Tuesday, June 12, 2018 Game Recap and Discussion [SPOILERS]

[Bamaman]

[davey]

I'm getting too dumb to play along anymore. I have no idea where the Danube is.

1952 + farm = ... Um. Date seemed not far back enough for Charlotte's Web. Babe was a book but I'm pretty sure it was British. Uh... ... ... nah, I got nothing, this is gonna be another stumper, I know it...

My daughter was visiting while we watched this episode. I probably read Charlotte's Web several dozen times out loud 30-35 years ago. I had earlier blanked on Clue of the Day. She got it before AT had read the first five words of the clue. Oy.

And I agree with Teapot and Stanislaus who parsed the opening of Richard III by moving the word "now." This has always been one of my least favorite Shakespeare lines because of ambiguity caused by a "misplaced modifier." Most readers, and even most performers, put a pause after "discontent," making it seem like the line means "the winter of our discontent is now."

It took me a couple of viewings to realize the line actually means that winter is over: "The winter of our discontent is now made summer by this son of York." I can't remember which I text(s) I've read, but I've always heard the line as "son" rather than "sun" -- but Teapot and Stanislaus are right, it's a pun either way. To make the groundlings chuckle, perchance?

But Richard is being sarcastic (or let's say, appropriating the happy talk of the court to twist it)...It's still winter in his soul. So I'd say the word is perfectly placed to point up his covert meaning.

[opusthepenguin]

And I agree with Teapot and Stanislaus who parsed the opening of Richard III by moving the word "now." This has always been one of my least favorite Shakespeare lines because of ambiguity caused by a "misplaced modifier." Most readers, and even most performers, put a pause after "discontent," making it seem like the line means "the winter of our discontent is now."

Yeah, but that ain't Shakes's fault. With correct delivery, the line is unambiguous. Any actor with any business performing Shakespeare will understand the line and deliver it intelligibly. Failing that, any director with any business directing Shakespeare will explain the line to the actor and fix the problem in rehearsal or on take 2.

[opusthepenguin]

But Richard is being sarcastic (or let's say, appropriating the happy talk of the court to twist it)...It's still winter in his soul. So I'd say the word is perfectly placed to point up his covert meaning.

That's a good point. An actor could get a lot of mileage with a telling pause after "discontent".

[AFRET CMS]

I'm getting too dumb to play along anymore. I have no idea where the Danube is.

1952 + farm = ... Um. Date seemed not far back enough for Charlotte's Web. Babe was a book but I'm pretty sure it was British. Uh... ... ... nah, I got nothing, this is gonna be another stumper, I know it...

My daughter was visiting while we watched this episode. I probably read Charlotte's Web several dozen times out loud 30-35 years ago. I had earlier blanked on Clue of the Day. She got it before AT had read the first five words of the clue. Oy.

And I agree with Teapot and Stanislaus who parsed the opening of Richard III by moving the word "now." This has always been one of my least favorite Shakespeare lines because of ambiguity caused by a "misplaced modifier." Most readers, and even most performers, put a pause after "discontent," making it seem like the line means "the winter of our discontent is now."

It took me a couple of viewings to realize the line actually means that winter is over: "The winter of our discontent is now made summer by this son of York." I can't remember which I text(s) I've read, but I've always heard the line as "son" rather than "sun" -- but Teapot and Stanislaus are right, it's a pun either way. To make the groundlings chuckle, perchance?

But Richard is being sarcastic (or let's say, appropriating the happy talk of the court to twist it)...It's still winter in his soul. So I'd say the word is perfectly placed to point up his covert meaning.

Good point, which is why I've always enjoyed performances of Shakespeare more than reading the printed text (with one exception). There are a lot of nonverbals -- facial expressions, pauses, tone of voice, gestures -- that can convey very different meanings of the line to the audience.

The one exception is MacBeth -- it was one of the first Shakespeare pieces I read (8th grade, as I recall), and we went around the room taking turns reading lines and discussing the various different meanings. Out of that, I have a very specific mental picture of how the scenes should be played, and none of the movies do it for me. Love live performances of the Scottish play, don't care much for any of the movies; when I need a bloody spot fix, I read the play.

Henry V, on the other hand -- Branagh's version, even though it incorporates scenes from IV parts 1 and 2 -- one of my favorite films. But Olivier's is fun.

[dinghammer]

The Shakespeare discussion here reminded me of this clip from Upstart Crow, a sitcom about Shakespeare.