Post Your William Shakespeare Observations

Self | April 23, 2016 | PJ-Comix

[PJ-Comix]

Exactly 400 years ago on this day, William Shakespeare passed this mortal coil. His effect on the English language was YUUUUUGE. Therefore I am asking for general observations on The Bard.

p.s. PLEASE DON'T post conspiracy theories about how the true author of the Shakespeare plays was really somebody else. That stuff is old AND annoying. It was SHAKESPEARE who wrote it.

[Exeter]

The great Akira Kurosawa made Ran from King Lear and Throne of Blood from Macbeth...

[IronJack]

A horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!
To be or not to be ...
What dreams may come ...
All sound and fury ...
A pound of flesh ...
Friends, Romans, countrymen ...
Neither a borrower nor a lender be ...
Double, double, toil, and trouble ...

Half the common phrases we use today came from Shakespeare. When I was studying the Classics, he was the only author from any epoch who had an entire series of classes devoted exclusively to his work. Not Homer, not Dickens, not Marlowe or Bacon or Hemingway or Joyce or anyone else.

Shakespeare stands alone.

[sdpatriot]

What a brazen faced varlet art thou

Thou art a boil, a plague sore, an embossed carbuncle in my corrupted blood

[Demiurge2]

Google “Shakespeare” and “original pronunciation.” The results are fascinating. The pronunciation of English has changed greatly in 400 years, and the language used back at the old Globe theatre sounds to modern ears like a mashup of Irish, Scouse and Virginia accents. Lots of lost puns, rhymes(and bawdiness), are being uncovered.

[Mastador1]

I try to keep my eyes open, but no Shakespeare sitings so far.

I thought I saw him in a Jamba Juice in West L.A., but it was just a flamboyantly dressed queer.

[Lakeshark]

I think this was one of Will's most poignant from Macbeth:

"I am in blood
Stepp'd in so far that, should I wade no more,
Returning were as tedious as go o'er"

Macbeth's reflection that he can not turn back from his evil deed. Somehow I think of Cruz when looking at this passage. Too bad his sense of vaulting ambition has prevented him from seeing what he is doing.

[norton]

Thanks a lot!

I was enjoying this thread right up 'till your #86 dumped interparty trash talk into it.

[onyx]

Har!

[uncitizen]

He had a way with words.

[onyx]

I always loved that one.

[onyx]

Excellent!!

[Lakeshark]

Apologies.

But Shakespeare DID cover most of the recurring themes of history, and that one stood out for some reason........

I loved Shakespeare, had lots of courses reading his lit, amazing depth and breadth.

Once again, my apologies.

[Savage Beast]

Okay. I speak from memory (which also within his bending sickle’s compass comes).

[Safetgiver]

No, the only thing English HAS done since Shakespeare is to change......You are correct. If we somehow, were transported back four hundred, three hundred, two hundred years ago we would be unable to understand the language.

[navymom1]

The Prince of Darkness is a Gentleman. King Lear

[Conservative4Ever]

My first thought too. The King James Bible probably has a bigger readership overall.

[RegulatorCountry]

If we somehow, were transported back four hundred, three hundred, two hundred years ago we would be unable to understand the language.

I don't think that most literate people would have all that much of a problem until the early 1600's as far as speech. The King James Bible worked to standardize and unify the language. Prior to that, regional usage and dialects might be a problem, or might not be. Certainly written English is understandable to an extent back to Chaucer's era, albeit with a bit of struggle.

[Savage Beast]

One of Shakespeare's most beautiful, complex, and touching poems, with multi-layered references to the Crucifixion, the beauty of nature, the tragic death of his only son, Hamnet, and much more, and one of my favorites.

Even so my sun one early morn did shine
With all-triumphant splendor on my brow;
But, out, Alack! He was but one hour mine

[Savage Beast]

Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion's paws,
And make the earth devour her own sweet brood

[firebrand]

Wait . . . that was one of his characters!