Shakespeare...how fun...

[Ace McCloud]

Any shakespeare scholars in the house? I have to read an act in Macbeth tonight. Not too bad but...still...unless you have a love for shakespeare...it aint fun...atleast in my opinion.

Comments? Suggestions? Anything would be appreciated -_-''

[Dan the Man]

MacBeth is the best of his work. It's quite good.

[Ace McCloud]

It's pretty crazy...only to act 3...though I have hardly read any of it, just not enough time. Atleast somebody besides an english major says its good. That helps :lol

[Dan the Man]

I like most of his work. MacBeth, Julius Caesar, and A Midsummer Night's Dream are my favorites.

[Ace McCloud]

I've read several. Sometimes I can understand it, sometimes I can't. I like to think of it as practice. The more you practice at something, the better youare. So the more you practice reading shakespeare, the better you are at understanding it.

Unfortunately I haven't practiced much and am confused as hell.

[Ace McCloud]

what you make of this:

"Lady Macbeth: Nought's had, all's spent,
Where our desire is got without content:
'Tis safer to be that which we destroy
Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy"

If you can recall, Macbeth just ordered the Murderers to kill Banquo. I think shes talking something about that and complaining about something, not exactly sure though......what ya think?

[Charley]

Its been a few years since I read, but from what I can remember, she's coming to grips with the fact that getting what she wanted isn't quite going according to plan. This kinda sticks with Lady MacBeth throughout the whole ordeal (out, out, damn spot) etc

[Kelt Simoson]

Macbeth actually is quite a good story.

[Droo]

Although I adore anything Shakespeare, I haven't actually read MacBeth or seen it in the theatre for that matter. My fave is either A Midsummer Night's Dream or The Merchant of Venice.

[Garrett Blade]

Aside from King Lear, I love the tragedies. My favouriteios probably Othello followed by Hamlet and then Macbeth.

For some reason, I didn't like Macbeth (as a tragic character) as much as Othello and Hamlet. I think it was because his weakness wasn't the same kind as Hamlets or Othello's. Hamlets was, if I remember correctly, his indecisiveness, and Othello's was his trust/lack of; depending on who the trustee is. But Macbeths weakness was his lust for power. His is not forgivable, whereas Othello's and Macbeths are forgivable weaknesses - you can't hold trust/lack of or indecisiveness against someone, but lust for power is an extremely negative trait in comparison.

Plus, I'm far fonder of the characters and the quotes/speeches in Othello and Hamlet - much more character and colour in my opinion. I tink the greatest thing about Hamlet was Lady macbeth - probably one of Shakespeares greatest constructs out of both the men and women.

Nought's had, all's spent,
Where our desire is got without content:

Quite an easy one really: You've gained nothing and lost everything when you've got what you wanted but you're not happy with it for some reason.

'Tis safer to be that which we destroy
Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy"

Not thats its necessarily better to destroy yourself, but rather its better not to get what you desire than enjoy it even though you shouldn't think you shouldn't.

The great think about Shakespeare (and poetry for that matter) is that there's no right or wrong answer - you make of it what you like/can. There's no limit on the interpretations you can make if you really want to.

If you get the chance, read Othello and Hamlet; they're far better in my opinion. And as Dru said, A Midsummer Nights Dream is great - my favourite Shakespearian comedy, and The Merchant of Venice is, I think, a comedy too. His definition of a comedy was simply that none of the major characters die in the play. :p

[Ceres Duvall]

*ears perk at the name "Shakespeare"* How could you NOT love his works?! He was brilliant! MacBeth? Gah I read it so long ago I can't remember much of it. The most recent one I've read which is my fav is A MidSummer Night's Dream.

[ReaperFett]

Shakespeare? What a hack :)

Seriously, he bores me to tears. And anything I read were in English we had to translate it is just too old to bother with ;)

[Ace McCloud]

Yea well Shakespeare is a genious, though I would rather read other things. Right now I'm finishing up Clancy's new book: The Teeth of The Tiger.

Thanks for the help Garrett =P I read King Lear last year, I didn't like it too much, which is probably why I'm a little reluctant to get into this one.

[ReaperFett]

I think the guy needs to do more modern work. Anyone would think he's stuck in a timewarp.

[Ryla Relvinian]

:P

Shakespeare is marvy! I loved the two terms of his work I had to take for my degree. Macbeth is, by far, my favorite piece. Here's my analysis of that passage:

"Nought's had, all's spent,
Where our desire is got without content:"

Garret's right here, Macbeth's lady is lamenting the fact that they have given up everything in the pursuit of nothing... and are not content with what they have. However, let's look a bit deeper here... (famous last words of any English teacher, eh?)

