I know it’s early days, but I’ve had a good first month of 2012 reading resolutions. I’ve started War and Peace (which I’m surprisingly really enjoying), and read my first ever Shakespeare play.
Risa is organizing A Shakespeare Play a Month event and A Midsummer Night’s Dream was elected for January. I’ve never read Shakespeare in school and apart from the usual spin-offs like 10 Things I Hate About You or West Side Story, I’ve only came across the canon by watching Romeo + Juliet at the movies and Macbeth at the theater, and although I got the gist of it, most of the language nuances were lost on me. But way back then I didn’t read much in English, and what I read was mostly modern novels, so clearly I wasn’t ready to face The Bard.
Some friends warned me that Shakespeare is better experienced by listening to it, but I found that reading the book and then watching the movie worked well. I was able to go back, re-read and look online for definitions. I was able to understand turns of phrase such as “a mile without the town” or “come, recreant; come thou child”. If I’d seen it without reading it first, I’d probably miss just how visual and evocative one of my favorite lines really is – Titania describing how she got the little Indian boy:
When we have laugh’d to see the sails conceive
And grow big-bellied with the wanton wind
It also gave me the opportunity to witness what a marvelous “insulter” Shakespeare was. I had heard rumors, but now I’ve seen it for myself and am very much tempted to use it in my day-to-day (not that I often insult people, but you know, just in case): “You minimus, of hind’ring knot-grass made”, “O me, you juggler, you canker-blossom, you thief of love!”, “Farewell, thou lob of spirits”.
I haven’t said much about the plot because it became a bit secondary when compared to the words. That’s why you have re-reads, right? Next time around I’ll pay more attention to the comments on relationship’s balance of power or the loss of individual identity, but just this once, let me appreciate only the language.
Ay me, for aught that I could ever read,
Could ever hear by tale or history,
The course of true love never did run smooth.
Lysander says this to calm Hermia, after her father forbade them to marry and the King threatened her with death if she disobeyed. Lysander’s basically saying that for as long as there has been true love, there have been difficulties, and I found that strangely comforting.
Bottom & Co.’s play: loved it. How very meta-fictional of Shakespeare (or maybe it was a common gimmick at the time and I’m giving him more credit than he deserves), and how funny their keenness to make sure the audience was not scared by the lion (it’s just a man playing a lion!), or of the scene where Pyramus gets killed:
(…) and for the more better assurance, tell them that I Pyramus am not Pyramus but Bottom the weaver: this will put them out of fear.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999)
Watching the movie adaptation after reading was a good idea. It not only made me better understand the comings and goings of the characters, but it was also fun seeing how often the actors used a tone different from the one I used when reading by myself.
My initial plan was to only join Risa for a couple of the plays, but this one was such a rewarding experience that I think I’ll try to do all 12.
This post is also my contribution for Allie’s Shakespeare Reading Month.
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Other thoughts: tale of three cities, Becky’s Book Reviews, things mean a lot, Educating Petunia, All-Consuming Media, Bloggers [heart] Books, Back to Books, Once Upon A Bookshelf, Trish’s Reading Nook, An Armchair By The Sea (yours?)
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January 30, 2012 at 2:00 pm
nymeth
This was also my first Shakespeare play, and I thought it was a great introduction. I find that I don’t get as much out of his plays if I *just* read them, but reading and them watching a film version has worked out great for me as well.
January 30, 2012 at 10:07 pm
Melanie
The play within a play is fun because, as you say, they are so much in earnest. I think the “course of true love never did run smooth” quote is comforting and popular because it is true for most of us. 🙂
Congratulations on completing your first Shakespeare play! I hope you enjoy many more!
January 31, 2012 at 12:22 am
Mady
I really admire you! I’ve only ever read a couple of pages of Shakespeare (Romeo & Juliet) and gave up 😛 But I can imagine that in his case, reading the play + watching a movie may be a much more rewarding experience than just reading the book. And well, all I wanted to add is that this is the play depicted in “Dead Poets Society”, one of my favourite movies ever 😀
January 31, 2012 at 9:17 am
Jillian ♣
I so enjoyed this one! Act 5 had me laughing hysterically. I loved all of the editorial commentary while the play-within-a-play was being performed.
And I love Shakespeare’s insults too!!
Congrats on your first Shakespeare play. I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
(Are you part of my War and Peace readalong? I can’t remember. If not, you’re most welcome.) 🙂
January 31, 2012 at 4:48 pm
Two Bibliomaniacs
This was my first introduction to a Shakespeare Comedy and i really enjoyed it. Such a fun atmosphere. I’ve also been trying to catch the movies following the read.
January 31, 2012 at 4:52 pm
Melissa
Your first Shakespeare play, I’m so proud! I do think this is a good one to start with. Puck is one of my favorite characters. I’m a big fan of reading and watching the plays (preferably live, but a movie works too). They were definitely meant to be scene and they’re so much better that way. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
January 31, 2012 at 7:24 pm
Kailana
I wouldn’t mind doing all 12 myself. First I need to review this one as the month sort of got away from me… I really enjoyed this play and I am glad that I finally read it!
January 31, 2012 at 9:24 pm
Larissa
Congrats on your first Shakespeare!
I had to read Hamlet in school, and after the first chapters of suffering because of the language difficulties I quite enjoyed it.
But A Midsummer’s night dream is one I just saw the 1999 movie of, and I really didn’t like the movie. Maybe I should try again… I had always thought it would be good, because (like Mady, apparently) of Dead Poet’s Society!
February 1, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Patty
Totally agree – the readalong was very successful, I too want to follow it as much as I can, but I will have to find the relevant plays!!!
February 2, 2012 at 6:25 am
Risa
I’m so glad you enjoyed your first venture into Shakespeare, Alex! I love how the language really got to you. 😀 And yes…watching the play can make such a huge difference to experiencing Shakespeare. One of my favourite movies is Much Ado About Nothing starring Emma Thompson (this is actually an all-star cast)….how much I laughed during the course of this movie. I’ve never read the play…and I’m so excited about getting to it in April.
I have watched the Michelle Phiefer (sp?) version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream a long while ago. I think I was too young to appreciate it. I would like to see it again some time.
Oh!…and the whole ‘play within a play’ concept was not really Shakespeare’s. I believe he lifted the entire thing out of Ovid!
February 23, 2012 at 8:05 pm
cbjamess
I’ve been reading Midsummer with my 7th graders for several years. I really do it for fun. We play around with the language, especially the insults, and look at scenes for several different movie productions.
You’re right to focus on the language. The plot doesn’t bare much examination, but the language is lots of fun.
I’m going to check out the play a month group.
February 29, 2012 at 12:50 pm
Macbeth by William Shakespeare « The Sleepless Reader
[…] like with A Midsummer’s Night Dream, I took great pleasure in the words, even though they were more archaic and harder to follow […]
March 2, 2012 at 7:19 pm
M M Bennetts
The film version of Twelfth Night with Imogen Stubbs, Nigel Hawthorne, Toby Stephens and Helena Bonham Carter is rather fine. It also features a superlative soundtrack and was shot on location in Cornwall, at Lanhydrock and St. Michael’s Mount, so the scenery is grand too.
January 7, 2013 at 5:29 pm
2012 in review & 2013 plans « The Sleepless Reader
[…] Read-alongs The Importance of Being Earnest, Red Seas Under Red Skies (Gentleman Bastards #2), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth […]
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