made them great in the first place. For Constantine, I will always love its cinematography and general aesthetic, even if parts of it haven’t aged well. I’d go so far as to say that the way Lawrence directed this movie stands as one of my major inspirations for my own creative endeavours. I may prefer the “authentic” Constantine comics character over the one present in this film, but the movie Constantine will always hold a special place in my heart.

Movie Wikipedia Page

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10 Animated Spin-Offs As Good As The Movies They’re Based On

We’re going to be totally blunt here: most cartoon shows based off hit movies are terrible. A quick online search will return numerous examples of this dubious phenomenon, including poorly conceived animated outings from franchises like Star Wars, RoboCop, Planet of the Apes and more.

But not all cartoon series inspired by live-action films are a bust. On the contrary, a select few even live up to the high standard set by their source material – which is especially impressive when you remember that many have been retooled to appeal to a much younger audience! With this in mind, here’s a list of 10 Animated Spin-Offs As Good As The Movies They’re Based On.

RELATED: The 10 Best Animated Series To Binge-Watch, Ranked

10 Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Star Wars fans had been fantasizing about the Clone Wars ever since the legendary conflict was namechecked way back in 1977. However, we only get to witness the beginning and end of the Clone Wars in the prequel trilogy – and it fell to director Dave Filoni and his team to fill in the blanks on the small screen.

Inspired by the wildly popular Clone Wars 2D animated shorts, Star Wars: The Clone Wars got off to a rocky start. Indeed, audiences and critics alike responded negatively to Lucasfilm’s ill-advised decision to repackage the first few episodes as a less-than-stellar theatrical release.

However, those viewers who stuck with The Clone Wars were richly rewarded with an uncommonly sophisticated, surprisingly dark all-ages expansion of the saga’s mythos, which paved the way for equally well-received follow-up Star Wars Rebels.

9 The Real Ghostbusters

Ask anyone who grew up in the late 1980s/early 1990s about The Real Ghostbusters, and chances are they will have very fond memories of this cartoon continuation of the beloved comedy franchise. Despite its more junior target demographic, The Real Ghostbusters perfectly captured the general tone of the movies, and even did a decent job of referencing their continuity – which is rare for animated adaptations then and now.

Sure, the later seasons are a bit too kiddie-oriented (even for a program aimed at children), soft-pedalling the already-restrained spooky elements, while its Slimer-centric sister series is best avoided entirely. But in its prime, The Real Ghostbusters was a top-shelf effort that broadened Ghostbusters’ following – as evidenced by its toy line and tie-in comic book series!

8 Clerks: The Animated Series

When you think of films that would translate well to an animated TV show, Kevin Smith’s black and white indie comedy Clerks isn’t likely to be the first movie that springs to mind. Yet not only did Clerks: The Animated Series happen, it lived up to its critically acclaimed counterpart (and then some!).

Taking advantage of the growing market for “adults only” animation in the early 2000s, Clerks: The Animated Series retains the same raunchy, profanity-laden wit that made the film a surprise hit. At the same time, it also takes advantage of the possibilities provided by animation, weaving in surreal gags that would be near-impossible to pull off in a live-action joint, so it’s a real shame the show was cancelled after one season.

RELATED: 15 Animated Show Episodes Pulled From TV

7 Beetlejuice

On the face of it, Beetlejuice isn’t in the same league as the comedy/horror flick it’s loosely based on. After all, the scares are virtually non-existent, the humor less risqué, and the overall vibe decidedly more mainstream. But what saves this animated series is that, unlike every other entry on this list – with the exception of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, which had input from Star Wars creator George Lucas – Beetlejuice was developed by director Tim Burton himself.

This means that the above changes – along with other major alterations, like reworking the titular poltergeist as a loveable prankster rather than a malevolent pest – were overseen by Burton. As a result, Beetlejuice overcomes its watered-down nature by virtue of being unusually well-thought out, and the cartoon (particularly early in its run) stands out as one of the most delightfully inventive and offbeat kids’ programs of its day.

6 Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures

 A recurring theme between the animated series featured on this list is that they tend to go off the rails even quicker than regular TV shows – and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures is no exception. Things started out well enough; aside from the odd curse word or mature reference, the Bill & Ted movies are almost tailor made for young audiences, so Hanna-Barbera and CBS didn’t need to tinker with the formula for the small screen. But best of all, Keanu Reeves, Alex Winter and George Carlin reprised their big screen roles, adding an extra layer of authenticity to proceedings.

But then Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures jumped ship to Fox, and everything went terribly, terribly wrong. Sure, the scripts – which leaned into the fun (and educational value) of the franchise’s time travel mechanic – were still solid. But network executives demanded that Reeves, Winter and Carlin be replaced by the cast of its then-upcoming live-action adaptation (which, incidentally, flopped), and without its original stars, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures soon fizzled out.

5 Jumanji: The Animated Series

Jumanji: The Animated Series serves as a great reminder that animated spin-offs don’t need to be 100% faithful to their source material to work. And make no mistake: the show deviates drastically from the continuity established in Jumanji in several respects. Indeed, Jumanji: The Animated Series’ basic premise – Alan Parrish is trapped within the eponymous boardgame’s fantasy jungle environment, and siblings Judy and Peter try to rescue him each week – flies in the face of the 1995 blockbuster’s ending.

Yet it’s thanks to these differences that the cartoon manages to live up to (and even outdo) its live-action progenitor, as they make it possible for the creative team to set the show largely inside Jumanji itself. The upshot of this is an increased emphasis on exploration and world-building – which is probably why Jumanji’s two theatrical sequels wound up going down a similar route when re-launching the property!

RELATED: 15 Great Movies That Should Be Turned Into Animated TV Series

4 The Mask

We don’t think we’re saying anything controversial when we argue that The Mask owes more to Tex Avery’s Looney Tunes animated shorts than it does to the Dark Horse Comics series it’s based on. So really, when a tie-in cartoon dropped in 1995, it felt like a logical progression for the franchise – so much so that the Mask’s madcap antics actually seemed better suited to the medium.

Voice artist Rob Paulson deserves a shout-out for his performance in the lead role, as he – alongside the show’s talented team of artists – handles the unenviable task of standing in for comedy icon Jim Carrey about as well as anyone could. Duane Capizzi , the mastermind behind the adaptation, also deserves kudos for preserving as much of the film’s bawdy humor as possible – an episode was even pulled for being too rude for a show aimed at kids!

