Brush up your Shakespeare?

axisus

Skarloey said:

Not really. Shakespeare was english. He wrote in english. You speak English.  I can't think of a better grounding for 'getting' Shakespeare. 

 

Hmmnnnn ................... Not sure I go for that argument! ........ "When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, Must give us pause. There's the respect That makes Calamity of so long life: For who would bear the Whips and Scorns of time, The Oppressor's wrong, the proud man's Contumely, The pangs of despised Love, the Law’s delay, The insolence of Office, and the Spurns That patient merit of the unworthy takes, When he himself might his Quietus make With a bare Bodkin? Who would these Fardels bear, To grunt and sweat under a weary life, But that the dread of something after death, The undiscovered Country, from whose bourn No Traveler returns, Puzzles the will, And makes us rather bear those ills we have, Than fly to others that we know not of"

EricTheWeary

Bogwhoppit said:

With Shakespeare and Marlowe plays (i.e. Dr Faustus), its best to have a quick look at some simple GCSE analysis on the sparknotes website. It helps to give you a brief outline of the plot and to laugh at the appropriate times without looking like an arts philistine.

Just think music and get into the Iambic pentameter of the blank verse.

 

I might have a look at the analysis, ta.

thumpingrug

Seen a few Shakespeare plays performed and been to Stratford a couple of times as well.  You don't nee dot read it in advance but be prepared to let yourself tune to the flow of the lines for the first couple of minutes.  After that its all makes sense.

Good actors - darling- make it easy to follow as they deliver the lines with all the phrasing done correctly.  Some good laughs in it as well.

Im slightly jealous. 

johnnyurq

Having worked inTheatre I have worked on a few of Shakey's plays, some trad and some reimagined/modernised takes on them. 

The Tempest set on a New York skyscraper roof complete with burnt out cars and huge AC units etc anyone? 

Some were tripe and some were OK (that includes some Trad ones too).

Just go with it and you maybe pleasantly surprised.

The new transposing of them the stage sets they all build they seem intent on holding the accolade of largest, heaviest most unwieldy set of all time being schlepped about the UK, same as modern Operas.

Nitefly

Aaaand...

How many actors does it take to change a light-bulb?

Five - one to do it,and four to say "Daaahhling, I thought you were maaahhhvellous!"

*oh well, please yourselves *

johnnyurq

LOL

How very true @Nitefly but they will be cut to the quick for you mentioning it.

xSkarloey

axisus;360092" said:

Skarloey said:



Not really. Shakespeare was english. He wrote in english. You speak English.  I can't think of a better grounding for 'getting' Shakespeare.  










Hmmnnnn ................... Not sure I go for that argument! ........ "When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,

Must give us pause. There's the respect

That makes Calamity of so long life:

For who would bear the Whips and Scorns of time,

The Oppressor's wrong, the proud man's Contumely,

The pangs of despised Love, the Law’s delay,

The insolence of Office, and the Spurns

That patient merit of the unworthy takes,

When he himself might his Quietus make

With a bare Bodkin? Who would these Fardels bear,

To grunt and sweat under a weary life,

But that the dread of something after death,

The undiscovered Country, from whose bourn

No Traveler returns, Puzzles the will,

And makes us rather bear those ills we have,

Than fly to others that we know not of"

Balls! You've got to aim high, otherwise we should all stay at home and watch Eastenders.

You've actually picked a passage there with a few archaic nouns that would require explanation, but you prove my point because if you cut to the philosophical core of what he's saying- and how he says it- shows there's no difference between us and Hamlet. It's one of the most elevated and finely wrought passages in that particular play. It is poetry rather functional blank verse. As such I think it would have been as challenging and provocative for S's original audience as for us.

Nonetheless if anyone thinks some form of degree or higher intelligence is needed to get the gist of that during a performance then I'd take exception to that.


As TS Eliot said, a poem can communicate before it is understood.

Taken for all in all, a good actor can bridge the gap between the words- however lofty the language or sentiment- and a given audience member's understanding.


Don't be scared of Shakespeare. Tune your ear in, sit back, concentrate but for God's sake ENJOY.

EricTheWeary

I shall enjoy. I studied Julius Caesar at school but only saw a film of that. I have watched a couple of other plays as films but they can be a bit abridged and then the film makers give you lots of clues as to what is going on.Actually, I can't remember the last thing I saw at the theatre of any category so it'll be good to smell the crowd, roar of the grease paint and all that.

Bogwhoppit

EricTheWeary said:

I shall enjoy.

Go for it, there's nowt on the flicks worth watching

EricTheWeary

Went today. Didn't read up or anything but the plot is fairly simple even if I struggled with the language at times. Just an amazing production though. Relatively small theatre with a big stage, just the most amazing production ( have I said that).Think we'll have booked up for another before bed tonight.
I heartily recommended the RSC as an experience. Not particularly cheap but still cheaper than the back of an arena squinting at a rock band.

Hootsmon

sounds PAINFUL

ICBM

Shakespeare performed well live is fantastic. There's a place near us where they have productions 'in the round' in the garden of a historic house during the summer, which we try to go to every year.

The language can be a tiny bit tricky at first, but as already said you quickly get used to it, and the plots are still quite understandable even after 400 years. Pretty good really.

HAL9000

As others have already intimated Shakespeare on stage is great. Problem is that we study it at school as something written down when it was always intended to be acted and watched. School essentially ruined Shakespeare for me by overthinking it. However I've since seen a few of the plays and have really enjoyed them.

ICBM

HAL9000 said:

As others have already intimated Shakespeare on stage is great. Problem is that we study it at school as a something written down when it was always intended to be acted and watched. School essentially ruined Shakespeare for me by overthinking it. However I've since seen a few of the plays and have really enjoyed them.

Exactly my experience too. I hated Shakespeare at school until I went to see a production of Romeo And Juliet because a girl I fancied wanted to go , nothing to do with the school, and was totally hooked.