Berowne character profiles

These are several character profiles from different sources on Berowne form "Love's Labour's lost". I had research and these profiles on my character so that I understand my characters personality and can answer questions about him if needed to at an audition.

(http://www.novelguide.com/loves-labours-lost/character-profiles)

Berowne- In the beginning, Berowne is the main person against the strictness of the rules for his study. He is also the first, however, that is shown to fall in love with the woman Rosaline. Berowne plays an important part because he is the only one to justify their love for the women and tie it into their studies.

(http://www.shmoop.com/loves-labours-lost/berowne.html)

Berowne is the second in command, but some people think he's way more interesting than the King. We wouldn't hold it against you if you told us you believed him to be the protagonist of the entire play. But Berowne wouldn't want the King's job. He's more of a sideline commentator, a chorus, a class clown whose job is to take note of everything going on around him and reflect on it.

We might argue he's even a truth-seeker. He's creative, impulsive, anarchic, and articulate. And he'll always say what's on his mind. He keeps the King sharp. Let's look at several key aspects of Berowne's character as a means of getting to know who this man really is.

In the first place, Berowne is something of a wise figure in Love's Labour's Lost. Among the men, Berowne seems older, more experienced, and seasoned. He doesn't seem have the same naiveté that characterizes the other lords. For example, Berowne alone argues that the King's plan to shut out women and focus on studies might be problematic.

Lastly, let's look at Berowne and language. The man can talk. He performs some verbal gymnastics in this play, the likes of which leave us (and people around him) a bit awestruck. He's one of those people who is so witty and quick that you are often left speechless by him, later beating yourself up for having nothing to say, and no words to throw back at him. Berowne's mind is a wonderland of words, images, rhymes and jokes that spill out every time he talks (he can't help it!). He is Shakespeare's double, a man exceptionally gifted with language.

(https://www.playshakespeare.com/loves-labours-lost/characters/2946-berowne)

Berowne is a lord at the court of Navarre, among the King’s best friends and one of the three who agree to join him on his scholarly retreat, though he is rather skeptical of the feasibility of the plan.

He has a well-earned international reputation for mockery, and is accepted to be the most intelligent of the courtiers of Navarre, a fact that pleases him. He is looked up to by others, including the King, when it is necessary to get out of a tight spot, as he is able to rationalize anything if need be. He does not expect Rosaline’s ability to match him in wit, and is put slightly off-kilter by her ability, though even more so by having fallen in love with her. He recognizes that she is unfashionably dark-complexioned, and is amazed that he could fall for her even so. Love has long been the chief subject of his mocking, and he especially likes to comment on bad love poetry, though he commits some himself. Extremely long-tongued, he can riff for hours on a theme when he takes it up, and his linguistic extravaganzas continue even after he swears to give them up. His joking can be extremely nasty at times, and he is called on this by both Holofernes and Rosaline. He accepts Rosaline’s prescription to take the edge off his humor by spending a year comforting the dying.

Shakespeare monologue practice

Today I researched how to effectively perform my Shakespearean monologue from Love's Labour's lost by Berowne. I research my character and I first interpreted him as a romantic character dealing with the idea of being in love. I performed my monologue with this idea of my character in mind but I was still not comfortable with my performance of the monologue. I talked with my teacher miss McSherry about how I could perform my monologue. We read through the monologue and miss helpped me realise that a lot of the dialogue in the monologue is very dirty and full of innuendos. This development help me realise that my character is dirty minded and prefers to be a stereotypical "player". Knowing my character had these character traits helped me to develop my character to be a bit of a big head nars. Which helped my overall development of my character of Berowen. Miss McSherry also help me on my physicallity of my character and how he would at times walk around and at others he would make inappropriate gestures. Overall this has helped me to set my my monologue as well as find the humour in my monologue which I had not seen before

FFE Speaking in role 2

(Sitting on the edge of his bed, paused in thought)

I have been fired… they fired me... Mr Harrington thinks I’m bad for Clive, he believes I’m turning his son into a cissy, I’m not turning Clive into anything I’m trying to help him learn about something the boy cares deeply for. Clive is my friend and Mr Harrington thinks I’m trying to turn Clive against him. He threaten me, said he was going to send me back to Germany, write to the immigration office saying I’ve been trying to fraternise with his daughter, Pamela. He called me a “filthy German bastard”; I am nothing like them… I am not one of those German. I’ve tried to help his son… his daughter with their life, I’ve been teaching Pamela French, History and to play piano and he repays me for this by threatening me. I have helped his Son discover who he is and what he needs to do to help his future and Mr Harrington calls me a filthy German bastard. He’s going to send me home… he’s going to send me to Germany, I can’t go to Germany, I can’t go back there… but they won’t let me stay here. I have nowhere to go, no one to turn too. I have nothing.