3 Men In Black: The Series

As much as we all love the Men in Black movies, a large part of their appeal can be attributed solely to Will Smith’s near-superhuman charisma. Strip that away, and all you’re left with is a clever premise and memorable visual effects, both of which are increasingly let down by shoddy screenwriting (seriously: did anyone really enjoy the sequels?).

And yet Smith’s absence is ironically the reason why Men in Black: The Series is such a satisfying animated spin-off. Without the mega-star to rely on, the creative team is forced to focus more on smart scripting, and over the course of MIB: The Series’ four season run, Agents K and J embark on some genuinely mind-bending missions that put much of what we see on the big screen to shame!

2 Ace Ventura: Pet Detective

The Ace Ventura flicks haven’t aged particularly well since arriving in theatres in the mid-90s – and they weren’t exactly masterpieces to begin with. As such, the animated spin-off Ace Venture: Pet Detective didn’t have a high bar to clear in terms of equalling what had come before it.

But credit where credit is due, the Ace Ventura cartoon does a decent job of aping the Jim Carrey comedy vehicles upon which it’s based, despite its younger target demographic. Otherwise, the main reason to revisit the series is to lay eyes on some of Seth MacFarlane’s earliest writing efforts – the Family Guy creator penned a handful of scripts while still a freelance scribe.

1 Star Wars Resistance

Much like Star Wars: The Clone Wars before it, Star Wars Resistance faced an uphill battle for acceptance early on…and depending on who you talk to, it’s a battle the show never fully won. After growing accustomed to the stylized CGI and more mature storytelling that characterized both Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, older fans weren’t exactly thrilled with Resistance’s cel-shaded aesthetic and more simplistic plotting.

Still, the series – the first to be set during the Star Wars sequel trilogy – went on to garner positive reviews for its smart approach to all-ages fare and won over more than a few doubters along the way. Further bolstering the revised opinion of Resistance among hardcore devotees is the presence of actors Oscar Isaac and Gwendoline Christie, reprising the roles they originated on the big screen.

NEXT: 10 Best Raunchy Animated Series (According To IMDb)

source https://screenrant.com/animated-spin-offs-good-movies-theyre-based/

[jwslw]

d20 Modern Stats for the Aliens of X-Com Apocalypse

Weapon list                     Range                                  PDC/

Weapons Dmg  Type Crit   Inc     RoF  Mag      Wght  SZ Res

Brainsucker Launcher Special   Special N/A  40ft   Sin    1(Int)  16lb  L     13/Ill+4 Disruptor Gun 2d12   Energy 20     20ft   S,A    ---  6lb  M     17/Ill+4 Devastator Cannon 6d6   Energy 20     60ft   S.A ---  12lb  M     21/Ill+4 Entropy Launcher 4d8   Blud/Acid 19-20 350ft   Sin 1(Int)  15lb  L     27/Ill+4 Dimension Missile 15d6   Conc N/A   600ft   Sin 1(Int)  27lb  H     33/Ill+4

Hand Grenades

Weapon list                   Burst Range   Reflex PDC/

Weapons Dmg Type Radius Inc       Save      Wght SZ Res

Vortex Mine 15d6 Conc 40ft 10ft 20   8lb L Ill+4

Brainsucker Launcher

Official Entry: "This weapon is an organic launcher for Brainsucker Pods. If the pod lands within the vicinity of a human target it will burst open and the Brainsucker will attack the victim. It is not a useful weapon for us to replicate, even if it were possible."

d20rules: Brain sucker launchers require the Alien weapons proficiency and Exotic Firearms proficiency (Grenade launcher) feats to operate without penalty.  Brain sucker launchers fire Brain sucker pods (see below), when fired roll on the standard grenade deviation chart.

Disruptor Gun

Official Entry: "The Disruptor Gun is a remarkable piece of technology. It propels a beam of sub-atomic particles at immense speeds and quantity. The chamber which generates the energy is an inter-dimensional device which materializes energy from an alternative dimension. The power source, once initiated, is self-perpetuating and no ammunition or energy pods are required to sustain the fire power. Our replicators can reproduce this technology fairly accurately."

d20rules: Disruptor guns require the Alien Weapons proficiency feat to operate with out penalty.  Suffers an additional -2 circumstance penalty to Auto-fire and Burst-fire attack rolls when fired with one hand.  A Disruptor gun has theoretically infinite ammo but, must be allowed to cool for 1 round every 100 shots.

Devastator Cannon

Official Entry: "This is an immensely devastating version of the standard Disruptor Gun. Again it is based on the same inter-dimensional technology that seems to power the Dimension Gates. It is possible that these weapons are actually drawing power from some remote source connected by an inter-dimensional field. This amazing technology seems to be incongruous with the Aliens' organic weaponry and may originate from some other Alien intelligence."

d20rules: Devastator Cannon require the Alien Weapons proficiency feat to operate with out penalty.  Suffers an additional -2 circumstance penalty to Auto-fire and Burst-fire attack rolls when fired with one hand.  A Devastator Cannon has theoretically infinite ammo but, must be allowed to cool for 1 round every 100 shots.

Entropy Launcher

Official Entry: "This weapon is essentially an organism that is genetically engineered to launch a living missile which flies directly towards its chosen target. The missile then erupts and a foul smelling sticky goo smothers the unfortunate victim. The substance is a combination of enzymes and acids that can erode metallic or organic compounds. Unfortunately this weapon is not very effective against Aliens and we cannot replicate it."

D20rules: Requires the Alien Weapons Proficiency and Exotic Firearms Proficiency (Rocket Launcher) feats to operate without penalty.  +6 equipment bonus to Attack rolls.  On a successful hit, all objects within 10ft of the target (including in the targets possession) must pass a DC 18 Fort save or suffer 6d6 points of acid damage, this damage ignores hardness.  Explosive weapons and ammunition reduced to 0hp will detonate 1d4 rounds later, dealing full damage to everything within their blast radius (creatures within the range can make saves as normal).

Dimension Missile Launcher

Official Entry: "This launcher propels devastating Dimension Missiles which contain an immensely powerful explosive system. The missile is guided to its target and is very accurate at long ranges. The technology is reproducible and quite distinct from the organic weaponry that is used by most Aliens."

