The very best of William Shakespeare

[mat]

Othello is my favourite play.

Iago the original schemer.

 

[GortonBlue62]

Seen it and it's awful.

For me, I just got unlucky with Shakespeare and think it was just too much for us youngsters at school. Bard luck, I guess.

When having to study his text and decipher it all, it's like one long cryptic crossword, and when you consider he (or they) were writing during a period of huge illiteracy and just making words up (he couldn't even spell his own name consistently), I just don't get the constant requirement to deem him the epitome of English story writing.

I suspect the words he 'made up' were words he heard around him everyday and used in his plays. The fact that there was much less printed material at the time means that the first recorded use of many of those words would be attributed to Shakespeare.

Bernard Levin's famous quote might give you some indication of Shakespeare's influence on the subsequent development of the English language...

“If you cannot understand my argument, and declare "It's Greek to me", you are quoting Shakespeare; if you claim to be more sinned against than sinning, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you recall your salad days, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you act more in sorrow than in anger; if your wish is farther to the thought; if your lost property has vanished into thin air, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you have ever refused to budge an inch or suffered from green-eyed jealousy, if you have played fast and loose, if you have been tongue-tied, a tower of strength, hoodwinked or in a pickle, if you have knitted your brows, made a virtue of necessity, insisted on fair play, slept not one wink, stood on ceremony, danced attendance (on your lord and master), laughed yourself into stitches, had short shrift, cold comfort or too much of a good thing, if you have seen better days or lived in a fool's paradise -why, be that as it may, the more fool you , for it is a foregone conclusion that you are (as good luck would have it) quoting Shakespeare; if you think it is early days and clear out bag and baggage, if you think it is high time and that that is the long and short of it, if you believe that the game is up and that truth will out even if it involves your own flesh and blood, if you lie low till the crack of doom because you suspect foul play, if you have your teeth set on edge (at one fell swoop) without rhyme or reason, then - to give the devil his due - if the truth were known (for surely you have a tongue in your head) you are quoting Shakespeare; even if you bid me good riddance and send me packing, if you wish I was dead as a door-nail, if you think I am an eyesore, a laughing stock, the devil incarnate, a stony-hearted villain, bloody-minded or a blinking idiot, then - by Jove! O Lord! Tut tut! For goodness' sake! What the dickens! But me no buts! - it is all one to me, for you are quoting Shakespeare.”

... and the fact that the plays are still being performed all over the world four centuries later might indicate that there is some value in what he produced.

 

[Saddleworth2]

I suspect the words he 'made up' were words he heard around him everyday and used in his plays. The fact that there was much less printed material at the time means that the first recorded use of many of those words would be attributed to Shakespeare.

Bernard Levin's famous quote might give you some indication of Shakespeare's influence on the subsequent development of the English language...

“If you cannot understand my argument, and declare "It's Greek to me", you are quoting Shakespeare; if you claim to be more sinned against than sinning, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you recall your salad days, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you act more in sorrow than in anger; if your wish is farther to the thought; if your lost property has vanished into thin air, you are quoting Shakespeare; if you have ever refused to budge an inch or suffered from green-eyed jealousy, if you have played fast and loose, if you have been tongue-tied, a tower of strength, hoodwinked or in a pickle, if you have knitted your brows, made a virtue of necessity, insisted on fair play, slept not one wink, stood on ceremony, danced attendance (on your lord and master), laughed yourself into stitches, had short shrift, cold comfort or too much of a good thing, if you have seen better days or lived in a fool's paradise -why, be that as it may, the more fool you , for it is a foregone conclusion that you are (as good luck would have it) quoting Shakespeare; if you think it is early days and clear out bag and baggage, if you think it is high time and that that is the long and short of it, if you believe that the game is up and that truth will out even if it involves your own flesh and blood, if you lie low till the crack of doom because you suspect foul play, if you have your teeth set on edge (at one fell swoop) without rhyme or reason, then - to give the devil his due - if the truth were known (for surely you have a tongue in your head) you are quoting Shakespeare; even if you bid me good riddance and send me packing, if you wish I was dead as a door-nail, if you think I am an eyesore, a laughing stock, the devil incarnate, a stony-hearted villain, bloody-minded or a blinking idiot, then - by Jove! O Lord! Tut tut! For goodness' sake! What the dickens! But me no buts! - it is all one to me, for you are quoting Shakespeare.”

... and the fact that the plays are still being performed all over the world four centuries later might indicate that there is some value in what he produced.

Very good. My understanding of Dave's point though is that some of these phrases may well have been in everyday use in the time that Shakespeare was writing and he didn't 'invent them' merely included them in his plays in a natural, witty and appropriate way. (Dave apologies if i have misinterpreted your post).

My view is who cares. Many of his plays remain absolute masterpieces and he remains the greatest English writer (Dickens very close behind).

 

[GortonBlue62]

Very good. My understanding of Dave's point though is that some of these phrases may well have been in everyday use in the time that Shakespeare was writing and he didn't 'invent them' merely included them in his plays in a natural, witty and appropriate way. (Dave apologies if i have misinterpreted your post).

My view is who cares. Many of his plays remain absolute masterpieces and he remains the greatest English writer (Dickens very close behind).

Which is what I thought I was saying ;-)

 

[Saddleworth2]

Which is what I thought I was saying ;-)

Sorry mate! I thought by quoting Bernard Levin you were disagreeing.
Note to self; must read posts more carefully.

 

[TheRemainsOfTheDave]

Very good. My understanding of Dave's point though is that some of these phrases may well have been in everyday use in the time that Shakespeare was writing and he didn't 'invent them' merely included them in his plays in a natural, witty and appropriate way. (Dave apologies if i have misinterpreted your post).

My view is who cares. Many of his plays remain absolute masterpieces and he remains the greatest English writer (Dickens very close behind).

No, spot on.

In terms of the end effect, the stories are entertaining of course but due to being exposed to too much at school (in my belief) I have an instant dislike of the way they are written. I tried Branagh's Henry V and couldn't take more than ten minutes! Much the same when Sky Arts have plays from the Globe theatre - I find them a difficult watch.

 

[roman totale]

They’re all good, but King Lear or Taming of the Shrew are my favourites.
Best quote;
"I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams." from Hamlet.

 

[acton28.blog]

Mum’s the word
(a popular English idiom)

Used by William Shakespeare, in Henry VI, Part 2.

“Seal up your lips and give no words but mum.” – Henry VI, Part 2, Act 1, Scene 2
“Mum” is slang for momme. Momme means: be silent (or do not reveal). Old English: “mīma“. Latin: mimus (meaning silent actor/imitator).

It was used between 1350-1400 in Middle English.

“Thou mightest beter meten the myst on Malverne hulles; Then geten a mom of heore mouth til moneye weore schewed!” – Piers Plowman, William Langland

Found all that above quite interesting when I was writing a post for me Mum's birthday.​

 

[Fred_Quimby]

I have been watching National Theatre @ Home recently. Last night's play was A Midsummers Nights Dream. Not how Shakespeare envisaged but I am sure he would have been pleased. Absolutely brilliant. You can still watch it until next Thursday evening. Just search YouTube for National Theatre @ Home. You will not be disappointed.

 

[shemnel]

I do desire we may be better strangers