Hi - I am teaching a survey class, just touching on major plays and themes for several weeks. Just one hour per week. I had my lesson plans but I am struggling hard - the students are not very excited to be there so I am trying my best to get them excited about reading scenes and discussing, but I am not being very successful so far. Help! Suggestions or tips from other teachers for one hour classes? I want to make the plays as real and exciting for the students as I can - just trying to find ways to get them excited.

Sure, I made this short with AI. But is it copy-paste? Are the lyrics generic slop, and is the music the boring sound you expect when someone sings a sonnet? I made it because Sonnet 77's creeping shadow on the dial reminded me of Ghazali: the shadow in the Munqidh, and the bird that takes one grain from a pile every thousand years, and still takes nothing from eternity.

Something that stuck with me from what I believe was an episode of The History of European Theatre podcast with Kay Daly.

There was a comparison made between Shakespeare and Jonson and how the former is like Northern Exposure and the latter like Seinfeld.

I can kind of see what the comparison is going for (feel good character-driven romantic comedy versus "no hugging, no learning").

But I think this runs into the obvious issue that Seinfeld is way more popular than Northern Exposure, but Shakespeare is (at least for the past few centuries) way more popular than Jonson.

I feel like the comparison might work better if Shakespeare is Friends and Jonson is Seinfeld.

But I also think that Jonson is distinctly edgy/alienating and has a very political satire bent.

So, I'm going to put it out there that Jonson is more like South Park.

And I think Middleton might be more of the Seinfeld, since his city comedies have vibrant if not necessarily well-rounded characters.

Or maybe Middleton is Community (working in similar territory as Shakespeare but more meta and with a sharper edge)?

My last thought is that while obviously it's a different era of tv, I wonder if Shakespeare might be better compared to like Parks and Recreation or The Good Place - both because of the feel good character-based comedy. But also because it is seen as having intellectual value.

Thoughts?

It is a content generated with the help of AI, but it is not 'Low-Effort AI Content'

A month ago I started reading the sonnets and turning them into songs as I went, with a modern sound and a Spanish version. I began with the lesser-known ones.

Sonnet 113 felt close to the Quranic idea of "wherever you turn": the eye keeps seeing the world and finds only one presence in it. Sonnet 141 sat next to the Majnun and Layla story for me, a love that overrules every sense.

For me this song, 94, is about people who know and can, but won't let you in. Whether Shakespeare means that as praise or as a warning is exactly what I can't settle, and I'd like to hear how you read it.

hi sorry if i used the wrong flair, i figured it would be best since it is a question.

what is the meaning of "Line 81 of Hamlet Act 3, Scene 3 is "With all his crimes broad blown, as flush as May"?

my ex put it in his discord server bio as a quote and everything that ive looked for says that its Hamlet contemplating killing someone and I wanted to know if that was the actual quote because while we've had our fights this is very alarming and kind of scary that he would openly quote this in a server only me and him share

am i overreacting? should i be worried about escalation?

edit: thank you to everyone thats responded so far. i wanted to say that i asked this for documentation purposes, i already have plans and people if something does happen and i am safe but i wanted to see if it was something i needed to document about his behavior towards me or if it was just him being edgy

Jonathan Groff charges the production with charm & charisma along with transcendent Welsh hymns & tunes and cavorting actors who transport us to a far far better place than the dystopian courts of reality. Long live Arden! Long may Groff perform!

Ever since I first read Hamlet in Senior Year English class, I’ve had the idea to fully recreate the play in Minecraft. However, I haven’t really been motivated to do so, mostly because of how much effort it would take. That was, until I saw Schpood’s recreation of Hamilton in Minecraft, which blew up and gave me the inspiration to go all-in on Hamlet.

First off, the entire project will be edited, acted, and recorded in Minecraft Java Edition, and will make use of the Flashback mod, which I intend on using to create interesting and engaging camera angles in the video.

The video itself will eventually be uploaded for free on a YouTube channel, which will soon be filled with behind-the-scenes, progress updates, and eventually, the full play itself, which will likely be uploaded as five separate videos to correspond with the 5 acts of the play. After all of it is finished, I will compile the five acts into one full-length movie.

This will be a not-for-profit passion project, and will be usable as a teaching resource to make the play easier to understand and more engaging to watch in a classroom setting. 

