King Richard II was the first of Shakespeare's plays that I have had no clue what it was about when I started reading it. That is, I had never read a summery, never looked it up on Wikipedia, and never seen a movie of it, or anything.
It was actually rather interesting. Not that I had any idea what was going on. Well, I had enough of an idea. On third thought, no... I really didn't know what was happening, but I still enjoyed it.
Best Character: I liked John of Gout, but he died. I also really liked Henry of Bolingbroke. (He became King Henry IV.)
Worst Character: Richard II, believe it or not. I couldn't stand him. He was, well, he seemed a little bit crazy, not all there, you know.
In a Word: Interesting
Crowning Moment: It didn't really have a climax, at least, not that I noticed. But my all time favorite line in the play is "Not so; even through the hollow eyes of Death I spy Life peering; but I dare not say." (Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland.)
The play had many beautiful and meaningful lines. The most glorious were spoken by old John of Gout on his death bed.
"O, but they say the tongues of dying men
Enforce attention like deep harmony:
Where words are scarce, they are seldom spent in vain,
For they breathe truth that breathe their words in pain.
He that no more must say is listen'd more
Than they whom youth and ease have taught to glose;
More are men's ends mark'd than their lives before:
The setting sun, and music at the close,
As the last taste of sweets, is sweetest last,
Writ in remembrance more than things long past:
Though Richard my life's counsel would not hear,
My death's sad tale may yet undeaf his ear."
And
"Methinks I am a prophet new inspired
And thus expiring do foretell of him:
His rash fierce blaze of riot cannot last,
For violent fires soon burn out themselves;
Small showers last long, but sudden storms are short;
He tires betimes that spurs too fast betimes;
With eager feeding food doth choke the feeder:"
And at the very end, the last lines spoken by Bowlingbroke (Now King Henry.), professing his sadness concerning the death of Richard (Someone who, by the was, tried very hard to make his life miserable.
"They love not poison that do poison need,
Nor do I thee: though I did wish him dead,
I hate the murderer, love him murdered.
The guilt of conscience take thou for thy labour,
But neither my good word nor princely favour:
With Cain go wander through shades of night,
And never show thy head by day nor light.
Lords, I protest, my soul is full of woe,
That blood should sprinkle me to make me grow:
Come, mourn with me for that I do lament,
And put on sullen black incontinent:
I'll make a voyage to the Holy Land,
To wash this blood off from my guilty hand:
March sadly after; grace my mournings here;
In weeping after this untimely bier."
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Troilus and Cressida
It's not like a particularly disliked 'Troilus and Cressida,' I just liked it least.
"Troilus and Cressida" was, to me, not overly interesting at the start. (I started liking it more sometime in the middle of Act IV.) I have not doubt, though, that I would have found it more interesting if I had actually been paying attention. (Yes, I'll admit it, sometimes I really don't pay attention to what I am reading.)
Also, there were almost no likable characters. I mean, I'm sure Troilus it good-looking an' all, but no one was very likable.
Best Character: As I said, there really wasn't one. I kind of liked Nestor. And I may have liked Ulysses. (I read it several weeks ago, and have forgotten a bit.) And Hector was kinda neat, but he wasn't nice to his wife. (That makes him hard to like...)
Worst Character: Uh, Ajax, Achilles, Cressida, to name a few, they were the worst. Oh, and I didn't like Cressida's dad, and her uncle was a little bit weird.
Rated: PG13 Lot and lots of PG13ish stuff. They are, after all, ancient Greeks.
(If you have read anything about Greek mythology, you'll know what I mean.)
In a Word: Greek. (See above comment.)
Crowning Moment: The whole play was rather anticlimatic, I mean, the Bard made it sound like something was actually going to happen and then *poof* Achilles kills Hector and the play it over. But, Troilus' speech at the very end was very beautiful and quite moving.
"You understand me not that tell me so:
I do not speak of flight, of fear, of death,
But dare all imminence that gods and men
Address their dangers in. Hector is gone:
Who shall tell Priam so, or Hecuba?
