Category: Shakespeare Plays

William Shakespeare is widely regarded as one of the most influential playwrights in history, and his plays have been performed and studied for centuries. From the timeless tragedy of Romeo and Juliet to the hilarious antics of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare’s plays continue to captivate audiences around the world. Whether you’re a fan of tragedy, comedy, or romance, there’s a Shakespeare play for everyone. So why not revisit these timeless classics and discover the magic of Shakespeare for yourself?

Browse the entire text of Shakespeare’s plays right here on Shakespeare Geek.

What Does Hamlet Symbolize?

~ duane ~ 7 Comments

Sometimes when I’m looking for content, I troll for homework questions. Today, I got this one: What does Hamlet symbolize?

I find questions like that odd. And, really, unanswerable.  I think Shakespeare wrote primarily to entertain.  I think that his stuff entertains more than the other guy because his stuff really digs in and gets at what it means to be a human, and he puts that out there on the stage. I don’t think Hamlet symbolizes indecision or consequences or thought versus action, I think that Shakespeare tells the story of what happens to a man who embodies those characteristics.

Does that make sense?  When I hear “symbolize” I think, “The author wants me to discover a deeper meaning here, something that I must interpret for myself because he’s not going to come out and tell me.”  I can’t imagine the groundlings doing their English homework and debating the symbolism.

Am I way off base?  Maybe the English teachers in the crowd can chime in.  What is the expected answer for a question like that?  Do we really think it’s what Shakespeare meant from the beginning, or are we really just asking for an answer that is mutually agreed upon by later generations? 

15 Greatest Shakespearean Excuses for All Occasions

~ duane ~ Leave a comment

Late for work? Forgot to pass in your assignment?  Blew off plans you had with friends?  Now and as always, Shakespeare’s got you covered…

Shakespearean Excuses for All Occasions

  • Flying back to Elsinore for my dad’s funeral, and my mom’s wedding. Don’t ask. Back in a few days.
  • Going to live in the forest dressed as a boy for a little while. Back when evil Duke Frederick has a ridiculously unlikely change of heart.
  • Got married last night! Didn’t tell my parents. Will explain everything when Romeo gets here.
  • My Dogberry ate my homework.
  • Had to disguise myself as a boy, it’s compl…what do you mean Rosalind already used that excuse?
  • I am so exhausted, I have gotten like zero sleep since my husband and I killed the king the other day.
  • Got in huge fight with my dad. Moving to France.  Getting married! Everything’s gonna work out ok. 
  • Shipwrecked on the way back from my cousin’s wedding. Enslaved by evil wizard. Totally met someone, though, so it’s all good.
  • Had to flee assassins that got my dad. Will return to Scotland in a few generations to reclaim the crown.
  • Need to go give a speech at Caesar’s funeral. Blah blah, good man, will be missed… these things always go the same way.
  • Off to England! It’s whole big accidentally-killed-my-girlfriends-father-thought-he-was-the-king thing. Long story.
  • Listen, so, I meet this girl at a party, right? Long story short, I kill her cousin, now I’m banished.
  • Weird rumor going around that I’m out to kill my father. Only one thing to do, go live in a hovel and pretend to be insane.
  • Spent the night in jail because the lady I work for didn’t like the color of my socks. I know, right?
  • Bit of a disagreement with my husband. My friend’s got this plan where I go into hiding for 16 years, convince him I’m a statue, and then yell “Boo!”. I think it sounds hysterical.

Geeklet Shakespeare Mashup

~ duane ~ 1 Comment

Apparently my 9yr old had some sort of free time at art class the other day and was flipping through a stencil book.  She found (and recognized!) stencils for a scroll: (click for the larger image)

So she remembered the names of 8 Shakespeare plays off the top of her head?  Not too bad, Geeklet.  Of course, she then informed me that she “didn’t do every single one, like Henry the First, Henry the Second…” Bonus points for working in “Globe Theatre” as well!

She also found a curtained theatre stage (which, truthfully, I’m not sure I would have recognized if I’d seen it in a book).  This is what she provided: (again, click for larger)

That is Hamlet, performing the famous “To be or not to be” soliloquoy….while holding Yorick’s skull.  Apparently as part of the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet.

I love it.

Allen Ginsberg, on Shakespeare

~ duane ~ 2 Comments

When I first saw this link go by I immediately thought “Allen Ginsberg on Shakespeare? So, what, like F___ Shakespeare?” 🙂

I am glad I clicked.  I don’t really know what this blog is or where the content came from, but it appears to be a transcription of Ginsberg giving some sort of lesson on The Tempest, and in particular the underlying Buddhist ideas. I’m trying to process it now.

One thought he leads with, which I think is a stretch but maybe I’m wrong – he starts with the idea that Caliban is in fact Prospero’s kid? Is that reflected in the text?  He then uses the treachery of Caliban to show a karmic circle for Prospero. But I’m not sure how much he’s reading in to that.

Look At All The Shakespeare Movies!

~ duane ~ Leave a comment

I’m normally on top of the new Shakespeare movies coming out, but this article about “rebooted Shakespeare” hints at a few I didn’t know about:

  • Anonymous. Enough said.
  • Coriolanus.  Yup.
  • Al Pacino’s King Lear?  Heard about it, didn’t know it was still going forward.
  • How about another Richard III (courtesy of Mr. Pacino
    ), entitled Pell Mell and set in the 1960’s?
  • Maybe Romeo and Juliet retold (what, again?) this time about a Jewish family versus an Italian family.  Wait…do Jews and Italians have an ancient grudge I didn’t know about?
  • Then there’s Rosaline, which we’ve mentioned.
  • Or Hamlet told from Ophelia’s point of view?  Insert joke here about that movie only being half as long as Hamlet, and getting really confusing at the end ;).

(Anybody needs me I’ll be off teaching Bardfilm‘s classes, because I’m apparently already doing half his job anyway so I might as well do the other half!  🙂  I kid, KJ.