Shakespeare and the Swine Flu 

It seems like an odd couple, but not when you really think about it. Imagine: you are locked in your house, unable to venture out into the healthy world. Two sick kids, who tend to complain and moan much louder than you, have commandeered the TV with the DVD player. What to do?

Well, naturally, you read.

I opened my Norton Shakespeare, which is larger than the bible I think. It includes all of Willy’s work as well as scholarly introductions for each piece. Because I had nothing better to do, I read each intro and all the comedies – nearly all of them.

Let me tell you: this required commitment. The book is rather heavy and awkward and uncomfortable to hold while lying on your side, propped up with pillows, with a head that aches and a nose that won’t stop running, and cold sweats and tingling in the joints that is anything but pleasant and a cough that won’t stop.

But that’s what Shakespeare is all about – commitment.

And despite the record of fickle heroes (almost all of them, except Troilus), and excessively faithful heroines (almost all of them, except Cressida), the characters are forever talking about men being the victims of infidelity. Curiouser and curiouser.

You also gotta wonder, what was his fascination with cross dressers?

 

 

What I’m Reading

 

                       

 

   Watermelon                   Home Safe

by Marian Keyes        by Elizabeth Berg

Is it me, or do all       Beautiful and moving, as usual

British/Irish               for Berg, and extra special because

heroines drink            the heroine is suffering from massive

excessively?                 writer’s block.

 

 

Shakespeare in Love  had a great explanation, but…

 

                                                     

Romeo & Juliet               The Two Gentlemen         The Comedy of Errors

                                           of Verona

 

                          

A Midsummer               The Twelfth Night             As You Like It

Night’s Dream 

                                         

 Troilus &                           Measure for              All’s Well That

 Cressida                               Measure                    Ends Well   

 

All by William Shakespeare  

 

All in all, it was delightful getting reacquainted with the old fellow. He was exactly as I remembered him – but we’ll have to save the details of that for a Flings and Affairs episode… Hope you read it when it comes!