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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.

Or...as INTERESTING as bat-shit...!

Mon, 10 Nov 2008, 02:22 pm
By the way, your premise assumes that bat shit is boring...some cultures throughout history would disagree: Bat shit was recognised by ancient civilisations as a soil enhancing fertiliser, allowing cultivation and development. The Incas punished any disturbance to guano-producing birds or bats with the death penalty. As an ingredient in early explosives, batshit has had significant influence on history and culture. The War of The Pacific (1879-1883) was fought over strategic rights to guano and the Bolivians attempting to tax Chilean guano-harvesters. The US government of the 1850's passed the 'Guano Islands Act' which essentially gave them 'rights' to claim many unoccupied islands. Bat populations and delicate cave systems are in serious threat due to ongoing harvesting of the guano. And while people seemed quite ready to heap praise on Heath Ledger's final appearance on celluloid, I honestly thought the whole effort was another type of guano. Cheers, Craig ~<8>-/====\---------

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