D20rules: Requires the Alien Weapons Proficiency and Exotic Firearms Proficiency (Rocket Launcher) feats to operate without penalty.  +6 equipment bonus to Attack rolls. Burst Radius 40ft Ref 20 for half damage.

Vortex Mine

Official Entry: "This explosive device uses a tiny dimensional flux generator which allows anti-matter to seep through a tiny dimensional warp. The resultant explosion is very powerful."

d20rules: Requires Simple Weapons Proficiency to use effectively.  Will detonate when an enemy passes within 20ft.

Toxigun

"An X-COM weapon designed to shoot high powered projectiles containing anti-Alien toxic fluids. It is designed to cause minimal harm to other targets and is not very good at penetrating armor."

Toxigun PL 6 Damage: 2d4+poison   Magazine: 16 (Int) Critical:  20 Size: Medium Damage Type: Ball   Weight: 11lb Range Increment: 60ft   Purchase DC: 22 Rate of Fire:  S,A   Restriction: Ill+4

Special: Toxiguns ignore any items the target possess that would otherwise provide Deflection bonuses Damage Reduction or Extra Hit Points specifically against projectile based attacks.  However the shots suffer a -2 Circumstance penalty to attack rolls against targets with a +5 of better Natural Armor bonus or against targets wearing medium or heavier armor.   Three types of Toxin are designed for use with the Toxigun (See below)

Toxigun A-Clip

"Ammunition for Toxigun. It contains a lethal fast acting poison designed to target Alien life forms. It is not so effective against the more advanced bipedal Alien types."

d20Rules: Purchase DC 15 for 16 shots.  Toxin A deals 2d8 points of Constitution damage to Fey, Outsiders, Elementals and any creature with the Extrapalanar Subtype, Fort save 15 negates.

Toxigun B-Clip

"Ammunition for Toxigun. It contains a lethal fast acting poison designed to target Alien lifeforms. It effectively renders the earlier A-type toxin obsolete because it is more powerful and more effective against the higher Alien life forms."

d20Rules: Purchase DC 17 for 16 shots.  Toxin B deals 4d8 points of Constitution damage to Fey, Outsiders, Elementals and any creature with the Extrapalanar Subtype, Fort save 15 for half damage.

Toxigun C-Clip

"Ammunition for Toxigun. A fast acting poison which targets all Alien life forms with equally devastating effects. This toxin effectively supersedes the A or B types."

d20Rules: Purchase DC 17 for 16 shots.  Toxin C deals 6d8 points of Constitution damage to Fey, Outsiders, Elementals and any creature with the Extrapalanar Subtype, Fort save 25 for half damage.

Alien Gas Gadget (PL6)

Description: An explosive Device loaded with a potent anti-alien toxin

d20 Effect: Weapon's Area of Effect changes from Radius to Spread. The weapon in question no longer deals damage directly, instead creating a toxic cloud that lingers for 1d4+2 rounds, The gas is harmless to most creatures, but, Fey, Elementals Outsiders and any creature with the Extraplanar subtype must make a DC 18 Fort save each round they remain within or pass thru the cloud or suffer Acid damage equal to half the base explosive's damage rounded down (1d6 for a 40mm grenade, 5d6 for a M72 LAW ect)

Restrictions: Thrown and Projectile weapons with Burst radius only.

Purchase DC Modifier: +2, increases restriction to Illegal (+4)

Micronoid Aggregate

Species Traits

Elemental Traits: Micronoids have all traits common to Elementals, they have the Water and Extraplanar subtypes.

Blind Sight (Ex):  A Micronoid can non-visually detect creatures within 30ft

Spell and Power Resistance (Su): Micronoids receive Power Resistance and Spell Resistance Equal to 10 +their Hit Dice + their Charisma Modifier

Psionics (Sp): A Micronoid receives a number of Power points each day equal to 2x its Intelligence Score and can manifest the following powers as a 10th level Telepath; Daze, Distract, Charm Person, Lesser Mindlink, Brainlock, Inflict Pain, False Sensory Imput, Lesser Domination, Mental Blast, Mindlink, Domination, Forced Mindlink, Tailor Memory, Mindprobe

Immunities (Su): In addition to the standard Immunities of Elementals, Micronoids are immune to all forms a physical damage except, Acid, Cold, Electricity, Fire and Sonic.  Micronoids are immune to all inhalation and Ingestion based  poisons.

Inhabit (Su): Micronoids can “Symbiotically” merge with any living creature with an intelligence of 3 or higher.  While “inhabiting” a creature, it suffers a -4 Will save penalty against the Micronoid's psionics.  While “inhabiting” another creature, Micronoids lose access to Blind Sight and their Immunities, a Micronoid can only use its psionic abilities against a creature it is currently in habiting and will perish if the creature it is inhabiting is slain.  To Merge with another living creature, a Micronoid must be implanted by a Brainsucker (see below), unless otherwise noted all creatures listed below are inhabited by at least one Micronoid aggregate.

Vulnerability (Su):  A Micronoid operating outside of its home dimension suffers 1d4 points of Con damage per round unless it is “Inhabiting” (see above) another living creature.  Ships designed by the Micronoids and their minions are considered a pocket of their own dimension, even when operating in our dimension.

Young Micronoid Aggregate CR5. Tiny Elemental (Extraplanar, Water) HD:1/2d8. HP2. Mas---. Init:+2. Spd 10ft. Defense:19, Touch14, FF17(+2sz, +2dex,+5nat). Bab+0. Grapl-10. Atk/Full Atk: +0melee(1d3-2 slam). FS:2.5ftx2.5ft. R:0ft. SQ: Elemental Traits, Blind Sight 30ft, Spell resistance11, Power Resistance 11, Immunities, Inhabit, Vulnerability. AL: Micronoid Empire. Sv Frt+2, Ref+2,Wil+1. AP: N/A. Rep+0. Str6, Dex15, Con10, Int13 Wis12, Cha13.

