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Author David Wiley

~ Author of science fiction and fantasy stories, choosing to write the stories that he would love to read.

Author David Wiley

Category Archives: Shakespeare

Book Review: Tales from Our Write Side

24 Friday Feb 2017

Posted by David Wiley in Book Review, Books and Reading, Fantasy, My Writings, OWS Ink, LLC., Sci-Fi, Shakespeare

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A.L. Mabry, A.M. Rycroft, Anthology, Book Review, david wiley, E.C. Jarvis, Elizabeth Abel, Emma T. Gitani, Eric Keizer, J.K. Allen, Katheryn J. Avila, Lorah Jaiyn, Mandy Melanson, Nancy E. Miller, OWS Ink, LLC., R.G. Westerman, Stacy Overby, Stephanie Ayers, Tales from Our Write Side, Tara Roberts, Wendy Strain

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Title: Tales from Our Write Side: An Anthology

Authors: Various

Published by: OWS Inc, LLC. (November 25, 2016)

Blurb: From Lewis Carroll and Shakespeare to tales that will keep you up at night, make you cry, and touch your heart comes Tales from Our Write Side, OWS Ink’s debut anthology with 17 authors sharing 17 stories, 2 poems, and one creative screenplay.

My Take: Anthologies are among my favorite things to read these days, because they offer a reading experience that completely departs from what you’d get with a novel, or even a collection from a single author. In this particular anthology there are 17 unique voices sharing poetry, screenplays, and short stories that are categorized. Don’t like Horror or Speculative Fiction? You can clearly see which stories were thrown into that section, although I would recommend not skipping any of these. They are all short enough that, even if it isn’t a genre you particularly like, it will be brief enough to be worth your time. And you might just find that you enjoy at least a few of the tales in every category.

And that is the particular strength in this anthology: the stories are short, they are sorted by category, and they represent a diverse range of authors. It begins with some delightful tales revolving around the theme of Summer kidnapping Winter, and it is fun to see how seven different authors approach that theme.

While I enjoyed them all on different levels, my favorites include Solstinox by Lorah Jaiyn, The Next Best Seller by A.L. Mabry, Dawn’s Light by Wendy Strain, and Patterns by Katheryn J. Avila. Pick this collection up, as you are bound to find some stories you enjoy and might just discover some new authors who you wish to read more of in the future.

As a side note, several of the contributors to this anthology will have their own works published this spring by OWS Ink, LLC. More details on those books will appear here in the future, so if you want to get a feel for whose works you might enjoy, this anthology is a great starting point!

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Book Discussion: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare

19 Monday Sep 2016

Posted by David Wiley in Book Review, Books and Reading, Renaissance, Shakespeare

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Book Discussion, Book Review, Renaissance, Shakespeare

After over a month to prepare for it, the time has come to discuss this Shakespearian play. Before I dive into my thoughts on the play, here is some background information on the play itself:

Summary of the plot or story
The main plot of Midsummer is a complex farce that involves two sets of couples (Hermia & Lysander and Helena & Demetrius) whose romantic intrigues are confused and complicated still further by entering the forest where Oberon, the King of the Fairies and his Queen, Titania, preside. Puck (or Robin Goodfellow) is a major character who is full of mischief and tricks. Other visitors to the enchanted forest include Bottom the weaver and his friends Snug, Snout, Quince and Flute who want to rehearse their dire but hilarious rendering of the play Pyramus and Thisbe. Themes illustrated in the play are that Love triumphs in the end and the pleasure of Dreaming the Impossible Dream.

Date First Performed
It is believed that A Midsummer Night’s was first performed between 1595 and 1596. In the Elizabethan era there was a huge demand for new entertainment and A Midsummer Night’s Dream would have been produced immediately following the completion of the play.

Date first printed
It is believed that the script was first printed in 1600. As William Shakespeare clearly did not want his work published details of the play would have therefore been noted, and often pirated without his consent, following a performance.

The setting for A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The setting for the drama is Athens in Greece

Theme of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The play is categorised as a Comedy

Most important characters
The most important characters are: Hermia, Lysander, Bottom, Puck, Oberon (King of the Fairies) and Titania (Queen of the Fairies)

History of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Unlike many of his other plays it does not include any historical figures. The feast of John the Baptist was celebrated as an English festival on June 24 (Midsummer Day) It was believed that on Midsummer Night that the fairies and witches held their festival. To dream about Midsummer Night was to conjure up images of fairies and witches and other similar creatures and supernatural events.

