Creepy Things in Shakespeare

'Sup guys,

Who is this, you are probably asking.  I know.  You have forgotten me.  That is fair and just.

But in recompense I bring you Halloween stuffs!  Is that quality or what? (Please don't say, 'or what')

Ahem.

We all know there are many creepy things in Shakespeare, but I prefer the more obscure ones - the side notes that get glazed over and just accepted out of hand, rather than the grander, "I'm baking your sons into a meat pie and you're going to eat it!" kind.  Although now that I say it aloud, that one sorta always wins.  So suck it, Game of Thrones! Shakespeare did it first!

Don't be proud of that, Khaki.

Okay anyway! I bring you two vurry creepy moments for your... enjoyment I guess.  Ugh. Weirdos.

1. Macbeth is full of little creepy asides - eye of newt and toe of frog - it's just a creepy, crawly play.  But the weirdest bit, for me, comes in Act 2 scene 4 when the men are discussing the unrest and unnatural state of Scotland.  The sun doesn't rise on time, an owl kills a falcon, and weirdest of all, Duncan's noble steeds turn wild on each other and became cannibalistic.  What in the world, you crazy horses? That is terribly creepy in my book.

ROSS

And Duncan's horses—a thing most strange and certain— 

Beauteous and swift, the minions of their race, 

Turn'd wild in nature, broke their stalls, flung out, 

Contending 'gainst obedience, as they would make 

War with mankind. 

OLD MAN 

'Tis said they eat each other. 

ROSS

They did so, to th' amazement of mine eyes.

2. Oh Titus Andronicus. You are a nasty play.  Much smaller perhaps, than baking someone's sons, but for some reason this one really sticks with me as horrid.  Aaron the Moore confesses to doing many terrible things, such as pitting friends against each other, raping maidens, setting barns on fire and telling the owners to put it out with their tears, and worst of all (just my opinion, mind you) admitting to digging up the bodies of the recently deceased and leaving them on their friend's doorsteps, with notes that basically say, "I am dead, how dare you be happy."

“Oft have I digg’d up dead men from their graves,

And set them upright at their dear friends’ doors,

Even when their sorrows almost were forgot;

And on their skins, as on the bark of trees,

Have with my knife carved in Roman letters,

‘Let not your sorrow die, though I am dead.’”

—  Aaron (Titus Andronicus, Act V scene i)

....Can we just.... wow.

Also, if you'd like another good Halloweenie play, I recommend Richard III. That is one slimy dude.  Murders children, woos women whose husband and father he killed. That'd do it!

Enjoy your October, erebody!

Moar Tumblr

Good day to you all!  I am back now (orly?) to share more tumblr posts with you.  Perhaps you are thinking that rather than follow a blog that's so spotty on updates, you'd rather just go to tumblr and subscribe to such things as these yourself.  Well FINE! I have no right to be butt hurt about that, but I cannot promise I won't be.

This is a bit dark. Maybe I shouldn't have lead it with.  NO! NO LOOKING BACK! So anyway, in case it was unclear, or you're unfamiliar with Hamlet (and yet still here?! I love you madly for that.), Horatio is the only person left alive at the end of this play.

These are both references to the same Inappropriate Audition Songs meme of people using songs that hit a little too close to home while auditioning for a certain part in a play.

Re-appropriation of the same quote from The Office

TRUTH.

I am just saying this list is legit.

Hugs and kisses, erebody!

Shakespeare and Tumblr Part 3

Hey-ho!

Today is a tumblr day again - do you love these?  I love these.  If you do, or don't, share your thoughts in the comments!  I plan to keep doing them, because I love sharing the relevancy of Shakespeare's plays.  There is something so enlightening about connecting with people and stories from over 400 years ago.

So let'd just do it!  I will provide explanations where I fear there may be a disconnect.  If I am mistaken and there is no disconnect and you are way smarter than that, then my B, yo.