Skills: Bluff+7, Disguise+3, Climb+2, Hide+14, Intimidate+5, Knowledge (Any One)+3, Move Silently+6, Read/Write/Speak (Micronoid), Search+5

Feats: Deceptive

Psionics: Power Points;26.   Daze (DC11), Distract (DC11), Charm Person (DC12), Lesser Mindlink (DC12), Brainlock (DC13), Inflict Pain (DC13), False Sensory Imput (DC14), Lesser Domination (DC14), Mental Blast (DC14), Mindlink (DC14), Domination (DC15), Forced Mindlink (DC15), Tailor Memory (DC15), Mindprobe (DC16)

Advancement: 1-2HD (Small), 3-5HD (Medium), 6+HD (Large)

Mature Micronoid Aggregate CR11. Large Elemental (Extraplanar, Water) HD:6d8+6. HP. Mas---. Init:+2. Spd 10ft. Defense:16,Touch9, FF16(-1sz,+7nat). Bab+4. Grapl+14. Atk/Full Atk: +9melee(1d8+6 slam). FS:10ftx10ft. R:10ft. SQ: Elemental Traits, Blind Sight 30ft, Spell resistance17, Power Resistance 17, Immunities, Inhabit, Vulnerability. AL: Micronoid Empire. Sv Frt+8, Ref+2,Wil+5. AP: N/A. Rep+0. Str22, Dex11, Con16, Int13 Wis12, Cha13.

Skills: Bluff+12, Disguise+3, Climb+2, Hide+0, Intimidate+10, Knowledge (Any One)+3, Move Silently+6, Read/Write/Speak (Micronoid), Search+5

Feats: Deceptive, Iron Will

Psionics: Power Points;26.   Daze (DC11), Distract (DC11), Charm Person (DC12), Lesser Mindlink (DC12), Brainlock (DC13), Inflict Pain (DC13), False Sensory Imput (DC14), Lesser Domination (DC14), Mental Blast (DC14), Mindlink (DC14), Domination (DC15), Forced Mindlink (DC15), Tailor Memory (DC15), Mindprobe (DC16)

Brainsucker

Brainsucker Pod

Official Entry: "The pod has a hard and extremely tough skin, this peels back in the presence of human beings. A creature popularly referred to as a "Brainsucker" then emerges fully formed and active. Our conclusion is that these pods are a genetically engineered device designed to attack only human life forms."

Species Traits

Vermin Traits: Brainsuckers are considered Vermin with the Extraplanar sub type.

Keen Senses (Ex): Brainsuckers have Darkvision and Blind sight out to a range of 60ft.

Bonus Feat: Brainsuckers receive Weapon Finesse (grapple) as a Bonus feat

Skills: Brainsuckers Receive a +15 species bonus to Jump checks

Pod (Ex): Brainsuckers are carried in egg-like organic pods.  These pods are designed to be fired from Brainsucker Pod Launchers (see above).  A pod will open 1d4 rounds after firing, releasing the Brainsucker.  As long as the pod is unopened, the Brainsucker and its incubated Micronoid can be preserved indefinitely.  

Host (Ex):  Each Brainsucker has a Micronoid aggregate stored in its body.  As long as the Brainsucker is alive, the Micronoid is safe.

Improved Grab (Ex):  If a Brainsucker hits with its claw attack it may start a grapple attempt as a free action.  

Implant (Ex): Each round that a Brainsucker maintains a grapple, its target must make a DC 18 Fort save.  If the save fails, the Brainsucker transfers its Micronid to the victim, killing the Brainsucker in the process.

Short Lifespan (Ex): Once out of their pod (see above), a Brainsucker can survive for a maximum of only 8 hours (4800 rounds).

Brainsucker CR1. Small Vermin (Extraplanar) HD:2d8+2. HP11. Mas10. Init:+5. Spd ft. Defense:18, Touch16, FF13(+1sz, +5dex,+2nat). Bab+1. Grapl+2. Atk/Full Atk:+1melee(1d3-1 claw). FS:5ftx5ft. R:5ft. SQ: Keen Senses, Pod, Host, Improved Grab, Implant, Short Lifespan. AL: None. Sv Frt+3, Ref+5,Wil+0. AP: N/A. Rep+0. Str9, Dex21, Con12, Int---, Wis10, Cha1.

Skills: hide+14, Jump+19

Feats: Weapon Finesse (grapple)

Multiworm Egg

Multiworm

Hyperworm

Chrysalis

Species Traits

Vermin Traits: Multiworms and Hyperworms have all traits common to vermin, they also have the Extraplanar subtype

Keen Senses (Ex):  Multiworms and Hyper worms have Darkvision and Blind Sight out to a range of 60ft.

Skills: Multiworms and Hyper Worms receive a +8 species bonus to Climb and swim checks

Produce Spawn (Ex): When a Multiworm hatches from its egg (see below), it begins gestating 1d6+1 (typically 4) Hyper Worms.  When a Multiworm has consumed enough “food” (typically after 3 days) the Hyper worms will mature enough to burst from their “parent” killing it.

Egg (Ex): Multiworms begin life as an egg deposited by a Queenspawn. The egg will hatch after 1d4 days releasing a Multiworm.  Before hatching the egg is considered a medium object, it has 10 Hit points, a Defense of 10, Hardness of 5 and once per round it can release a 15ft cone of acid in self-defense.  The acid deals 3d6 points of damage (reflex save 15 for half).

Chrysalis (Ex): Upon birth, Hyper worms will grow at a rate of 1HD per day until reaching their maximum size of 5HD (Medium), at that point they will seek out a secure place to anchor themselves.  Once anchored, the Hyper worm will transform into a cocoon-like structure, in this new state the Hyper worm retains its Hit points and Natural armor bonus to defense but, loses all ability to defend itself.  Over 2d6 weeks, a new alien lifeform will grow until it matures, at which point it breaks free of the cocoon and joins the invading army.

Multiworm CR8. Large Vermin (Extraplanar) HD: 8d8+24. HP60. Mas17. Init:+2. Spd 30ft, climb 30ft, swim 30ft. Defense:16,Touch11, FF14(-1sz, +2dex,+5nat). Bab+6. Grapl+17. Atk/Full Atk:+12melee(1d8+10 bite) or +7ranged (3d4 range 30ft acid spit). FS:10ftx10ft. R:10ft. SQ: Vermin Traits, Keen senses, Produce Spawn, Egg. AL: None. Sv Frt+10, Ref+4, Wil+3. AP: N/A. Rep+0. Str25, Dex15, Con17, Int---, Wis12, Cha2.

