Shakespeare: the Creator of Rudolph?

What do Rudolph, Verdi, and Falstaff have in common? Shakespeare, of course!

You’ve probably heard the song “Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer,” and seen the movie that came with it (I’m talking about the Rankin-Bass quality one, not the later 2-d animation or any such thing). If you haven’t seen it, go, now. I’ll wait.

William Shakespeare: the Lord of…Misrule??

The Lord of Misrule…well, with all the sex jokes in Shakespeare, I think I can see Will getting along with most any “lord of misrule.”

So, in keeping with the Shakespearean Christmas theme (and in order to give myself a break from writing a paper and grading 20 more), I thought that it would be fun to elaborate on one of the most fun British Christmas traditions out there, the Lord of Misrule (and there is most definitely a connection to Shakespeare aside from the time period on this one, trust me). 

A Shakespearean Christmas

Queen Elizabeth at Christmas

 I  love this time of year, the singing, the games, the cooking. Many of the things we enjoy today were also enjoyed by Shakespeare, though in different forms…and their Christmases back then ran from Christmas Eve on the 24th all the way to Epiphany on January 6th, hence “the twelve days of Christmas.”

Time For Some Shakespeare Fun…Finals Edition!

What I tell everyone about my study methods…and how they look when I say it.

Well, here it is, the week before finals (at least at my college), and both undergrads and grad students like myself have dealt with their fair share of headaches, tears, deadlines suddenly looming closer than expected, and making the once-per-semester pilgrimage to the campus library.

Shakespeare News: New First Folio Found in France

Under the noses of college students for 400 years, yet no one realized the true value of the book until 3 days ago.

There are many things that we can be thankful for: food, friends, family, and for Shakespeare scholars, the discovery of a new first folio in France.

Why Do We Still Love Shakespeare?

What is it about this guy?

When reviewing adaptations of his plays, and looking at the history that shaped this man, it is sometimes hard to remember that these plays have lasted (intact) for nearly 500 years. What is it about Shakespeare that makes him so relatable, even with the language barrier between modern English and the English of Shakespeare’s day? This man’s influence in literature is something that most authors today still cannot imagine attaining for themselves. 

Romeo + Juliet with Leonardo DiCaprio: Anachronism Gone Bad

Ugh, terrible movie. At least Leo’s cute?
Image courtesy of imdb.com

This morning did not start out well for me. I woke up at 5:30, and decided that I might as well start work on watching a movie for the blog. So what do I do? I get on Netflix and choose the movie that looks like the most intriguing. Being a 90’s girl, I naturally gravitated towards the movie that starred Leonardo DiCaprio. 

Review: Twelfth Night (1996)

Twelfth Night in 1996,
photo courtesy of cdn-premiere.ladmedia.fr

It occurred to me last night that I have not done many movie posts, not since I first began the blog. Well, no time like the present!

I ran a search for adaptations of Twelfth Night, and found out that there was one which starred Helena Bonham Carter as Olivia. And thus my search ended quite quickly.

The History of Macbeth

James I, Shakespeare patron and alleged descendant of Banquo. Painted by Daniel Mytens.

With the last two posts being about how Macbeth has had an influence on modern culture, I thought I’d take a step back in time and look at the culture that influenced Macbeth. Not only are there several instances of brown-nosing  the king, there are also several points of the play that portray Scotland in a negative light, something that is still alive and well today. 

“Something Wicked This Way Comes:” Macbeth in Pop Culture Part 2

One of my favorite Halloween traditions is watching the Harry Potter series (up to the Half-Blood Prince). Wizards, witches, ghosts (Nearly Headless Nick, anyone?), trolls, and renditions of other mystical creatures in mythology, what isn’t there to like?