Year written: 1594 Context of the writing (Shakespeare’s career, political events it was responding to): - there’s a story, too good to be true, that Shakespeare was given two weeks to write a play about Falstaff in love. Given by who? Well, good queen Bess… Plot in a paragraph: Falstaff thinks he can con some... Continue Reading →
All’s Well That Ends Well (Bard to the Bone #08)
Year written: any time between 1598 and 1608!! Plot in a paragraph: Helen wants to marry Bertram, and cures a king to force matters to a head. Bertram flees to the wars, and is then tricked into consummating the marriage with Helen. And they’re all going to live happily ever after? Probably not… Things that... Continue Reading →
Measure for Measure (Bard to the Bone #07)
Year written: 1603-4 Context of the writing (Shakespeare’s career, political events it was responding to): xx Plot in a paragraph: The Good Duke goes on a trip, leaving Vienna in the hands of his deputy Angeo, who has a stick up his ass about “fornication”. A guy called Claudio is condemned to death for impregnating... Continue Reading →
Pericles – Bad Romance (Bard to the Bone #05)
Number 5 in my "bard to the bone" project. Year written: 1608 Context of the writing (Shakespeare’s career, political events it was responding to): The theatres were closed (Plague) and there was a “colourful” guy who had written a novel on Pericles. Bill wrote Acts 3 to 5 Plot in a paragraph: Pericles, a pince,... Continue Reading →
Cymbeline = imbecile-y (Bard to the Bone #04)
Yes, Cymbeline is an anagram of Imbecile-y. You can call it anagrammatical determinism if you like…. The play: Cymbeline Year written: 1609 or so Context of the writing (Shakespeare’s career, political events it was responding to): srsly, who cares? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cymbeline Plot in a paragraph: I’d need more than a paragraph. It’s a mess. Cymbeline is... Continue Reading →
Timon of Athens: Bard to the Bone #03
Third of the plays in my “Bard to the Bone” effort at familiarising myself with the rest of the 38 plays (I have good familiarity with three or four, so-so with some others, little with some and, er, zilch, with about half). Year written: 1606 Context of the writing (Shakespeare’s career, political events it was... Continue Reading →
Troilus and Cressida – wtaf? (Bard to the Bone #02)
Bard to the Bone explained here. The play: Troilus and Cressida Year written: 1602 Context of the writing (Shakespeare’s career, political events it was responding to): the forever war against the Irish was dragging on, and this is an “anti-war” play about the futility and banality of it all (causes, characters etc). Apparently you can... Continue Reading →
“You’ve got to be fucking Kyd-ing me: Titus Andronicus”
As part of my remedial accumulation of cultural capital, I'm reading the 21 plays outa 37 by Bill Shakespeare where I currently rate my knowledge at Zero. Read more here if you can be bothered (but WHY?). First up, Titus Andronicus. [Wikipedia] Year written: 1592? 1593? Context of the writing (Shakespeare’s career, political events it... Continue Reading →
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