Brush Up Your Shakespeare?
Last Friday (March 15th) a fellow alumna of Mary Datchelor Girls School put up a photo on the Old Girls' Facebook page: a bottle of Kraft Classic Caesar salad dressing speared by a kitchen knife. The comments came thick and fast: “I referred to it being the Ides of March at work yesterday, and had to explain it to a load of blank faces ...” “At dinner with some Portuguese friends I made the mistake of referring to the Ides of March ... wished I'd never mentioned it!” “Et tu, Brute?” etc ...
There followed a long, nostalgic thread about the various Shakespeare plays we Grammar School gals were required to study as part of the 1960s/70s curriculum – Midsummer Night's Dream in First Year, followed by Twelfth Night, Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, Coriolanus, King Lear, and for some of the older generation, Henry IV Part 1 – all of which featured in our annual Shakespeare Festival, produced by Head of Drama, theatrical impresario and all-round diva Miss Cronin. Memories of 'Julius Caesar' featured heavily: "I remember this scene where we were all supposed to 'flee' and nobody moved ... Miss Cronin said 'You're supposed to bloody flee!' First time I'd heard a teacher swear!" "I remember during a particularly strenuous 'Hail Caesar!' my Mum's brooch holding my toga together failed me!" "I got a fit of the giggles playing Caesar's corpse …"
We reminisced about school trips to the theatre ("Do you remember Diana Rigg as Lady Macbeth at the Old Vic?") and film viewings ("Who remembers the Zefirelli Romeo & Juliet with Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting? Lots of 16 year old girls sobbing their hearts out …") - not to mention, of course, the dreaded 'O' and 'A' Level exams, quotes memorised, themes analysed, characters criticised ... all of which resulted in us leaving school with quite an impressive (and seemingly indelible) memory bank of Shakespeare quotes.
Has this been an advantage to us in later life? Well, those of us who went on to become English teachers/professors, actresses/producers, journalists or, ahem, writers will obviously answer in the affirmative. But with the Bard being studied less and less in state schools nowadays (I'm sure my own daughters only did Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth), and modern-day language adaptations such as the BBC's 2005 'Shakespeare Re-Told' series doing away with the need to get to grips with iambic pentameter, do we really still need to 'brush up our Shakespeare' as Cole Porter so tunefully advised?
Well, it'd be a shame not to, in my opinion. The four modern interpretations presented in 'Shakespeare Re-Told' had some very witty moments (Macbeth's 'Birnam Wood to Dunsinane' riddle was reinterpreted as the assurance "Pigs'll fly before you go down!" followed by the sound of police choppers whirring overhead) but I still don't think they were a patch on the originals. The 2001 modern language version of 'Othello' starring Keely Hawes and Eamonn Walker did a good job of highlighting racism in high office and felt very relevant, but there was no heartbreakingly succinct "Put out the light, and then put out the light", no eloquent self analysis by "one not easily jealous, but being wrought, perplexed in the extreme …" The 2018 modern-dress King Lear starring Anthony Hopkins preserved the original language, but was so radically pruned and shortened as to lose the psychological integrity of the plot, leaving Mr B (whose Shakespeare education is non-existent) both baffled and incredulous - though he'd thoroughly enjoyed the 'Hollow Crown' series of historical plays, performed in period costume and original language.
Like Jane Austen's novels, Shakespeare's plays are so deeply rooted in human nature and psychological insight that they can, if well acted, easily engage a modern audience without updating the language. And apart from all that, it's quite cathartic to intone "Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!" in moments of challenge, threaten to "do such things - what they are yet I know not, but they shall be the terrors of the earth", mutter "Out, damned spot!" at a stubborn stain, or step on the scales mouthing "Oh that this too, too solid flesh would melt …"
PS: For those who do like a bit of 'Shakespeare with a twist', I can thoroughly recommend No Holds Bard: Modern LGBTQ+ fiction inspired by the works of William Shakespeare featuring a variety of writers with in-depth knowledge of the plays - including fellow Goodreads authors Julie Bozza and Bryn Hammond.
