Shakespeare - Page 2

Godslayer Jillian · 06-13-2008, 07:33 PM

Shakespeare is in the same echelon as Chaucer and Tolstoy and Goethe.
Indeed I wouldn't consider him the best writer ever, but no writer is the best writer ever. He's a 10 out of 10 though, if 10 is 'almost unreachable masterpiece'

Corpsey · 06-13-2008, 08:01 PM

When it comes to theatrical writers, I'm more inclined to go towards Aristophanes, but Shakespeare rocks my socks. If only people hadn't copied his plays in modern times and created the monstrosity that is Revenge of the Amazons from plays like A Midsummer Night's Dream.

~Angel_Of_Darkness~ · 06-13-2008, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yukiko_San

So I am a lover of Shakespearian literature. I have so far read and watched a few renditions of his plays and poems. I currently am in love with Hamlet. Truly amazing. I just with that the other teens of my generation would sit and read the beauty behind the words that he speaks of to us. Goodness... He's a genius! So does anyone else like his work?

I do... I have the entire collection of his works. I started reading Shakespeare when I was 7 or 8, if you can believe that... And I agree with what you say about other people of this generation needing to appreciate this man.. People always ask me why I read such "boring" stuff and I never understand how they can find it boring. And if they don't, they simply don't get the point of his plays or they don't understand his prose. It's unbelievable. My current favourite is A Midsummer Night's Dream, though I love them all. The Comedy Of Errors and The Merchant Of Venice were my favourites.....until they ripped it to pieces in my lit class at school. Then there's Macbeth, The Tempest, Venus And Adonis, Anthony And Cleopatra and Twelfth Night and, of course, Romeo + Juliet..... I'll not go on...sorry but it just excites me...

JCC · 06-14-2008, 02:59 AM

We studied Much Ado About Nothing and I can say with certainty that I would not have enjoyed the play as much as I did had we not done so. The whole point of Shakespeare's writings was that a lot of things were hidden in the text, and to go about dissecting them to further understand Shakespeare's writing is probably his strongest element. I don't get why people say that they loved a book until their class went about understanding it.

Despanan · 06-14-2008, 07:53 AM

It's not all that terrible for someone to confuse Shakespearian English with Old English. It's an easy mistake to make, I mean, Early modern English IS both "Old" and clearly "English" to the layman.

More on topic, While I agree with GSJ that you really can't pick a "Best Author EVAR!"; If one had to pick I think the answer would have to be Shakespeare. Even if one does not particularly care for his work, his impact on the English language and the entire western world is so great that his voice holds more artistic and cultural value than any other writer. For god's sake the man created/popularized the use of the word "Assasin" (Yes I know the word is derived from "Hashish") and quite possibly wrote a large portion of the King James Bible. Hell people who've never even read a single line of Shakespeare still quote him today:

"Neither a borrower nor a lender be"? --> Hamlet.

Referring to Jealousy as a "Green Monster"? --> Othello.

"Once more onto the breach"? --> Henry the V.

"Let slip the dogs of war"? --> Julius Ceasar.

"What dreams may come"? --> Duh.

I think it's safe to say that the vast majority have at least encountered these phrases, if they haven't used them themselves. I certainly could go on for a while, but you get the point.

I honestly think it's hasty (at best) to deem him "overrated". If anything his works are so underrated by the average person that he appears overrated when someone who's familiar with them and their impact speaks about him. Like I said, more often than not modern people recieve an inadequate formal education when it comes to Shakespeare.

The fact of the matter is that Shakespeare's impact on our culture is so vast it's almost unbelieveable; thus to the average person, someone talking about it can easily be percieved as an "artfag" or "Head in the clouds Academic". The ignorant dismiss this stuff as "hype" but it's really not, the guy lives up to it in every way.

Despanan · 06-14-2008, 08:02 AM

Speaking of which, did anyone else see that new movie version of "The Scottish Play"? Where it's set in modern times with some sort of Mafia and the Wierd Sisters are Gothy/Punkish girls? While I didn't particularly care for it, it's worth a watch (If you can get past the fact that Macbeth looks like Bono and seems to be thinking: "Good GOD I'm SOOO cool and SOOO sexy!" over and over again in every scene.)

gothicusmaximus · 06-14-2008, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Despanan

Speaking of which, did anyone else see that new movie version of "The Scottish Play"? Where it's set in modern times with some sort of Mafia and the Wierd Sisters are Gothy/Punkish girls? While I didn't particularly care for it, it's worth a watch (If you can get past the fact that Macbeth looks like Bono and seems to be thinking: "Good GOD I'm SOOO cool and SOOO sexy!" over and over again in every scene.)

Horrible Macbeth. I will confess to be a fan of the Ethan Hawke Hamlet, however, I love the 'to be or not to be' soliloquy set against the backdrop of a Blockbuster's "Action" section.

Despanan · 06-14-2008, 04:06 PM

Indeed it is horrible; still the fight between Macbeth and Macduff is much better than the one in the Roman Polanksi movie. Seriously that fight is almost comical.

gothicusmaximus · 06-14-2008, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Despanan

Indeed it is horrible; still the fight between Macbeth and Macduff is much better than the one in the Roman Polanksi movie. Seriously that fight is almost comical.

Heh, I remember that one. I love how, when Macbeth is decapitated, his hands fly up as if attempting to confirm that his head is indeed missing.

Despanan · 06-14-2008, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gothicusmaximus

Heh, I remember that one. I love how, when Macbeth is decapitated, his hands fly up as if attempting to confirm that his head is indeed missing.

when that one guy get's shot in the head with the crossbow bolt, it was so reminiscent of Monty Python I couldn't help but scream out "Message for you sir!" to the rest of the Shakespeare in film class.

I got yelled at for that but it was worth it.

~Angel_Of_Darkness~ · 06-15-2008, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCC

We studied Much Ado About Nothing and I can say with certainty that I would not have enjoyed the play as much as I did had we not done so. The whole point of Shakespeare's writings was that a lot of things were hidden in the text, and to go about dissecting them to further understand Shakespeare's writing is probably his strongest element. I don't get why people say that they loved a book until their class went about understanding it.

Yes I understand that. But that's not what I meant. My lit teacher used to get very tied up and misinterpreted a lot of Shakespeare's work. It quite annoyed me. That's all.

HumanePain · 06-15-2008, 08:34 PM

This thread has shown me how much I don't know. So many books, so little time.