Shakespeare and Co

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Lanolin

Lanolin

Well-known member
Dec 15, 2018
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Is anybody here into Shakespeare?

Just wondering if want to discuss anything bard-related or maybe...like a lot of students, you had enough of studying it in high school.

The most recent play I'd seen was a musical adaptation of Romeo and Juliet...no not West Side Story, it was called & Juliet and it was a sort of sequel to the original play except Juliet survived.

I can tell you it had a lot of Britney Spears songs..!

Otherwise...any favourites? Anyone acted in one, or been to the Globe, or maybe just watched 10 Things I hate About You?

I'm just wondering if I can actually put my degree in English Literature to any use lol.
Maybe 50 years from now Arts majors will be studying Taylor Swift song narratives as poetry IDK.
 
I went to see a Shakespeare play one time. I don't understand what the big deal is about Shakespeare. All he did was take a lot of old sayings that everybody knows and jam them together.

Yes Lanolin that was a joke.

Shakespeare had some trenchant commentary. Like when Horatio complained that Hamlet's mother got married far too quickly after her husband's death: "thrift, thrift Horatio! The funeral cooked meats did coldly furnish forth the marriage banquet."
 
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Lanolin said:
Maybe 50 years from now Arts majors will be studying Taylor Swift song narratives as poetry IDK.
Click to expand...

That would be a very sad day indeed, but I think we are almost there unfortunately.
Shakespeare is unparalleled in his work!

I would put John Milton a very close second.
 
HeIsHere said:
That would be a very sad day indeed, but I think we are almost there unfortunately.
Shakespeare is unparalleled in his work!

I would put John Milton a very close second.
Click to expand...
Do you like his sonnets?
 
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Or Twelfth Night

I also think King Lear was an interesting tragedy
Macbeth or 'The Scottish Play' for those who are superstitious...
 
Lanolin said:
Do you like his sonnets?
Click to expand...

I changed my mind I do like Sonnet 94... it is about narcissism, a keen area of interest for me.


They that have power to hurt and will do none,

That do not do the thing they most do show,

Who, moving others, are themselves as stone,

Unmoved, cold, and to temptation slow:

They rightly do inherit heaven's graces

And husband nature's riches from expense;

They are the lords and owners of their faces,

Others but stewards of their excellence.

The summer's flower is to the summer sweet

Though to itself it only live and die,

But if that flower with base infection meet,

The basest weed outbraves his dignity:

For sweetest things turn sourest by their deeds;

Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds.

Sonnet 94

William Shakespeare
 
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I won't quote all here, well maybe later but I like Merchant of Venice speech 'the quality of mercy is not strained'.

It just makes me think of justice and how we do it, but as Christians we also know about God's mercy. I mean many times God could have said that we humans are just incorrigeable, don't ever learn from our mistakes and just generally stupid and unholy. But amazingly His hand is stretched out still and something as simple as belief and trust God can work things out for good can change everything.

He's spared us a lot of things when we deserve to be punished and he gives us time to repent. Instead of coming down hard on us He shows compassion and loved us even when we were yet sinners.
 
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TayTay as she is known was in the news again.

This time it's her upcoming nuptials with her footy player.

If Shakespeare were writing today I am sure he could make a tragi-comedy of it. The taming of the Shrew, but this time with gender roles reversed, and it could be...Tay Tays husband learns how to be a poet, and Tay Tay learns how to play sport. They are both disastrously bad at both endeavours, but it makes great comedy because each is pretending they are right for each other even though their interests clash.

Throw in some twins and wisecracking side kick jesters, a fake death, and maybe a sports injury or two and some ghosts. Oh and a talking cat. Can't forget the talking cats.

And somehow, it all rhymes iambically.
 
Must study the playbooks of Andrew Lloyd Webber

The Elizabethan II age was never richer than when we had Cats, Chess, Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat

Actually I am going to see Jesus Christ Superstar in November. I have never seen it before but I've heard of it. I mean the songs. The gospel we all know.
 
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Lanolin said:
Any favourite character? Or soliloquy?
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There are so many... of course the one by Hamlet is the best .. I also really appreciate this one in MacBeth.

She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.
Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 5
 
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Lanolin said:
Must study the playbooks of Andrew Lloyd Webber

The Elizabethan II age was never richer than when we had Cats, Chess, Miss Saigon, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Joseph and his Technicolour Dreamcoat

Actually I am going to see Jesus Christ Superstar in November. I have never seen it before but I've heard of it. I mean the songs. The gospel we all know.
Click to expand...

Yes those are all fun, and we now have "The Outsiders" as a musical as well.
I hope to see it.
What Grade 8 student didn't love that book!
 
Lanolin said:
Any favourite character? Or soliloquy?
Click to expand...

I would say Hamlet.
But as a student I do remember really linking Viola from Twelfth Night,
I feel like I should go reread them after spending time on the thread, lol.
 
Portia's speech/monologue in the Merchant of Venice

The quality of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'T is mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown:
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.
 
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Lanolin said:
Portia's speech/monologue in the Merchant of Venice

The quality of mercy is not strained;
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'T is mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown:
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthronèd in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. Therefore, Jew,
Though justice be thy plea, consider this,
That, in the course of justice, none of us
Should see salvation: we do pray for mercy;
And that same prayer doth teach us all to render
The deeds of mercy. I have spoke thus much
To mitigate the justice of thy plea;
Which if thou follow, this strict court of Venice
Must needs give sentence 'gainst the merchant there.
Click to expand...

That is good one as well, been many years since I studied Merchant of Venice, yes I need to add to my top five list!
 
I haven't been to Venice, but back in the day I can imagine it was a happening, bustling market place. Now it's a crumbling tourist trap.
Shakespeare was always setting his plays in exotic (to him) places like Venice and fair Verona, and other Italian cities/towns. Anyone know why?
 
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