There followed a long, nostalgic thread about the various Shakespeare plays we Grammar School gals were required to study as part of the 1960s/70s curriculum – Midsummer Night's Dream in First Year, followed by Twelfth Night, Merchant of Venice, The Tempest, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, Coriolanus, King Lear, and for some of the older generation, Henry IV Part 1 – all of which featured in our annual Shakespeare Festival, produced by Head of Drama, theatrical impresario and all-round diva Miss Cronin. Memories of 'Julius Caesar' featured heavily: "I remember this scene where we were all supposed to 'flee' and nobody moved ... Miss Cronin said 'You're supposed to bloody flee!' First time I'd heard a teacher swear!" "I remember during a particularly strenuous 'Hail Caesar!' my Mum's brooch holding my toga together failed me!" "I got a fit of the giggles playing Caesar's corpse …"
We reminisced about school trips to the theatre ("Do you remember Diana Rigg as Lady Macbeth at the Old Vic?") and film viewings ("Who remembers the Zefirelli Romeo & Juliet with Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting? Lots of 16 year old girls sobbing their hearts out …") - not to mention, of course, the dreaded 'O' and 'A' Level exams, quotes memorised, themes analysed, characters criticised ... all of which resulted in us leaving school with quite an impressive (and seemingly indelible) memory bank of Shakespeare quotes.
Has this been an advantage to us in later life? Well, those of us who went on to become English teachers/professors, actresses/producers, journalists or, ahem, writers will obviously answer in the affirmative. But with the Bard being studied less and less in state schools nowadays (I'm sure my own daughters only did Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth), and modern-day language adaptations such as the BBC's 2005 'Shakespeare Re-Told' series doing away with the need to get to grips with iambic pentameter, do we really still need to 'brush up our Shakespeare' as Cole Porter so tunefully advised?
Well, it'd be a shame not to, in my opinion. The four modern interpretations presented in 'Shakespeare Re-Told' had some very witty moments (Macbeth's 'Birnam Wood to Dunsinane' riddle was reinterpreted as the assurance "Pigs'll fly before you go down!" followed by the sound of police choppers whirring overhead) but I still don't think they were a patch on the originals. The 2001 modern language version of 'Othello' starring Keely Hawes and Eamonn Walker did a good job of highlighting racism in high office and felt very relevant, but there was no heartbreakingly succinct "Put out the light, and then put out the light", no eloquent self analysis by "one not easily jealous, but being wrought, perplexed in the extreme …" The 2018 modern-dress King Lear starring Anthony Hopkins preserved the original language, but was so radically pruned and shortened as to lose the psychological integrity of the plot, leaving Mr B (whose Shakespeare education is non-existent) both baffled and incredulous - though he'd thoroughly enjoyed the 'Hollow Crown' series of historical plays, performed in period costume and original language.
Like Jane Austen's novels, Shakespeare's plays are so deeply rooted in human nature and psychological insight that they can, if well acted, easily engage a modern audience without updating the language. And apart from all that, it's quite cathartic to intone "Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war!" in moments of challenge, threaten to "do such things - what they are yet I know not, but they shall be the terrors of the earth", mutter "Out, damned spot!" at a stubborn stain, or step on the scales mouthing "Oh that this too, too solid flesh would melt …"
PS: For those who do like a bit of 'Shakespeare with a twist', I can thoroughly recommend No Holds Bard: Modern LGBTQ+ fiction inspired by the works of William Shakespeare featuring a variety of writers with in-depth knowledge of the plays - including fellow Goodreads authors Julie Bozza and Bryn Hammond.
