Shakespeare was a dramatist of note: He lived by writing things to quote. —H. C. Brunner
“The course of true love never did run smooth.” A Midsummer Night’s Dream
“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.“ Julius Caesar
“Life’s but a walking shadow…“ Macbeth
“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players.“ As You Like It
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet.“ Romeo and Juliet
“We are such stuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with a sleep.“ The Tempest
“To be, or not to be, that is the question.” Hamlet
The above are just a smatch of quotes that are Shakespeare derived. Below is a mere sampling of the 1,700 words Shakespeare is credited for either inventing, introducing, or making common. Some words attributed to Shakespeare are contested by word source experts like Merriam Webster and Mental Floss, but we’ll let them work it out, so note the *.
According to the Folger Shakespeare website (and these folk know their Bard Bits and Facts), the following are not Shakespeare quotes:
1. “Expectation is the root of all heartache.”
2. “When I saw you, I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew.”
3. “All glory comes from daring to begin.” from Eugene Ware
4. “But for those who love, time is eternal.”
5. “Love me or hate me, both are in my favor…If you love me, I’ll always be in your heart…If you hate me, I’ll always be in your mind.” I really thought this was from Shakespeare—apparently Some EE Cards thought so too.
Any “aha” (not a Shakespeare word as far as I know) moments from the list?
Shakespeare’s stated politics are not overtly known; however, some ideas can be gathered from his plays with some sleuthing, and a small bit of supposition.
For instance, his thoughts on the ruling class come through as somewhat mocking in the Henry plays, with the heir apparent, Henry IV, carousing with rowdies and hanging out in taverns, while portraying King Lear as being irresponsible with his power by dividing it before he is done with the throne (and see where that got him). Then again, Henry and Lear did end up redeeming themselves, but at high cost: loss of friendship, loss of loved ones, and even loss of sanity.
image: folder.edu
Shakespeare also mocks hardened, pompous rulers evidenced in Richard III, Coriolanus, Hamlet, The Winter’s Tale, and even The Tempest. It’s true he does his fair share of mocking commoners, with Bottom as the poster boy of ridiculous in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Then, is he considered a proponent of politics or simply an observer of human nature?
During Shakespeare’s reign on the stage he served Queen Elizabeth I and King James. He came close to sharing a cell with the Essex instigators against the queen when they requested Richard II be played out for the deposition scene. The Bard escaped judgement. The Earl did not. Footnote: the 1597 version omitted the abdication scene.
Shakespeare knew not to bite the hand that paid him, which accounts why his portrayal of Henry VIII, Elizabeth’s father, is toned down. What he thought of King Henry privately did not necessarily make it to the stage, and the history books are mute on William’s opinions on the monarchs beyond his plays.
Several of his plays deal with seizing the crown or regicide, sometimes the two being combined. This could be interpreted two ways. One way is that Shakespeare is emphasizing how chaos erupts when the ruler is violently taken–see Julius Caesar. The second way could be postulating that he understood how his fellow common folk were sometimes tired of their rulers and it was time for a change. The stage allowed for historical reenactment with artistic license–give the paying crowd what they want.
It looks like Shakespeare played both sides by pleasing the monarchy (thus protecting his life), and pleasing the audience (thus protecting his income).
Sounds like Shakespeare could have run for office himself.
image: AZ quotes
Then again he was smart enough to use the stage to present his politics in the guise of entertainment, and aren’t the majority of politicians merely players?
I was fully aware of Shakespeare’s birthday last Saturday. In fact, I duly noted the event by checking out the Globe Theater’s production of Julius Caesar.
2015 version at the New Globe
I also noted that the library has added to its collection a variety of Shakespeare productions. A present of presentations.
In May my sophomore students will begin their unit in studying Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. My teaching approach is to include a bit of historical background in order for them to understand why:
a)Shakespeare wrote the play (Queen Elizabeth I had no named heir and the kingdom could be thrown into chaos) b)the main character dies in the third act (is Caesar the main character?)
