Theatre Australia

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Is Shakespeare "as boring as bat shit "?

Sun, 9 Nov 2008, 10:00 pm
stinger102 posts in thread
When I was in high school and Shakespeare was compulsory, I used to love the stories (plenty of sex and violence) but hated the language. Why could he have not said the same thing in plain and simple words? And why should we Aussies have to learn about old Pommie poets anyway? When I was at uni in the 70s, I had a small part in the scottish play. I had one long speech to remember. It was most daunting, until it was pointed out to me that it was written in iambic pentameter, so that once the actor got into the rhythm, the actual words just seemed to flow. As I matured, I began to appreciate the whole canon more and more. I realised that Shakespeare had contibuted more to the development of the English language than any other single person (with the possible exception of Chaucer). Moreover, it was not only great literature, but if you could tap into the language, it was great theatre as well. Nowadays, it stikes me that any theatre actor worth his or her salt has done, and yearns to do more Shakespeare, as an important aspect of their artistic development. Not only that, but the plays never seem to lose their audience appeal. Finally, I regard myself as a devotee of Australian dramatic works and historical narratives. I value our national heritage to the point of jingoism. Having said that, I regard Shakespeare as just as much a part of our heritage as Britain's. I therefore categorically disagree with the above proposition.

The Bard

Sun, 9 Nov 2008, 10:47 pm
I am a Shakespeare fan. I have been from the very beginning. Yes, the lanugage can be daunting but once you pick up speech patterns it's a nicely flowing piece of interesting literature. Having just finished my second Shakespeare unit at uni I've had the chance to look at the academic side of his work as well as the theatrical side and have enjoyed both. One is enriched by the other, it brings much more understanding to the plays and poetry. I did a Shakespeare unit with highschool kids - most of whom had never read a novel in their life - but they enjoyed Shakespeare. He does manage to create an ever growing appeal. I have seen those who have had bad Shakespeare encounters and refuse to try a second time and realise how much fun and how interesting his characters can be. I think its sad. Doing part of my degree in Literature has forced me to read books I highly dislike and even if you dislike Shakespeare - like said books - you will appreciate what they have done not only to theatre but also to literature as well. ~ Tari The Writer is a child forever listening at the keyhole of the adult world.

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