It's Shakespeare Week on Goodreads!

Posted by Hayley on April 18, 2016


But, soft! What light through yonder internet browser window breaks? It's our Shakespeare Week celebration on Goodreads—and you, fair reader, are invited!

April 23 is the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death. To mark this momentous anniversary, we're pulling out all the stops for the Bard this week—just take a look at our logo! We'll be featuring Shakespeare-themed quizzes, book lists, writing prompts, and games. In addition, amazing authors who have written books based on the Bard's plays are taking your questions about comedy and tragedy…and everything in between. (Bonus points for questions in iambic pentameter.)

To kick off the festivities, we asked six authors to write a deleted scene from one of the Bard's plays. (Check them out below!) On Tuesday, we helped you answer the question, Which Shakespeare play should I read next?; on Wednesday, we took a look at famous book titles based on Shakespeare lines; and on Thursday, we investigated the writers who influenced Shakespeare. What's up next? Come back to find out!


Ian Doescher, author of William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope:
(Read the full deleted scene here.)


Jasper Fforde, author of the Hamlet-inspired Something Rotten:
(Read the full deleted scene here.)


Margaret Atwood, author of Hag-Seed, a retelling of The Tempest:
(Read the full deleted scene here.)


Malorie Blackman, author of the Othello-inspired Chasing the Stars:
(Read the full deleted scene here.)


Elizabeth Nunez, author of Even in Paradise, a retelling of King Lear:
(Read the full deleted scene here.)


Christopher Moore, author of Fool, a retelling of King Lear:
(Read the full deleted scene here.)



Now it's your turn! Write your own deleted scene from a Shakespeare play in the comments and follow us on Facebook and Twitter for #ShakespeareWeek updates.

Comments Showing 1-50 of 202 (202 new)


message 1: by Xwirus (new)

Xwirus Felices 400 añazos


message 2: by Willa (new)

Willa Valentine (paper.seas) That is awesome!


The Sassy Bookworm Wicked!


message 4: by Stefy (new)

Stefy


message 5: by Johanna (new)

Johanna Juntunen Just great!!


message 6: by Megan (new)

Megan Can we all agree to read one of his plays on Saturday?


message 7: by Luiza (new)

Luiza Sandru Megan wrote: "Can we all agree to read one of his plays on Saturday?"

I'm loving the idea!


Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* Cute idea - and I love that banner =)


message 9: by Shahista (new)

Shahista Swellam I love this idea and the new logo is really good !!
Well done GoodReads


message 10: by Mercurialgem (new)

Mercurialgem Megan wrote: "Can we all agree to read one of his plays on Saturday?"

No better time......gonna go see what I have.


message 11: by Betsy (new)

Betsy April 23 is most likely his birthday too although it is known he was baptised on the 26th in 1564.


message 12: by Cristy (new)

Cristy Love it!!


message 13: by Joseph (new)

Joseph McGarry A figure dressed in black, wearing a black mask, breathing heavily.

FIGURE: Hamlet!

HAMLET: What spirit is this?

FIGURE: Hamlet!

HAMLET: Pray, spirit, what art thou? Answer me!

FIGURE: Thy father.

HAMLET: What of my father? He died seven years ago this very night. I mourn him still.

FIGURE: (breathing heavily): Hamlet! I am thy father!

HAMLET: NO!!


message 14: by DeeTimes' Nook (new)

DeeTimes' Nook creative!


Elizabeth (Alaska) The logo is a poor idea. Colored, distracting from the main information on the page. Not a fan.


message 16: by Caroline (new)

Caroline I adore Shakespeare, but that is THE most distracting thing. Seriously, I can't tear my eyes away from it. I've been able to ignore almost every single ad on this site, but this...I can't stop looking at it. >:[


message 17: by Celia (new)

Celia I love the logo! It's just for a week, people... Embrace change. ;)


message 18: by Agus (new)

Agus Love the idea and the logo is great!


message 19: by Larnacouer (new)

Larnacouer  de SH I love all the things about Shakespeare! Well, such an amazing idea! :')


message 20: by [deleted user] (new)

Joseph wrote: "A figure dressed in black, wearing a black mask, breathing heavily.

FIGURE: Hamlet!

HAMLET: What spirit is this?

FIGURE: Hamlet!

HAMLET: Pray, spirit, what art thou? Answer me!

FIGURE: Thy fa..."


This is great Joseph!!


ilovebakedgoods (Teresa) Love the logo and the "deleted scenes" submissions!


message 22: by Chess (new)

Chess (I'd just like to apologize for the groan factor before hand... Sorry...)

Macbeth
Act IV, Scene I

A cavern. In the middle, a cauldron.

[Thunder. Enter the three Witches.]

FIRST WITCH; Thrice the brinded cat hath mew'd.

SECOND WITCH; Thrice and once the hedge-pig whined.

THIRD WITCH; Harpier cries 'Tis time, 'tis time.

FIRST WITCH; Round about the cauldron go;
In the poison'd entrails throw.
Toad, that under cold stone
Day and nights has thirty-one
Swelter'd venom sleeping got,
Boil thou first i' the charmed pot.