Let him that will a screech-owl aye be call'd,
Go in to Troy, and say there, Hector's dead:
There is a word will Priam turn to stone;
Make wells and Niobes of the maids and wives,
Cold statues of the youth, and, in a word,
Scare Troy out of itself. But, march away:
Hector is dead; there is no more to say.
Stay yet. You vile abominable tents,
Thus proudly pight upon our Phrygian plains,
Let Titan rise as early as he dare,
I'll through and through you! and, thou great-sized coward,
No space of earth shall sunder our two hates:
I'll haunt thee like a wicked conscience still,
That mouldeth goblins swift as frenzy's thoughts.
Strike a free march to Troy! with comfort go:
Hope of revenge shall hide our inward woe."
"Troilus and Cressida" was, to me, not overly interesting at the start. (I started liking it more sometime in the middle of Act IV.) I have not doubt, though, that I would have found it more interesting if I had actually been paying attention. (Yes, I'll admit it, sometimes I really don't pay attention to what I am reading.)
Also, there were almost no likable characters. I mean, I'm sure Troilus it good-looking an' all, but no one was very likable.
Best Character: As I said, there really wasn't one. I kind of liked Nestor. And I may have liked Ulysses. (I read it several weeks ago, and have forgotten a bit.) And Hector was kinda neat, but he wasn't nice to his wife. (That makes him hard to like...)
Worst Character: Uh, Ajax, Achilles, Cressida, to name a few, they were the worst. Oh, and I didn't like Cressida's dad, and her uncle was a little bit weird.
Rated: PG13 Lot and lots of PG13ish stuff. They are, after all, ancient Greeks.
(If you have read anything about Greek mythology, you'll know what I mean.)
In a Word: Greek. (See above comment.)
Crowning Moment: The whole play was rather anticlimatic, I mean, the Bard made it sound like something was actually going to happen and then *poof* Achilles kills Hector and the play it over. But, Troilus' speech at the very end was very beautiful and quite moving.
"You understand me not that tell me so:
I do not speak of flight, of fear, of death,
But dare all imminence that gods and men
Address their dangers in. Hector is gone:
Who shall tell Priam so, or Hecuba?
Let him that will a screech-owl aye be call'd,
Go in to Troy, and say there, Hector's dead:
There is a word will Priam turn to stone;
Make wells and Niobes of the maids and wives,
Cold statues of the youth, and, in a word,
Scare Troy out of itself. But, march away:
Hector is dead; there is no more to say.
Stay yet. You vile abominable tents,
Thus proudly pight upon our Phrygian plains,
Let Titan rise as early as he dare,
I'll through and through you! and, thou great-sized coward,
No space of earth shall sunder our two hates:
I'll haunt thee like a wicked conscience still,
That mouldeth goblins swift as frenzy's thoughts.
Strike a free march to Troy! with comfort go:
Hope of revenge shall hide our inward woe."
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
The Flute
The Flute is a painting that I did the other month. It was my first painting to have a person in it (The only one, actually: I haven't gotten around to doing another one.), and it is one of my favorites.
I call the fellow Oakley, and he is holding a small silver flute.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Spring
Oh my! It's Springtime!
Depending on your calender, the first day of Spring was either yesterday or today. I personally, quite honestly, don't believe that Spring has a first day, it just happens.
But there are flowers blooming in the garden, and there are so many buds on some of the trees now that you can see the green. It is lovely. It is Spring.
There should be lots of posts now, now that the world is alive again, and everything is so inspiring.
Have a wonderful Spring, my friends. Have a wonderful Spring.
Depending on your calender, the first day of Spring was either yesterday or today. I personally, quite honestly, don't believe that Spring has a first day, it just happens.
But there are flowers blooming in the garden, and there are so many buds on some of the trees now that you can see the green. It is lovely. It is Spring.
There should be lots of posts now, now that the world is alive again, and everything is so inspiring.
Have a wonderful Spring, my friends. Have a wonderful Spring.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Isaac
I have been blessed yet again.
A new precious life has entered this world and he is my cousin. My family has grown a bit more and at the same time I become a more fortunate person. One more infant to love makes a person very blessed.
Isaac, I love you because you are in a way a part of me. May God always bless you and keep you, my cherished cousin.
