'Titus Andronicus' is Shakespeare's most gratuitously violent play. We don't learn about it in school. The performance at the Globe in London is advertised with the slogan 'Brutality of the highest order'; during performances, first aiders are on-hand in case any of the audience faints. The film adaptation starring Anthony Hopkins (which I've just taken a break from watching) is rated 18: 'Contains strong sex and violence and sexual violence.'
Titus Andronicus returns home to Rome after fighting numerous campaigns against the Goths. Accompanying him are his prisoners: Tamora, Queen of the Goths, and her sons. On arrival in Rome, Titus sacrifices Tamora's eldest son to the Roman gods, and presents the rest of the prisoners to the new emperor, who decides to marry Tamora.
Tamora vows revenge against Titus. Brutality ensues. Titus vows revenge against Tamora. Nearly everyone dies.
In one of the play's most horrifying scenes, Tamora commands her sons to rape Lavinia, Titus' daughter:
"Remember, boys, I pour'd forth tears in vain, to save your brother from the sacrifice; but fierce Andronicus would not relent; therefore, away with her, and use her as you will, the worse to her, the better loved of me."
Lavinia begs for death: "Tis present death I beg... O, keep me from their worse than killing lust... Do this, and be a charitable murderer."
But Tamora doesn't give a shit: "So should I rob my sweet sons of their fee: No, let them satisfy their lust on thee."
'Titus Andronicus' is one of Shakespeare's least respected, least liked plays.
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
'Love's Labours Lost' by William Shakespeare
I saw 'Love's Labours Lost' a few years ago at the Lowry Theatre in Manchester. I remember finding some of it funny, and also struggling to follow some of the conversations. Reading it over the past few days, I found some of it funny, but also struggled to follow some of the conversations. Much of the humour comes from wordplay and verbal trickery.
The story. The king of Navarre (a region which is now part of Spain) and his three lords swear to each other that for the next three years they will devote themselves to study, fighting against 'the huge army of the world's desires': abstaining from romance, decadent food, and parties. ("The mind shall banquet, though the body pine: fat paunches have lean pates, and dainty bits make rich the ribs, but bankrupt quite the wits.")
But the Princess of France and her three ladies pay a visit; the King and his lords fall in love. The women realise this and decide to mindfuck the men. Hilarity ensues.
You can tell from the title that they don't all pair up and live happily ever after, like in your average romantic story. Shakespeare has one of the lords comment on this: "Our wooing doth not end like an old play; Jack hath not Jill; these ladies' courtesy might well have made our sport a comedy."
Records suggest that this play might have had a sequel, 'Love's Labours Won', which is now lost. This lost play is the subject of the 2007 Doctor Who episode 'The Shakespeare Code', featuring the Tenth Doctor, Martha Jones, and three alien witches.
The story. The king of Navarre (a region which is now part of Spain) and his three lords swear to each other that for the next three years they will devote themselves to study, fighting against 'the huge army of the world's desires': abstaining from romance, decadent food, and parties. ("The mind shall banquet, though the body pine: fat paunches have lean pates, and dainty bits make rich the ribs, but bankrupt quite the wits.")
But the Princess of France and her three ladies pay a visit; the King and his lords fall in love. The women realise this and decide to mindfuck the men. Hilarity ensues.
You can tell from the title that they don't all pair up and live happily ever after, like in your average romantic story. Shakespeare has one of the lords comment on this: "Our wooing doth not end like an old play; Jack hath not Jill; these ladies' courtesy might well have made our sport a comedy."
Records suggest that this play might have had a sequel, 'Love's Labours Won', which is now lost. This lost play is the subject of the 2007 Doctor Who episode 'The Shakespeare Code', featuring the Tenth Doctor, Martha Jones, and three alien witches.
'The Comedy of Errors' by William Shakespeare
Since finishing the Bible and the Qur'an there has been a hole in my life the size of a Big Reading Challenge, so I have decided to read the 38 extant plays of William Shakespeare. I now feel ready to appreciate Shakespeare and undo the damage done by my high school English lessons. (I'm still not ready to read Dickens: the thought of doing so gives me flashbacks to over-analysing chapter 8 of 'Great Expectations', filling me with rageful dread.)
I started with 'The Comedy of Errors', Shakespeare's shortest play and one of his earliest. It's about two sets of twins born on the same day, a rich pair and a poor pair. The rich family purchases the poor twins to raise as slaves to the rich twins.
The family (incl. baby slaves) are separated during a shipwreck: the father, a rich baby, and a slave baby end up in Syracuse; the mother, a rich baby, and a slave baby end up in Ephesus. By silly coincidence, both rich twins are called Antipholus. By silly coincidence, both slave twins are called Dromio.
Once they're all grown up, Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse go travelling to seek out the lost brothers; they reach Ephesus, where their twin brothers live with their wives. By silly coincidence, the Antipholus brothers are wearing identical clothing. By silly coincidence, the Dromio brothers are wearing identical clothing. Hilarity ensues.
A few years back, I saw it performed in the gardens of Nottingham Castle. It made me giggle when I saw it then and it made me giggle when I read it this week. It was a good one to start with to get me more used to Shakespearean language: simple, slapstick humour with little subtlety or depth.
I started with 'The Comedy of Errors', Shakespeare's shortest play and one of his earliest. It's about two sets of twins born on the same day, a rich pair and a poor pair. The rich family purchases the poor twins to raise as slaves to the rich twins.
The family (incl. baby slaves) are separated during a shipwreck: the father, a rich baby, and a slave baby end up in Syracuse; the mother, a rich baby, and a slave baby end up in Ephesus. By silly coincidence, both rich twins are called Antipholus. By silly coincidence, both slave twins are called Dromio.
Once they're all grown up, Antipholus and Dromio of Syracuse go travelling to seek out the lost brothers; they reach Ephesus, where their twin brothers live with their wives. By silly coincidence, the Antipholus brothers are wearing identical clothing. By silly coincidence, the Dromio brothers are wearing identical clothing. Hilarity ensues.
A few years back, I saw it performed in the gardens of Nottingham Castle. It made me giggle when I saw it then and it made me giggle when I read it this week. It was a good one to start with to get me more used to Shakespearean language: simple, slapstick humour with little subtlety or depth.
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