Diana Moore

Dr. Dubrasky
Eng. 3010
Response three
8 May 2015
The British Museum
Personally, I enjoy exhibits that are interactive and this museum has many stations
throughout. I relished touching the fabrics and objects that are replicas of what was on display,
and untouchable. I even designed my coat of arms on a program they had available for the
public. I was able to don clothing from different eras and even tried my hand at weaving. There
were some exhibits that required a fee for viewing special displays but there was still so much to
see that was free to the general public. In order to appreciate all there is to see, one would need
to plan on spending most of the day here I read the Ode on a Grecian Urn the night before we
arrived to the museum and I wanted to see if any one of the vases on display may have inspired
John Keats. Because I had read his poem before seeing the vases, this truly enhanced my
viewing. I was able to have a deeper understanding of the importance of the figures and shapes
that were imprinted on the vases surface. Also on my list as a must see was the Egyptian
collection, never having seen an Egyptian mummy or a coffin, I was excited to learn that the
British Museum housed the largest collection of Egyptian relics. I wish we had planned what is
considered to be a highlighted tour but none were available on the day that we were there.
However, I did make a special effort to see the Rosetta Stone, and the Elgin Marbles on my own.
The Rosetta stone impressed me the most because this artifact is an example of how a
language can disappear altogether. It is amazing that the ones who made the inscription had the
foresight to inscribe it in three different language forms and thus enabled deciphering of the
hieroglyphics. As for the Elgin marbles, I must admit to my ignorance of their existence and
what to expect. I had in my mind a vision of ancient round balls, marbles. I read the poem that
morning, before we went to the museum, and it did not prepare me for the magnificent sculptures
that I saw. My cousin does stone sculpturing and I have seen how much imagination and talent it
takes to carve stone. Even more amazing is the fact that such intricate work was done by
primitive tools. These partial sculptures gives just an inkling of how beautiful the Parthenon
must have been in its wholeness, just as the sun is part of a galaxy. Personally, I feel that this
was what John Keats was expressing when he wrote, A sun-a shadow of a magnitude.

Merchant of Venice
I loved the quaintness of the Globe theatre with its wooden bench seating and stage. I
was grateful to have a seat that was protected from the weather. The London afternoon rain had
dampened the spirits of many that had what was considered ground tickets. It was enjoyable to
see a play in a theatre of this type instead of the typical indoor theatre. As for the play itself, if
you were to ask me what genre it would fit under, Im not sure how to answer. If pressed to give
an answer, I would have to say it is a comedy. It amazes me that a play can survive from the

sixteen century and still entertain an audience of the twenty-first century. The Merchant of
Venice keeps its audience busy following the line of four plots. This was exactly what I needed
to waken me up from a desire of taking an afternoon nap, due to all the walking and jet lag that
was catching up with me. It was indeed an enjoyable play. As it came to a close I understood
why the play was sold out.