Julie
A new precious life has entered this world and he is my cousin. My family has grown a bit more and at the same time I become a more fortunate person. One more infant to love makes a person very blessed.
Isaac, I love you because you are in a way a part of me. May God always bless you and keep you, my cherished cousin.
Julie
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Here are some paintings by Sir Frank Dicksee. I have liked many of them for quite some time now, I just never before realized that they were all by the same person.
The Two Crowns.I can't get over how beautiful the woman in the green dress. I could look at this picture all day, it is just so magnificent.
The End of the Quest.A knight come home to his lady. I love this painting.
Chivalry.While not the most stunning painting, I like it because he is rescuing her. :)
Romeo and Juliet.I have seen a lot of very, very nice Romeo and Juliet painting, but I think this one is my favorite.
La Belle Dame Sans Merci (The Beautiful Maiden Without Mercy.)The knight leaves much to be desired, but the horse is one of the most glorious I've seen, and the flowing gown and hair is almost too lovely.
Enjoy the loveliness.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
As You Like It
The other week I read As You Like It, third of my 27 Shakespeare plays.
Lemme put it this way, I liked it. ;)
It is my favorite one, so far. I had the feeling it would be (I already knew what happens in it before I read it, for the most part.)
Best Character: Rosalind. Without a fraction of a doubt, Rosalind was awesome. A little bit weird when she fell in love, but then again, I think most people are. Touchstone was also awesome. (I say more about that in a bit.) And Orlando, and Celia. Basically, everyone was neat except for...
Worst Character: Duke Frederic. He overthrew his brother and banished him, and then he banished his one niece (The said awesome Rosalind.) and even his own daughter (Said awesome Celia.) And he was really nasty to Orlando (Yeah awesome. And good-looking...). Oliver was also really nasty, but in the end he turned out OK. It is just hard to like someone who tried like three times to kill his kid brother (Orlando.). I didn't like Phebe, she was a little so-and-so, but she got what she had coming (thanks to Rosalind).
Rated: PG Brief violence (There was a wrestling match at the beginning (One of Oliver's failed attempts to git rid of Orlando.) and brief scary images (Oliver described something that sounded kinda creepy).
In a word: Brilliant.
Crowning Moment: The end when everything worked out. Orlando with Rosalind, Oliver with Celia, Silvanus with Phebe, Touchstone with Audrey. It was all really, really neat.
It was loaded with great, great lines. Really.
Jaques: By my troth, I was seeking a fool when I found you.
Orlando: He is drown'd in the brook: look but in, and you shall see him.
Jaques: There I shall see mine own figure.
Touchstone was very neat. I really did not get a single one of his jokes, but he was neat. He really didn't say a serious thing the whole play, but he is a good chap: he went with Celia and Rosalind when they were going into exile. He liked this girl named Audrey, but so did this other fellow, William. William comes to see Audrey while Touchstone is with her. They say hi and Touchstone asks William a bit about himself (How old is he, was he born there, is he learned, is he wise...) and then (This is his all-time best part.) he tells William to get out and stay out for good Or. He. Will. Kill. Him.
Enter WILLIAM
WILLIAM: Good even, Audrey.
AUDREY: God ye good even, William.
WILLIAM: And good even to you, sir.
TOUCHSTONE : Good even, gentle friend. Cover thy head, cover thy
head; nay, prithee, be covered. How old are you, friend?
WILLIAM: Five and twenty, sir.
TOUCHSTONE:A ripe age. Is thy name William?
WILLIAM:William, sir.
TOUCHSTONE
A fair name. Wast born i' the forest here?
WILLIAM
Ay, sir, I thank God.
TOUCHSTONE
'Thank God;' a good answer. Art rich?
WILLIAM:Faith, sir, so so.
TOUCHSTONE: 'So so' is good, very good, very excellent good; and
yet it is not; it is but so so. Art thou wise?
WILLIAM: Ay, sir, I have a pretty wit.
TOUCHSTONE: Why, thou sayest well. I do now remember a saying,
'The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man
knows himself to be a fool.' The heathen
philosopher, when he had a desire to eat a grape,
would open his lips when he put it into his mouth;
meaning thereby that grapes were made to eat and
lips to open. You do love this maid?