Prior to the Globe’s 2015 production the only available version was Charlton Heston’s epic film where Jason Robards plays an overly stoic Brutus. Even I dreaded the Julius Caesar unit having to show this verson
Then along came the Globe’s filmed HD production. Whew! Students were able to experience watching the play as a live audience watched the play. Seeing the audience participation absolutely helps students in better understanding Shakespeare’s lines. Until the Globe’s production, it was difficult for students to understand that the tragedy of Julius Caesar was imbued with humor. My students realized that they could laugh even though tragedy was prevalent and Shakespeare intended his audience to laugh to break the tension. He knew how to sell tickets. His plays have plenty of the mainstays found in Elizabethan life: life/death, love/hate, food/sexual repartee and humor in the face of the tragic.
The Globe’s version has the traditional opening of Marcellus and Flavius chastising the plebeians for celebrating Julius Caesar’s triumph and the actors play up the punnery and rivalry between the classes quite well by interacting with the audience. Billy Bard would no doubt be pleased.
From the lively opening the play revolves around the conspiracy towards Caesar. And this Caesar has a bit of acerbic wit. He knows how to lance his speech with tone when presenting his lines.
This Caesar knows how to roll out the wit when needed
The usually dour Brutus even gets a laugh when reading the fake news that Cassius slips into his windowsill.
Nothing breaks the tension like a clog tapping poet when Cassius and Brutus are at odds while camped at Sardis.
What’s really noteworthy about this production is that the actors were Elizabethan garb under their togas. This provides more authenticity as they are dressed more in the style found in Shakespeare’s day.
Shakespeare didn’t make the IMDb “goofs” in his day, since IMDb wasn’t up and running during the Elizabethan era, but he certainly has his share of them scattered throughout his plays. Norrie Epstein routs out some of his gaff’s in her book The Friendly Shakespeare as does Mental Floss in one of their posts.
Julius Caesar Set in 45 BC, Act 2, Scene 1 states:
Brutus Peace! Count the clock.
Cassius The clock hath stricken three.
According to Mental Floss the first mechanical clock was was found in England in 1283, more than 1300 years after Caesar’s death.
Ding dong, the Bard got it wrong.
Titus Andronicus The Roman conqueror Titus Andronicus offers up the greeting of “bonjour”–or maybe Titus was multi-lingual.
Merci, let’s get our greeting right
King Lear Although the play supposedly takes place during the eighth century, Shakespeare adds in more modern bits by having Lear call for his tailor and Gloucester requesting his spectacles in order to read Edmund’s letter.
I can see clearly now, I need new clothes
Antony and Cleopatra In Act 2, Scene 5, Charmain is invited by Cleopatra to play billiards. Yes, billiards. The earliest recording of the game is around 15th century Europe. The game is postponed due to lack of interest and a sore arm, when in likelihood neither knew how to play the game since it hadn’t been invented yet. Their solution is go fishing, a pastime that goes way back into the past.
Cleo was a pool shark or not
Henry VI Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, so when Shakespeare mentions Niccolo Machiavelli who wrote The Prince in the 16th century, the obvious mention is showcasing Machiavelli’s influence or it could have been Shakespeare liked to drop the name of a popular author of the time.
Such a nice guy deserves a mention in the play
Troilus and Cressida Shakespeare’s love story during the Trojan War is at odds with the mention of Aristotle, born in 384 BC. In Act 2, Scene 2, Hector compares Paris and Troilus to the young men “whom Aristotle thought unfit to hear moral philosophy.” Unless there was an Aristotle available during Hector’s time, he had decent handle on wisdom from another time.
Hector is a philosopher as well as a warrior
A Midsummer Night’s Dream The Chinese are accredited with inventing gunpowder around 850 AD, which is ancient. However, Shakespeare set A Midsummer Night’s Dream in ancient Greece. In Act 3, Scene 2, Puck states how Bottom’s friends will run and flee, much like wild geese hearing “the gun’s report.” In other words, Bottom’s crew will vacate the area as if a gun had been fired. The Greeks were certainly talented, but no guns were about at that time.
