Beginning in December, 2023, I began to read Shakespeare plays more seriously.
It started by reading the Italian plans and my fascination with those plays.
A Winter's Tale: an old-wives tale; staged for Princess Anne, the winter queen, 1619 - 1620. The play was written in 1610 -1611.
- kings of Sicily and Bohemia
- King of Sicily, Leontes, crazy; and Queen Hermione, virtuous, accused of adultery
- King of Bohemia, Polixenes, virtuous king; friend of Leontes; visiting Sicily
- Hermione: virtuous queen of Sicily
- Sicilian King Leontes accuses wife of adultery
- wife Hermione escapes; has baby daughter in exile, Perdita
- Perdita: daughter of Leontes and Hermione
- family reconciles 16 years later
- famous stage direction: exit, stage left; chased by a bear.
The Tempest
- Florence / Milan
- exiled to Sicily
- shipwreck off Sicily
The Merchant of Venice
- three friends (Solanio, Salarino, Gratiano)
- Antonio -- the merchant of Venice
- Bassanio -- Antonio's friend; Portia's suitor;
- Lorenzo -- in love with Jessica
- Belmont vs Venice
- Christian vs Jew
- Venetians vs Christians (Puritans)
- Portia: heiress; three caskets; marries Antonio's friend, Bassanio
- Nerissa: black hair; lady-in-waiting to Portia
- Portia and Nerissa disguise as doctors of law
- Shylock: "pound of flesh"; a rich Jew
- Jessica: daughter of Shylock, elopes with Lorenzo
- the Duke of Venice -- important player; disguises himself to see what his subjects are saying
- so the four men: Antonio, Lorenzo, and Bassanio; but Gratiano marries Nerissa
- the three women: Portia, the heiress; Jessica, the Jewish daughter; and, Nerissa, lady-in-waiting to Portia
Measure for Measure
- adultery
- Isabella center of attention of every man who sees her (Angelo, Vincentio)
- three women; three rings; three weddings
- Vincentio: the Duke and Friar Lodowick, disguise
- Angelo: deputy to the Duke; "Taliban"
- Claudio, accused of fornication; tried by Angelo; to be executed; Isabella his sister
- three weddings:
- Isabella: Vincentio (the Duke)
- Mariana: Angelo (the Deputy)
- Juliet: Claudio (brother of Isabella) -- so ordered by the court (the Duke)
- brothel: Mistress Overdone; Pompey Bum;
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