Creepy Uncle Bill certainly wants pretty people to have kids. In the first five sonnets, he made that abundantly clear. In this second set of five, he has moved on from simply telling his young listener he should have kids to coming up with metaphors that help support his assertion. He is really stuck onContinue reading “If I haven’t made myself clear… (Interlude #2)”
Author Archives: Alex H.
Henry Reloaded
When I started this project of reading everything by Shakespeare in roughly chronological order, I didn’t really think about how the man himself would grow as a writer. I imagined him springing forth fully-formed from a giant clamshell or something, writing the most influential literature in the Western canon from the start. The first twoContinue reading “Henry Reloaded”
Well that escalated quickly
I know Shakespeare is trying to get about fifty years of history crammed into three plays, but things went from bad to worse very fast in Act V. York came back from Ireland with his army and played nice with the king for about two seconds before turning on him and proclaiming his intention toContinue reading “Well that escalated quickly”
Don’t call me Cade
As I mentioned in my last entry, I do not have a solid grasp on English history, so I didn’t know anything about John Cade and his uprising before this play. After reading Act IV and getting Shakespeare’s dramatization of Cade’s Rebellion, I still don’t think I really know anything about it. According to Shakespeare,Continue reading “Don’t call me Cade”
Plotters plotting plots
Poor Gloucester just can’t seem to get a break. He’s had to watch his wife’s public disgrace, lose his job, and face accusations of impropriety in his office. Unfortunately for him, Act III just gets worse for him. He starts off in ignominy and then dies violently through no fault of his own. York isContinue reading “Plotters plotting plots”
Gloucester’s fall
I have to admit that I love when a good character is taken down in a story. My favorite part of The Count of Monte Cristo is the first bit when Edmund Dantes’ life is turned into an absolute shambles and he goes to rot in prison. The revenge tale after is fun, but IContinue reading “Gloucester’s fall”
Henry VI Part T2: Judgement Day
Here we go, starting on the middle installment of the Henry VI trilogy. I was excited to start on this because we were left with some intriguing loose ends at the end of the last play, with Henry being a young and inexperienced king, the struggle between York and Lancaster starting to heat up, theContinue reading “Henry VI Part T2: Judgement Day”
Creepy Uncle Bill (Interlude #1)
Like most modern Americans, I have only a passing acquaintance with poetry. I am most familiar with nursery rhymes and the work of Shel Silverstein from my childhood, but I have studied poetry in a more formal manner in both high school and college. I like poetry, particularly the focus on the sound of languageContinue reading “Creepy Uncle Bill (Interlude #1)”
The Fellowship is broken
I have now finished the first play in my journey to read all of Shakespeare’s writings. Henry VI Part One was good, but it did feel like the first part in a trilogy. We got a lot of setup to what must be a more dramatic story than the one contained in these five acts.Continue reading “The Fellowship is broken”
It ends with a wedding (sort of)
The final act of Henry VI Part One begins in London, with Henry receiving messages from the Pope and other powerful figures around Europe to end the violence with France. Gloucester brings up the idea of a tactical marriage with the daughter of the Earl of Armangac in an effort to strengthen his ties toContinue reading “It ends with a wedding (sort of)”
Hey, Shakespeare! 