Be aware that, in Shakespeare's time, the slang term for... erm... masculinity was "a thing." Compare what with Lady Macbeth's allusions to ending up with "no thing..." Literally, this can be taken to mean either a. She is stuck still being a woman, and her husband has all the power, even despite the fact that she had a lot to do in prompting his muder of Duncan or b. for whatever reason, their crown is a fruitless crown.

The second meaning is interesting, taken in the context of the line. It is right after Macbeth orders to have Banquo killed. Remember, Macbeth will be king, but Banquo's heirs will be king. Macbeth is just a teensy bit bitter about not having any kids. (See act 3, scene 1: "To be thus is nothing, but to be safely thus." and later on, "Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown...")

'"Tis safer to be that which we destroy
Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy"

This simply continues the thought, and it also refrences the Bible, which Shakespeare's audiences would have been familiar with. The specific passage I have noted here is 1 Timothy, 6:7. "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." Literally, Lady Macbeth is saying that it is much better to be certain in your position, even if it is a lower position than you would like, than it is to strive and even kill for a precarious life, because it doesn't matter what physical riches you had in life, God will judge you (oh boy will he, Lady...) on your actions.

:)

[Ace McCloud]

Wow...lol thanks.

[Ryla Relvinian]

:D

Tons of fun, ol' shake-a-stick.

[Ryo Tsai]

Oddly enough I loved the Shakespeare unit in english (hated the rest! :lol) and waited for the time that I could hear my fellow classmates misprounce so much 'old' english.

Macbeth was fab, but I loved Othello, esp. when our teacher gave a roles in each scene XD I played Iago in the last act in the scene where Cassio (sp?) is 'almost' killed, and boy did I ham it up. Everyone who had lines after me had a hard time cos they where laughing so much, but that was my interitation of Iago's reaction. He'd react over the top, and it'd be slightly corny, but in his mind's eye, it was just enough to be believable.

Anyways, yeah Shakespeare rwaks, you're lucky to get to do Macbeth, I loved how we were taugh it.

[Hart]

I'm not a huge fan of Shakespeare, but I do enjoy having them be performed. Reading them is sort of a drag.

[Ace McCloud]

Im with ya hart

[Zatania Duvall]

*flashbacks on having to act scenes in front of her English class*

Gah, what the hell does acting have to do with English? Well, at least when we acted out Hamlet I had fun. Broke my finger though... My friend and I got a little too killjoy with the plastic swords.

[Garrett Blade]

One of my fondest memories of A-Level Shakespeare was when we studied Othello for our coursework. It was the scene where Iago stabs himself. Our teacher, Mr. Parr - a legend! - explained the mechanics of it.

"I think you'll find that when you're trying to stab someone, its rather hard to get the little blighter to go in. And its especially difficult to stab yourself, even more so. You've got to give it a bit of welly to get it in there, you know, and er...well, thats why whoever the actor playing Iago is, would have to make it look like a bit of a, er, struggle, you know. Right, er...where were we? Who started this, was it you!?" (points to a random class member jokingly before continuing the lesson).

I was the only person who was howling with laughter. I want to know how he knew it was hard to stab someone, His choice of words were great. "I think you'll find when you're trying to stab someone..." - like he's done it! :lol

[Droo]

Mr. Parr is a legend in every sense of the word. :D

[Ace McCloud]

God. Somebody help me please.... -_-

I have to memorize the following:

Macbeth: She should have died hereafter;
There would have been a time for such a word.
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,
To the last syllable of recorded time;
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.





Hell -_-

[Ryla Relvinian]

:D *hugs the speech*

Here's a suggestion: Set it to music.

Or, if that doesn't work, try just memorizing one line a day, and keep adding one on till you can recite the whole thing.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Rap it. :p

[Ace McCloud]

i gotta know it by tomorrow. Gonna try to type it all out, or atleast what i know.

She should have died hereafter
There would have been a time for such a word;
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow
Creeps such a petty pace -eh something-
Until the last syllable of the end of time or something.

Crap.

[ReaperFett]

Originally posted by Lilaena De'Ville
Rap it. :p

She should have died hereafter; (Yeeeeah)
There would have been a time for such a word. (Aw-haw!)
Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow (Sing it)
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, (word)

....Any easier? :)

[Ace McCloud]

Thanks Fett. That made it so much easier.

But I also finished the play, finally. Looking back, it was great! Man, how ingenious, 2 thumbs up =)