Month: December 2016

Bohemian Rhapsody, by William Shakespeare, esq.

bohemian-rhapsody-cover

I brave the wind from whichever quarter:

North, South, East, West? I care not! ‘Tis all one

To me. To me.

It’s a little-known fact that Shakespeare composed several of our best-known modern pop songs in iambic pentameter. Perhaps this is the most recognisable? I thought it apt to publish this on Christmas Eve, given the Queen ‘cover version’ was a Christmas Number One …

Can we call our meagre existence ‘real’?

Or but a crazéd artesanal dream,

Buried ‘neath a veritable av’lanche

With little chance to ‘scape our earthly lot?

Dear friend, go shed the scales that cloud thy sight,

Raise thy eyes from ground to God’s azure light,

Anon, see …

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Ever felt that someone wasn’t paying attention?

joe-armstrong

Farewell, kinsman. I’ll talk to you
When you are better tempered to attend.
Shakespeare – as ever – is able to pin that frustration down more adeptly than anyone!  One of the best things about studying – or teaching – literature is that great writers can express your feelings better than you can.  Simple as.  And it is comforting to feel that other people have been in the same position as you have, it really is …

 

I finished off the day with a brief, but heated, conversation with someone who I felt was not giving me an opportunity to defend or explain myself.  It was all very accusatory.  They asked me a few peremptory questions, barked a little, a lot actually – quite like a dog who wanted to feel they’d made their presence felt when the postman arrives – and I retreated from the situation, as it seemed pointless to hang around.  Like that postman, I was irritated, but a tiresome yappy dog isn’t going to spoil the rest of my day …

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A little bedtime reading …

the man might take as long as a quarter of an hour to expire

Currently reading the wonderfully cheery Hangmen of England, by Brian Bailey (WH Allen, 1989). Whilst reflecting on what fun dinner-time conversation with ‘Uncle Bill’ must have been as he researched the book, I chanced upon this little gem about Tudor executions:

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Classroom Posters #5: Richard III

This is the last of the five posters currently up in my room – but not the last Lego Shakespeare, you’ll either be pleased or dismayed to know …

Richard III.jpg

In some ways, this was the quickest and easiest image to take – because I had a very strong idea of what I wanted before I started shooting, and there was no need for ‘special effects’ such as smoke …

So there’s no story attached to this one?

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