Boom! Bottom gets his crew’s attention
Shakespeare’s “goofs” may or may not have been intentional. For all we know he decided to have a bit of fun and drop in contemporary aspects to spice up the play. In any case these anachronisms provide a “spot the oops” moment in the play.
When the Julius Caesar unit rolls around in sophomore English I ask what students know about the famous (or infamous) Roman. Their lack of knowledge is deplorable. Most think answering “salad creator” is going to win them points. It doesn’t. They are surprised, and some students think I’m joking when I trot out the fact the month of July is named or rather renamed for Julius Caesar.
ThisNot this
Originally July was known as Quintilis, which was Caesar’s birth month. Quintilis means “fifth month” in Latin and in the Roman calendar that is where this month found.
Caesar was a man of action. Gaul is one example. When he wasn’t conquering countries and people he set about improving Roman life. The calendar is an example. It did need attention. The early Roman calendar had a glitch. Once every two years a month lasting 27 or 28 days would be added after February 23 to help even out accrued time. Caesar straightened this out and today’s calendar is pretty much the one he formalized 2000 years ago.
Whether July was renamed as a tribute to his leadership or as a nod to inventing the calendar requires further Googling.
Happy July. Stay cool. Watch out for stray sparkler flickers. Hydrate and wear sunscreen.
I managed to go to school without any experience with Shakespeare (yeah, how did that happen?) I can easily relate to my student’s bewilderment when we begin our drama unit. Freshmen study Romeo and Juliet, sophomores experience Julius Caesar, juniors skip Shakespeare to study American Literature (The Crucible), and depending on the teacher, students have a range of selection from an overview of the comedies to a dive into tragedy with Merchant of Venice, Hamlet, or Macbeth.
I am usually prepared for groans from my sophomores when I announce we are studying Shakespeare. “Not again!” “We did him last year.” “Shakespeare is so boring.” Instead of coming up with excuses and defending our Wily Bard of Stratford, I agree with them. This gets me some interesting looks–most def.
I do agree with my students. Shakespeare can be boring, or at least his plays were until I got the hang of them. Watching, let alone reading the plays, was painful to endure, and I felt I could never get anywhere, no matter how hard I tried. Then again, learning how to ski was painful, and I wondered if I would ever get down the mountain without a initiating a yard sale. Hmm, I should use this analogy with my students since they have grown up with a mountain in their backyard.
Here are two thoughts on Shakespeare:
“I am more easily bored with Shakespeare, and have suffered more ghastly evenings with him, than with any dramatist I know.” Peter Brook, English theatre director
“We find Shakespeare boring because we’re lazy. We’re not willing to get through the language. That’s the only barrier. If a play is performed right by those who are properly trained, after about twenty minutes you won’t be aware of the language because the human story is so strong.” –David Suchet, actor
What are your experiences with Shakespeare? Bored, frustrated, from having to endure year after year of his plays in school? Perhaps initially bored, but then the story unfolds and the words are no longer a barrier and serve as a contribution to the experience? Or maybe you grew to appreciate him with time and experience?
One of my standout memories of teaching my favorite play, Hamlet–sorry, I do mention that often, don’t I?–is after we wrapped up the unit, one student, from my regular, not AP class, stayed behind. “You know I’m going to miss discussing Hamlet, I really got to like this play.” He grew thoughtful. “I can’t discuss Shakespeare with my father.”
I never discussed Shakespeare with my father either. But I sure discuss him with my own children when I get the chance. Shakespeare boring? Not for long. Hang in there, dig in your poles, don’t cross your ski tips, and you will enjoy the thrill of going from snowplow to slalom. That applies to skiing as well.
e) when a certain Roman emperor got the point he wasn’t as loved as he thought he was
Answers: c)true; d)true; e)true; a) and b) contenders, because one never knows
And bonus points for knowing e) is Julius Caesar and that the 15th are the Ides of March, the middle of March.