I know there’s a lot of debate on whether to use a Modern English version of the play, or to use the original Shakespearean writing. By using a modern script, it makes the play easier to follow along and more engaging for casual watchers. However, they usually lack the poetic weight and cheapen the effect of the words. 

One solution I thought of was to use YouTube’s special feature that allows you to listen to separate audio tracks in the same video. That way, the viewer can choose which version of the script they want to watch.

None of the characters have been casted yet, and auditions are not yet ready.

I will likely be sharing more progress on the project. If you are interested in learning more, go and check out the YouTube channel for Hamlet: Minecraft Edition. (At the moment, there are no videos uploaded, but I plan on posting more soon!

Let me know if you have any questions, feedback, or ideas!

Came here to share my Shakespearean Tattoo by @Spider_maf.

Edit4: PUTTING THIS EDIT AT THE TOP bc so many of you are missing what I posted entirely!!!!

I never said anything about him randomly spitting out lines at any moment. What I DID SAY was for him to have something memorized for the possible opportune moment it would be good for.

I also never said anything about forcing/making him have to do this. This is CASUAL CONVERSATION of me simply suggesting something that might be fun and/or useful, which MANY PEOPLE ON HERE AGREE WITH, or at least the people who are responding accordingly to what was asked. I can’t believe the amount of people here who sound like they have never had a conversation with their kid before and the mere notion of suggesting something to them comes off as overreaching and/or forcing something upon them… ffs, if I was any bit CoNtRoLLiNg/fOrCiNg I wouldn’t be here asking for passive advice, would I?

START OF POST IS HERE: So he just joined and I told him he should find a famous Shakespeare quote/passage/whatever to be able to bust out on the spot when the moment arises… and he tells me that’s the dumbest thing ever and no one would ever be impressed by it…

I find it hard to believe, I never did drama club, know nothing about Shakespeare, and all that stuff, but wouldn’t this be a good idea? Like, isn’t that kinda stuff what drama club is all about?

And if it is a good idea, what would be a good Shakespeare passage to know?

Edit: first of all, to all of you who understood the assignment, THANK YOU for the awesome advice!

Second, to the half of you who seem like you can’t distinguish between trying out for broadway and someone just making an effort to have fun in the moment… I feel sorry for y’all. These are kids who are just getting into it and should be inspired to have fun with it. Leave that pretentious gatekeeping stuff out of it at this level.

Edit2: also, I’m naive to all the actual drama club stuff, so I ignorantly kinda just spit out “Shakespeare,” which I’ve always enjoyed the little bit I have read and know of him, but am totally open to anything cool, fun and quotable! A few people have mentioned Oscar Wilde as well and just stoked to get all the good to know stuff I can from y’all!

Edit3: lots of assumptions here that I am “forcing” this upon my son… do that many of you not talk to your children?! Can y’all not share fun ideas and have simple banter with them about their days and experiences? Have none of you ever tried to mention a simple preparation that could be useful to your kid before that you may know might serve them well someday?

Holy hell has this post been revealing on some of the sad, boring, lonely souls here who can’t even talk to their kids. I don’t need those of y’all’s input anymore. Enjoy your kids who you don’t have to associate with, they’re probably better learning from their phones anyways.

Edit: to all y’all demons who can’t help make this what you want it to be about and not what it is, and what I’ve tried to be kind about before being stirred to anger yesterday… NOT TODAY! I’m getting the good feedback here from the people who matter and the rest of you don’t.

Have a blessed and beautiful day everyone 😁🙏✌️

Here are some of my favorite lines by him! I mean, I love every word he says but these are my all time favorites hehe.

It's so embarrassing to say when I first read his death I started crying LOL ...

I never thought I would literally get a crush on this dead Roman, he is so charismatic to me ughh I am obsessed with this man </3

He got one emotion which is evil and I love it, I will defend him with my life #1 Cassius glazer / fangirl till I die-

Happy deathday + birthday to him again !! sorry your last birthday sucked ;c

Hope hell is treating you well /ref (when I catch you Dante grr)

I was pretty disappointed with the Hollow Crown when it came to adapting Henry VI. I simply wasn't impressed with the massive amounts of cutting of text, or the performances of Henry, Margaret, or the Duke of York.

Are there any alternatives that can be recommended? I don't mind if it is older as long as it is available on dvd or blu ray.

