So after my daughter told me that she wants to be able to read Midsummer in the original, my brain started working on which parts I could extract and use to teach her, since I don’t want her to approach it and feel that it is 100% over her head. “I know!” I thought, “It’s a great opportunity to teach poetry, and meter.”
I immediately think back to A Midsummer Night’s Lorax, a post I did comparing something that kids aren’t supposed to understand with something kids inherently understand.
“DUM, da DUM da DUM da DUM da,” plays itself out in my head, “IF we SHAdows HAVE ofFENded, DUM da DUM da DUM da DUM da, THINK but THIS and ALL is MENded…”
“Wait a second,” I think. “That’s not iambic pentameter. That’s only 8 beats, and the beats on the first part.”
ONE two THREE four FIVE six SEV’N eight
What the heck is that? I’m sure there’s an official name for it.
By the same token, I go back to “I know a bank where the wild thyme blows” and wonder what meter that’s written in…. is it me or does that line have nine syllables? WTF?

Where OXlips AND the NODding VIolet GROWS
Ok, the next line is iambic pentameter.
What happened?

I’m always fascinated when someone says, “This is what Shakespeare performance sounded like.” How do we really know?
Anyway, the topic’s come back around again this week because someone at the University of Kansas is staging Midsummer in original pronunciation, and it’s being dubbed “the first time in North America” that this has been the case. This is probably accurate, although it’s certainly been done elsewhere.
When I first blogged about this idea back in 2008 I said it sounded “A bit Scottish”, and I think that’s still accurate. (The ShakespearePost article linked at the time is no longer up, alas).
I wonder how much of the UKansas work is really just taken directly from David Crystal’s work? I mean, the man’s got an entire site dedicated to Pronouncing Shakespeare.
For the curious, pronunciation has come up a lot here on Geek over the years. Often with respect to John Barton, who knocks it out of the park in the Playing Shakespeare videos when asked to demonstrate for his students.

…and all the Shakespeare geeks are posting their favorite references. Here’s mine, albeit a quick and unexpected one:

This is from The Anniversary episode of Fawlty Towers. The good bit is right around the 4 minute mark where Basil, having apparently forgotten his anniversary, is guessing at what today’s date might signify.

Come on, you knew there was one!

Mr. Bieber, you see, grew up in Stratford. Though I’m loathe to say “grew up”, given that the boy’s barely into his teens.
England?
No, Ontario. But, they have a Shakespeare Festival!
Oh! Did young Justin act! What part did he play?
Well, no. He didn’t act. He’s more a singer, really.
Oh…well, then, what play did he sing in?
None.
Huh? So what role did he play in the festival?
None, really. But the festival brings in tourists, you see. Tourists who would see Mr. Bieber singing on the street corner.
So, the story really has absolutely nothing to do with Shakespeare?
Pretty much. Sorry, I wish the story’d been better. With the high young voice he probably could have had a shot at some of the female roles. If the festival casts that way, that is.