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Julie wrote: "What an interesting ponder on the ways that Shakespeare's plays can work their way under your skin and be with you for aye (and Austen, too, oh my). I studied fewer of his plays in school than you ..."Thanks Julie - I do think Shakespeare grows on one, as one matures! Lots of us had that teenage rebellious streak and groaned about having to study him in school, but now look back with gratitude on all the energy and enthusiasm our teachers put in, getting us dig beneath the surface and appreciate the depth of his plots and characterisation! And I do remember being drawn to all the gender-swapping …
Oh yes, the gender-swapping, absolutely! ;-) I was sorry to hear that the Shakespeare Re-Told films you watched were less than impressive. I saw a different batch of four - I'm not sure of how they're released or marketed, and I did very much enjoy their modern-day take on The Taming of the Shrew, with the marvellous Shirley Henderson as the shrew - in this case, an outspoken conservative politician. I thought that one worked brilliantly, but as always your mileage may vary!
I've been unpacking and reshelving my old books, and just found my first edition copy of My Dearest Holmes. It's good to greet my old book-friends! The pages are a bit aged and yellowed, but then I myself am hardly pristine any more. :-)
This is why I'm fond of the dear old BBC Shakespeare Collection (my sister above sent me a very heavy BOX-SET from UK to Australia I won't mention the postage). They tried to do the complete scripts or as near as feasible for television. I want to be open to retellings and modernisations -- I am a huge fan of Julie Taymor's Titus -- but must say am usually underwhelmed when they are stripped of the language. Little of the point seems left.
There was an Othello that took out his 'goats and monkeys' amazing, pithy, unique utterances and replaced them with Othello imagining a scene of his wife and lover in bed. No no this is not equivalent (tears a little bit of hair out).
Julie wrote: "Oh yes, the gender-swapping, absolutely! ;-) I was sorry to hear that the Shakespeare Re-Told films you watched were less than impressive. I saw a different batch of four - I'm not sure of how th..."
Shirley Henderson's Taming Of The Shrew was part of the Shakespear Re-Told series, Julie! And yes, she was brilliant in the part and it was a fun adaptation, but tbh I actually preferred 'Ten Things I Hate About You' (which I practically know by heart 'cause my teenage daughters watched it over and over) because I think it stays closer to the original. It's a very personal thing, I guess, for those of us that know the originals - those that don't, like my Mr B (don't know about yours!) just have to take the modern adaptations at face value, which may actually be the best way to approach them ... Nice to think you have an original MDH, with the pink triangles down the spine and the original dedication (to the author now known as 'Charlie Raven', in case you hadn't guessed) - I don't have one! I think I'd better buy one on ebay, just for the record ...
Bryn wrote: "This is why I'm fond of the dear old BBC Shakespeare Collection (my sister above sent me a very heavy BOX-SET from UK to Australia I won't mention the postage). They tried to do the complete script..."Totally agree Bryn! Shakespeare is so spot-on psychologically, even from a post-Freudian perspective, that there's little need to spell it out like that. Though of course not everyone has the opportunity to delve into the rich layers beneath the language (in Shakespeare's day all educated people knew classical mythology, for instance). I do enjoy a lot of modern interpretations, just think they should always be shown with an original version so people get the full picture!
Very interesting Blog Rosie. I am not so well up on Shakespeare but my younger daughter is currently doing Romeo and Juliet at school and was discussing it at length with her tutor in our kitchen last night. Meanymy older daughter is busy doing Shakespeare Monologues at the moment for her Theatre Studies and for drama competitions. So he is definitely still very prevalent in my home. The adjudicators for the competition was very interesting talking about how he brought Theatre to the commoners in his time, how he gave them comedy and a way to take the mickey out of their masters. I would love to know more if I ever get the time to engage. Meanwhile it was Twelth Night for me back in the day!!!!
Victoria wrote: "Very interesting Blog Rosie. I am not so well up on Shakespeare but my younger daughter is currently doing Romeo and Juliet at school and was discussing it at length with her tutor in our kitchen l..."Twelfth Night is one of my favourites Victoria! Glad your girls are doing Shakespeare. He's someone so brilliant he was out of his time, rather like Mozart & Leonardo da Vinci, etc.
Thank you so much for the shout-out for No Holds Bard! That really means a lot. I was already smiling, reading your post, but then I started absolutely glowing...