In honour of Her Majesty's 90th birthday, the Prince of Wales chose a selection from Shakespeare to commemorate the occasion. The passage was taken from Henry VIII and presented this morning on the BBC. The reading from act 5, scene 5 (edited) begins: “Let me speak, sir. For heaven now bids me; and the words... Continue Reading →
A Sonnet Upon Sonnets by Robert Burns
Fourteen, a sonneteer thy praises sings; What magic myst’ries in that number lie! Your hen hath fourteen eggs beneath her wings That fourteen chickens to the roost may fly. Fourteen full pounds the jockey’s stone must be; His age fourteen – a horse’s prime is past. Fourteen long hours too oft the Bard must fast;... Continue Reading →
Young Adult Titles Inspired by Shakespeare (taken from the TBPL Teen Tumbler) Romeo and Juliet
Inspired by Romeo & Juliet Fielder, Lisa. Romeo’s Ex: Rosaline’s Story Gabel, Claudia. Romeo & Juliet & Vampires Jay, Stacey. Juliet Immortal & Romeo Redeemed Marquardt, Marie. Dream Things True Selfors, Suzanne. Saving Juliet Serle, Rebecca. When You Were Mine Taub, Melinda. Still Star-Crossed Trout, Jenny. Such Sweet Sorrow
Shakespeare as Graphic Novels
Shakespeare continues to appear in new and usual ways and one of the newest formats is the appearance of traditional and manga style graphic novels, though the plays have appeared in illustrated editions for hundreds of years. Copies of the plays were illustrated in both adult and children's editions and proved particularly popular with the... Continue Reading →
Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare
Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: O, no! It is an ever-fix'd mark, That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wandering bark, Whose worth's unknown, although... Continue Reading →
William Shakespeare, Private Eye
In recent years numerous real historical figures have turned up as characters in works of fiction, and oddly are frequently solving mysteries. In the mysteries of Gyles Brandreth, Oscar Wilde is solving murders along with his friends Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and William Wordsworth's great-grandson Robert Sherard. Jane Austen stars in Stephanie Barron's mystery series,... Continue Reading →
The Mystery of William Shakespeare?
Beginning in the middle of the 19th century, questions on whether Shakespeare was actually the author of the works thought to be his, began to arise. His lack of a formal education, and humble family background, have contributed to questioning his genius. Since then over 80 possible candidates have been put forward as possible authors... Continue Reading →
Sonnet 18 as read by Tom Hiddleston
Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date: Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines, And often is his gold complexion dimm’d; And every fair from fair sometime declines,... Continue Reading →
Young Adult Titles Inspired by Shakespeare (taken from the TBPL Teen Tumbler) Assorted Plays
Inspired by The Tempest: Tempestuous by Kim Askew; Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston; Rough Magic by Caryl Mullin Inspired by the Taming of the Shrew: The Taming by Eric Walters & Teresa Totem Inspired by Twelfth Night: The Fool’s Girl by Celia Rees Inspired by Othello: Exposure by Mal Peet Inspired by King Lear:... Continue Reading →
Shakespeare in Prisons (SPN) and London Shakespeare Workout Prison Project (LSW)
Following the standard channel flip, I found a fascinating documentary about the use of Shakespeare in prisons as part of the rehabilitation programming for long term offenders. The documentary "Shakespeare Behind Bars" by Curt Tofteland, premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and has been screened by over 40 film festivals worldwide. The documentary has... Continue Reading →