ALL; Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

[witches stare expectantly at cauldron]

THIRD WITCH; A cauldron watch't, calm shalt stay
Mine thought now is't look away...


message 23: by Shirin (new)

Shirin Really surprised by this idea! Made me think about every play of Shakespeare I've ever read and remember my favorite parts.
Thanks!


message 24: by Laura (new)

Laura Guilbault Awesome logo! Cool idea!


message 25: by Yoanna (new)

Yoanna Xwirus wrote: "Felices 400 añazos"

...da morte!


message 26: by Cristy (last edited Apr 18, 2016 12:36PM) (new)

Cristy Joseph wrote: "A figure dressed in black, wearing a black mask, breathing heavily.

FIGURE: Hamlet!

HAMLET: What spirit is this?

FIGURE: Hamlet!

HAMLET: Pray, spirit, what art thou? Answer me!

FIGURE: Thy fa..."




'Like'!


message 27: by Cristy (new)

Cristy Chess wrote: "(I'd just like to apologize for the groan factor before hand... Sorry...)

Macbeth
Act IV, Scene I

A cavern. In the middle, a cauldron.

[Thunder. Enter thbe three Witches.]

FIRST WITCH; Thrice th..."




The witch and my grandma enjoyed the same saying!


message 28: by D. (new)

D. Thorsdottir This is fantastic!


message 29: by Kasper (new)

Kasper Love the banner!


ilovebakedgoods (Teresa) Chess wrote: "(I'd just like to apologize for the groan factor before hand... Sorry...)

Macbeth
Act IV, Scene I

A cavern. In the middle, a cauldron.

[Thunder. Enter the three Witches.]

FIRST WITCH; Thrice th..."


That was great!


message 31: by Martha (new)

Martha yes! i love this! and shakespeare ;)


message 32: by Joanne (new)

Joanne Love the banner on my homepage. Nicely done!


message 33: by Alexa (new)

Alexa Bongala Ooh~! Nice. I can read my William Shakespeare Star Wars: New Hope


message 34: by Kay (new)

Kay J Megan wrote: "Can we all agree to read one of his plays on Saturday?"

What a good idea......


message 35: by Willa (new)

Willa Valentine (paper.seas) I read the Tempest this year, it was pretty good!


message 36: by Meriem (new)

Meriem Bouraoui Megan wrote: "Can we all agree to read one of his plays on Saturday?"

I'm in for Hamlet !


message 37: by Novel Nymph (new)

Novel Nymph What fun! My brother and I are trying to read all his plays. I just finished all his sonnets. : )


message 38: by Chelsea (new)

Chelsea I'm not sure I want to brave my own deleted scene, but here's my hasty attempt to answer which of the six is my favorite in Shakespearean sonnet form.


To Bard, who makes us laugh and makes us cry
We write this verse to celebrate your birth
These six creators verily do try
To be the best for our increasing mirth

Doescher does he show zeal for stars beloved
Jasper our clown gives praise to Zombie's reign
For dear Atwood our doubts away are shoved
And Blackman's tale our laughter does it gain

The Nunez yarn creates some more belief
And Moore's good hecklers keep us on our toes
With these good six we have some work relief
And could not dream to at them stick our nose

Sole one can win, yet we all ask for more
So Doescher's feud of fans must win the war


Petra X is stressed over a misbehaving laptop Love the new logo. It would be nice if GR changed it all the time (a la Google) to reflect literary events.

When I was in school I was lucky enough to be in a class of only 6 and to live within two hours of Stratford-upon-Avon so we used to go to every play the Royal Shakespeare Company did and then study it that term.


Petra X is stressed over a misbehaving laptop "Romeo Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? I have something to tell you?"

Romeo who is hiding from Juliet says to himself, "That nursemaid already told me she was pregnant. That's what she wants to tell me. It's only going to make things worse."

Later.

"Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? I have good news, I was late!"


message 41: by Starlight (last edited Apr 18, 2016 03:01PM) (new)

Starlight  gold We are reading one of his plays
Maclom in class


message 42: by Avalon (new)

Avalon <3


message 43: by Lobstergirl (new)

Lobstergirl Petra X wrote: "Love the new logo. It would be nice if GR changed it all the time (a la Google) to reflect literary events.."

Please no.


message 44: by Lobstergirl (new)

Lobstergirl Logo is ugly and out of focus.

Maybe it would be in focus at 100%? But because all the fonts on the site are so tiny, I have to view at at least 120% in order not to kill my eyes, and the logo is just big, ugly and blurry.


message 45: by Dawn (new)

Dawn Petra X wrote: "Love the new logo. It would be nice if GR changed it all the time (a la Google) to reflect literary events...."

I think this would be awesome!!

I rather miss the books that used to be at the top of the page, it's nice to have some colour up there again.


message 46: by Jeremy (new)

Jeremy Mortis I love this. My favorite is The Tempest. It had me rolling on the floor laughing.


Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* Petra X wrote: ""Romeo Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? I have something to tell you?"

Romeo who is hiding from Juliet says to himself, "That nursemaid already told me she was pregnant. That's what she wants to t..."


LOL Good one


message 48: by Lashuri (new)

Lashuri Chan That's nice and all but am I the only one whose top header is longer than usual? It's like it was extended for this little event and I don't like it. It nearly takes up half the page,


message 49: by Purvi (new)

Purvi Petal What?! No writers inspired by Julius Caeser? Anyhow, this has me interested in the inspired stories now, all these works of the roped-in-line authors.


message 50: by Mary-Ann (new)

Mary-Ann Maronski Megan wrote: "Can we all agree to read one of his plays on Saturday?"

Megan wrote: "Can we all agree to read one of his plays on Saturday?"

That's a great idea Megan!


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