Macbeth, part 1

OK, let's get this scene-by-scene retelling of Macbeth underway! I set you up with the dramatis personae on Tuesday, so it's time to plunge right into the first scene:

In case you don't know, Macbeth  is supposed to be cursed. It's supposed to be bad luck to say "Macbeth", especially in a theatre. As someone who is primarily an audience member (as opposed to an actor or other theatre professional) I haven't developed the reflexive habit of automatically substituting "The Scottish Play" or "Mackers" for the offending title.  I'm trying to train myself to do so, however, so I don't unintentionally freak anyone out.

I'll let Edmund Blackadder take it from here...

Tune in next week for some more Scottish Play antics!

Macbeth
Dramatis Personae | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 

Macbeth: Dramatis Personae

It's been a while since I did my last scene-by-scene retelling of an entire Shakespeare play. What with the Michael Fassbender film making ripples in the popular consciousness, I thought it might be a good time to tackle.... MACBETH!!!

<<insert ominous roll of thunder>>

Here's a look at our main characters... and quite a few of the minor ones, too.

20150915-S-MacbethDramatisPersonae.jpg

My apologies to anyone whose favorite thane is Angus, Menteith, or Caithness, or anyone who feels aggrieved that I omitted the apparitions.

Tune in again on Thursday for Act 1, Scene 1 of.... MACBETH!!!

<<insert ominous roll of thunder>>

Macbeth
Dramatis Personae | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30

The King Lear Death Clock

Here it is, the final tragedy Shakespearean Death Clock! I started this series with Titus Andronicus, the play with the highest death toll, and am ending it on King Lear, the play with the second-highest death toll (admittedly only if you count the Fool and Kent).  

This one gave me a lot of trouble as far as formatting. There may not be more deaths than Titus, but they're all crammed together in the latter part of the play. Not much wiggle-room to be had. 

That's the end of the Shakespearean Death Clocks for the moment, I'm afraid. However, if you're the sick sort of person who enjoyed these, fear not! I promise I will, at some point in the future, tackle the history plays. Only the clocks are going to have to be a lot bigger...

The Troilus and Cressida Death Clock

It's the penultimate Shakespearean (tragedy) Death Clock! The classification of infamous "problem play" Troilus and Cressida as a tragedy is a bit shaky, but, even though its title characters don't die, I feel it's closer to a tragedy than a comedy. It certainly doesn't leave you rolling in the aisles. 

I'm not 100% sure I got all the deaths. The Trojan War is going on constantly in the background, so I might have missed some before the big bloodbath at the end. Let me know if I have!  Troilus and Cressida is a weird, weird play... 

Anyways, tune in next Tuesday for the final installment of the Shakespearean Death Clocks! ...at least until I start work on the history plays...

The Othello Death Clock

We're nearing the end of our Shakespearean Death Clock series... at least as far as the tragedies are concerned. Just a couple more to go...

As with Romeo and Juliet, not nearly as many people die in Othello as it feels like.  I'm starting to think that 5 to 6 deaths is the sweet spot for tragedy. Any less and it's not really that bad. Any more and it starts getting unintentionally amusing.