FFE Speaking in role 1

I ran in to Clive today. He’s a nice boy, I was searching for his mother when I ran into him and he told me that Mrs Harrington was in the music studio. I was astonished to learn that the Harrington’s had a music room in there cottage, I thought it’s a rather odd thing to have at a cottage but Mrs Harrington dose love her music. Clive informed me that the music room is actually in the back of the cottage because; in his words “His lordship doesn’t care much for music”. I Clive, I think he is a charming young man but he doesn’t show much pride towards his farther. His father’s dislike of music worried me as I was practicing my gramophone last night so I feel bad knowing I may have irritated him during the night. Me and Clive proceed to talk, he asked me about how his sister tutoring was going, he then asked me if I lived with my family, I informed him how I actually stayed in a Paddington that resembled a basement. I then told him how I felt that he and his sister are my first family; upon learning this he proceeded to tell me that “This isn’t a family. It’s a tribe of wild cannibals. Between us we eat everyone we can”. His view on his own family puzzled me as I couldn’t stop thinking what he meant by this.

WIRG Speaking in role 2

(They exit.  Paul stands staring after them.)

I’m confused… what else is new, I’m always confused. I thought I had made a friend today, I mean I have friends but not friends like Chris and Angus but like a proper friend. Emily was crying while I was studying so I went over and talked to her. I found out that she had a teddy bear for when she’s upset. I talked to her about the posters Rose had been putting up around school… about Emily being pregnant. Emily was really nice… I mean really nice because she actually talked to me. I know all the girls like me and everything, they’re just shy which is why they avoid me but Emily actually talked to me. She was so upset about Chris telling rose about the baby. Chris really annoys me; sometimes I wish that Chris would just vanish… that he would be gone forever and that he’d never come back and that they would find the body a few weeks later, it would be broken, decayed, covered in maggots and rats eating away at his flesh. (Painfully long pause)Emily hugged me, she actually hugged me I told her that we could skip school tomorrow and then she hugged me. She even kissed me… on the forehead but she still kissed me and she held my hand until Alysa shouted out her. They talked a bit about how I was bad for her to be around and Chris would be annoyed at that. Emily then said that she was using me to get a day off; Alysa then proceeded to call me “Fatty”. Emily then left after saying “Thanks for taking my name off the list”, so Emily is grateful for what I have done for her but chooses those mean girls over me… I don’t think I will ever understand girls.

WIRG Speaking in role 1

(Paul enters.  He holds a tray of food.  He sits by himself.  He watches the kids at each table.)

Paul: Sitting by myself… again. It’s not that I have no one to sit with, I have loads of friends but I just want some alone time at the moment because the guys, Sean, Angus and Chris are talking about girls and I don’t have much experience in that area so I wouldn’t really contribute much to them. It sounds like Sean has got a date with Dayna and Chris has just made a gesture about her boob and ass size… she is nice… I guess. (Looks over to the girls table) I think Emily and Alysa just found out that Dayna is going out with Sean. Emily doesn’t seem impressed with this buy Alysa is encouraging it I think. I could go over and talk to them but it been unfair on the other guys because I know what they think of me, they’re always inviting me to parties where it’s just me and all the girls. I think they all kind of like me but they can’t decide which one of them should get me. (Looks over to the Annie) Annie is trying to find out which one of the girls Jessie likes and Jessie is saying how he wishes he was in a different social group. I could go over and sit with them but who wants to sit with a group where the people in that group don’t even want to be a part of the group. Jody is alright though; he’s a nice guy but not much to say about him, I don’t really know him. I have lots of friends but like I said I just don’t like hanging out with all them… especially Chris. I mean I like Chris… sometime it’s just he is always bullying me, in know he joking but it sometimes hurts me. I wish I could joker around with Chris like he does with me, I wish I could put his head in a toilet while I laugh or slam him into a locker as I walk away sniggering or even laugh at him while other hold him down and repeatedly punch him in the stomach, again and again… and again and AGAIN until he starts to throw up vomit and blood. Then I’ll see if he’s still laughing.

