A Midsummer Nights Dream by William Shakespeare

Anyone who follows this blog or knows me knows that I am a huge fan of Shakespeare. However this play may prove the exception to the rule. I was looking to branch out from the histories and tragedies that I have focused my attention on the Shakespeare canon but must admit that in moving to this play I was sorely disappointed.

I had high hopes, in fact I read a passage from the opening scene to my wife in wonder at the way the author can turn a phrase. However the play quickly becomes a jumble of apparently everyone sleeping with someone. Now I will be first in line to tell you that most likely this play is wonderful to the right audience, it might just be a question of the reader and his interest in the subject matter, but for me this play was a very large disappointment. As I move on to the next reading of Shakespeare I will have to move back to the familiar and come back again to these comedies and the like when my attitude of admiration is reassured.

Still love the Bard just not a fan of this one.

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

I have said in this space before that I am a big fan of Shakespeare. That continues to be the case. Being that I am a huge fan of Roman history a rendition of the history of Caesar told by Shakespeare is a must read.

Shakespeare's version like so many of his other writings have phrases that have become a pert of our language such as Marc Antony's " Friends, Romans, Countrymen." The story is told with much more emphasis on Brutus and the conspirators on the famous March day than on Caesar himself.

Cassius and the other conspirators have decided as the play starts that Caesar must be stopped. It is feared that despite him refusing a crown from the multitudes that the next day, the Ides of March, he does expect to be named King. The recruit Brutus to do the deed. Brutus considers long and is not sure. He knows that no man can put himself above Rome. He fears that soon Caesar will be unstoppable and will cause an end to the Republic.

Caesar has had a soothsayer tell him to beware the Ides of March, his wife Calpurnia begs him to stay home from the Senate for her sake. He considers and almost decides to honor her request. In the end however he goes to the Senate and the rest is, literally, history.

Caesar is killed in the beginning of the end of Act III but the play goes on considerably from there. It is here that Shakespeare has the most telling comments on both the citizens and plebe's of society as well as the ruling class.

Once rid of Caesar the conspirators wonder what the reaction of Marc Antony will be. Antony a confidante of Caesar chooses his reaction carefully. Brutus explains his love of his victim but his love of Rome more forced him to do the deed.

Brutus speaks to the crowds that have gathered and gives a very persuasive speech saying much of the same. His love of Caesar but his need to end the ambition. The people are moved to agree and we see many of the citizens speaking in agreement of the need for Brutus's act. Allowed to speak Antony then speaks of his friend. In a brilliant speech Antony speaks as if in agreement with the murderers but actually in words of agreement is praising Caesar and criticizing the reasoning of the conspirators. In a telling mark against the citizens and how easily they are swayed we see the same people who earlier agreed with Brutus now agreeing with Antony and ready to riot in the streets.

As Antony spake last his side wins and the conspirators must flee. We see Antony and Octavian on the field of battle. In the end, his side defeated and his capture assured Brutus has his servant hold his sword while he runs himself through against it. Antony coming upon the fallen Brutus praises him stating " There was a Man." Antony in a period of 48 hours has seen the death of both Caesar and Brutus. He speaks well of Brutus because he believes that, he alone of the conspirators, acted with noble causes and thoughts, that is to save the Republic.

Shakespeare's language and the turn of a phrase is far and beyond his contemporaries and ours. This is a wonderful play and another example of the great gift of Shakespeare.

Romeo & Juliet by Willam Shakespeare

In my continuing effort to read Shakespeare I chose Romeo and Juliet this time as my son is reading it for his freshman English class.

This is a great story. It is accessible and while the writing is still a little thick I found it easy to follow. As with all of the Shakespeare I have read I find that the key is not to stress over each and every word as if you struggle through you will with the context understand the meaning. I usually with the context can get the full meaning of the phrase.

We all have seen many references to Romeo and Juliet in the culture but I must admit that I did not know the whole story.

It is a tale of love between two whose families are in conflict. The Montagues and Capulets are not friends. Interestingly we do not find out the source of this conflict. It appears the parents do not carry the weight of it, indeed when Romeo shows up at a party the Capulet father is not that upset. Little does he know of the trouble this will sow as Romeo meets his daughter Juliet.

Some phrases we all know..." wherefore art thou Romeo" " a rose by any other name" but the most bueatiful is when Romeo first appears at Juliet's window and we hear his soloiliqy including the comment about " when she dies they shall cut her up and make her stars in the sky, and be so bueatiful that the world will fall in love with night and forget the garish sun."

We might remember Robert Kennedy using this phrase to speak of his fallen brother at the 1964 Democratic Convention.

How many of us will have our work be held to such high esteem 500 years later. Shakespeare's work is timeless. It deserves to be.

Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Having read Hamlet and having started Shakespeare's histories I read thru MacBeth the other night. I enjoyed it but did not find that I cared for it like I did Hamlet. Another tragedy we learn of Macbeth who in visiting a witch, who tells fortunes, that he will become not just advanced in his career but eventually King he changes course on what had been an honorable life and sets out to make that happen.

Of course as with all future telling the question is does the fortune teller know he will murder to make it happen or had he not murdered would it still have happened. That is in knowing the future does he hasten in an unnceccesary way. After having killed the King and set the plot so that his sons will be blamed he then moves on to kill Banqueo who knows his deed.

A sense of invincibility takes over MacBeth as his soothsayer witch now tells him that no man born of a woman can kill him. Taking this to heart he fears nothing and when MacDuff whose family MacBeth has had set upon and killed returns to take revenge he has no fear. As they spar MacDuff tells MacBeth that he was not born but ripped out of his mother due to a problematic childbirth. The prophesy no longer protecting him MacBeth falls to the sword and dies.

A good story, an entertaining one and still proving the point that despite the language interpretation we may have the stories hold well and the messages are universal. Greed and power hunger comes across the centuries. It has not changed.

King John by William Shakespeare

As I continue to read Shakespeare's histories and now being aware of the chronology of the stories in the sense of the history of the characters I have started at the beginning with King John.

In this play we learn of the eruption of violence between King John and the followers of his nephew Arthur of France. An interesting play telling of the conquest of a French town by both forces that comes close to being the rare town to displease both potential masters. A wedding takes place. Arthur is said to have been killed , but it is a ruse and then he is but by his own hand.

In the end the King of England wins the score but dies anyway. This sets up Prince Henry to the throne. This trail of succession happened often in the 1200's . I look forward to the next story.

The language is hard and I admit freely that I sometimes run though a long soliloquy if it runs thick. Most of the time I fight through and am rewarded. It is not hard to see why Shakespeare's plays are still so contemporary. The stories themselves are timeless. Love, intrigue, jealousy, war, these are all subjects people go to see today and few compare with the basic text of Shakespeare's ideas.

Henry IV Part 1 by William Shakespeare

Continuing my reading of Shakespeare I picked this history to try. Shakespeare is not easy and as you read it sometimes you wonder if it is worth the struggle. Yet when you have fought through and finished you realize that the story told was well worth hearing.

Wishing to continue the tale with part 2 I now realize that Shakespeare's histories are if not written in chronological order would be best read so. So now before I move on to Part 2 of Henry IV I am going to go back to the beginning and start with King John

In the story which I have read we meet some characters that still are culturally significant, the most notable perhaps that of John Falstaff the rogue who Henry the IV slums with before he decides to be a responsible member of the Royal family.

In this we see King Henry IV beset by an army attacking as well as some disgruntled Lords and Earls joining the fray.

Falstaff and is lies and protestations offer a humorous outtake from the true story of the battle to be fought and Henry the V, Prince Hal as his known grows into himself and makes his father proud.

As the story ends more battles loom as the war of succession is not complete but one thing we can be sure of is that Shakespeare will tell it well.

These works are not for the easily discouraged but there is a story underneath them that would tell just as well today as over 500 years ago. Digging for it makes it read even better when it all comes together.

Occasinally a quote is found that rings true and could be used as easily today as then. One is " Why, thou owest God a death " a statement the Prince makes to Falstaff as battle approaches urging him not to worry of what will be. One can draw the line to Hemingway and some of his short stories particualry for me Francis Macomber advising that we have but one death and to make it a good one. ( paraphrased as I did not look up the exact quote but remember the story.)

It may be that Shakespeare is the beginning of all modern literature.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

This play was assigned to us to read in Sophomore English. I am sure I did not read it, I glanced at some Cliffs Notes and probably managed a C. I remember that we were to learn the " To be or not to soliliquoy. I am sure I got no further than suffering the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

However in my adult years I consistently hear references to Shakespeare and realize I am educated. Downloading the entire works ( thanks Kindle ) of Shakespeare I decided to start with Hamlet. This is the most performed and famous work of the playwright but I must admit my knowledge of the play was very limited.

The language of Shakespeare is difficult. Some of the phrasing is obsolete and antiquated. The story breaks through though if with some work and I am confident that as I read more and more of the plays I will better understand the language.

The story is that of a young Danish prince named Hamlet who after being visited by his father's ghost is on a mission to avenge his fathers death, heretofore not known to be a murder. The play is a tragedy and there are many deaths but the story is wonderful.

It is hard four centuries later to appreciate these works as one should but they are wonderful and in many ways set the stage for much of the great literature that came after.

I am very pleased to be starting on this mission to read these classics. Hamlet was a great start.