Butthurt

That Escalated Quickly  

I cam out here to have a good time and I'm honestly feeling so attacked right now

Bitch I might

15 Minutes Late with Starbucks

Do it for the Vine

Doge meme

I hope you enjoyed thoses!  My favorite is by far the first one about Ophelia - "Does she have a boyfriend?" "Not a good one."  Ah, I laughed pretty hard at that.

Anyway, until next week, friends!

I am not ashamed. Or should I say ABshamed! ...That was bad.

Guess what everyone!

Shirtless Shakespeare is an awesome thing that happened.  Thank you, electricalice.tumblr.com and amarguerite.tumblr.com for allowing us to live in a world where these exist.

Pretty sure my shame gland is broken, and that is why I am sharing this.  In other news, Thursday is my graduation ceremony, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to post something or not.  I certainly hope so!  But we'll see how busy it gets.   In other words, yes, there is a strong chance that this is what I am leaving you with for a whole week.

I will endeavor to be more scholarly next time maybe.

You have to call me 'Master' now, right?

Hey everyone!  I must apologize to my MILLIONS of followers for the lack of updates this past week.  I was on vacation!  I was in Hot-lanta and hear you me, it was a blast.

In even more awesomer news (what?) I defended my thesis today!  Yes, you heard right.  This humble blog is totes legit now as it is now officially written by a MASTER OF ARTS.  You may applaud for as long as you like.

What was my capstone about?  I'm so glad you asked! It's titled,

 The Body-Politic in Pieces:

Reflections of the English Succession Crisis through Disjointed Body Parts 

in Titus Andronicus, Othello, and King Lear

The basic idea is that Elizabeth’s death, the uncertainty around her succession, and the fears surrounding James’ ability to rule England inform Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus, Othello and King Lear. Shakespeare comments on this political climate through the specific examples of body parts betraying themselves – depicting the state of chaos in his tragedies as a corporeal disquiet.

Suuper impressive, right? Yeah, maybe.  I've been awake since 6:00 am with nerves, and then I used up all of my smarts in one intense half hour.  What a rush!

Anyway, fun highlight from Hot-lanta, I found this great magazine with a big article on the front called "The Body-Politic" and got really excited.  Turns out the article is about strippers, so.... that happened.  

But on page four, there was another article about the Ferguson riots and the title was, "More than Sound and Fury," which, as we've discussed here, is a Shakespeare reference from Macbeth!  How thrilling, to find a body-politic reference AND a Shakespeare reference in the same paper.  Boom, my thesis is confirmed.

Okay, okay, they are completely uncorrelated, of course, but how about shut up I am a MASTER so let's not talk about that.

Shakespeare and Pop Culture

Okay so,

I am a day late (!!!!), which is not really like me.  But in my defense, I audibly gasped and nearly dropped my plate of dinner last night when I realized I hadn't actually posted this yet.  Thank GOODNESS there was no one there to rush over and say, "OH MY HEAVENS, WHAT'S WRONG?!" Because "I forgot to post in my Shakespeare blog today" would have been met with... sarcasm. Yeah, let's go with sarcasm.

So my profoundest of apologies, dearest readers, as I know you await these posts with avid anticipation.

Let's continue, shall we?

This is another tumblr post, where I share gems of funny Shakespeare conversations I've found on tumblr.  I  get so excited when I see Shakespeare referenced in pop culture today, especially with regard to new memes or sayings that are popular.

And as a pretext, I want to say that I know that humor is much like a frog: you can dissect it, but it will die in the process.  With that in mind, I don't want to belabor where these references come from, but I do want to provide some context for two hella important reasons:

1. Maybe not everyone spends as much time on the internet as me and doesn't get them.
2. In 3 years, there's a strong chance that I won't even remember what these jokes were referrencing.
3. In scholarly work (such as this blog), it's important to provide context and clarity.
4. For your very own pop culture edification?

That looks like four reasons.  Turns out I can't count.

Anyway, if you get them, cool.  Ignore the little explanation link.  If not, then you're welcome maybe?

Okay, I'm going to stop pre-apologizing/excusing what I do on this blog and just get on with it.

Yeah.

