Animated Shakespeare

joanlawson

I visited the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford today, and I saw these short animated films. They were playing on a screen in the cafe, and they made me smile. Now I understand where Shakespeare got the inspiration for his plays; it was all with the help of a little pig

Hamlet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82EU4HVVvkY

Antony and Cleopatra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Cnnzy8KsHw

Macbeth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkzRxtNe4ZI

The Comedy of Errors
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Exc5Hytc6Xo

A Midsummer Night's Dream
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNkwaZQ4zEA

The Tempest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RclwLwWbh9g

For all you Shakespeare fans, I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

Joan

joanlawson

So am I the only Shakespeare fan on the forum then :?: :shock:

Why, then the world's mine oyster,
Which I with sword will open.

William Shakespeare, "The Merry Wives of Windsor"

NinaKKang

I was the only one at school who found Shakespeare's Othello fascinating, Joan

Simie quite likes it though - perhaps you can talk to her about it when we next see you - 2 nerds together

Nxx

Bookseverywhere

No, you are not the only Shakespeare fan on the forum. It goes without saying that he was a wonderful poet and wonderful dramatist, and still has things to say to us today. I live a long way from Stratford (I am on the north coast of Scotland), but last year (or was it 2009?) we saw a wonderful production of "A Winter's Tale" at Stratford. When we take our annual break in September, we hope to get down to Stratford again, particularly after the refurbishment of the theatre. I must check what is on.

I don't know if you like jazz, but back in the 1960s husband and wife jazz team John Dankworth and Cleo Laine put musical settings to some Shakespeare: famous monologues, songs from the plays and some of the sonnets. It was wonderful stuff. The album is now out of print, but many of the tracks feature on a recent John Dankworth/Cleo Laine "Best of" CD.

Incidentally, Shakespeare's exact contemporary (born the same year) Christopher Marlowe was also a fine poet and dramatist. His play "Doctor Faustus" as well as being a cracking and thrilling story contains two wonderful blank verse monologues. The first, on Helen of Troy, begins "Is this the face that launched a thousand ships". The second is the hour leading to Faustus being dragged down to Hell by Mephistopheles. He is pondering on his life and how he has wasted the gifts that came in exchange for selling his soul. Every quarter the clock strikes. It is a powerful reflection on regret and waste. He also wrote the still popular poem "The Passionate Shepherd".

Best wishes,
Kevin.

joanlawson

NinaKKang wrote:

I was the only one at school who found Shakespeare's Othello fascinating, Joan

Simie quite likes it though - perhaps you can talk to her about it when we next see you - 2 nerds together

Nxx

Hi Nina

I'm glad that Simie likes Shakespeare. It can be quite difficult to understand at her age, but if she has a good teacher she will learn to appreciate it. I was lucky to have an inspirational English teacher who gave me a love of literature from an early age.

joanlawson

Hi Kevin

Shakespeare certainly does have things to say to us today. The tragedies in particular are about universal themes and truths which are as relevant to us today as they were in Shakespeare's time. It would be marvellous to see a play in the newly refurbished theatre. I had a tour of it last week, and it looks very impressive. As I don't live too far away from Stratford, I'm hoping to see a play there soon.

I looked up the John Dankworth/ Cleo Laine recordings you mentioned, and there are some of them on Youtube. I like this one of ''Shall I compare thee to a summer's rose?''

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-ftMFbsr3g

This is amusing too: The Complete Works as sung by Cleo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRKpPFaoFm4

The works by Marlowe are wonderful. Here's one of the monologues you mentioned:

Was this the face that launch'd a thousand ships,
And burnt the topless towers of Ilium?
Sweet Helen, make me immortal with a kiss.
Her lips suck forth my soul: see, where it flies!
Come, Helen, come, give me my soul again.
Here will I dwell, for heaven is in these lips,
And all is dross that is not Helena.
I will be Paris, and for love of thee,
Instead of Troy, shall Wittenberg be sack'd;
And I will combat with weak Menelaus,
And wear thy colours on my plumed crest;
Yea, I will wound Achilles in the heel,
And then return to Helen for a kiss.
O, thou art fairer than the evening air
Clad in the beauty of a thousand stars;
Brighter art thou than flaming Jupiter
When he appear'd to hapless Semele;
More lovely than the monarch of the sky
In wanton Arethusa's azur'd arms;
And none but thou shalt be my paramour!

Bookseverywhere

Thanks for the links.

One of my favourite Dankworth/Laine Shakespeare interpretations is a song called "Witches Fair and Foul" in which a song from "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is juxtaposed with the Macbeth witches chant, with at one point both being sung at the same time (with different melodies). I would imagine that would be difficult to do live!

Yes, so many of his plays resonate today. "Romeo and Juliet", for example, with its theme of two people from opposing groups falling in love. Mixed marriages (whether cross racial, cross religion or cross class) can still be a real problem and cause great heartache. Likewise, "Julius Caesar" remains a classic examination of the use and abuse of power. Both "Hamlet" and "King Lear" chart the descent into madness, long before Freud. "Macbeth" - despite it libelling one of the more progressive Scottish kings of the period - provides a case study in the effects of guilt.

His comedies too can provide great insights. For example, "Merchant of Venice" which explores avarice in various different ways (Antonio is just as guilty as Shylock - perhaps more so), an exploration with Portia's great speech "All that glisters is not gold" and Antonio's spendthrift nature leading to him getting into debt with the moneylender Shylock. Although the play can be and has been criticised for its portrayal of Shylock, it needs to be remembered Shakespeare was of his time, and towards the end of the play does humanise him: "If you prick us, do we not bleed?"

Better stop now: I've got a bookshop to run and I'm supposed to be working.

Best wishes,
Kevin.

tkachev

I do adore Romeo and Juliet and could read it over and over. In fact I credit my R&J essay for being allowed to take my English exam early.

Elizabeth

joanlawson

Hi Kevin

Both "Hamlet" and "King Lear" chart the descent into madness, long before Freud.

I recently saw Derek Jacobi playing Lear, and his portayal of the descent into madness was brilliant, and very moving. He is a wonderful Shakespearean actor. I saw this National Theatre production as a live broadcast at the cinema, which was excellent and much cheaper than going to London. In June, they are doing Chekhov's ''The Cherry Orchard'', so I'm looking forward to seeing that too.

Joan