Richard II

Richard II

by William Shakespeare

★★★☆

Richard II is the first play in the Henriad (second tetralogy). It is followed by the three plays, Henry IV, Part 1; Henry IV, Part 2; and Henry V. Shakespeare’s histories have always been his most intimidating works for me. Richard III and Henry V are obviously incredible, but some of the others, like this one, ramble on with so many different names that it can be hard to follow. I decided it was time to just dive in and start at the chronological beginning.

The Wars of the Roses play out in eight different works beginning with Richard II; then Henry IV, Part 1 and Part 2, Henry V, Henry VI Part 1, 2, and 3, and Richard III. This play introduces many of the major players that have a role throughout the rest of those plays.

It's about the fall of a king, the shifting of power, unhappy subjects and the plotting that leads to the king’s downfall. There's a beautiful scene between Richard II and his wife in act five. She’s watching he husband lose his power and is heartbroken for him…

“But soft, but see, or rather do not see,

My fair rose wither: yet look up, behold,

That you in pity may dissolve to dew,

And wash him fresh again with true-love tears.”

I recently saw a film version of this one and it was fantastic. It was such a wonderful portrayal and those individuals will stick in my mind as those characters. Also I saw it at the Old Vic in London and Kevin Spacey played Richard II a few years ago. It was a wonderful performance. I’ve found that Shakespeare works so much better for me in book form if I’ve had a chance to see it performed live first.

BOTTOM LINE: A beautiful portrait of the tenuous nature of power and the bittersweet nature of victory. It can be hard to follow because of the sheer number of characters and shifting alliances.  If possible I'd recommend seeing a play or movie version before reading it because it's easier to follow the text when you can put a face with the name.

“I wasted time, and now doth time waste me;

For now hath time made me his numb'ring clock;

My thoughts are minutes, and with sighs they jar

Their watches on unto mine eyes, the outward watch,

Whereto my finger, like a dial's point,

Is pointing still, in cleansing them from tears.”

Let's Read Play Wrap-Up

In November last year Fanda decided to host the Let’s Read Plays challenge. I review at least one live theatre show each week at Stage Write Indy and have been doing so for 8 years. So reading more plays is always high on my list. I think that plays are meant to be seen, but reading them can give you more time to process the text and can give each play more depth.

Fanda selected categories/authors for each month from November 2012 to October 2013. I stuck with the challenge and made it through all 12 of my chosen plays (see all review links below). I read a Greek tragedy, an American classic, a Russian play, a witty piece from Wilde and a lot of Shakespeare.

SHAKESPEARE

Over the years I’ve focused a lot on Shakespeare’s work. I took a class solely devoted to his plays in college. I’ve seen live performances at the Globe Theatre in London and attend an outdoor Shakespeare theatre weekend every year in Wisconsin. I love him more than any other playwright I’ve read. I’ve read all of his major plays, but I wanted to use this challenge to dive into his lesser-known works. I can’t say that these plays are new favorites, they’re called problem plays for a reason, but I’m glad I read them. I think seeing the whole body of his work helps me understand his development as a writer. He uses many of the same themes and devices in these early plays that he does in his more successful plays later on.

CHALLENGE THEME

I realized about halfway through the challenge that many of the plays I read focused on loneliness and rejection in some way. Troilus and Cressida deals with betrayal in love, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is about Brick and Maggie’s mutual loneliness, the three sisters in Chekhov’s play are all lonely in their own way. Oresteia deals with revenge and betrayal. The Iceman Cometh is about loneliness and the disillusionment of the American dream, Coriolanus is about being rejected by the people who once embraced you. I think it’s fascinating that I unintentionally had a theme throughout the challenge.

MEMORABLE CHARACTERS

There are quite a few characters that will stay with me for a long time, but I think Maggie from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is the one who comes immediately to mind. I’ve never encountered a character that ached so badly to be loved. I felt myself understanding that desire, but also hurting for her because she couldn’t make the man she loved reciprocate her feelings in the way she needed.   

Here are the plays I read:

Nov '12 Shakespeare's Tragedy: Troilus and Cressida

Dec '12 Shakespeare's Comedy: Love's Labour's Lost

Jan '13 freebie: The Iceman Cometh by Eugene O'Neill

Feb '13 Shakespeare's History: Henry V

Mar '13 Greek: Oresteia by Aeschylus 

Apr '13 Shakespeare's Tragedy: Coriolanus

May '13 Shakespeare's Comedy: Two Gentlemen of Verona

Jun '13 Oscar Wilde: The Importance of Being Earnest

Jul '13 Other author: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof by Tennessee Williams

Aug '13 Shakespeare's Comedy: Comedy of Errors

Sep '13 freebie: Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov

Oct '13 Shakespeare's Tragedy: Cymbeline

  

A huge thanks to Fanda and Ngidam for hosting the Let’s Read Plays yearlong event!

