To Read or Not To Read

We just finished reading Hamlet in English class. It was good, but I liked Much Ado better. Anyway we did a lot of the reading in small groups. We formed groups of 4 or 5 at the start of the play and read in the hallway with those same people throughout it. Somewhere around Act II (of V) I think, I was trying to encourage my group members to focus - quite unsuccessfully, I might add - and someone suggested I read a page out loud as all of the characters. I declined, but they asked me again the next class. And the next class. And the next. Somewhere in there it turned into a whole scene, and eventually a whole act, with everyone else claiming that it had been that way all along. One day I gave in and read a page out loud, telling them that that was what they had said originally and it would have to do. One group member was absent that day, but it was the only day I imagined I would feel like reading as all the characters, and I wanted to get it over with. I did, and it went rather well, so I figured my debt (for what, I know not) was paid, but alas it was not.

The next class I was reminded that one group member had missed it, and that it was supposed to be much more than a page, and that I needed to pick a part with more characters, and that I needed more enthusiasm...etc. This continued for a while, until finally the very last reading assignment arrived. I decided that I would go for it, seeing as they were so intent on listening to my pitiful excuse for acting, and I told them that I would try again. I meant with the small group out in the hallway, so I headed that way, but Mrs. Fuelling called me back inside. She had been informed that I would be performing for the entire class. I decided to go for it, and ended up reading as three different characters and using different places on the "stage" to represent my multiple identities. There were only about ten minutes left of class by this point, so I didn't read for very long, but I must say it was really fun. I navigated the obsolete words fairly well, having had months to get used to them, and I ended up quite glad I did it. And that was the end of the faux complaints from my group, so there.