I Almost Missed Sonnet Day

I almost missed Sonnet Day.

May 20, the anniversary of the first publication of Shakespeare’s Sonnets by Thomas Thorpe in 1609. Over four centuries later, these 154 little poems still manage to capture the full range of human emotion—love, jealousy, beauty, time, mortality—and yet somehow, I nearly let the day slip by without notice.

We Should Celebrate Sonnet Day More

Sonnet 29

It’s easy to celebrate Sonnet Day — just recite a sonnet. Over the years I’ve seen a number of projects (including Sir Patrick Stewart, during the pandemic) recite all the sonnets. I’m way too much the introvert to ever pull off something like that.

The closest I ever came was at my wedding, where I “recited” Sonnet 17:

Who will believe my verse in time to come
If it were filled with your most high deserts?
Though yet, heaven knows, it is but as a tomb
4Which hides your life and shows not half your parts.
If I could write the beauty of your eyes
And in fresh numbers number all your graces,
The age to come would say “This poet lies;
8Such heavenly touches ne’er touched earthly faces.”
So should my papers, yellowed with their age,
Be scorned, like old men of less truth than tongue,
And your true rights be termed a poet’s rage
12And stretchèd meter of an antique song.
 But were some child of yours alive that time,
 You should live twice—in it and in my rhyme.

And by “recite” in this case I don’t mean “Stood up with a microphone in front of everybody,” I mean, “Whispered it in her ear during our first dance.” See earlier note about life as an introvert.

It’s funny, though — that was 25 years ago. Now, in the context of just talking about Shakespeare, I’ll knock out a sonnet at the drop of a hat. I don’t have that many of them memorized that I can do the whole thing, but I’m usually good for at least an 18 or a 29. I think that raising my kids on Shakespeare, literally singing Sonnet 18 to them for years, probably had something to do with that.

Singing it? Oh my, yes. David Gilmour’s rendition used to be my ringtone.

Truthfully, I hadn’t listened to that version in years. I’m glad I took the time to write this post and find it, I’ve got it playing in the background now and it’s quite the trip down memory lane.

Everybody knows 18, though, so when it comes time to get down and discuss favorites I head for 29. I do love a good sonnet set to music, so for something really different from the above enjoy Rufus Wainwright’s version:

Love love love it.

To wrap this post up, however, I think we’ll leave the last word to the living legend herself, Dame Judi Dench. On a recent episode of the Graham Norton Show, she pulled off an impromptu Sonnet 29 that still stops me in my tracks when I hear it. Seriously, you could dissect it in a classroom. The pause on “thee”. The way she says “lark”. Seriously, chills. Every time.

Happy Sonnet Day, everybody. Shakespeare makes life better.

Happy Shakespeare Day!

Is it that time again already? I think I’ve been celebrating Shakespeare’s Birthday almost as long as I’ve been celebrating my own children’s birthdays. Luckily, I don’t spend as much on gifts for him 🙂

Happy Shakespeare Day!

It’s going to be a quiet year for us. In past years, I’ve had days dedicated to Shakespeare, where I’ve done marathon posting or spent the day on social media. But, as long-time readers know, I’ve been out of work for 8 months and only recently started a new job! So, naturally, my focus is now (and has been, for the last few weeks) on that. I hope I’ll be forgiven.

That doesn’t mean I’ll let the day go unmarked, though. I’ve got a few ideas for posts. I’ll keep an eye on social media and stay as active as I can.

What’s everybody else doing? Who’s got big plans??

Juliet & Romeo Trailer! Let’s Watch.

I only just recently heard about this new Romeo and Juliet musical, which already seems weird for a couple of reasons. First, it’s being marketed around Rebel Wilson, who plays Lady Capulet. Fine, I guess, if she’s your biggest name. But Lady Capulet’s not exactly a major character in the original. I guess they’re going to change that. Second is that the tagline is, “Based on the real story that inspired Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet” I’m sure that sounds good to the marketing people, but really … does a modern audience have any idea what it means? Are the characters going to be named Montechi and Cappelletti? Of course not.

