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Yearly Archives: 2011
More about Shakespeare and the King James bible
You can’t have missed the fact that 2011 marks the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Bible. Many of the events and articles celebrating this milestone have made the connection with Shakespeare as the KJ Bible was … Continue reading
Posted in Legacy, Shakespeare's World, Stratford-upon-Avon
Tagged Authorized Version, David Edgar, First Folio, Folger Shakespeare Library, King James Bible, Manifold Greatness, Royal Shakespeare Company, Tyndale, Written on the Heart
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Michael Sheen’s Hamlet and the vision of Philip K Dick
In my last post I mentioned that Michael Sheen was talking on the radio about the life of the science fiction writer Philip K Dick who inspired his Hamlet. The broadcast will be repeated on Friday 9 December at 11pm, and … Continue reading
Posted in Legacy, Plays and Poems, Shakespeare on Stage
Tagged Hamlet, Michael Sheen, Philip K Dick, Shakespeare, Young Vic
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Is Hamlet a callous, egocentric villain?
According to author John Updike, “Hamlet is in fact the callous, egocentric villain of Hamlet”. This view was recently quoted in a posting on the Shakespeare Bulletin board SHAKSPER. That’s quite a condemnation of probably the most famous of all … Continue reading
Michael Sheen’s Hamlet: driving out the feminine side
For centuries, critics have noted Hamlet’s effeminacy: his inability to act decisively, that description as a “delicate and tender prince”. In the eighteenth century the great actor David Garrick was criticised for “giving a kind of feminine sorrow” to his … Continue reading
Posted in Plays and Poems, Shakespeare on Stage
Tagged feminine, Hamlet, Ian Rickson, madness, Michael Sheen, psychiatry, Richard Eyre, Shakespeare, Tony Howard, women, Young Vic
2 Comments
Still harping on First Folios with Eric Rasmussen
Not many books in themselves become the focus of other people’s work, but the 1623 edition of Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories and Tragedies, commonly known as the First Folio, is no ordinary book. Professor Eric Rasmussen has just paid a flying … Continue reading
What can doctors learn from Shakespeare?
It’s long been acknowledged that Shakespeare took a great interest in medicine and psychology, and this week the BBC picked up a new article written by Dr Kenneth Heaton indicating that doctors might do well to study Shakespeare to improve … Continue reading
Posted in Plays and Poems, Shakespeare's World
Tagged doctor, illness, John Hall, Macbeth, medicine, psychology, Shakespeare, sleep
3 Comments
Celebrating Shakespeare as a symbol of Britishness
In a recent survey, William Shakespeare came out top when people were asked to choose which symbol of Britishness they were most proud of. The Demos thinktank’s report A Place for Pride found that 75% of people agreed that “I … Continue reading
The mysterious Passionate Pilgrim and Shakespeare
I’ve been spending some time just recently re-reading James Shapiro’s great book 1599, which I strongly recommend if you haven’t already read it. It focuses on a single year, decisive in Shakespeare’s creative life as well being as the year … Continue reading
Posted in Plays and Poems, Shakespeare's World
Tagged 1599, Adam G Hooks, James Shapiro, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare, Sonnets, The Passionate Pilgrim
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Shakespeare and the first actresses
The National Portrait Gallery in London’s new exhibition celebrates the careers of the earliest English professional actresses. Entitled The First Actresses: Nell Gwynn to Sarah Siddons it neatly documents womens’ increasing respectability in the world of the theatre. In Shakespeare’s … Continue reading
Posted in Shakespeare on Stage, Shakespeare's World
Tagged actresses, Antony and Cleopatra, As You Like it, Cleopatra, exhibition, Juliet, National Portrait Gallery, Rosalind, Shakespeare, women
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Facts, fiction and Shakespeare’s view of history
It’s always claimed that Shakespeare must have been fascinated by British history because he wrote so many plays about it. I make the play count thirteen. But was this fascination with the history itself, or did he see it as … Continue reading
Posted in Legacy, Plays and Poems, Shakespeare's World
Tagged Alison Weir, Boris Johnson, fact, Falstaff, Fiction, Henry IV, Henry V, history, Holinshed, King John, Shakespeare, story
5 Comments