Month: April 2011

So, when your kids are in pre-school you get lots of things sent home with them that they made for you. Sometimes it’s finger painting, sometimes it’s something glued to something else. Sometimes it’s just a cut up piece of paper that your young darling decided looked pretty, and he wanted to keep.

I got this.

Shakespeare was talking to Puck so he would know when Hamlet was born.

Now of course my 5yr old son did not write that – he dictated it to the teacher. Whether or not he did the purple decorations, I have no idea. (For those who may not be able to see the image, it is block lettering in what appears to be colored pencil the words “SHAKESPEARE WAS TALKING TO PUCK SO HE WOULD KNOW WHEN HAMLET WAS BORN.”)

I expect that this comes directly from his latest request of telling Shakespeare stories at night. But personally I think it’s very Neil Gaiman, very Sandman. It occurs to me, as I go hunting through the archives, that while I’ve read Gaiman’s Sandman books (at least the Shakespeare bits ;)) I never blogged about it. Will have to fix that. But, either way, I definitely get the vision of Shakespeare the playwright wandering through the forest, speaking with mischievous sprite Puck, while Puck feeds Shakespeare all his best ideas.

I love that I’ve created a world in my child’s brain in which Shakespeare, Puck and Hamlet can all live simultaneously.

If anybody ever corners me and asks for a Shakespeare trivia question I will say, “Who is Corambis?”
The answer is that this is the name Polonius is called by, in the Bad Quarto of Hamlet.
My question to you is, where does this name come from? If the Bad Quarto is supposed to be the one made up from the memories of actors who’d performed the play, how does one get Corambis from Polonius? It’s not even close. I note for comparison that Laertes is spelled Leartes – that makes sense. Likewise with Ofelia or even Gilderstone for Guildenstern. But this Corambis thing is out in left field.
Anybody know the history? Reason to believe that Polonius was in fact called by another name by Shakespeare himself at some point?
By the way, found text of the Bad Quarto over at Project Gutenberg. Who knew?

Enter a Messenger

How now! what news?

Messenger

Letters, my lord, from Hamlet:
This to your majesty; this to the queen.

KING CLAUDIUS

From Hamlet! who brought them?

Messenger

Sailors, my lord, they say; I saw them not:
They were given me by Claudio; he received them
Of him that brought them.

KING CLAUDIUS

Laertes, you shall hear them. Leave us.

Exit Messenger

Reads

So I was reading Hamlet Act 4 today and noticed something. The messenger brings letters, clearly stated one for the king and one for Gertrude. Claudius then reads about Hamlet’s return, he discusses the plan with Laertes, and then Gertrude arrrives to tell of Ophelia’s death.

Does Gertrude ever get her letter? What’s in it, do you think? Is any mention made of it again?

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Royal Shakespeare Company, a new set of Shakespeare stamps is being produced that showcases iconic images from their performances.

First up is David Tennant’s Hamlet, which will surely get all the love – but personally I’d like to see the 1976 Ian McKellen stamp from Romeo & Juliet, which they seem to have banished to airmail.

Anybody know if a list has been published that shows all of them? Ideally, with pictures? The linked article contains only a picture of the Tennant stamp.

UPDATED: I originally thought that this was a set of 50 stamps, that is apparently not correct. More details to follow.

UPDATED AGAIN : Look what I got! Thanks to Andrew Boyers from RoyalMailStamps for the goods!  Which is your favorite? I think I love them all.  I love the Lear quote, it goes great with the pose. And look at the hair on Sir Ian!

Want them for yourself?

Click for full size

I have no idea what I just watched. Sir Ian McKellen, reciting Sonnet 20, on a tv show called “Andy Warhol’s 15 Minutes” from MTV circa 1987 while a band called The Fleshtones jams out in the background.