Zechariah Prophet Essays - Biblical People In Islam,

Zechariah Prophet Zechariah is one of the Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. His book is located between the books of Haggai and Malachi. Zechariah is thought to have preached from about 520-518 B.C. The book of Zechariah deals with the restoration of Jerusalem, the Temple, and God?s people. Chapter 11 verses 4-17, which is a story of two shepherds, is one of the most difficult passages in the Old Testament to understand. From the New Living Translation, the passage reads as follows: 4 This is what the LORD my God says: "Go and care for a flock that is intended for slaughter. 5 The buyers will slaughter their sheep without remorse. The sellers will say, 'Praise the LORD, I am now rich!' Even the shepherds have no compassion for them. 6 And likewise, I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of the land," says the LORD. "I will let them fall into each other's clutches, as well as into the clutches of their king. They will turn the land into a wilderness, and I will not protect them." 7 So I cared for the flock intended for slaughter ? the flock that was oppressed. Then I took two shepherd's staffs and named one Favor and the other Union. 8 I got rid of their three evil shepherds in a single month. But I became impatient with these sheep ? this nation ? and they hated me, too. 9 So I told them, "I won't be your shepherd any longer. If you die, you die. If you are killed, you are killed. And those who remain will devour each other!" 10 Then I took my staff called Favor and snapped it in two, showing that I had revoked the covenant I had made with all the nations. 11 That was the end of my covenant with them. Those who bought and sold sheep were watching me, and they knew that the LORD was speaking to them through my actions. 12 And I said to them, "If you like, give me my wages, whatever I am worth; but only if you want to." So they counted out for my wages thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the LORD said to me, "Throw it to the potters" ? this magnificent sum at which they valued me! So I took the thirty coins and threw them to the potters in the Temple of the LORD. 14 Then I broke my other staff, Union, to show that the bond of unity between Judah and Israel was broken. 15 Then the LORD said to me, "Go again and play the part of a worthless shepherd. 16 This will illustrate how I will give this nation a shepherd who will not care for the sheep that are threatened by death, nor look after the young, nor heal the injured, nor feed the healthy. Instead, this shepherd will eat the meat of the fattest sheep and tear off their hooves. 17 Doom is certain for this worthless shepherd who abandons the flock! The sword will cut his arm and pierce his right eye! His arm will become useless, and his right eye completely blind!" The commentary Obadiah through Malachi begins by commenting on the ambiguous nature of the passage. This vague language makes it very difficult to interpret; thus the details remain elusive. The author feels that this passage goes in accordance with the earlier situation described in Zechariah 10:3. In both passages it is made clear that the leaders (shepherds) of Israel have made the Lord angry. Zechariah is describing the social disorder and the peoples' dishonesty toward each other that has overwhelmed the community before it will be restored by God. This commentary is certain that the doomed flock is in fact Israel, but is unsure whom the sheep merchants represent. Their guess is that they may be the workers in the temple who have hired Zechariah. The shepherd is understood as symbolizing a ruling, most likely a prophetic one. Zechariah is telling his audience that Israel is in total disarray and the leaders aren't doing anything to help, in fact some are making the situation worse. God is permitting the corruption by sitting on His hands. While doing so, he stresses the need for repentance so the corrupt community may be restored. The prophet becomes a leader to try and help Israel, but ends his leadership in disgust. Zechariah decides he will let what is to happen to the people happen to them, because they would not

How to Perform a Shakespeare Soliloquy

How to Perform a Shakespeare Soliloquy If you want to perform a  Shakespeare Soliloquy, then you need to prepare. Our teaching columnist is here with advice to help you perform a  Shakespeare Soliloquy. What Is a Shakespeare Soliloquy? Most of Shakespeare’s longer speeches for one character are soliloquies - a moment when a character shares their inner feelings with the audience alone. Often, the character discusses what is happening to them and their current options. They use this time cut out of the play to assess their situation, make sense of it and devise a plan. Most characters use the audience during the soliloquy as if they are a friend, so the audience needs to feel part of the discussion and complicit in the character’s plans. Developing a Soliloquy This is my five-step guide to help you prepare a soliloquy for either a full performance of a Shakespeare play or an audition speech. Think about the context. Even if you are auditioning, you need to understand where the soliloquy is in relation to the whole play and the character’s journey through it. Reading and knowing the entire play is crucial. In particular, think about what has happened immediately before the speech. Usually, a soliloquy is triggered by a key event - this is why Shakespeare gives his characters time to make sense of their situation. Your first job is to demonstrate the character’s feeling at the beginning of the speech.Analyze the structure of the text. A soliloquy is a mini play in itself. It has a beginning, middle, and end. Divide the text up into beats or subsections, each with a separate function. For example: â€Å"beat one - initial anger.† Once you have divided the speech up, you can begin to think about how to play each section in terms of physicality and voice.Think about where your character is. This is crucial to the way in which they behave in the scene. D epending on their situation, move as naturally as you can as if you were there. Your movement and speech will vary greatly depending on if you are outside in a storm  or in your enemy’s private home. Sequence the information. Having established the basics (context, structure, and situation), begin to sequence the information together and develop the work. Your audience should not be able to see the joins between your sections. The gaps between your beats or sub-sections need to be filled with gestures that demonstrate your character’s thought process.Emotional engagement is essential. Having worked on a good basic structure with natural movement and vocal quality, you must now engage with the character’s emotions. Without it, your work will feel false and contrived. Try to translate your own feelings from personal experiences into the role, either by thinking about your past emotions or simply by acting out how you would behave in particular emotional states. Performance Tips Don’t move unless you have to! Sometimes actors feel like they must move just because they are static. Many soliloquies require little movement and some speeches require no movement at all. Move only when the character should.Always make sure you know how to say unfamiliar words. Mispronunciation is embarrassing! YouTube, audio, and videotapes are always useful in this respect - or perhaps you could ask a teacher or practitioner.For auditions, always chose a speech that is close to you in age (unless you’ve been given a speech to learn). It is very difficult for any actor to play a character who is a lot older or younger than them.Finally, be yourself! The worst soliloquy performances I have seen occur when the actor tries to conform to a Shakespearean style of acting. This is always false and difficult to watch. Remember, a soliloquy is a personal reaction to events, so you need to engage with real feelings and thoughts. These can only come from you.