William Shakespeare’s Main Source for A Midsummer Night’s Dream
All characters and plot are purely fictitious but Shakespeare may have based parts of the play on The Knight’s Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer (1340 – 1400)

 

My thoughts on the play:

I remember reading this play years ago and loving it a lot. And it certainly has its moments of subtle humor that demonstrate some of Shakespeare’s genius. However, having read so many of his other plays, this one simply doesn’t measure up. In fact, this would probably fit into a bottom third of his plays, although it would be high in that tier. While the play is not, in itself, a bad play, it is simply not able to live up to the expectations that come from having read so many Shakespearian greats.

I enjoyed the scheme of Oberon and Puck and how their plans all went awry because Puck was told to look for an Athenian man and Oberon didn’t realize there were two of them in the woods that night. I also enjoyed Titania falling in love with a man who was dressed as an ass. The play being performed within a play was interesting, providing some humorous moments, but overall I could have done away with that part and focused more upon the love stories with the main characters. The fact that the fifth act was all the performance was a major let-down for me personally.

So while it was an enjoyable read overall, it is certainly not one that I would recommend to someone unless they are entering into their Shakespearian readings. There are plenty of other great plays to choose from to read that are as entertaining and done far better than this one.

Some of my favorite lines from the play were:

“The course of true love never did run smooth.” Act 1, Scene 1, line 134

“We cannot fight for love, as men may do;/ We should be wooed and were not made to woo./ I’ll follow thee and make a heaven of hell,/ to die upon the hand I love so well.” Act 2, Scene 1, lines 241-244

“When thou wakest, it is thy dear:/ Wake when some vile thing is near.” Act 2, Scene 2, lines 33-34

“When in that moment, so it came to pass,/ Titania waked and straightway loved an ass.” Act 3, Scene 2, lines 32-33

“O spite! O hell! I see you all are bent
To set against me for your merriment:
If you we re civil and knew courtesy,
You would not do me thus much injury.
Can you not hate me, as I know you do,
But you must join in souls to mock me too?
If you were men, as men you are in show,
You would not use a gentle lady so;
To vow, and swear, and superpraise my parts,
When I am sure you hate me with your hearts.
You both are rivals, and love Hermia;
And now both rivals, to mock Helena:
A trim exploit, a manly enterprise,
To conjure tears up in a poor maid’s eyes
With your derision! none of noble sort
Would so offend a virgin, and extort
A poor soul’s patience, all to make you sport.” Act 2, Scene 2, lines 145-161

“If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend,
If you pardon, we will mend.
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to ‘scape the serpent’s tongue,
We will make amends ere long,
Else the Puck a liar call.
So, goodnight unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.” Act 5, Scene 1, lines 430-445

 

What about you? Did you enjoy reading A Midsummer Night’s Dream? How many other Shakespearian plays have you read and how did this measure up in your opinion? Any favorite scenes or lines that you’d like to share? Let’s have a conversation about this play!

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Let’s Read A Midsummer Night’s Dream

22 Monday Aug 2016

Posted by David Wiley in Books and Reading, Renaissance, Shakespeare

≈ 1 Comment

My apologies about a week’s delay on making a decision on the play. I have wrestled with which of the plays to choose, since there was no clear winner in the voting process. I am certain that part of me was hoping someone new would come and cast a vote for something else already elected. And while The Tempest was tempting, I figured Midsummer would serve as a nice, friendly entry point for those who are not avid readers of Shakespeare.

And now, some background information about the play we are about to read together:

Summary of the plot or story
The main plot of Midsummer is a complex farce that involves two sets of couples (Hermia & Lysander and Helena & Demetrius) whose romantic intrigues are confused and complicated still further by entering the forest where Oberon, the King of the Fairies and his Queen, Titania, preside. Puck (or Robin Goodfellow) is a major character who is full of mischief and tricks. Other visitors to the enchanted forest include Bottom the weaver and his friends Snug, Snout, Quince and Flute who want to rehearse their dire but hilarious rendering of the play Pyramus and Thisbe. Themes illustrated in the play are that Love triumphs in the end and the pleasure of Dreaming the Impossible Dream.

Date First Performed
It is believed that A Midsummer Night’s was first performed between 1595 and 1596. In the Elizabethan era there was a huge demand for new entertainment and A Midsummer Night’s Dream would have been produced immediately following the completion of the play.

Date first printed
It is believed that the script was first printed in 1600. As William Shakespeare clearly did not want his work published details of the play would have therefore been noted, and often pirated without his consent, following a performance.