This is useful information for Trivia Night at the local pub. Truly.
Recently our school hosted this year’s Shakesperience play: Julius Caesar. Shakesperienceis a troupe of enthusiastic actors who travel to various schools and present 50 minute versions of a selected Shakespeare play. They are always innovative in approach. This is done out of necessity . For one, they have only six actors, which means playing multiple parts. They also have minimal staging, their main piece being a tiered rolling scaffold.
This year’s production was especially innovative in that Caesar was a woman and Calpurnia became husband Calpurnius. It worked well.
It was tricky presenting a assassination in a school culture where performing violence is challenging at best. Again, innovation took the lead. When the big moment arrived, each conspirator took a sheet of paper and created a weapon: fashioned brass knuckles, tightly rolled paper points equating knives. No blood, torn paper, a shower of confetti symbolized death.
During question and answer it was revealed the torn paper bits represented the tearing of a person’s life, how a person’s life is symbolized through paper: obituaries, text, etc. Ripping up the paper is shredding their life. Brilliant and school appropriate.
I always look forward to these yearly performances. Yet, every year it’s tough to gather an interest due to working around students who either can’t or don’t want to miss their class. District testing scheduled on that day doesn’t help either. Unfortunately providing opportunities for culture suffers the injuries incurred by the tyranny of the urgent set by educational must-do, like yet another test.
Hoping Shakespeare performed live is coming to a theatre near you, or better yet, to a school in your neighborhood.
Writing is what I do. I teach it. I read it. I aspire to it. I’ve tried all forms of writing: picture books, poetry, novels (middle readers, YA, adult), non-fiction (essays, informational, reviews), oh yeah–blogs. My latest foray into wordsmithing is plays. I gave up on screenplays since the format and competition didn’t work for me. Then I switched to stage plays. Oooh, I do very much like them. NaNoWriMo used to run Script Frenzy, a spring version of novel writing in a month that involved writing a play in 30 days. I tried it and definitely find a new niche.
Even though Script Frenzy retired, I got inspired. So far I have created a contemporary version of Julius Caesar and the school’s drama teacher showed interest in it, as did one of my students who called the role of Anthony. I’ll keep you posted of the world premiere. I also morphed Hamlet and Alice in Wonderland, mixing in a bit Wizard of Oz. It’s definitely a work in progress, as they say.
Since screenplays didn’t pan out for me, I am converting them into stageplays. I hope to dive into my languishing pile of manuscripts and toss them around in my Celtx program and see if they Presto! into plays.
Gosh! I love writing! There is such a variety and formats to try out and play with. It’s like dress up with words.
Any of you try out a new writing form with success?
Having recently plunked out my series list caused me to wonder about creating other lists. Yes, I am a confessed list maker. I have Post-It squares tacked all over the place of To-Dos, Epiphanies, Story Starts, Poem Parts, and Lesson Plan Pundits. The Cricket List will be an on-going project. Today’s offering is #4: Required reading in high school English. I encourage your suggestions:
The Cricket List:
1. Children’s authors and selected titles
2. YA authors and selected titles
3. Picture books
4. Required reading in high school English:
The Outsiders(teens haven’t changed too much in the thirty years this has been out)
The Miracle Worker (Helen Keller is a hero favorite and goes a long way in learning about overcoming adversity)
Pride and Prejudice (all man/woman hate-at-first sight movies stem from this gem)
Sherlock Holmes (the original, to understand why Robert Downey and Jude Law’s version is pure entertainment)
Frankenstein (a riveting read and shows the fallacy of Hollywood’s meddling)
The Ides of March have come and gone and so as the unit on Julius Caesar. Between Odysseus, Hamlet, and the Roman senate I feel I have been wading in testosterone for a month. Lots of wanderlust, stabbings, and confused emotions of doing the right thing. Next month it’s satire, heroes, and star-crossed lovers, which should provide a decent change up of scenery.
