The Far Side of Forever

Since my last post was a synopsis of three Shakespeare plays (four if you count Henry IV parts one and two as separate plays) I figured this was as good a time as any to address the question so many people have concerning the playwright and his work: how on Earth do you read Shakespeare and get anything out of it? I mean, his works are considered the pinnacle of English playwriting, and yet, most people moan is abject pain or quake in their boots when it actually comes down to reading something by him, especially if they don't already have a grasp of what the story is about. I'll admit, it can be a bit daunting to tackle Ole' Will's works, but there a few tricks to use and a lot you can learn. Problems with reading Shakespeare 1. The Elizabethan language is hard to understand. I mean, did they REALLY talk like that? 2. It's written in play format.  3. The culture, customs, and history are completely foreign to most people, especially Americans.  4. The stories are r...

I love Shakespeare. Everything he wrote, comedies, tragedies, histories, sonnets... Last year one of his greatest works was turned into a miniseries. Commonly refered to as "The Henriad", the stories of Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V were masterfully performed by an all-star cast under the name of "The Hollow Crown". The three kings of the Henriad: Richard II, Henry IV, and Henry V. Richard II The story begins 1398 with King Richard II. Richard's cousin, Henry Bolingbroke is in a heated dispute with Thomas Mobray. They challenge each other to a duel and ask Richard to stand as judge. Despite objections from both Richard and his uncle John Gaunt, Henry's father, the duel goes ahead as planned. At the beginning of the duel however, Richard intercedes and banishes both men. Mowbray is banished for life whereas Henry is banished initially for ten years, which Richard then reduces is to six. This is Richard's first fatal mista...

It's been slow coming this year. We've had more snow and cold temperatures than we have in years. Now, snow here consists of a several inches, but be that as it may, I have never liked it. The roads freeze over and no one knows how to drive on snowy, icy roads around here. Spring in Virginia usually comes all at  once - 30 degrees one day, 70 the next. It may do this up and down thing for several weeks, but here are two sure signs the warmer weather is on its way to stay: the cardinals and the mockingbirds. Male Cardinal The male cardinals are often the first flash of color in Southeastern Virginia after a grey, rainy winter. They perch high up in the trees and call back and forth with short whistles and trills. They are usually the first bird that sings at the end of winter. Even though they are the brightest and first to sing, the most beautiful song belongs to a less noticeable bird. Male mockingbird The grey and white mockingbird is a common sight in Virginia....

Well, this is new and different for me! I'm not much of a journaling/writing/type my thoughts out person, but this looked sort of fun. Sometimes a person just needs a place to be able to put down their random thoughts, ideas, and whatever else is floating through their brain. My sister has had a blog for quite a while and I read hers daily, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. This will probably be a place for random musings, picture postings, movie and tv reviews, and anything else that strikes my fancy. (If you want to read something much better written and much funnier, check out my sister Ivy's blog  Revealed in Time . She does movie and tv reviews, posts about holidays, and comes up with some of the most amazing pictures ever. The movie reviews are the best part though.  They are pithy, honest and hilarious. Read her review on "Thor". I dare you not to laugh when you get to the part about Odin.) By way of introduction: I am the second of ten children (5 ...