Today was a pretty relaxed day, especially because it’s one of the few class days we have without a field trip into London during the afternoon. In the morning, we just had a general overview of what we’ll be doing in the class, which can pretty much be summed up by its name. During the afternoon, we watched a video rendition of The Beggar’s Opera, which is the first text we’re studying in the class. It was a very interesting movie, but then again, the text was a very interesting representation of London’s lower classes in the later 1700’s. Calling it satirical doesn’t even begin to touch on how over the top and amoral it is; throughout the text, promiscuity is hailed over marriage, unless the wife intends to murder the husband, and gold is the driving force behind almost every character’s actions. It’s a very unique text, and our discussion of it on Wednesday should be very… Well, interesting!

Kingston is a really lovely town, and its proximity to the Thames, illustrated in its full name “Kingston-Upon-Thames,” makes it a very nice place to spend time outside in. We haven’t really gotten all that much rain yet, so I’m starting to wonder when the London weather is going to kick in. I’ve been carrying an umbrella around for basically nothing, but I really shouldn’t complain that I’ve stayed dry over the past few days. Tomorrow is my first day of Shakespeare: Reading and Performance, and I am absolutely ecstatic about the walk we’ll be taking in the afternoon; our first visit to the Globe will come during it! Anyway, it’s time for little college students to go to bed, so until tomorrow night, ta-ta!