WILLIAM: I do, sir.
TOUCHSTONE: Give me your hand. Art thou learned?
WILLIAM: No, sir.
TOUCHSTONE: Then learn this of me: to have, is to have; for it
is a figure in rhetoric that drink, being poured out
of a cup into a glass, by filling the one doth empty
the other; for all your writers do consent that ipse
is he: now, you are not ipse, for I am he.
WILLIAM: Which he, sir?
TOUCHSTONE: He, sir, that must marry this woman. Therefore, you
clown, abandon,--which is in the vulgar leave,--the
society,--which in the boorish is company,--of this
female,--which in the common is woman; which
together is, abandon the society of this female, or,
clown, thou perishest; or, to thy better
understanding, diest; or, to wit I kill thee, make
thee away, translate thy life into death, thy
liberty into bondage: I will deal in poison with
thee, or in bastinado, or in steel; I will bandy
with thee in faction; I will o'errun thee with
policy; I will kill thee a hundred and fifty ways:
therefore tremble and depart.
AUDREY: Do, good William.
WILLIAM:God rest you merry, sir.
Exit WILLIAM
So yes, I liked it, I liked it very much so.
"Your heart's desires be with you."
Lemme put it this way, I liked it. ;)
It is my favorite one, so far. I had the feeling it would be (I already knew what happens in it before I read it, for the most part.)
Best Character: Rosalind. Without a fraction of a doubt, Rosalind was awesome. A little bit weird when she fell in love, but then again, I think most people are. Touchstone was also awesome. (I say more about that in a bit.) And Orlando, and Celia. Basically, everyone was neat except for...
Worst Character: Duke Frederic. He overthrew his brother and banished him, and then he banished his one niece (The said awesome Rosalind.) and even his own daughter (Said awesome Celia.) And he was really nasty to Orlando (Yeah awesome. And good-looking...). Oliver was also really nasty, but in the end he turned out OK. It is just hard to like someone who tried like three times to kill his kid brother (Orlando.). I didn't like Phebe, she was a little so-and-so, but she got what she had coming (thanks to Rosalind).
Rated: PG Brief violence (There was a wrestling match at the beginning (One of Oliver's failed attempts to git rid of Orlando.) and brief scary images (Oliver described something that sounded kinda creepy).
In a word: Brilliant.
Crowning Moment: The end when everything worked out. Orlando with Rosalind, Oliver with Celia, Silvanus with Phebe, Touchstone with Audrey. It was all really, really neat.
It was loaded with great, great lines. Really.
Jaques: By my troth, I was seeking a fool when I found you.
Orlando: He is drown'd in the brook: look but in, and you shall see him.
Jaques: There I shall see mine own figure.
Touchstone was very neat. I really did not get a single one of his jokes, but he was neat. He really didn't say a serious thing the whole play, but he is a good chap: he went with Celia and Rosalind when they were going into exile. He liked this girl named Audrey, but so did this other fellow, William. William comes to see Audrey while Touchstone is with her. They say hi and Touchstone asks William a bit about himself (How old is he, was he born there, is he learned, is he wise...) and then (This is his all-time best part.) he tells William to get out and stay out for good Or. He. Will. Kill. Him.
Enter WILLIAM
WILLIAM: Good even, Audrey.
AUDREY: God ye good even, William.
WILLIAM: And good even to you, sir.
TOUCHSTONE : Good even, gentle friend. Cover thy head, cover thy
head; nay, prithee, be covered. How old are you, friend?
WILLIAM: Five and twenty, sir.
TOUCHSTONE:A ripe age. Is thy name William?
WILLIAM:William, sir.
TOUCHSTONE
A fair name. Wast born i' the forest here?
WILLIAM
Ay, sir, I thank God.
TOUCHSTONE
'Thank God;' a good answer. Art rich?
WILLIAM:Faith, sir, so so.
TOUCHSTONE: 'So so' is good, very good, very excellent good; and
yet it is not; it is but so so. Art thou wise?
WILLIAM: Ay, sir, I have a pretty wit.