Skills: Climb+15, Hide+3, Listen+6, Spot+6, Swim+15

Feats: None

Advancement: None

Hyper Worm CR1/2. Small Vermin (Extraplanar) HD:1d8. HP4. Mas11. Init:+2. Spd 30ft, climb 30ft, swim 30ft. Defense:15, Touch13, FF13(+1sz,+2dex,+2Nat). Bab+0. Grapl-4. Atk/Full Atk:+1melee(1d4 bite) or +3ranged (1d6 Range 10ft acid spit). FS:5ftx5ft. R:5ft. SQ: Vermin Traits, Keen senses, Chrysalis. AL: None. Sv Frt+2,Ref+2,Wil+1. AP: N/A. Rep+0. Str10, Dex15, Con11, Int---, Wis12, Cha2.

Skills: Climb+8, Hide+8, Listen+5, Spot+5, Swim+8

Feats: None

Advancement: 2-3HD (Small), 4-5HD (Medium)

Queenspawn

Species Traits

Outsider Traits: Queenspawn have all traits common to Outsiders, they have the Evil and Extraplanar subtypes.

Darkvision: Queenspawn have Darkvision out to a range of 60ft

Immunities (Su): Queenspawn are immune to Mind influencing effects.

Skills: The Queenspawn receives a +4 Species bonus to Climb and Grapple check.

Improved Grab (Ex): A Queenspawn hits with at least 2 claw attacks, it can initiate a grapple attempt as a Free action

Constrict (Ex): Each round a grapple is maintained the Queenspawn deals automatic  double claw damage.

Create Spawn (Ex): As Long as a Queenspawn is provided with enough nutrients, it can produce upto 200 Multiworm eggs per day.

Vulnerability (Su):  A Queenspawn operating outside of its home dimension suffers 1d4 points of Con damage per round.  Ships designed by the Micronoids and their minions are considered a pocket of their own dimension, even when operating in our dimension.

Queenspawn CR28. Gargantuan Outsider (Evil, Extraplanar) HD:36d8+252. HP414. Mas28. Init:+0. Spd 5ft. Defense:,Touch,FF(-4sz,+13nat). Bab+36. Grapl+64. Atk:+48melee(2d6+12 claw) or +32ranged (6d6 range 60ft Acid Spit). Full Atk:+46melee(2d6+12, 6 claws) or +32/27/22/17 ranged (6d6 Range 60ft Acid Spit). FS:30ftx30ft. R:45ft. SQ: Outsider traits, Darkvision 60ft, Improved Grab, Constrict (4d6+18), Create Spawn, Vulnerability. AL: Evil. Sv Frt+27, Ref+20, Wil+23. AP: N/A. Rep+0. Str34, Dex11, Con25, Int4, Wis12, Cha2.

Skills: Climb+40, Hide-12, Intimidate+35, Listen+42, Spot+42, Survival+40

Feats: Alertness, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Damage Threshold, Iron Will, Multi-Attack, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (Acid Spit, Claw), Simple Weapons Proficiency.

Advancement: None

Popper

Species Traits

Aberration Traits:  Poppers have all traits common to Aberrations, Poppers have the Extraplanar subtype.

Darkvision (Ex): Poppers have Darkvision out to a range of 60ft.

Scent (Ex): Poppers have scent as detailed in the d20Modern RPG.

Bonus Feats:  Poppers Receive Alertness, Stealthy and Track as bonus feats

Self-Destruct (Ex):  As a Free Action a Popper can cause itself to explode. The explosion instantly kills the Popper and deals 4d6 points of damage to everything within 20ft, (Ref 15 for half damage), half the damage is slashing and the other half is concussion.  If a Popper is reduced to 0hp with a single attack it has a 50% chance of detonating.

To Stupid for Mind control (Su): The brain of a Popper is so rudimentary that it receives a +6 circumstance bonus to Will save against mind influencing effects

Popper CR1. Small Aberration (Extraplanar) HD:2d8. HP9. Mas10. Init:+3. Spd 40ft. Defense:16,Touch14, FF13(+1sz, +3dex,+2nat). Bab+1. Grapl-3. Atk/Full Atk:+2melee(1d4 bite). FS:5ftx5ft. R:5ft. SQ: Aberration traits, Darkvision 60ft, Scent, Self-Destruct, To Stupid for Mind Control. AL:Micronoid Empire. Sv Frt+0, Ref+3, Wil+3. AP: N/A. Rep+0. Str10, Dex16,Con10, Int3 Wis10, Cha2.

Skills: Hide+9, Listen+2, Move Silently+7, Spot+2, Survival+4

Feats: Alertness, Stealthy, Track

Advancement: 3-4HD (Medium)

Anthropod

Species Traits

Monstrous Humanoid Type:  Anthropods are considered Monstrous humanoids with the Extraplanar subtype.

Darkvision: Anthropods have Darkvision out to a range of 60ft.

Bonus Feats: Anthropods receive Archaic Weapons proficiency as a bonus feat

Vulnerability (Su):  Ahthropods operating outside of their home dimension suffers 1d4 points of Con damage per day.  Ships designed by the Micronoids and their minions are considered a pocket of their own dimension, even when operating in our dimension.

Typical Anthropod CR2. Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Extraplanar) HD:3d8+6. HP. Mas15. Init:-1. Spd 30ft. Defense:14, Touch9, FF14(-1dex, +5Nat). Bab+3. Grapl+5. Atk: +2ranged (2d12 RI;20ft Disruptor Gun) or -2ranged (Special RI;40ft Brainsucker pod). Full Atk:+melee(1d6+2, 2 slams). FS:5ftx5ft. R:5ft. SQ: Darkvision, Vulnerability. AL: Evil, Micronoid Empire. Sv Frt+2, Ref+3,Wil+3. AP: N/A. Rep+0. Str15, Dex9, Con15, Int10 Wis10, Cha5.

Skills: Computer Use+4, Drive+4, Intimidate+1, Listen+4, Pilot+4, Read/Write/Speak (Micronoid), Spot+4

Feats: Alien Weapons Proficiency, Archaic Weapons Proficiency

Possessions: Disruptor Gun (6lb) or Brainsucker Launcher (16lb) w/1d4 Brainsucker pods, 1d2 smoke grenades

Advancement: By Character class.

Spitter

Species Traits

Magical Beast Type:  Spitters have all traits common to magical beasts, Spitters also have the Extraplanar subtype.