How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare

How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare

by Ken Ludwig

★★★★★

This gem is a book built to help introduce your children to Shakespeare, but it would work as an introduction for adults as well. It’s also a great way to dive deeper into the world of Shakespeare even if you’re already a fan. I felt like I learned quite a bit while reading it, because it isn’t dumbed down for kids, it’s just simplified.

Ludwig's passion for Shakespeare is infectious. He finds joy in the work and beautifully explains how to make that joy accessible to anyone who reads the Bard. He makes you appreciate each lovely line while giving an overview of the plays, Shakespeare's life and the depth of his work.

“… Shakespeare was fearlessly true to life. Throughout his plays we see not only comedy and not only tragedy but also, always, the truth.”

Ludwig breaks down some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays to make them accessible. He focuses quite a bit on memorization, but that’s just one aspect of the book. He explains plots and language, the difference between prose and poetry, provides character break downs, and walks us through beautiful speeches and what they mean. He explains the way Shakespeare used the cadence of the language to help the actors pace their performances.

He takes some of the famous soliloquies, especially from Hamlet, and breaks them down in a side-by-side comparison. He gives the reader Shakespeare’s words next to his own paraphrase in modern language. It’s incredibly helpful for adults as well as kids. It helps readers understand the full meaning behind some of well-known lines.

One of my favorite things Ludwig does in the book is offer a context for Shakespeare’s work. He looks at the author’s life, England during that time period and the order in which the plays were written. Understanding that The Tempest was written later in life and The Taming of the Shrew was an early work helps readers understand the increased tone of gravitas n even his comedies.

At the end of the book he also includes an extensive bibliography of both books and films to further your children’s or your exploration of Shakespeare. I love that in addition to listing the books and movies he gives some background and his opinion of them.

BOTTOM LINE: Beautifully written and incredibly accessible, this book is sure to ignite a love of Shakespeare in anyone who is interested!

*The book covers the following plays: Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Henry IV, As You Like It, Henry V, and The Tempest.

“Shakespeare’s plays, like all great works of art, are open to interpretation. That is the hallmark of art that has real value. If a work is static and never changes, then it can never tell us very much about how we change over our lifetimes, and how mankind changes over centuries. As Hamlet says, it is the artist’s job to hold the mirror up to nature.”

“Toward the end of his life, Rossini said of Mozart: ‘He was the inspiration of my youth, the despair of my middle years and the consolation of my old age.’ We want Shakespeare to be all those things for your children.”

Image from here. 

Henry V

Henry V

by William Shakespeare

★★★★

I’ve loved Shakespeare’s work for a long time, but I’ve always struggled with his Histories. I enjoy seeing them performed live, but when I read them it’s easy for me to get lost in a sea of soldiers and forget who is who. This play is preceded by Richard II, Henry IV, Part 1 and Henry IV, Part 2, and the last two feature our illustrious title character, Henry V.

This particular play rises above the other histories in my opinion because it’s more about the transformation of one man than about war. Obviously there is war and a bloody one at that, but it’s also about Henry (Prince Harry) coming to terms with his responsibility and leadership. He must grow up and leave the boy from the Henry IV plays behind. The lives of so many men are in his hands and without his leadership all will be lost.

This is fully realized in one of the most famous monologues in the English canon. We’ve heard the “band of brothers” line thrown around for years, but when you hear the full speech, on the cusp of battle, it’s incredibly moving and powerful. Here’s one small bit…  

“This story shall the good man teach his son;
    And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
    From this day to the ending of the world,
    But we in it shall be remembered-
    We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
    For he to-day that sheds his blood with me
    Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
    This day shall gentle his condition;
    And gentlemen in England now-a-bed
    Shall think themselves accurs'd they were not here,
    And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
    That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.”

Think about what he is actually saying there. This huge moment in history, the Battle of Agincourt, is so important that the men who weren’t here will wish they were. They won’t consider themselves real men because they were unable to fight in this battle. What an incredible thing to say to your men before rushing in to battle!

I also really love the scene with the French princess, Katharine, and Henry at the end of the play. It’s one of the only moments in a very serious story that is a bit light and witty.

BOTTOM LINE: It is a classic for good reason. While I struggle with Shakespearean histories, others love them. I don’t think it’s the best place to start with his work, but it’s certainly an essential piece. I think I will probably enjoy it more with each re-read as the language and action becomes even clearer.

**Also, I would highly recommend the 1989 film version starring and directed by Kenneth Branagh. I watched it after finishing the book and it was really excellent. I have always been impressed with Branagh’s Shakespearean films. I particularly love his version of Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing.

I read this as part of the Let’s Read Plays yearlong event hosted by Fanda. From November 2012 to October 2013 participants will read 12 classics plays throughout the year, at least one each month.