Thanks in advance.

My reasons:

1. There are more than 10 (!) active rivalries during the play - national (England/Ireland, England/France), religious (cardinal of Winchester trying to become an influence on the king), royal (about who has the right to the throne), personal (between Margaret and the wife of Duke of Gloucester), class related (John Cede), Political (between different people who wanted the role of being lord protector/the war policy in France) etc.

2. Some characters switch sides in the middle of the plot (Salisbury and Warwick) and others form and break temporary alliances whenever it suits them (e.g. the agreement to kill the imprisoned Duke/trick his wife into being caught using illegal magic).

3. There are a lot of important characters - Henry VI, Margaret, Winchester, Buckingham, Richard Duke of york and his sons, Salisbury and Warwick, John Cede, Suffolk, Sommerset, Gloucester and his wife, Lord Saye, Clifford and the list goes on. I cannot think of another Shakespearean play with a larger amount of important characters (even Lear and Henry VIII have less).

4. All factions manipulate each other while trying to keep their good reputation with the king. This, naturally, leads to complex schemes that might confuse even a smart reader (like some of us). e.g. the way York lets Gloucester get assassinated while keeping his distance from the act (so others will get blamed for it).

5. It's longer than average and each act has a different lead who gets a complete story arc of his own (e.g. Cede in act 4, Gloucester in act 2, York in 5...). It's not usual for Shakepeare to use this irregular plot structure.

6. You need some knowledge of the historical background to fully understand the play and its characters, unlike other plays that can be fully enjoyed without too much googling (e.g. MWOW).

What do you think? Do you agree? What is the most complex Shakespearean play in your opinion?

The bloods / flood and names / famed / shamed rhymes. The wide walks and the Rome / room. The repetition of one man 👌

"DUCHESS: Thou cam’st on Earth to make the Earth my hell. … Tetchy and wayward was thy infancy; … Thy age confirmed, proud, subtle, sly, and bloody,” (Shakespeare 4.4.172, 74, 77).

Select lines taken from this passage:

DUCHESS

(171) No, by the Holy Rood, thou know’st it well.

(172) Thou cam’st on Earth to make the Earth my hell.

(173) A grievous burden was thy birth to me;

(174) Tetchy and wayward was thy infancy;

(175) Thy school days frightful, desp’rate, wild, and furious;

(176) Thy prime of manhood daring, bold, and venturous;

(177) Thy age confirmed, proud, subtle, sly, and bloody,

(178) More mild, but yet more harmful, kind in hatred.

(179) What comfortable hour canst thou name,

(180) That ever graced me with thy company?

Since I've divvied up the lines I was wondering if (a) I've made correct use of ellipses and (b) if I shouldn't change the in-text citation to (Shakespeare 4.4.172, 174, 177) or something else.

Any help would be appreciated :) I am in agony

Modern Language Association catalogued 2.8 million references. English has been by far the most searched and analysed body of literature.

Shakespeare has been by far the most studied author, almost four times as the next in the list, Dante Alighieri. Hamlet also is the most analysed work surpassing the Divine Comedy. Although the proportions are quite small compared to the total, this highlights the immense size and variety of world literature; no other author, save Shakespeare, has surpassed a 1% share of global scholarship.

The data is not fully comprehensive, but the proportions seem reasonable.

For clarity they're:

Hamlet (1996)

Much Ado About Nothing (1993)

Othello (1995)

Love's Labour's Lost (2000)

Henry V (1989)

As You Like It (2006)

Yeah i know he didn't direct Othello, though I've not seen it yet and i'm curious how you feel it compares

Saw a really great production of Macbeth last night, but they cut the Porter’s monologue (one of my favorite parts)! They still had an actor appear as the Porter, he stood on stage looking drunk and confused while knocking happened, swayed a little… I was so excited for “Here’s a knocking indeed” and he just went offstage and brought Macduff on and didn’t even say anything. It was also the actor who played Duncan and I don’t love the doubling of Duncan/Porter. But felt strange to have a little wink/nod to him but then cut all his lines.

I’m doing the “And I, for sloth in love!” Monologue from Loves Labours Lost for an audition in about a month but I’m not super familiar with Shakespeare. I understand this monologue is supposed to be on the comedic side but how do I got about it?