http://shakespeare.about.com/b/2009/08/19/exhumation-stopped.htm If you missed the original story, let me recap:  there’s this gentleman named Fulke Greville who some believe has an Authorship claim, to Anthony and Cleopatra if not other plays.  It’s been discovered through some sort of x-ray process that there are a bunch of boxes in his tomb (which he designed himself, by the way) and now people are all a-tizzy about the possibility that an actual manuscript might be in there.  So, natch, they want to dig him up. Not so fast! The Diocesan Advisory Committee says there’s not enough evidence to merit desecration of the tomb. I’m sure that’s not the end of it.   I have to admit to being a little intrigued.  Say we did find a manuscript in there, which question exactly would it answer?  It would be our first original manuscript of Shakespeare’s… but wouldn’t it also simultaneously prove that Shakespeare wasn’t the author?

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/32064 Mental Floss gives us 10 people who were less than impressed with Mr. Shakespeare, including some of the more well known ones like Voltaire, who called the works “an enormous dunghill”, and Darwin’s “so intolerably dull that is nauseated me” comment, which I refuted a few months ago. But then it completely skips what I thought was one of the most well known, namely when T.S. Eliot refers to Hamlet as “certainly an artistic failure.”

Long time reader Angela Sauer sent me this piece she wrote in college, a letter from Lady Macbeth to her very busy husband.  Funny stuff!  Count the references :).  I particularly liked the “stop by the butcher’s (if he’s not dead)” line.

LADY MACBETH’S LETTER TO MACBETH By Angela Sauer 10/01/05 My husband? Don’t forget we’re hosting that family dinner of mine tonight. I know you’ve had some problems with my weird sisters in the past, but hopefully they won’t cause too many problems in the future. Consider it not so deeply! Just sit down in the nearest vacant seat and try to act naturally. Be welcome in your eye, your hand, your tongue. Try not to make any dirty jokes. Would it hurt you to be stoic a skotch? Don’t talk about your snake too much (although I do appreciate that you’re not afraid to be the same in act and valor as though art in desire. To bed, to bed! *wink, wink*). I’m sure we’ll be fine. After all, it’s only dinner… what’s the worst that could happen? And do NOT start in about me being drunk the last time we had company. I only participated in 3 rounds of wine and wassail. I know you think I was being a little flirty with my crazy brother-in-law Paul, but I swear I wasn’t smashed along with the rest of my family (certainly not as inebriated as cousin Hope!). It’s just… what hath made them drunk hath made me bold! (Speaking of Hope, remember that hideous pale green tunic she was wearing? I wonder… Do you think she was drunk when she dressed herself?) I’m trying to get dinner ready before our guests get here and I need a few things. It would be kind of you to stop at the butcher’s (or is he dead?) on your trip home for some haggis and maybe a nice turkey (you’ll have to carve it, of course, as I’m terrible with that sort of thing… I swear, it’s as if my knife sees not the wound it makes!). Hit the bakery to get some fresh round rolls (I know how you’ve been craving the golden rounds, my love) and vanilla cream tarts for Paul (he’s on this crazy diet where he can only eat blanched foods. I don’t know about you, but I shame to have a tart so white!). Lastly, we’re out of beverages. Stop at the market to take home some milk, as that would be the nearest way (and I could use the whey). If you’d rather get juice or pop, then you can just take my milk for Paul. Speaking of family, have you seen our children? I can’t seem to find them anywhere… Those kids are so frustrating that I swear I’m about ready to dash their brains out! I think I heard one of them cry ‘murder’ in his sleep last night (maybe we should take that painting of the devil out of his room…), but it might have just been one of those disturbing dreams I’ve been having lately. I have been meaning to tell you about them, but it seems like you’re never in bed when I wake up. This insomnia of yours is unnatural. We had that strong sedative in the house, but I seem to have dispensed all of it the last time we had company spend the night. I think I’m going to take you to this great English doctor I know. He seems to want to talk about sleep a great deal. Maybe he can help you out. I just noticed how dirty my hands are from this afternoon. I should really stop playing rugby and pick up some quieter sport like cricket, but I like how violent and manly it makes me feel. The downside, of course, is that it seems like I’ve managed to get blood on ALL my clothes! I’ll have to do a lot of laundry later, and pray that I can get those damned spots out! (Maybe Hope can help me) I know that everything will go off without a hitch tonight. Don’t worry about anything. You just show up, and leave all the rest to me.
"’Cause I’m your lady
And you are my man
Whenever you reach for me
I’ll do all that I can" I’d better go. I think someone’s knocking at the south entry. (We should really discuss doing away with the doorman. He’s always drunk, he never lets anyone in, and he keeps talking as though the devil is around. What, in OUR HOUSE?)
Your dearest chuck,
Lady
P.S. That Celine Dion reference reminds me… I seem to have misplaced my nice new ‘Heart of the Ocean’-sized diamond, and I really wanted to wear it to show off to the family. You’ll have to ask Duncan for another to replace it. Oh… damn… Well, maybe he gave some extras to Banquo and you can… Wait… damn. Hmm… Oh! The Thane of Fife has a wife! I suppose I can talk to Lady Macduff about borrowing… No… DAMN! Ah well… What’s done is done. Or rather, what’s done cannot be undone. HARK – More knocking. We will discuss it further… tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.

http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/international/2009/August/Tomb-May-Hold-Answer-to-How-Much-Shakespeare-Actually-Wrote.html I’ve never heard the name Fulke Greville, so I’m not sure how much of a contender for Authorship he really is.  However, this intrigues me:

Some of the writings of Greville, a “distant ancestor” of the historian A.W.L. Saunders, have suggested to Saunders that there are manuscripts contained in the tomb; a radar scan of the tomb shows “three ‘box like’ shapes,” according to the Telegraph’s David Harrison. The manuscripts would still be intact if they had been encased in lead boxes, which was a common practice at the time.

People have always said “Until we find some actual manuscripts we’ll just never know” about many things.  I suppose it’s still possible that there really are some out there, and it’s fascinating to think about. UPDATE: Much better link here talks more about who this Greville person is, but also pads pretty heavily throwing in bits about Shakespeare’s will and the whole “second best bed” thing which seems to have no relation to the story at all. I also had to read the “This will keep the Shakespeare industry going for years” quote a few times before I realized she was talking specifically about “we’ll be analyzing any new findings for years.”  I thought that 400 years in, the Shakespeare industry is doing pretty well on its own, thank you! 😉

I wish I had this on video, but yesterday while on vacation my children (and their cousin), 7, 5, and two 3 yr olds “put on a show”.  I was probably the only one there who fully appreciated the similarity as they all stood up by the garden shed, ready to perform and the came out for introductions.  My 5yr old daughter played the role of Chorus/Quince to introduce the players, including my overacting 7yr old who could easily have passed for Bottom.   I did shout “O for a Muse of Fire!” but nobody got it 🙂 The introductions even included my 3yr old son “as the Monster”, and right on cue he came out, roared, and went back.  “Well roared, Monster!” I called. I have to show them Dream, if only that final scene, to see if they get it.  I think it’d be hysterical.