Reading the Bard's Plays in 38 Days

richard II

2010-03-09T07:45:00.000-08:00

I listened to the LibriVox version of this play. I must comment that, for a history, it wasn't very bloody--not that I'm complaining. The future Henry the IV just waltzes in, turning the common folk to his cause, and Richard II has to step down. He does die at the end, but not by the "usurper's" hand.

Interesting.

In other news, I did write that short story about Silvia from "The Two Gentlemen of Verona." It was a fun piece to write, and I think I'll enter it into an upcoming fiction contest I know about.

Richard II

2010-03-08T08:02:00.000-08:00

Today we have a History. Richard II. Time to get back in the swing of things here.

I've been lost, for my reading time, in The Prince of Tides. Have to get back into Shakespeare.

3:38

2010-03-03T22:56:00.001-08:00

Am I the only one who thinks that King John should be labelled a comedy instead of a history? The back and forth between John and Philip about whether or not they are going to war with each other--no, let's join forces and crush this city; no, let's let our families wed; no, let's go to war again--is pretty damn comical.

Overall, I enjoyed this play and would like to see it staged.

new play: King john

2010-03-02T22:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a link to old footage, from 1899, of King John--the next play on the calendar.

2:38

2010-03-02T22:34:00.000-08:00

Taming of the Shrew today. Unfortunately, I didn't make it through the whole thing; I only made it through the first act. It was a crazy day at work...no excuse, really. All days are crazy.

I enjoyed the set-up of the play, the play within the play business. Also, I liked the device where dear old Billy S. had a drunkard fooled into thinking he was a lord. Also, I liked this line:

Gremio: I say, a devil. Think'st though, Hortensio, though her father be very rich, any man is so very a fool to be married to hell?

Apparently the misogyny is thick in this play. Kinda like the last one.

next up: The Taming of the Shrew

2010-03-01T08:14:00.001-08:00

We're going to see this play in the summer, so it'll be nice to actually read it.

interesting info on The Two Gentlemen of Verona

2010-03-01T08:12:00.000-08:00

Word frequency count.

1:38

2010-03-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

Finished "The Two Gentlemen of Verona" this morning. As pedestrian as this may sound, I have to agree with the critics: (a) the play sort of falls flat but (b) there are hints of later Shakespeare in the verbal jousting of the two "fools," Launce and Speed. Their sections were quite entertaining.

It fell flat because the storytelling seemed forced and unbelievable. An example from act V, the culmination of the play (paraphrased):

Valentine: You tried to rape my girlfriend. I can never trust you again.

Proteus: I'm sorry!

Valentine: Okay. I trust you again because you apologize. In fact, I trust you so much, I'm going to give you my girlfriend.

Jesus, really Billy? My inner (pretty much outer) feminist wanted to burn the page. In fact, once Valentine says this craziness, we never hear from Silvia again. (Her silence here is screaming out for a 'sequel,' at least in the form of a poem, maybe even a short story.)

Also, the entering and exiting of characters without uttering much of two lines was confusing. Why have them come on if they just stand around whilst two fellows duologue?

Still, there were some nice lines, which I'll relay here:

Proteus: At first I did adore a twinkling star,/But now I worship a celestial sun. (II.vi 9-10)

---

Thurio: And how quote you my folly?

Valentine: I quote it in your jerkin.

Thurio: My jerkin is a doublet.

Valentine: Well then I'll double your folly. (II.iv 18-21)

---

Lucetta: Fire that's closest kept burns most of all. (I.ii 30)

---

Speed: Thou whoreson ass.... (I.v 47).

---

That last one is pretty much the best insult I've seen in Shakespeare.

Overall, this play was worth a read because it was written by Shakespeare. If not, then no.

se convertirá en un genio

2010-02-28T17:53:00.000-08:00

A lot of what I have read about the 1st play on our calendar, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, seems to play along the same lines as this from the Spanish summary:

El estilo...lleva las señales de la juventud de un genio.

It's a play written by a young man who would grow into the genius we all know. Basically: it's not very good, but there are hints of the Bard's genius in it.

Seems like we'd vault into this endeavour on the strength of a strong play. (I guess I could read in any order that I want to.)

spanish shakespeare

2010-02-28T16:00:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to brush up on my Spanish this semester.

Since I'm reading The Two Gentlemen of Verona tomorrow, to kick off the whole 38:38, I'm reading a summary of the play in Spanish. I've already read a summary in English, so I think I've sufficiently built up schema to hold the Spanish.

Los Dos Hidalgos de Verona.

word count

2010-02-26T16:09:00.001-08:00

928,913

That's how many words are in the aggregate of Shakespeare's plays.

Here's the link.

Wow.

plan of attack

2010-02-26T10:26:00.000-08:00

Do I read one act per play?

Do I skip the plays I've read (& re-read)?

Do I allot 1-2 hrs in the a.m. to the reading and get done what I get done?

Do I alternate with the audiobooks we've done at LibriVox?

Do I go the Full Monty and rock this thing?

Decisions...decisions.

Prologue

2010-02-25T10:11:00.000-08:00

The goal: Read all of Shakespeare's Plays in 38 Days (and then throw in Edward III for good measure).

The inspiration: HERE.

The calendar: HERE.

My goal: Keep pace and microblog.

Your goal: To do it too?

Feat runs 1 March through 7 April.

Find free Shakespearean texts here.

Find free Shakespearean audiobooks here.