A while back, I did a guide to early modern dramatic genres and I want to dive into them a bit more. I’m starting with my favourite sub-genre – revenge tragedies – and I’m also planning to write a similar post on city comedies in the coming months. Revenge tragedies were popular in Renaissance England… Continue reading Renaissance Revenge Tragedies
Happy Saturday! I haven’t written about a Shakespeare play in a while so I’m tackling The Taming of the Shrew today, AKA the Shakespeare play that has caused me the most headaches. The Taming of the Shrew is a Shakespearean comedy and, while we may problematise its categorisation as a comedy today, it fits into… Continue reading Shakespeare Saturdays: The Taming of the Shrew
Who doesn’t love a good speech or soliloquy? They reveal so much about the characters who give them and they often touch upon some of the most important themes of the plays they’re featured in. I’ve chosen five of my favourite Shakespeare speeches to include in this post and I’d love for you to share… Continue reading Shakespeare Saturdays: Favourite Speeches
Happy Saturday! Today’s post is a quick look at my top three Shakespearean comedies. Let me know what your favourite comedy is in the comments! A Midsummer Night’s Dream (c.1595) Oh, what a magical play! MND is my favourite Shakespeare comedy by far and it’s almost perfect for me. I love the doubling of characters,… Continue reading Shakespeare Saturdays: Top 3 Comedies
Happy Saturday! I haven’t written about a Shakespeare play in ages so I’m back today with a post about one of Shakespeare’s oddest plays: Troilus and Cressida. Troilus and Cressida is a Shakespearean ‘problem play’ that was probably written in 1602. It’s the only true problem play because it really doesn’t fit into any specific… Continue reading Shakespeare Saturdays: Troilus and Cressida
Happy Saturday! Today I’m looking at sonnet 28 because it has been a while since I did a sonnet analysis. Today’s sonnet post is a little bit different to my previous ones because I’ve written a basic line-by-line analysis of the poem. Let me know if this format works or if I should just stick… Continue reading Shakespeare Saturdays: Sonnet 28
I’m starting a new monthly series on my blog called Early Modern Mondays and I just wanted to start this new series by exploring my top five early modern tragedies. These plays aren’t necessarily the “best” tragedies written during the era but they’re my favourites and I’ll explain why they’re my favourites in this post.… Continue reading Early Modern Mondays: Top 5 Tragedies
Happy Saturday! Shakespeare Saturdays are back and I’m kicking things off with Much Ado About Nothing. Probably written around 1598, Much Ado About Nothing is a Shakespearean comedy. It was published in quarto in 1600, where the title page states that the play was ‘sundry times publicly acted’, allowing the play to be dated to… Continue reading Shakespeare Saturdays: Much Ado About Nothing
Happy Saturday! I’m back with another Shakespeare Saturday and another Shakespearean sonnet. Sonnet 27 Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed, The dear repose for limbs with travel tired; But then begins a journey in my head, To work my mind, when body’s work’s expired: For then my thoughts (from far where I… Continue reading Shakespeare Saturdays: Sonnet 27
Measure for Measure, in my opinion, is one of Shakespeare’s most interesting plays. That might be because I’m interested in early modern representations of religion (don’t ask) but Measure for Measure is certainly worth looking into. Measure for Measure was probably written in 1603 or 1604 but it wasn’t published until it appeared in the… Continue reading Shakespeare Saturdays: Measure for Measure
warm days will never cease 