But enough about that – the trailer is here! Let’s watch and discuss.

For reference, here’s the IMDB page: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26597666/

Ok, First Thoughts

It’s obviously not doing original text, so right off the bat we have to go down the “modern adaptation” branch. I’m ok with that, as long as we get it out of the way. Other films have tried some weird “It’ll mostly be original text but we’ll just drop it and write our own when we want.” Don’t do that. Pick one.

It’s also a musical. Again, fine, I can work with that as long as it doesn’t have Baz Luhrman’s name attached. I appreciate the man’s work, but he already did Romeo + Juliet, and once you’ve seen a Luhrman musical you’ve kind of seen them all.

How’s The Shakespeare?

They seem to hit many of the plot points correctly — there’s a Paris character she doesn’t want to marry, some clear examples that the ancient grudge is still in full force, a speech by Lady Capulet about doing what the family needs her to do. There’s a masquerade ball, like productions like to do so much despite the fact that IT’S NOT A MASQUERADE BALL. Only Romeo and his friends wore masks. People seem to forget that.

I do see a Rosaline in the cast list, so they’re definitely going to take some liberties. Even though we see her name on the party guest list, it’s not like she has an appearance in the original. But she’s definitely got a reasonable speaking part to get a front page credit on IMDB. Similarly there are a whole host of new characters introduced — Vesante, Tommasso, Allegra. So there’s room for variety and new subplots.

Look At This Cast

As mentioned, Rebel Wilson is getting all the press as Lady Capulet so we know we’ll see a lot of her. But the rest of the cast has got some Shakespeare credit to their names:

Jason Isaacs – Hot off White Lotus Season 3 but better known as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies, Isaacs has certainly shown that he can hold his own in dark, intense roles. He’ll be our Lord Montague, and though in the original he doesn’t have much to work with (sometimes cut entirely), he’ll no doubt be counterpart to Lord Capulet this time.

Rupert Everett – Speaking of Lord Capulet, Everett has some more Shakespeare credit to his name. First in an uncredited role as Christopher Marlowe in Shakespeare in Love, Everett took on Oberon in Kevin Kline’s 1999 production of Midsummer. He also played the king in Stage Beauty, which is not a Shakespeare role specifically, but that’s very much a Shakespeare movie and highly recommended 🙂

Derek Jacobi – What can I say? Sir Derek has a dozen Shakespearean credits listed on IMDB alone, three of which are Romeo and Juleit. This time he’ll be playing the Friar. Say what you want about Jacobi’s feelings on the Oxfordian issue, the man’s got the Shakespeare cred and brings it to any production he’s in. I’m glad to see him here.

Definitely Going to See It

My expectations are set. I’m expecting more “Lion King” than “Hamlet”, but that’s ok, Lion King is still a classic movie all on its own. Let’s hope this one gets a whole new audience to appreciate the story of Romeo and Juliet, and maybe then we bring them back around to the original text.

Not Everything Is Shakespeare, White Lotus

This post is full of spoilers for White Lotus Season 3. You have been warned.

So Season 3 of the hit Max show White Lotus aired its finale this week, and everybody’s talking about how Shakespearean it was. I … didn’t see it. I mean, I saw the show, we were riveted to the show. But at no point did I think, “Oh look, I think that’s a Shakespeare reference.” And I mean come on, we *look* for stuff like that.

AI-generated white lotus

Just for something to work off of I’m going to use this article from USA Today which claimed that the finale featured “several plot lines mirroring Shakespearean tragedies,” and how “fingerprints of English playwright William Shakespeare are all over” it. You decide.

Not All Poison Is Romeo and Juliet

A family having a “run-in with poison” is not something that “could be seen as a callback to Romeo and Juliet.” Literally nothing lines up. Father can’t stand the idea of his family’s unhappiness when they learn he’s lost everything, so he tries (and fails) to poison them in a murder suicide situation. It’s like Romeo finding an alive Juliet and poisoning her because he can’t think of a way out of their situation. Not how the story goes. Father character also changes his mind and nobody dies, definitely not how Shakespeare’s version goes.

Nothing From Nothing Equals King Lear?

