August 28th, 2015 → 5:35 am
“A cutpurse of the empire and the rule,
That from a shelf the precious diadem stole
And put it in his pocket!” – Hamlet
Cutpurse is an archaic word for pickpocket or thief. I love old words. Why do they have to disappear?
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art
August 18th, 2015 → 5:57 am
“That dog, that had his teeth before his eyes,
To worry lambs and lap their gentle blood.” – Richard III
I read an article recently about anxiety in the 21st century and, astoundingly, it said that Shakespeare only used the word “worry” once in his entire collection of works (see quote above, and he used it to mean “choke,” not be stressful). Through my own research I discovered that Shakespeare actually uses worry twice, if you allow both “worry” and “worrying,” but still, that isn’t much use of the word, and not even in the way we use it today. The article suggested that people simply didn’t worry back in the 16th century; that doing so is a modern malady, invented really in the 20th century when we finally had the time to navel-gaze and let anxiety about things grow. Personally, I can not imagine my life without worrying. What would I do for 75% of every day? How many novel mathematical theorems would I be able to come up with if 98% of my brain weren’t allocated to worrying? What kind of conversations would I have with my son if half of them weren’t motivated by worry of him harming himself? Would I enjoy eating more if I didn’t always worry about becoming fat? I…can’t…imagine…
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art & Self/My Life
May 16th, 2015 → 5:37 am
“I did love you once.” – Hamlet
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m reading Hamlet right now with a discussion group. I came across the above line yesterday, which Hamlet says to Ophelia not long after his “to be or not to be” speech; he says it almost as an after-thought after some other rambling thoughts. When I read it, my heart just sank. Isn’t that one of the saddest things a man can say to a woman? Especially if you still have feelings for him? It just broke my heart. Poor Ophelia… Poor Hamlet…
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art & Other
May 12th, 2015 → 5:54 am
“And finding
By this encompassment and drift of question
That they do know my son…” – Hamlet
Encompassment, apparently, means roundabout talking. I love it. I should use this word to describe how too many people I know talk! Ha ha!
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art
May 5th, 2015 → 5:56 am
“Art thou there, truepenny?” – Hamlet
In January I started a feature of this blog called “ShakeDic,” where I highlight interesting vocabulary words from Shakespeare’s works. It started because I led a discussion group in January for the play Othello, and in rereading the play for the first time in years, so many interesting words struck me! Alas, a glutton for punishment, the same reading group has asked me to lead a discussion of Hamlet starting this month. The first ShakeDic word from Hamlet, therefore, is truepenny, meaning, an honest and trustworthy old fellow. I sure wish there were more truepennys around these days.
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art
April 27th, 2015 → 5:07 am
I meant to post something yesterday, on National Poem in Your Pocket Day, but I failed to get around to it. So a day late, but still worth reading, here is a Shakespeare sonnet on love, dedicated to my ever-suffering husband:
“Some glory in their birth, some in their skill,
Some in their wealth, some in their body’s force.
Some in their garments, though newfangled ill,
Some in their hawks and hounds, some in their horse;
And every humor hath his adjunct pleasure,
Wherein it finds a joy above the rest.
But these particulars are not my measure;
All these I better in one general best.
Thy love is better than high birth to me,
Richer than wealth, prouder than garments’ cost,
Of more delight than hawks or horses be;
And having thee, of all men’s pride I boast.
Wretched in this alone, that thou mayst take
All this away, and me most wretched make.” – Sonnet 91
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art
April 22nd, 2015 → 5:33 am
I happen to be reading a great book on Queen Elizabeth right now, and every once in awhile there are quotes directly from the Queen herself. What amazes me is how often they sound like famous quotes from Shakespeare. Since the two lived at the same time, and definitely interacted at court, I’m wondering now, who influenced whom?
“To be a king and wear a crown is more glorious to them that see it than it is a pleasure to them that bear it.” – Queen Elizabeth I
“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown._ – Shakespeare (Henry IV, Part II)
“A vain crack of words that made a noise only.” – Queen Elizabeth
“…full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. – Shakespeare (Macbeth)
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art
April 11th, 2015 → 5:31 am
“Thereby hangs a tale.” – As You Like It
I can’t believe it. I’m astounded. I’m excited! I’m just so surprised. Word is a new Shakespeare play has been found, or at least finally authenticated to actually be by him. WOW!!
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art
April 8th, 2015 → 7:05 am
“Care is no cure, but rather corrosive,
For things that are not to be remedied.” – Henry VI, Part I
Have you ever written something, but can’t let it go? An essay, a short story, an article for journal publication? Sometimes it’s really hard to stop over-editing a piece and just let it go already!!
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art
March 4th, 2015 → 9:46 pm
Had a great half an hour live radio interview with Cyrus Webb on #ConversationsLIVE earlier this evening. We talked about The Other Shakespeare, women’s history month, family, relationships, love, life, and so much more. Not to ruin it for the cities its coming to in the next few days (North Carolina this weekend, Atlanta on Monday…), but you can check it out now as a podcast. And thank you again for the wonderful conversation Cyrus Webb!
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art & Self/My Life