Literature and Performance

“Literature, in its broadest sense, is any written work”(Literature). Performance is a “live show or concert” “that which is accomplished”(Performance). Literature and performance are different, but they are related closely as well. Literature express the information by the using of language and people are reading them and feeling about it. Performance can express by people’s behaviors, facial expression and their mood. Performance is usually based on an excellent literature work, and performance is the extension of the literature work as well.

Literature showed people the power of language and thinking. The classics can be transformed to an unforgettable play, but it’s hard for a nice play to become a written work as well as the play. For performance, it’s using many kinds of modern methods to give people a visual feast. A good plot is important for a performance, but the media, the crews and the modern elements are also indispensible.

In literature, the author uses words to create the plot for the readers to imagine, while in performance, the director uses visual and physical things to create the whole show for readers to understand. Literature support readers’ imagination while performance shows everything to the audiences clearly.

In literature, you need one person to create the whole story line. In performance, you need one person to be the director, but you also need a lot more to hold the whole show. For me, performance is easier to understand because it’s a show that you can feel, but it also spends more manpower and recourses to satisfy the audiences. In my daily life,

I would like to read a book first and then find the medias related to the book to make sure I understand the meaning of the book. The performance versions of the book are directed pretty well, but I still like the original ones better. Also, when I watch a splendid play, I would like to read the book version as well, if it has one. I always repeat lots of time to read and to watch, and I can find new details and new points each time repeating.

For instance I have read The Merchant of Venice several years ago. However, the language using of Shakespeare was kind of obscure and hard to understand. Then, I decided to find the play version of this literature work. It helped me to get into the plot easily and been attracted by the beautiful performance. Then, when I went back to the book, I did know what would go on in my heart. Even it’s still hard to read, by comparing to what I knew from the play, I would find out what happened.

Admittedly, both literature and performance can bring people the peaceful deep in their heart. I would like to say that those beautiful works are the most precious gifts for people. I’m so glad that I have the mind to understand the works and I have the eyes that are bright enough to see. I wish I can learn to read and watch these works better in the class.

"Literature." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 09 Sept. 2015.

"Performance." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 09 Sept. 2015.