The setting for A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The setting for the drama is Athens in Greece

Theme of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The play is categorised as a Comedy

Most important characters
The most important characters are: Hermia, Lysander, Bottom, Puck, Oberon (King of the Fairies) and Titania (Queen of the Fairies)

History of A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Unlike many of his other plays it does not include any historical figures. The feast of John the Baptist was celebrated as an English festival on June 24 (Midsummer Day) It was believed that on Midsummer Night that the fairies and witches held their festival. To dream about Midsummer Night was to conjure up images of fairies and witches and other similar creatures and supernatural events.

William Shakespeare’s Main Source for A Midsummer Night’s Dream
All characters and plot are purely fictitious but Shakespeare may have based parts of the play on The Knight’s Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer (1340 – 1400)

 

On September 19th I will be posting a recap discussion for this play, sharing some of my favorite lines and scenes and overall thoughts on the play. So dust off your folios and pull out the play. Grab a friend or a merry troupe of players and recite the play aloud (or, if your troupe is imagined, perhaps in your head may suffice) and read some Shakespeare for the next month.

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Let’s Read Some Shakespeare

01 Monday Aug 2016

Posted by David Wiley in Books and Reading, Renaissance, Shakespeare

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Plays, Read Shakespeare, Shakespeare

This weekend I checked out a copy of The Hollow Crown DVD from my local library. I am by no means a Shakespearean scholar, and I am pretty sure I still haven’t read all of his plays, much less his sonnets. Yet there is still something timeless about his work that has a certain appeal to me as a reader. This set of movies, performing some of the major historical plays that Shakespeare wrote, has been something that crossed my radar nearly a year ago when I saw a trailer for it. So I was very excited to check out this DVD. But then something concerning happened.

The librarian looked at it and said, “I thought this looked interesting, but don’t you think the language might be a little difficult?”

Of all the professions out there, I would not expect that sort of comment to come from two: English majors and librarians. After all, Shakespeare’s language is not very different from what we speak and write today. The real problem people have with Shakespeare, I fear, is that they don’t like to read words they don’t fully understand. It challenges them to increase their literacy and reading skill and so they spend their time diving into romance novels, New York Times bestsellers, and YA fiction. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with those or the people who read them.

But there is something wrong with avoiding classic works, such as Shakespeare, because they are a little challenging. There are many benefits to reading outside of your comfort zone, at least on occasion. So instead of lamenting the direction I fear our nation is heading in terms of literacy, I thought I should do something to combat it instead.

Today is the first day of August. I propose that we take two weeks (August 15) to select a play of Shakespeare’s to read together and then come back on September 19th to discuss it. That will give us all more than a month to read the play, which is more than sufficient time to get through even the longest of his works.

So here is step one: I’ve created a list with some of the major works of Shakespeare. Vote for one, and only one, option, by leaving a comment. If things are neck-and-neck between only two or three of them, I may do a second vote around the 12th of August to narrow it down.

So I beckon you to join me and let’s commit to read a Shakespearian play together and discuss it. Let’s step outside of our literary comfort zone for a few weeks and give the Bard a chance to let his wordsmith abilities shine.

 

What Shakespearian Play Should We Read?
Romeo and Juliet
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Hamlet
MacBeth
Much Ado About Nothing
The Tempest
King Lear
As You Like It
Othello
Julius Caesar
Henry V
Henry IV, Part 1
The Merchant of Venice

Quiz Maker

 

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What if Shakespeare HAD written Old English?

31 Sunday Jul 2016

Posted by David Wiley in Medieval, Renaissance, Shakespeare

≈ 4 Comments

Thijs Porck

Whenever I tell people I study and teach Old English, they react by feeding me their favourite lines of Shakespeare, noting that it is very difficult indeed: “Is this a dagger I see before me? Alas, poor Yorick! Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?”.  Indeed, as a little search on Twitter (see the image at the bottom of this post) indicates, the association between William Shakespeare (1564-1616) and Old English (ca 45o-1100) is a widespread myth that deserves to be busted. What better way to do so, than to imagine what it would look like if William Shakespeare HAD written Old English? This blog features my own very first translation of one of Shakespeare’s sonnets into Old English.

Shakespeare’s ‘Sonnet 18’ in Old English

Sceal ic þē gelīcian tō sumeres dæge?
Þū eart luflīcra ond staþolfæstra.
Rūge windas sceacað þrīmilces dȳrlinge blōstman
Ond sumeres lǣn hæfð eall tō lȳtelne termen.

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