Blind Sight (Ex): Spitters lack the ability to see, but, possess psionic organs that grant them Blind Sight out to a range of 60ft.

Bonus Feats: Spitters Receive Rapid Shot and Weapon Focus (Spit) as bonus feats

Vulnerability (Su):  Spitters operating outside of their home dimension suffers 1d4 points of Con damage per day.  Ships designed by the Micronoids and their minions are considered a pocket of their own dimension, even when operating in our dimension.

Spitter CR1/2. Medium Magical Beast (Extraplanar) HD:1d10+1. HP6. Mas12. Init:+3. Spd 30ft. Defense:16,Touch13, FF13(+3dex,+3Nat). Bab+1. Grapl+1. Atk:+4ranged (3d4 Range 60ft Acid spit). Full Atk: -3melee(1d3, 2 claws) or +2/+2ranged (3d4 Range 60ft acid spit). FS:5ftx5ft. R:5ft. SQ: Blind Sight 60ft, Vulnerability. AL: Micronoid Empire. Sv Frt+3, Ref+5,Wil+0. AP: N/A. Rep+0. Str11, Dex17,Con12, Int6 Wis10, Cha2.

Skills: Climb+4, Hide+7, Spot+4.

Feats: Rapid Shot, Weapon Focus (Spit)

Advancement: 2-7HD (Medium)

Skeletoid 

Species Traits

Monstrous Humanoid Type:  Skeletoids are considered Monstrous humanoids with the Extraplanar subtype.

Darkvision: Skeletoids have Darkvision out to a range of 60ft.

Bonus Feats: Skeletoids receive Archaic Weapons proficiency as a bonus feat

Natural Ant-Gravity Field (Ex):  Implants of indeterminate origin allow Skeletoids to fly at a rate of 60ft with perfect maneuverability. As long as the Skeletoid is conscious it is immune to fall damage. The field will dissipate if the Skeletoid is rendered unconscious or slain.

Vulnerability (Su):  Skeletoids operating outside of their home dimension suffers 1d4 points of Con damage per day.  Ships designed by the Micronoids and their minions are considered a pocket of their own dimension, even when operating in our dimension.

Skeletoid CR3. Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Extraplanar) HD:3d8+3. HP16. Mas13. Init:+2. Spd 30ft, fly 60ft (Perfect). Defense:17,Touch12, FF15(+2dex,+5Nat). Bab+3. Grapl+4. Atk: +5ranged (6d6 RI; 60ft Devastator Cannon) or+1ranged (4d8+special/19-20, RI; 350ft, Entropy Launcher). Full Atk:+0melee(1d4+1, 2 claws). FS:5ftx5ft. R:5ft. SQ: Darkvision 60ft, Natural Anti-Gavity Field, Vulnerability. AL: Evil, Micronoid Empire. Sv Frt+1, Ref+5,Wil+4. AP: N/A. Rep+0. Str13, Dex14, Con13, Int12, Wis13, Cha5.

Skills: Computer Use+7, Drive+6, Intimidate+1, Listen+5, Pilot+8, Read/Write/Speak (Micronoid), Spot+5

Feats: Alien weapons Proficiency, Archaic Weapons Proficiency, Starship Operation (Any One) or Starship Gunnery

Possessions: Entropy Launcher (15lb) w/1d4+1 missiles or Devastator Cannon (12lb)

Advancement: By Character class

Psimorph

Species Traits

Elemental Traits: Psimorphs have all traits common to elementals, Psimorphs have the Earth and Extraplanar subtypes.

Blind Sight (Ex): Psimorphs have Blind sight out to a range of 60ft

Spell and Power Resistance (Su): Psimorphs receive Power Resistance and Spell Resistance Equal to 10 +half their Hit Dice (Rounded down) + their Charisma Modifier

Psionics (Sp): A Psimorph receives a number of Power points each day equal to 2x its Intelligence Score and can manifest the following powers as a 10th level Telepath; Daze, Distract, Charm Person, Lesser Mindlink, Brainlock, Inflict Pain, False Sensory Imput, Lesser Domination, Mental Blast, Mindlink, Domination, Forced Mindlink, Tailor Memory, Mindprobe

Natural Ant-Gravity Field (Ex):  Implants of indeterminate origin allow Psimorphs to fly at a rate of 60ft with perfect maneuverability.  As long as the Psimorph is conscious it is immune to fall damage.  The  field will dissipate if the Psimorph is rendered unconscious or slain.

Psimorph CR12. Huge Elemental (Earth, Extraplanar) HD:10d8+50. HP: 95. Mas---. Init:-2. Spd 5ft, fly 60ft (Perfect). Defense:21, Touch6, FF21(-2sz, -2dex,+15nat). Bab+7. Grapl+24. Atk:+melee(2d6+9 slam). Full Atk:+melee(2d6+9, 2 slams). FS:15ftx15ft. R:10ft. SQ: Elemental traits, Blind Sight 60ft, Power resistance 16, Spell Resistance 16, Psionics, Natural Anti-Gravity Field. AL:Micronoid Empire, Evil. Sv Frt+12, Ref+3,Wil+6. AP: N/A. Rep+0. Str28, Dex7, Con21, Int12, Wis12, Cha13.

Skills: Computer Use+14, Diplomacy+4, Hide-8, Intimidate+14, Move Silently+0, Read/Write/Speak (Micronoid), Spot+14

Feats: Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Stealthy

Psionics: Power Points;24.   Daze (DC11), Distract (DC11), Charm Person (DC12), Lesser Mindlink (DC12), Brainlock (DC13), Inflict Pain (DC13), False Sensory Imput (DC14), Lesser Domination (DC14), Mental Blast (DC14), Mindlink (DC14), Domination (DC15), Forced Mindlink (DC15), Tailor Memory (DC15), Mindprobe (DC16)

Advancement: 11-20HD (Huge)

Megaspawn

Species Traits

Giant Traits: Megaspawn have all traits common to giants, Megaspawn have the Extraplanar subtype.

