Zombie Days

September 30th, 2016 → 5:58 am

“I am gone, though I am here.” – Much Ado About Nothing

It’s that time of the semester when my students are barely there, I’m barely there, everyone’s walking around half-sick, fully tired, and wishing they were in bed.  Wouldn’t that be nice right now?  More sleep…..zzzzz….

Filed under: Blog & Other & Self/My Life

Procrastination

September 25th, 2016 → 5:05 am

    “I do not know yet why I live to say this thing’s to do,
    sith I have cause and will and strength and means to do it.” – Hamlet (second quarto only!)

      Note: replace “sith” with “since” and the quote will read much easier to the modern eye

I am currently sitting in on an online Shakespeare course at Future Learn (“Shakespeare: Print and Performance”). I say sitting in on because while I am fully signed up, I am only watching the videos and not doing the homework assignments (I have been taking the quizzes though and scoring very highly!!).  Anyhow, a lot of the videos are repetition for me, but every once in awhile I do learn something new.  Today I learned that the second quarto edition of Hamlet is not only different than the first folio edition (this, I knew), but it is different by hundreds of lines.  My goodness!  There really are significantly different versions of Hamlet out there.  What does that mean?  Were there multiple authors?  Multiple updates?  Versions made for different playhouses?  We’ll never truly know, but I did like the quote given above that is from the second quarto alone.  Hamlet wonders why he’s sitting around thinking so much, and not doing anything, and it reminded me not only of myself at times, but most definitely of some of my own students right now.  There’s a homework assignment due tomorrow, get on it!

 

Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art

Guest Post – Bill Clinton

September 20th, 2016 → 5:28 am

    “Last scene of all,
    That ends this strange eventful history,
    Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
    Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”
    – As You Like It

Or, as rephrased by Bill Clinton on The Daily Show last week:  “I really am in my second childhood!”

Filed under: Blog & Politics/Politicians

Flesh

September 11th, 2016 → 5:14 am

    “I have more flesh than another man
    and therefore more frailty.” – Henry IV, Part I

Continuing with the Hollow Crown series, I watched Henry IV, Part I last night.  This quote made me wonder, if being large means you are more frail (or, as Falstaff meant it, more fallible), does being small mean you are more resilient (or, more honest)?  I have read scientific studies that claim that small people live longer – one potential explanation of which is that there are less cells to go haywire, less of a chance something will turn cancerous.  I rather doubt that being small makes you more resilient or more honest, frankly, but it is nice to hear some praise for smallness (even if it is from Falstaff), which is so rare in our current culture with its worshipfulness of all things big and tall.

Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art & Self/My Life

To Be An Ass

September 7th, 2016 → 5:24 am

    “I was not made a horse;
    And yet I bear a burthen like an ass.” – Richard II

When Ben Whishaw uttered these words as Richard II he was in a sorry state, half naked and starving in a dungeon.  It wasn’t at all a funny moment, yet I guffawed out loud watching it.  I feel that way all the f***ing time.  😉

Filed under: Blog

Ben Whishaw

September 4th, 2016 → 6:09 am

    “See, see, King Richard doth himself appear.
    As doth the blushing discontented sun.” – Richard II

I am blown away.  I finally got the chance to watch the first in The Hollow Crown series – Richard II.  Ben Whishaw plays Richard II and I have never seen such a good performance in my life before.  I was riveted.  Actually riveted to the screen.  I refused to stop watching even to go to the bathroom.  I just want to watch it again now.  Ben Whishaw, you are my new favorite actor   ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art