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Cobbe Portrait of William Shakespeare
Monthly Archives: October 2012
“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;/For he to-day that sheds his blood with me/Shall be my brother…”
Henry V Act Four By Dennis Abrams —————————- Act Four: The night before battle, Henry visits his demoralized troops in disguise. One soldier, named Williams, is challenged by the King for doubting the value of their mission. In the morning, … Continue reading
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Tagged Act Four, Agincourt, band of brothers, Battle of Agincourt, drama, Falstaff, Henry IV, Henry V, history, history play, irony, king henry iv, king henry v, language, literature, Mistress Quickly, politics, Prince Hal, renaissance humanism, Shakespeare, we few we happy few, William Shakespeare
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“Once more into the breach, dear friends, once more…”
Henry V Act Three By Dennis Abrams ————————————– Act Three: Fighting rates outside Harfleur, where King Henry exhorts his forces to drive through the town walls. Bardolph is eager to advance, but his reluctant companions have to be driven on … Continue reading
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Tagged Act Three, Brutus, drama, Falconbridge, Falstaff, Faulconbridge, french court, Harfleur, Henry V, history, history play, king henry v, language, literature, once more, politics, princess katherine, renaissance humanism, Shakespeare, siege, the Bastard, town walls, Troilus, William Shakespeare
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“So a’ cried out ‘God, God, God!’ three or four times. Now I, to comfort him, bid him a’ should not think of God; I hoped there was no need to trouble himself with any such thoughts yet.”
Henry V Act Two By Dennis Abrams ———————————- Act Two: As the country prepared for war, Bardolph, Nim and Pistol play to enlist, but end up brawling. They are interrupted by a summons to Falstaff, who, broken by Henry’s rejection … Continue reading
“But I will rise there with so full a glory/That I will dazzle all the eyes of France,/Yea, strike the Dauphin blind to look on us.”
Henry V Act One By Dennis Abrams ——————————- MAJOR CHARACTERS Chorus, introducing the action THE ENGLISH King Henry V of England (aka Harry) Dukes of Gloucester and Clarence, Henry’s brothers Duke of Exeter, Henry’s uncle Duke of York Earls of … Continue reading
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Tagged act one, Archbishop of Canterbury, Dauphine, drama, England, entertainment, Falstaff, Faulconbridge, France, Henry V, history, history play, John of Gaunt, king henry v, language, literature, oscars, politics, Prince Hal, renaissance humanism, Shakespeare, tennis, William Shakespeare
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“This brilliant and subtle work will always be popular; I could say ‘for the wrong reasons,’ except that all reasons for Shakespeare’s eternal popularity are correct, one way or another.”
Henry V An Introduction By Dennis Abrams ————————————– With its dramatization of the miraculous triumph by the English at Agincourt under the youthful at one time wastrel king, Henry V is often thought of as Shakespeare’s most overtly patriotic flag-waving … Continue reading
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Tagged drama, Falstaff, harold bloom, Henry V, history, history play, Introduction, king henry v, language, literature, politics, Prince Hal, quotes, renaissance humanism, Shakespeare, william hazlitt
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“‘Tis better to be vile than vile esteem’d,/When not to be receives reproach of being,/And the just pleasure lost which is so deem’d/Not by our feeling but by others’ seeing.”
Shakespeare Sonnet #121 SONNET 121 ‘Tis better to be vile than vile esteem’d, When not to be receives reproach of being, And the just pleasure lost which is so deem’d Not by our feeling but by others’ seeing. For why … Continue reading
“Marry, sir, they have committed false report, moreover they have spoken untruths, secondarily they are slanders, sixth and lastly they have belied a lady, thirdly they have verified unjust things, and to conclude, they are lying knaves.”
Much Ado About Nothing Act Five By Dennis Abrams ———————— Act Five: Leonato and Antonio angrily confront Claudio and Don Pedro and accuse them of killing Hero, but they refuse to be drawn, and are much surprised when Benedick enters … Continue reading
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Tagged Act Five, Antonio, Beatrice, beatrice and benedick, Benedick, Claudio, Comedy, comic community, courtship, Dogberry, Don Pedro, hearsay, Hero, language, Leonato, literature, marriage, Much Ado About Nothing, orange, renaissance humanism, Shakespeare, William Shakespeare
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“I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest…Kill Claudio.”
Much Ado About Nothing Act Four By Dennis Abrams —————————— Act Four: As the wedding ceremony begins, Claudio savagely denounces Hero, backed up by Don Pedro and Don John. Hero faints away, convincing her father of her guilt. Friar Francis … Continue reading
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Tagged Beatrice, Benedick, Claudio, Comedy, Dogberry, Don John, Don Pedro, Hero, language, literature, Much Ado About Nothing, renaissance humanism, ritual humiliation, Shakespeare, William Shakespeare, wit
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“…you may say they are not the men you took them for.”
Much Ado About Nothing Act Three, Part Two By Dennis Abrams —————————– How does Shakespeare do it? How does he make this play, made up of two very divergent stories, come together so nicely? Let’s look at Tony Tanner’s take: … Continue reading
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Tagged Act Three, Beatrice, beauty, Benedick, Claudio, clothing, Comedy, dancing society, Dogberry, hearsay, Hero, Joss Whedon, language, literature, manipulative activity, Much Ado About Nothing, renaissance humanism, Shakespeare, style, tony tanner, William Shakespeare
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The Play's The Thing 