Keen Sight (Ex): Megaspawn have Low-light vision

Bonus Feats: Megaspawn receive Advanced Firearms Proficiency, Alien Weapons Proficiency, Exotic Firearms Proficiency (rockets), Personal Firearms Proficiency and Simple Weapons Proficiency as Bonus feats

Natural Missile Production (Su): As long as a Megaspawn is provided sufficient nutrients it can naturally produce 1d8+2 missiles per day for its Dimension Missile launcher.  At any given time a Megaspawn may store a number of missiles equal to its Constitution score.

Resistances (Ex): Megaspawn have a Spell and Power Resistance of 30

Immunities (Ex): Megaspawn are immune to mind influencing effects

Vulnerability (Su):  Megaspawn s operating outside of their home dimension suffers 1d4 points of Con damage per day.  Ships designed by the Micronoids and their minions are considered a pocket of their own dimension, even when operating in our dimension.

Megaspawn CR16. Gargantuan Giant (Extraplanar) HD: 16d8+80. HP152. Mas21. Init:-2. Spd 20ft. Defense:24, Touch4, FF24(-4size, -2dex,+20Nat). Bab+12. Grapl+36. Atk: +20melee (1d8+12 Stomp)+12ranged (15d6 RI; 600ft Dimension missile [burst 40ft Ref 20]). Full Atk:+20melee(2d6+12, 3 bites) and +18melee (1d8+6, 2 Stomps) or +6/+1/-4ranged (6d6 RI;60, Devastator Cannon). FS:20ftx20ft. R:20ft. SQ: Low-light Vision, Natural Missile Production, Spell Resistance 30, Power Resistance 30, Immunities, Vulnerability. AL:Evil, Micronoid Empire. Sv Frt+17, Ref+5, Wil+5. AP: N/A. Rep+0. Str35, Dex6, Con21, Int6, Wis11, Cha2.

Skills: Hide-14, Jump+21, Listen+7, Speak (micronoid), Spot+7

Feats:  Advanced Firearms Proficiency, Alertness, Alien Weapons Proficiency, Exotic Firearms Proficiency (rockets), Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, Multi-Attack, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Simple Weapons Proficiency

Possessions: Integrated Devastator Cannon, Integrated Dimension launcher.

Overspawn

Species Traits

Giant Traits: Overspawn have all traits common to giants, Overspawn have the Extraplanar subtype.

Keen Sight (Ex): Overspawn have Low-light vision

Bonus Feats: Overspawn receive Simple Weapons Proficiency as a Bonus feat

Resistances (Ex): Overspawn have a Spell and Power Resistance of 30

Immunities (Ex): Overspawn are immune to mind influencing effects

Vulnerability (Su):  Overspawn s operating outside of their home dimension suffers 1d4 points of Con damage per day.  Ships designed by the Micronoids and their minions are considered a pocket of their own dimension, even when operating in our dimension.

Overspawn CR32. Colossal Giant (Extraplanar) HD: 32d8+224. HP371. Mas28. Init:-2. Spd 20ft. Defense:25, Touch0, FF25(-8size, -2dex,+25Nat). Bab+24. Grapl+56. Atk: +33melee (2d6+16 Stomp). Full Atk:+33melee(2d8+16, 5 bites) and +31melee (2d6+8, 2 Stomps) and +31melee (2d8+8, 2 claws). FS:60ftx60ft. R:60ft. SQ: Low-light Vision, Spell Resistance 30, Power Resistance 30, Immunities, Vulnerability. AL:Evil, Micronoid Empire. Sv Frt+27, Ref+10, Wil+12. AP: N/A. Rep+0. Str43, Dex6, Con25 (+7), Int6, Wis11, Cha2.

Skills: Hide+18, Jump+25, Listen+15, Speak (micronoid), Spot+15

Feats: Alertness, Great Fortitude, Improved Damage Threshold, Lightning Reflexes, Multi-Attack, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Weapon Focus (Bite, Claw, Stomp)

[essaysbyalexa]

A Mercurial Player

          Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet is not completely original, strictly speaking, as this theater adaptation is based on Arthur Brooke’s 1562 poem The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet. That is not to attack Shakespeare’s creativity, or accuse him of plagiarism—to do so would conflate the modern notion of “intellectual property” with the looser conception of authorship and ownership in Shakespeare’s time—but rather to suggest that any discrepancy between Brooke’s poem and the play stands out as a deliberate choice. With regards to major plot and structure, Romeo and Juliet is actually quite faithful to Romeus and Juliet, save for the recasting of a single character: Mercutio. He is present in Brooke’s poem, but is only mentioned in passing as a rival suitor looking to seize Juliet’s hand in marriage between his own icy palms.[1] Brooke’s Mercutio has no dialogue and is described as “courteous of his speech, and pleasant of device”—certainly not at all characteristic of Shakespeare’s Mercutio, who has an abundance of spoken lines and is often conducts himself in a less than courteous manner.[2] This change does not alter the course of the play as a whole, as it ultimately ends in the same tragedy of lovers, but certain events are considerably different, and Mercutio’s presence is integral to the play. Therefore, as one of the few deviations from the original source material, it follows that Shakespeare’s decision to emphasize and embellish the role of Mercutio in his version of the story is of great significance.

          Everything Mercutio does is a theatrical act, both in the sense that he is a character in a play and quite a “character” to the inhabitants of Verona. Although Romeo had no choice but to disguise himself in order to attend Capulet’s party, it was completely unnecessary for Mercutio to follow suit. In fact, he was formally invited to the party, and was explicitly listed on the invitation given to Peter, as the servant was requested to contact “Mercutio and his brother Valentine,” among others.[3] Thus, he attended the party as a gatecrasher purely for its own sake—perhaps in solidarity with Romeo and Benvolio, perhaps as a sort of performance, but not to protect his identity. He delights in the melodrama of it all, calling for “a case to put [his] visage in,” and jokes about covering his own “visor for a visor,” excited to hide behind a mask and assume a new persona.[4] However, as it happened, Mercutio’s masked persona was indistinguishable from his normal self. Perhaps his failure to mask his personality is because his everyday disposition was already an affectation, or because he was already as theatrical as possible—or perhaps he forgot. Either way, Mercutio’s pointless disguise could not mask his trademark wit. In his excitement to attend the banquet, Mercutio chides his friends’ sluggishness and complains that they are “burn[ing] daylight,” which Romeo remarks is untrue.[5] Mercutio takes Romeo’s lack of excitement as his failure to understand a figure of speech, to which Mercutio responds with a whimsical pair of rhyming couplets explaining that they “waste [their] lights in vain,” and therefore must be on their way.[6] It is ironic, but not out of character, that Mercutio “clarifies” his previous statement with an even more complicated remark; though he may be acting facetiously by further cloaking his language in lyric, both Romeo and the audience are made aware that everything Mercutio does is a form of performance.

