I just posted two blogs on King Lear. There's a link at the bottom of the first one leading to the second one. Of course, these blogs are REALLY coded messages to my HUSBAND.
obligatory: I do love me some shakespeare, but often don't take enough time to read it. I was in a 7th grade production of Romeo and Juliet. I loved the play, and still have a (not-so) secret crush on Sue Everill... the Juliet. mk and I took a shakespeare class in high school. It consisted of learning what iambic pentameter is, and reading a lot of shakespeare out loud. I remember VERY little homework from this class - perhaps they were just happy to have kids willingly take the class. Class would begin and we would take turns reading sonnets or a play out loud in the room. After a few minutes, the teacher would leave the room and go have a smoke in the teachers smoking lounge (oh how times have changed). I distinctly remember coloring my entire hand green with a permanent marker during one of those classes. "But soft what light through yonder window breaks..." good times. and great posts lil. I've not yet read King Lear (I know, I know)... so maybe I will.
Read my blog in the "Previously Posted" list below about what have you memorized. I was also studying R & J in seventh grade and memorized all those lines. They stay with you across the years, don't they? Go see King Lear, Steve, when it comes around. The lines in that play are so so beautiful. Thanks for sharing. I need more love thenewgreen humanodon flagamuffin _refugee_ -- I know it's a cheap ruse to shout out to people, but I know those people would not share anything unless it was well written, interesting, and thoughtful. Right?
This is very well put. Thank you lil.One doesn't have to be a foolish, old man to have a distorted view. We all do it. We tend to see what we choose to see and interpret behaviours in ways that fit our needs and self-perception. Art experiences can sometimes help us see more clearly.
It's weird. I'm really into languages, art, alternative forms of communication, literature through the ages. But anytime I've tried to view something spoken in Shakespearean language (Shakespeare in the Park, Leonardo DiCaprio's Romeo & Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing)... my mind simply can't grok/parse it. Same thing with opera performances. It's like some type of cognitive dissonance goes on that prevents me from appreciating, understanding or enjoying. Still can't figure out why. Reading Shakespeare, though, I'm fine, the guy's an absolute genius wordsmith.
If you can get past the cognitive dissonance, it's well worth it. Also good to go with people who will discuss it later. Perhaps if a performance is coming up, you can read the play first and then go to it. A word on opera: If you have The Met: Live in HD being put on in your city -- and it's just about everywhere now -- go to it. It will really change your opera experience -- but dammit hammit, find someone who won't sleep through it and bite his nails when he's awake.But anytime I've tried to view something spoken in Shakespearean language (Shakespeare in the Park, Leonardo DiCaprio's Romeo & Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing)... my mind simply can't grok/parse it
-- some plays are really hard to follow - especially the histories. Everyone betrays everyone, everyone is one another's cousin...
Hmmm. Reading your comment, it occurred to me that even with regular movies and tv shows, I prefer ones with closed captions, as they're easier to understand. I think my goal now should be to find a closed-captioned opera performance or Shakespeare play online, and see what happens.
This is one of my favorite plays. I saw Ian McKellan play Lear at UCLA, and a different production at the Globe. The Globe was a better show, I think - I was a groundling, and when they went out to the moors, it began to rain (London summers - so predictable). Very atmospheric!
I like your direct approach. Also, Trebuchet is a great choice of font for your blog! As the inventor points out:...take responsibility for his own contribution to his problems. That might be the take-home message of the play.
The word Trebuchet is defined as a medieval engine that launches missiles. I thought that would be a great name for a font that launches words across the Internet.
You can always pm me your opinions... I try to listen to my audience. People see comic sans as frivolous and, well, comic. I don't. I see it as the EASIEST TO READ of all available fonts. It will take more than one voice shrieking in the typography wilderness to get the world to see it my way.
Almost completely unrelated, but I learned today that Shakespeare's pipes weren't limited to tobacco. Pipe remnants found in his garden contained traces of both cannabis and coca. Part of the coolness of this for me is the effect of the Columbian Exchange. I find it weird that Shakespeare was writting as Europe colonized the Americas.
I'm thinking about auditioning for Shakespeare in the park next year. I took one class on Shakespeare in college and it was on Saturday mornings and lasted all day (or 3 hours in non-freshman time). It was amazing. I had so much fun learning all about the characters and time period and cleverness. I wish I could remember more from that class but my biggest take away was this: "In a Shakespeare tragedy everyone dies, and in a Shakespeare comedy one person is allowed to live" I've always loved that. [Edited to clarify the class was not a one off]
I guess King Lear is a comedy then because Kent is alive at the end and Edgar -- but EVERYONE else is dead dead dead. There's so much death that when Edmond (the bastard son of Gloucester) who caused so much trouble dies, the comment is "That's but a trifle here." In Hamlet, pretty much everyone dies. MacBeth too. If you're interested, read my blog about the difference between Comedy and Tragedy in Shakespeare.
That is a great post lil, I really enjoyed it. I never took the quote too seriously but you really broke down the differences there. In particular the quote at the end is both truthful and fitting good find. How do you feel about adaptations of shakespeare?
I don't hate the Romeo and Juliet modern film but its moved down from my favorites. Scotland, PA http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0265713/
Ran http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089881/?ref_=nm_knf_i2
Much Ado About Nothing http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2094064/?ref_=nv_sr_1
thanks for asking mknod. I love Shakespeare adaptations -- even weird and loose adaptations. I'm not always thrilled when women play Richard III or Prospero - but I think it's wonderful to fit Shakespeare into all kinds of clothes, times, and places. It just proves the timelessness and universality of the stories. I particularly liked Baz Luhrman's Romeo and Juliet, and not just because Mercutio was in drag. I also liked the teen-age version of The Taming of the Shrew called Ten Things I Hate About You