Kim Kardashian

May 28th, 2015 → 6:16 am

    “[S]he’s loved of the distracted multitude,
    Who like not in their judgment, but their eyes.” – Hamlet

Need I say more?

Filed under: Blog & Other

Graduation Celebration

May 23rd, 2015 → 5:08 am

“Caps, hands, and tongues applaud it to the clouds.” – Hamlet

It is graduation season right now; the university I am at just had their graduation ceremony a few days ago.  This quote from Hamlet literally means that caps are thrown in the air in celebration.  How apt to a graduation ceremony!  Congratulations to all the students out there who have worked so hard and earned their degree at last.

Filed under: Blog & Other

Jeb Bush

May 20th, 2015 → 5:00 am

Hamlet:  “Sir, I cannot.”

Rosencrantz:  “What, my lord?”

Hamlet:  “Make you a wholesome answer; my wit’s diseased.” – Hamlet

Forgive me for comparing Jeb Bush to Hamlet.  But at least Hamlet was pretending to be a crazed idiot – Jeb Bush apparently is one.  I still can’t get over his answer to Megyn Kelly regarding the Iraq War; does the entire Bush family live in a bubble, completely devoid of reality?!?!?!

Filed under: Blog & Politics/Politicians & Stupid/Evil People

I Did Love You Once

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

ShakeDic: encompassment

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

Are Any of Them Honest?

May 9th, 2015 → 5:42 am

“To be honest, as this world goes, is to be one man picked out of ten thousand.” – Hamlet

As the number of contenders in the U.S. presidential race grows by the day, and I listen to them say stupid things on television, I wonder, are any of them honest?  It is a rare trait, according to Shakespeare, as well as my own experience.  Indeed, right now I’m dealing with someone in my personal life who is turning out to be disarmingly dishonest.  How did I not see it earlier?  But if Shakespeare is right and honesty is as rare as one in ten thousand, now I am wondering, how would I categorize myself???

Filed under: Blog & Politics/Politicians & Stupid/Evil People

ShakeDic: truepenny

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