I learned my lesson about front loading Caesar a few years ago when I first started teaching the play to sophomores. I thought my students knew all about Julius Caesar. Wrong, so wrong. Roman history is not a featured item in most history books up to ninth grade, and it’s not much of a feature in high school at all–that is, unless students opt for World History as one of their electives, and even then not a lot of time is part on the Roman Empire. This is why there wasn’t much impact when the protagonist is bumped off by the second act. Why should my students care about the hero dying when they hardly know him?
Speed it up a few years, interject some marketing savvy, and Julius Caesar becomes a dynamic unit. My recipe for getting kids to care about Gaius Julius Caesar.
1. Show a Hollywood version of Caesar that is colorful, even though historical correct: baiting the hook
Jeremy Sisto plays a likable Caesar. I play the movie up to the point of where Caesar returns to Rome after Gaul, receiving the cheers of the Romans and the news that Pompey has fled, fearing for his life. This builds up intrigue and my students better understand what is going on when we began reading the play.
2. Fishing for interest: Assign parts, upping the reluctance with bonus reading points.
After writing the parts on the whiteboard I stand back and let my students sign up for who they want to read. Equal voice prevails in that it’s okay for guys to read female parts and vice versa. I’ve had some lovely deep-voiced Portias, and some commanding lighter-toned Cassius readers. Shakespeare would understand the need to pinch-hit.
3. We read up to the assassination. I used to include it as part of the agenda, yet my wanna be thespians somehow couldn’t do the death scene with proper dignity. I decided to give that over to the more experienced. There are a number of productions to choose from, although I keep with the tried and true John Gielgud version.
4. After each act we have class discussions about themes, issues, and notables. This is my favorite part, getting students to realize how history has shaped the world they live in. Events of a thousand years ago still echo down the corridors of their everyday life. We discuss ideas such as: Is murder ever valid? Do political leaders always act in the best interests of their country? Are beliefs worth dying for? These fifteen year old minds begin grasping the need to be informed and how being informed influences the vote they will cast in three years.
5. Once the play is packed up, the packet turned in, I reel in my students as we move on to the really fun stuff: Who was Caesar? I want my students to understand his far-reaching influence (beyond calendars, salads, and quippy quotes) and get to know the man and form their own opinion about him. I know Shakespeare had his reasons for not including Cleopatra in the play; however, Cleo cannot be ignored. So she gets showcased because she was a larger-than-life influence on Caesar:
I annoy my students with all kinds of move trivia: costs (1 million to Liz–a shocking amount; 44 million to make–equaling about 300 million today); tracheotomy scars (Liz almost died, you know); thousands of extras (pinch police to protect the ladies); real sets (CGI in ’63?). Grand stuff, indeed.
I also slip in a documentary with the idea that Hollywood and history don’t always see eye to eye on the truth.
The Sparknotes folk have done a really new cool thing by creating learning videos. This one was also helpful:
Then the assignment: Write an opinion essay on who you believe Caesar to be? Was he a megalomaniac who murdered for his own means? A philandering player who used women as stepping-stones to increased power? A frustrated tyrant? A genius strategist? A leader cut short in his prime? I guess the term is officially called synthesizing–gathering all the evidence and sifting it to form a valid opinion. Kind of like suffering through election year.
The play itself is not one of my favorites: “Hey, I’ll stab you, you stab me, will all die so nobly.” A little too gritty for my tastes. I do find a fascination in Caesar and I look forward to reading those essays.
In our district it’s mandated we have our objectives up on the board so that all may see what it is we are trying to get our students to learn. Mine for the Julius Caesar unit?
May my students learn from the experiences of the past in order to better apply the knowledge that is gained
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Jeremy Sisto plays a likable Caesar. I play the movie up to the point of where Caesar returns to Rome after Gaul, receiving the cheers of the Romans and the news that Pompey has fled, fearing for his life. This builds up intrigue and my students better understand what is going on when we began reading the play.
Pam Webb 