My UAL Audition

What UAL is looking for: We look for students who are ready to take on an extremely demanding profession, who are mature and self-confident, and who are willing to take criticism and turn it to their advantage while preserving a sense of humour (This shows that they want me to be confident in myself as well as willing to put this first before a social life. Their also looking for me not to take offence to any comments given to me about my performance as well being able to adapt to the criticism given). Above all, we look for people who can express themselves freely and with confidence (They want me to be confident and comfortable in who I am and what I can do).
We're looking for potential student actors who are committed, sensitive, imaginative, curious and resilient, with a passion for acting and a serious approach to the art of acting in the classical tradition (They want me to be able to adapt with creativity in what I’m asked to do as well as show commitment towards it). We're looking for people who are not afraid to take creative risks, who respond to stimuli and who are excited by the idea of being in an ensemble, working generously and openly with others (They would like me to be able to be accepting of what I am given and respect others judgement as well as acknowledging my own).

UAL School Audition: One speech should be in verse and from a play by Shakespeare or one of his contemporaries.

Name of play: Love Labour’s lost
Plot: A King and his lords form an austere academy, swearing to have no contact with women for three years. But when the Princess of neighbouring France arrives with her female attendants, their pledge is quickly placed under strain. Soon all are in smitten and confusion abounds, as each struggles to secretly declare his love in this comedy of deception, desire and mistaken identity.
Character: Berowne
Monologue:
And I, forsooth, in love!
I, that have been love's whip,
A very beadle to a humorous sigh,
A critic, nay, a night-watch constable,
A domineering pedant o'er the boy,
Than whom no mortal so magnificent.
This wimpled, whining, purblind, wayward boy,
This signor-junior, giant-dwarf, Dan Cupid,
Regent of love-rimes, lord of folded arms,
The anointed sovereign of sighs and groans,
Liege of all loiterers and malcontents,
Dread prince of plackets, king of codpieces,
Sole imperator and great general
Of trotting paritors -- O my little heart!
And I to be a corporal of his field,
And wear his colors like a tumbler's hoop!
What? I love, I sue, I seek a wife!
A woman that is like a German clock,
Still a-repairing, ever out of frame,
And never going aright, being a watch,
But being watched that it may still go right!
Nay, to be perjured, which is worst of all;
And, among three, to love the worst of all;
A whitely wanton with a velvet brow,
With two pitch balls stuck in her face for eyes.
Ay, and, by heaven, one that will do the deed,
Though Argus were her eunuch and her guard.
And I to sigh for her, to watch for her,
To pray for her! Go to, it is a plague
That Cupid will impose for my neglect
Of his almighty dreadful little might.
Well, I will love, write, sigh, pray, sue, groan:
Some men must love my lady, and some Joan

 

UAL School Audition: The other speech should be from any play written later than 1830.
Name of the play: When it rains gasoline
Plot: When it Rains Gasoline is a dark piece about the reality of being a high school student in the world today.  There are some kids who don't fit in; some kids who have been abused so badly that rage seems to be their only way out.  Paul is one of these kids.
Character: Paul
Monologue:
I get along with pretty much all the kids.  I know there are a lot of girls that really like me, they're just shy.  I'm kinda' shy too.  I know what they're going through.  I don't expect them to jump out and tell me how they feel, especially with Chris and...  Well, you know.  This one group of girls...  Really popular girls, invited me to a party.  I got all dressed up.  I was the only boy there.  We played a game where they giggled and dared each other to kiss me.  None did...  I'm sure they were just shy.  I...  I can really get people to laugh when I do things sometimes.  I'm...  I'm not really sure what those things are.  I mean, I get up from eating lunch and a whole group of kids at the next table starts to laugh.  I've thought about becoming a comedian...  Especially since I'm so good at making people laugh.  Chris and Angus and...  I don't like making those guys laugh.  Not really.  Sometimes they're...  I...  It's not fun to make them laugh, they...  (A painful pregnant pause.) Sometimes I wish that their little hearts would just freeze.  I have fantasies about that.  Sometimes in my dreams I see people like Chris choking on something.  He's motioning for me to help him.  He wants me to give him the Hiemlick maneuver or something, but I just stand there.  I watch him fall to his knees holding his throat...  His face turning blue.  For some reason blood starts to come out of his nose and ears.  His eyes pop out and blood starts to come from there too.  The whole time I know I can save him, but I don't do anything.  I watch him die.  He's lying there not moving, not doing anything.  Suddenly his skin splits open.  I expect to see muscles and bones, but...  Instead, maggots and spiders and worms start to crawl out of his ravaged body.  Then I know what he was...  Nothing.  He wasn't worth anything to anyone but insects and maggots.  Sometimes I think about ending it.  It would be so easy to make a statement, to show the world that people like me aren't going to take it anymore.  Put a gun to his head...  Pull the trigger...  See if I'm right about his insides.