The show ends with the soundtrack song “Nothing from nothing leaves nothing,” which, of course, must be a deliberate King Lear reference, right? Does it matter that it’s set to a woman who has just come into possession of five million dollars seems to be sailing off to her happily ever after? Sure, she abandoned love (and any sense of moral code she may have had). But how, other than the words, does that say King Lear? Does literally anyone walk away from that play with even the illusion of a brighter future?

No One’s Father Died Before Hamlet

Lastly, we can talk about the one that seems to have the most claim to a Shakespeare connection. Rick is looking for revenge for his father’s murder. Foul and most unnatural murder? We never find out. There’s no brother/uncle. Rick knows who killed his father because his mother told him. Oh, and he’s indecisive about what his revenge will be. So … Hamlet?

While Hamlet carries out his revenge plot to fruition, he dies in a duel just like Rick, with both of them throwing away the love they had to avenge their father.

Uh, wow, hold on. Rick dies when he’s shot in the back, trying to flee the scene and save his girlfriend, who may or may not still be alive, I’m not sure we know for sure. How does either of them throw away the love they had? It’s not like Rick pulls Chelsea in front of him as a shield. Once he knows she’s done, in fact, he immediately stops shooting and tries to get her to safety. Hamlet, on the other hand … Ophelia’s dead and gone when he finally gets his chance for revenge. It’s actually his mother’s death that spurs him into action.

Rick and Ophelia end up in the water, which is supposed to mirror the famous Millais portrait of Ophelia. Visually, sure. Except it’s Hamlet/Rick who gets the visual shot, not Ophelia. And neither of them drowns, both of them had been shot. Rick’s still floating, so he’s hardly the case that the poor wretch was pulled to his muddy death by his heavy soaked garments.

Maybe It’s Me

Like I said, I normally watch tv with my “Shakespeare radar” turned up pretty high. When I saw the new Snow White movie I spotted some As You Like It parallels. But I understand what I’m looking at — just because *I* see it, doesn’t mean the creators intended it that way. If you reach far enough it’s easy to turn anything into Shakespeare.

Closing The Book On A Long, Sad Story

Did you hear the one about the stolen First Folio? It all begins, for us, back in 2008:

A Fourth Folio Tempest

https://www.shakespearegeek.com/2008/07/folioed-again.html

In short, a man shows up at the Folger Library holding a First Folio and says, paraphrased, “I found this, is it worth anything?” Being the quick thinkers that they are, the Folger people say, “Have a seat,” take the book gingerly to the back room, and confirm that it is in fact a volume that had been stolen some years before. Our man is promptly arrested.

https://www.shakespearegeek.com/2010/03/if-you-steal-first-folio-be.html/

A few years later, the case goes to court, and it turns out the guy’s nuts.

Mr Scott appeared at Newcastle Crown Court wearing green combat army fatigues held up by a Gucci belt, and a pair of black Dior sunglasses, presumably a tribute to Che Guevara, a hero of Cuba.

https://www.shakespearegeek.com/2010/06/hehehewrecked-it-burn-hi.html

Things took a turn when we discovered that, in an effort to “disguise” the stolen artifact, he wrecked it. Tore out pages, defaced others, and so on. All for nothing, other than to ruin a piece of history. I suggested we send him to jail and move on.

https://www.shakespearegeek.com/2010/08/eight-years-for-destroying-history.html

He got eight years. I wasn’t happy about it.

Unfortunately, and I do mean it when I say that, Mr. Scott killed himself. I may have been furious that he stole and defaced a priceless piece of history, but that doesn’t mean I thought he should die for it.

This brings us to our final (?) installment:

https://www.perspectivemedia.com/shakespeare-first-folio-back-on-show-27-years-after-it-was-stolen/

27 years later, the Folio is back on display at Durham University as part of an exhibition called “Shakespeare Recovered.” I hope this is a deliberate pun because I believe that Scott tore the cover off the original. The article has a number of pictures and all the details, so if some of those ancient blog links I included above no longer work, this one has all the information.

Let’s hope our treasure remains safely in its home for a long, long time.