Coriolanus reminds me of Timon of Athens in some ways. It has a lot to say about trust and the way we judge others. Of the whole play, the part that struck me the most is when the citizens begin to doubt Coriolanus. It was remarkable how quickly and easily they reversed their opinion of him. It seems to make…
Author: Finding the Bard
Pericles: On why bad things happen to good people
Throughout Pericles, I couldn’t help but think of Oedipus Rex. There are quite a few similarities, so it’s a slightly obvious connection, perhaps, but a fascinating one to me for one particular reason. In Pericles, we see bad things happen to good people and bad people. But in the end, everything works out quite conveniently for the good people—rather miraculously…
Two Gentlemen of Verona: Nostalgia and Objectivity
When I was something like fourteen years old, my grandmother gave me an old volume of the collected works of Shakespeare. I was very excited about this and was determined to make my way through it. At that point, I think the only plays of the Bard that I had read were Macbeth, Taming of the Shrew, and possibly Romeo…
Troilus and Cressida: The Influence of Medium
I decided to listen to an audio recording of Troilus and Cressida rather than read it. This has not worked out too well for me in the past, because my mind wanders and then I miss things and end up only paying half attention – especially when it’s work I’m not already familiar with, like this play. And that’s exactly what…
My Review of Titus Andronicus
No. Just, no. The End.
Hi! I was wondering what your favorite shakespeare scenes are? Also do you have any tips on performing a standalone scene?
Ooooh, I love this question! There are a number, but here are the ones that come pretty immediately to mind: Hal and Falstaff pretending to be Hal’s father, in Henry IV Part 1 Lady Macbeth washing her hands Not a scene, but Macbeth’s “tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” speech is possibly my favorite passage ever written Richard II’s return to…
Um…I’m…I’m pretty sure that Shakespeare won’t have any upcoming releases…
Cymbeline: Thoughts on a writer’s progression
Cymbeline is an interesting play, though I don’t entirely think I can describe its themes, or even its plot, very well. The thing that I kept thinking about pretty much through the whole thing was progression. This play seems to consistently be listed as one of the last plays Shakespeare wrote. This was interesting because part of it felt very…
Thoughts on Lady Macbeth’s journey in the play. Like what she wants at the beginning of the play, how this want develops over the course of the play, and where she ends up at the end of the play. Any textual analysis of her super-objective, needs, actions and resolutions. Description of her as a character? Like what you think she looks like? Sounds like? Her education level? Thank you
Thanks for the question! Lady Macbeth is one of my favorite characters in all of Shakespeare’s work (possibly all of literature?) and I think she’s absolutely fascinating. In terms of what she looked like and sounded like, it’s kind of fun to think about! She definitely would have a strong Scottish brogue, of course. I suppose in my mind, she’s…
What are some good, not overdone, monologues for auditioning for the roles of Phebe or Celia in As You Like It? Preferably pieces not from As You Like It? Thank you!!!
Hi, shakespearegirl. 🙂 First off, I should say that I am not an actor or director/producer, so I do not necessarily know which monologues may be overdone. So there’s that. And without knowing you or your acting style/personality, it’s a little difficult to recommend a monologue that would fit you. But… One that comes to mind is from Merry Wives…