Lear, Act IV: Regan and Goneril are so evil, and Cordelia is so loving and forbearing, that I'm feeling a little skeptical this time through. (It reminds me of last summer, when I was rereading Bleak House and feeling doubtful about Esther.) Is an utter absence of bitterness a marker that you're either reading fiction or hagiography?
And there's Albany. In these circumstances is it plausible for him to say, "Woman, you're too evil for me"? It also rings false to me when Albany says, "Gloucester, I live / To thank thee for the love thou show'dst the king, / And to revenge thine eyes."
What say you? Do you buy it? Are you reading any Shakespeare this week?
I think I need to re-read Lear again. I've always felt that Cordelia's love rings false somehow.
We just watched As You Like It, which I've never actually read. I think I need to sit down and read it now. Actually, I started to read it but got distracted by the Riverside Shakespeare's introductory materials and never made it to the actual play.
A friend on Facebook asked what is the most beautiful thing we've read (Bible excluded.) Several people said Shakespeare, and I was rather surprised to find myself dismissing his claim. I love his plays, but I think for beauty I'd tend to turn to lyric. Shakespeare moves me but I seldom am tempted to sit back and think: that was beautiful. Not like Eliot or Hopkins does. What do you think? Would you put Shakespeare in the most beautiful category?
Posted by: Melanie | January 19, 2015 at 03:54 PM
Short answer: yes. This deserves a post of its own, though!
Have fun with AYLI -- it's a favorite of mine.
Posted by: Jamie | January 19, 2015 at 05:44 PM
Question: are you only reading the plays this year, or is it a goal to see them too somehow?if you have seen videos, do you have favorites?(you know, the question of whether Shakespeare should be read, seen, both...?) I am teaching Shakespeare for a jr. high coop class right now, and am scrambling to find good scenes to show them (we are doing Romeo and Juliet right now, and Leonardo De Caprio as Romeo=not good)(tho i am showing his balcony scene to them anyway)Just wondering....:)
Posted by: anneleisa | January 22, 2015 at 03:34 PM