From Pitbull and Ke$ha's song, "It's going down"

"I came out to have a good time and I'm honestly feeling so attacked right now" meme.

"You had one job" meme.

TV show "30 Rock" episode and ongoing joke.

"Bitch I might be" meme.

Hope you enjoyed!  I just love it when the youths talk about Shakespeare!

Shakespeare's Ladies Coulda Used a Sassy Gay Friend

Good dawning, sweet reader!

As you may or may not have noticed, I've reverted to Monday-Thursday updating.  Things are a little hectic right now and I need a teeny bit of a buffer.  So there.  I'm sure I'll go back to MWF as soon as things slow down in my work, personal and scholarly life.  But until then, I must regrettably offer you less Shakespeare than you have become accustomed to of late.  My deepest and most sincerest apologies.

Enough of that, let's go back to Shakespeare!

In case no one has shared this with you before, let me be the first.  The Second City Network on YouTube came out with a series of Sassy Gay Friend videos for a multitude of famous women, including a number of Shakespeare's heroines.  "This could have been prevented if she had a sassy gay friend."  Do enjoy.

Juliet, of Romeo & Juliet

Ophelia of Hamlet

Desdemona of Othello

Lady Macbeth from Macbeth

Honestly, it starts getting weird when they suddenly got sponsored by Mio, but I still dig it.  Hope you did too! 

Until next time, dudes.

That's Shakespeare? Who Knew...

Happy Monday, everyone!

Let's talk about Shakespeare some more. (que sorpresa!)  More accurately, let's talk about all the things in this world that are references to Shakespeare that maybe you didn't know about!  Yes, these are the things that keep me up at night; fretting over whether or not people are fully comprehending all the of references that are out there.  They are like movie Easter Eggs, but in our society!

So let's start with 3 things that come from Shakespeare that you (possibly) didn't know:

The Sound and the Fury

Do you remember that book you had to read in high school/college by William Faulkner?  Well, he got the title from the play, Macbeth.  It's one of the most devastatingly beautiful and existential soliloquies there is, in my humble opinion.  Macbeth has just learned that his wife has killed herself, and he says,

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,

To the last syllable of recorded time;

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.

Macbeth Act V, scene V, 19–28 

Sometimes when I read it, I think it's the most loving thing he could have said - such sadness at the state of the world, the emptiness of it all.  Anyway, Faulkner took it and ran with it.  And I don't know if you noticed, but his book has that same eerie tone, of a life devoid of meaning and purpose.

"What Dreams May Come" 

This was a lovely Robin William movie based off a novel of the same name by Richard Matheson.  After dying in a car crash a man searches the afterlife for his wife.  The title is derived from Hamlet's famous "To be or not to be" speech on death and what comes after.  Below is the segment:

To die, to sleep,

To sleep, perchance to Dream; Aye, there's the rub,

For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come,

When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, (hey, that part's my blog name!)

Must give us pause. There's the respect

That makes Calamity of so long life:

Hamlet, Act III, Scene i, 1757-62

Sting's Album, "Nothing Like the Sun"

Sting is actually quite the Shakespeare fan, and the inspiration came to him when a drunk man said to him "How beautiful is the moon?" and he replied, "Nothing like the sun."  It comes from my favorite sonnet, number 130.

My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips’ red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.
     And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
     As any she belied with false compare.

Beautiful, right?  See, what he's doing here is taking a popular genre of poetry in his day (a blason) that enlisted the practice of praising a woman by singling out different parts of her body and pairing them with metaphors for compare.  e.g. your eyes are like two stars, your hair is like rows of golden wheat, etc.  But he's turning it on its head and saying pah! I am better than all the poets and all the writers in all the world.

Perhaps I'm paraphrasing.

Anywhoo, stay tuned for more things you didn't know were originally Shakespeare's.  Thanks, public domain!

Shake & Tumble

Greeting, travelers!

No time for a real post today... but I hope some of these gems from tumblr will make up for it.  I swear, tumblr is the weirdest, bestest place.