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Cobbe Portrait of William Shakespeare
Tag Archives: Jan Kott
“On the desert island the history of the world has been performed. The performance is over; history begins once more.”
The Tempest Act Five, Part Three By Dennis Abrams ———————————— I want to conclude our examination of The Tempest with this, from the great Jan Kott: “Who is Prospero and what does his staff signify? Why does he combine knowledge … Continue reading
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Tagged Act Five, Antony and Cleopatra, Ariel, Caliban, Caliban Shakespeare, Comedy, Don Juan, Elizabethan theater, entertainment, Ferdinand, Giordano Bruno, Hamlet, history, island, Jan Kott, Joseph Conrad, language, literature, Miranda, Prospero, Prospero's staff, romance, Shakespeare, The Tempest, tragedy, Victor Hugo, William Shakespeare, writing
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“The history of mankind is madness, but in order to expose it, one has to perform it on a desert island.”
The Tempest Act Two, Part Two By Dennis Abrams ———————————- To continue where I left of last time with Jan Kott: “The Tempest has two endings: a quiet evening on the island, when Prospero forgives his enemies and the story … Continue reading
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Tagged Act Two, Ariel, Caliban, Comedy, desert island, drama, Dream Shakespeare, Giordano Bruno, Jan Kott, language, literature, Miranda, nature, power, prologue, Prospero, Prospero's island, Shakespeare, struggle for power, The King, The Prince, The Tempest, William Shakespeare, writing
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“Coriolanus did not love the people. But this does not mean that Coriolanus should be condemned. In that sentence there is in a nutshell the bitter drama of Renaissance humanism; of any humanism, in fact.”
Coriolanus Act Five, Part Two By Dennis Abrams ———————————- From Jan Kott: “But Shakespeare’s world is crowded, and there are no empty spaces in it. There are just patricians, plebeians, and enemies of Rome. Coriolanus can only choose his place … Continue reading
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Tagged A.C. Bradley, Act Five, Coriolanus, drama, Elizabethan tragedy, Jan Kott, language, Laurence Olivier, literature, Mussolini, Peter Hall, politics, Roman Republic, Rome, Shakespeare, Stratford, tragedy, Volumnia, William Shakespeare, writing
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“’Coriolanus’, more even than ‘Julius Caesar’ and ‘Henry V,’ is Shakespeare’s political play.”
Coriolanus An Introduction By Dennis Abrams ——————————— Shakespeare’s final tragedy, Coriolanus is said to be his purest expression of classical tragic form, whereby a hero meets a sudden (and brutal) reversal of fate. It seems likely that while researching his … Continue reading
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Tagged Coriolanus, drama, Elizabethan theater, Elizabethan tragedy, history, Introduction, Jan Kott, language, literature, politics, Rome, Shakespeare, tragedy, William Shakespeare, writing
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“Age cannot with her, nor custom stale./Her infinite variety.”
Antony and Cleopatra Act Two, Part One By Dennis Abrams ————————————— Act Two: At Pompey’s camp, the news that Caesar has assembled an army is not exactly well-received. Antony has returned. Meanwhile, Rome’s three rulers (the triumvirate) are locked in … Continue reading
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Tagged Act Two, Antony and Cleopatra, Cleopatra, Comedy, drama, Egypt, Elizabethan tragedy, Hamlet, history, Jan Kott, language, Lepidus, literature, Mark Antony, Octavius Caesar, politics, Pompey, Rome, Shakespeare, tragedy, William Shakespeare, writing
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“Poor naked wretches, whereso’er you are,/That bide the pelting of this pitiless storm”
King Lear Act Three, Part Three By Dennis Abrams ————————————- I’d like to talk a bit more about Lear’s (and my) beloved Fool before we say goodbye to him. In the Quarto the Fool’s role ends with his participation in … Continue reading
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Tagged Act Three, Albany, antony sher, blindness, Cornwall, drama, Edgar, Edmund, Elizabethan tragedy, Endgame, Gloucester, Goneril, Hamlet, Jan Kott, Kent, King Lear, language, Lear, literature, Poor Tom, Regan, Samuel Beckett, Shakespeare, the Fool, Theater of the Absurd, tragedy, William Shakespeare, writing
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“I have full cause of weeping, but this heart/Shall break into a hundred thousand flaws/Or e’er I’ll weep. O fool, I shall go mad.”
King Lear Act Two, Part Three By Dennis Abrams ————————————— For my Sunday evening post, and before we dive into Act Three (perhaps the pinnacle OF the pinnacle that is King Lear), I thought we should step back a bit … Continue reading
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Tagged A.C. Bradley, Act Two, books, Cordelia, Edgar, Edmund Kean, Elizabethan theater, Gloucester, Goneril, Hamlet, history, Jan Kott, Kent, King Lear, language, Lear, literature, nahum tate, politics, r a foakes, Regan, Samuel Johnson, Shakespeare, the Fool, tragedy, william hazlitt, William Shakespeare, writing
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“Who is it that can tell me who I am?” “Lear’s shadow.”
King Lear Act One, Part Three By Dennis Abrams ————————– A couple of things of interest: 1. I talked in my introduction to Lear about the fact that there are really two different versions of the play: the Quarto and … Continue reading
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Tagged act one, Ancient Britain, Cordelia, drama, Edmund, Elizabethan tragedy, G. Wilson Knight, Goneril, Jan Kott, King Lear, language, Lear, literature, nothing, politics, Regan, Richard II, Shakespeare, tragedy, William Shakespeare, writing
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“‘King Lear’ gives one the impression of life’s abundance magnificently compressed into one play.”
King Lear An Introduction By Dennis Abrams ———————————— We are now, I think, at the peak of Mount Shakespeare. King Lear has long had a reputation as the ultimate in tragedy – this tale of a difficult father driven mad … Continue reading
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Tagged Ancient Britain, charles lamb, Cordelia, drama, Edmund, Elizabethan tragedy, evil, G. Wilson Knight, Geneva Bible, genius, good, Hamlet, Introduction, James I, Jan Kott, King Lear, language, Lear, literature, nahum tate, politics, Shakespeare, shakespeare king lear, shakespearean play, the Fool, tragedy, william hazlitt, William Shakespeare, writing
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“It is a tale/Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,/Signifying nothing.”
Macbeth Act Five, Part Three By Dennis Abrams ———————————– To conclude Stephen Booth’s look at Macbeth from King Lear, Macbeth, Indefinition, and Tragedy: “I said earlier that an audience to Macbeth cannot keep itself within the category dictated by its own … Continue reading
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Tagged Act Five, Banquo, Banquo's Ghost, drama, Duncan, Elizabethan theater, Elizabethan tragedy, entertainment, Hamlet, Jan Kott, King Lear, Lady Macbeth, language, literature, Macbeth, moral judgments, politics, Richard III, Shakespeare, stephen booth, The Grand Mechanism, theatrical terms, tragedy, William Shakespeare, writing
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The Play's The Thing 