          Mercutio is markedly more theatrical than any other characters in the play; sarcastic, gratuitously poetic, and witty to a fault, he is always acting for the sake of an audience. This audience is actually twofold: partly he performs for the citizens of Verona, but he also performs for the people of England who are watching these Shakespearean plays. Mercutio’s very presence is what makes Romeo and Juliet distinct from Brooke’s poem, what transforms the poem into a play—other characters in Romeo and Juliet speak in verse and use elevated language, but Mercutio sets the standard of theatricality and inserts himself into the events of Romeus to make it distinctly Romeo. Even within the play, other characters are perplexed by his lines: Mercutio goes on a tangent about Tybalt’s excellent fencing skills, “the immortal passado, the punto reverso, the hai!”—to which Benvolio simply replies, “The what?”[7] In some sense, Mercutio is Shakespeare’s creative force acting directly upon the Brooke poem, an interloper who is both the character and the actor playing him.

          Mercutio’s death at the hands of Tybalt is purely Shakespeare’s creation, and it is this death that “furnish[es] an entirely different motive from that assigned by Brooke for Romeo’s slaying of Tybalt,” though the end result is ultimately the same.[8] Mercutio’s death almost feels staged—not just as a scene in a play (although of course it is), but artificial in a way that other scenes are not. Tybalt originally intended to fight Romeo, but falls for Mercutio’s taunt and duels with him instead. Immediately upon Tybalt’s entrance, Mercutio becomes aggressive, threatening to bring out his “fiddlestick” that “shall make [Tybalt] dance.”[9] As a neutral party between the feuding families of Verona, Mercutio’s hostility stems not from the fact that Tybalt is a Capulet; Mercutio is personally offended by Tybalt’s word choice, taking “consort” as an insult, even though the rather simple Tybalt likely meant nothing by it.[10] In a play full of deep-seated familial hatred and ancient vendettas that would rightfully warrant a thirst for bloodshed, Mercutio is so volatile that the remotest chance of being insulted is grounds for a swordfight. He does have some stake in the familial rivalry, given that his two close friends are Montagues, but this is not what motivates him to bait Tybalt into a fight—he simply wants to be part of the action, a participant in the great battle waged upon the stage. To him, fencing is “simply music carried out by other means,” which proves irresistible to one “for whom all is sport, artifice, masque, wit-contest or body-contest.”[11]

          Playing the role of an actor, Mercutio believes that the fight’s pre-scripted outcome will guarantee his victory; at first, this does seem to be the case, but Romeo’s well-meaning yet unexpected intervention threw everything out of balance, allowing Tybalt to deliver a mortal blow. This is one of the few times in the play we see Mercutio “break character” by being completely serious, even if just for a moment. His accusatory remark towards Romeo is buried under humorous quips, but is ultimately quite blunt: “Why the devil came you between us? I was hurt under your arm.”[12] This rare moment of sincerity betrays Mercutio’s genuine surprise, for he had not considered the possibility of defeat; this was not written in the script, so to speak. Or rather, it was written in the script for everyone but Mercutio himself, who is suddenly clueless with regards to the stage directions of the players around him. Now Mercutio finds his role reversed, leaving him wounded on the stage floor while the actors around him continue reading from the script. One literary critic suggests that his death could either be “a consequence of the exceptional vitality of his character,” or else serve a greater function within the play—but these do not have to be mutually exclusive possibilities.[13] Mercutio’s death was necessary lest he overshadow the titular characters’ presence, but also very clearly marked the play’s transition from mild humorous tension to outright tragedy. In his last hour, Mercutio attempts to jest that Romeo will “find [him] a grave man,” punning on his ever-encroaching end, but ultimately ends on a note of bitterness as he casts “a plague a both [Montague and Capulet’s] houses.”[14] And yet, for all his grandeur, Mercutio dies an unceremonious offstage death. Romeo then kills Tybalt, leading to the same tragic chain of events that befell Romeus. For all Shakespeare’s intervention and adaptation, the play ends just as the poem did.

          Dead by the third act, Mercutio is by all means a secondary character never even written into the original narrative. Yet, through his commanding presence and theatricality, Shakespeare propels Mercutio to the forefront of the cast, if only for a brief time. If Mercutio seems like an odd character to be in a tragedy, that is because he was never supposed to be in the story in the first place, or at least not as more than a passing reference. Though Mercutio may be more suited for a comedy, his inclusion in the play is distinctly Shakespearean—to have a character with elevated language, clever allusions, and a sense of metatheater is Shakespeare’s trademark, even if said character cannot live through the whole play. Looking beyond the overt misfortune of the eponymous lovers, Romeo and Juliet is tragic in part because such an effervescent persona was snuffed out so suddenly. Whereas Brooke’s poem presented the story as unilaterally doomed, Shakespeare’s play is made all the more depressing by the stark contrast between its most dramatic and humorous aspects and its unavoidably grim conclusion.

[1] Brooke, Arthur. Romeus and Juliet. (lines 261-2: “That frozen mountain ice was never half so cold, / As were his hands…”)

[2] Ibid, line 256.

[3] Act One, Scene Two, line 68.

[4] Act One, Scene Four, lines 29-30.

[5] Act One, Scene Four, line 43.

[6] Act One, Scene Four, line 45.

[7] Act Two, Scene Four, lines 25-7.

[8] Law, Robert Adger. “On Shakespeare’s Changes of His Source Material in ‘Romeo and Juliet.’” Studies in English, no. 9, 1929, page 89.

[9] Act Three, Scene One, lines 47-8.

[10] Act Three, Scene One, line 45.

[11] Albright, Daniel. “The Veronese Social Code.” Musicking Shakespeare: A Conflict of Theatres, NED - New edition, Boydell and Brewer, 2007, page 42.

[12] Act Three, Scene One, lines 101-2.

[13] Utterback, Raymond. “The Death of Mercutio.” Shakespeare Quarterly, vol. 24, no. 2, 1973, page 105.

[14] Act Three, Scene One, lines 97, 105.