Jonathan Miller – The Boar's Head, Eastcheap

PTS 04/024: How many fingers am I holding up, Winston?

BH how many fingers — “‘Four! Five! Four! Anything you like. Only stop it, stop the pain!” **George Orwell**, *Nineteen Eighty-Four* (1949)

Ponytail Shakespeare: The Taming of the Shrew, Act IV

KATHERINA: ‘And be it moon or sun or what you please,

And if you please to call it a rush-candle,

Henceforth I vow it shall be so for me.

PETRUCCIO: I say it is the moon.

KATHERINA: I know it is the moon.

PETRUCCIO: Nay then, you lie; it is the blessed sun.

KATHERINA: Then God be blest, it is the blessed sun.’

(IV.v.13-19)

I so often say to students (usually when we’re looking at poetry) that you should ‘bring your baggage’ to a work. It’s one of the things that makes re-reading an unexpected joy, as you arrive at a familiar work with fresh eyes. The ‘baggage’ can, of course, be life experiences, or other works that you’ve read: regular readers will already know that I have a habit of conflating Caliban, Richard III and Frankenstein’s monster, to talk through a sympathetic lens about those three characters and the nature vs. nurture argument.

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PTS 04/023: Is that you, baby?

BH bruce springsteen Or just a brilliant disguise?

… as The Boss might remark. A guy who, perhaps appositely in the light of this post, I admire for his authenticity as much as his music.

The Taming of the Shrew: Act III

By now, I wonder if anyone is who they say they are in this play. Poor old Christopher Sly‘s been conned into thinking he’s a Lord with a young, beautiful wife, remember: and that was BEFORE the play properly started … When I see the Stage Direction:

“Enter LUCENTIO [as Cambio], HORTENSIO [as Licio] and BIANCA”

(who I suspect is not as pure, dutiful, or even as nice as she seems), my heart sinks a little.

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PTS 04/022: Bring forth men-children only …

BH its a boy (Macbeth I.vii.73)

The Taming of the Shrew: Act II

Confession time …

I only ever wanted boys, and I have been lucky enought to have two fine sons. When my oldest son was born, I remember (despite it being half a lifetime ago) literally going weak at the knees for a moment, with joy at the big reveal. For the younger, the scan was, ahem, rather more obvious (sorry, Lewis!), resulting in a fist pump as soon as we left the room.

Why the preference?

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PTS 04/021 Boorish, Brusque, Bonkers …

The Taming Of The Shrew: Act 1

BH Petruchio

Boorish, brusque, bonkers …

… but brilliant!

It’s been a while since I expressed some mild distaste at the prank played on the admittedly unsympathetic Christopher Sly at the beginning of this play.

(the reading continues to schedule, by the way, but I can see myself having to catch up on the act-by-act commentaries over the summer holidays)

Doing a bit of research – perhaps on the back of my reluctance to engage with the comedies, I found that the play has plenty of detractors, but I’ve seen it once – several years ago, at the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival – and enjoyed the performance. The casting certainly seemed to back up Robert Atkins’ views:

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