TOUCHSTONE: Why, thou sayest well. I do now remember a saying,
'The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man
knows himself to be a fool.' The heathen
philosopher, when he had a desire to eat a grape,
would open his lips when he put it into his mouth;
meaning thereby that grapes were made to eat and
lips to open. You do love this maid?
WILLIAM: I do, sir.
TOUCHSTONE: Give me your hand. Art thou learned?
WILLIAM: No, sir.
TOUCHSTONE: Then learn this of me: to have, is to have; for it
is a figure in rhetoric that drink, being poured out
of a cup into a glass, by filling the one doth empty
the other; for all your writers do consent that ipse
is he: now, you are not ipse, for I am he.
WILLIAM: Which he, sir?
TOUCHSTONE: He, sir, that must marry this woman. Therefore, you
clown, abandon,--which is in the vulgar leave,--the
society,--which in the boorish is company,--of this
female,--which in the common is woman; which
together is, abandon the society of this female, or,
clown, thou perishest; or, to thy better
understanding, diest; or, to wit I kill thee, make
thee away, translate thy life into death, thy
liberty into bondage: I will deal in poison with
thee, or in bastinado, or in steel; I will bandy
with thee in faction; I will o'errun thee with
policy; I will kill thee a hundred and fifty ways:
therefore tremble and depart.
AUDREY: Do, good William.
WILLIAM:God rest you merry, sir.
Exit WILLIAM
So yes, I liked it, I liked it very much so.
"Your heart's desires be with you."
Saturday, March 5, 2011
William
After a short eternity, I am now one cousin more blessed.
It amazing how one little life can make so many lives richer. I feel like a better person, my family has grown. I don't know if that makes sense. But I feel like my life has gotten a little bit better, perhaps it is because I have one more person to love.
And love him I do. And always will.
Julie
It amazing how one little life can make so many lives richer. I feel like a better person, my family has grown. I don't know if that makes sense. But I feel like my life has gotten a little bit better, perhaps it is because I have one more person to love.
And love him I do. And always will.
Julie
Thursday, March 3, 2011
"There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something."
This is what Thorin told Fili and Kili in The Hobbit, when they were looking for a shelter during a storm. This is what I told myself, when I was looking for blueberries in the freezer. And you know what? It is true, there is nothing like it. But that is not necessarily a good thing.
I don't like looking for things I can't find. Scratch that. I hate looking for things I can't find. It bothers me so very, very much. It is a horrible feeling to me.
I really don't know where I was going with that.
I found the blueberries I was looking for. I was so excited. As much as I hate looking for stuff, the feeling that comes when you finally find it is so glorious. Like the shepherd who rejoices more over the one sheep that was lost and then found than the 99 that he always had.
Kinda like that.
I feel like I am always searching for something. Not blueberries, or an Enya song on youtube, not anything like that. Something. I am a sojourner, not here to stay. But while I am here, I feel like I am looking for something. There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. This is true. But finding something is wonderful.
I looked up that quote at the beginning to make sure I got it right. I typed most of this post and then I looked at that page again. This is what came after that line:
You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.
This is what Thorin told Fili and Kili in The Hobbit, when they were looking for a shelter during a storm. This is what I told myself, when I was looking for blueberries in the freezer. And you know what? It is true, there is nothing like it. But that is not necessarily a good thing.
I don't like looking for things I can't find. Scratch that. I hate looking for things I can't find. It bothers me so very, very much. It is a horrible feeling to me.
I really don't know where I was going with that.
I found the blueberries I was looking for. I was so excited. As much as I hate looking for stuff, the feeling that comes when you finally find it is so glorious. Like the shepherd who rejoices more over the one sheep that was lost and then found than the 99 that he always had.
Kinda like that.
I feel like I am always searching for something. Not blueberries, or an Enya song on youtube, not anything like that. Something. I am a sojourner, not here to stay. But while I am here, I feel like I am looking for something. There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. This is true. But finding something is wonderful.
I looked up that quote at the beginning to make sure I got it right. I typed most of this post and then I looked at that page again. This is what came after that line:
You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.
Night
Have you ever noticed how many things are worse, or at least seem worse, at night. It you have a cold, it is always worse at night. It you are sad, it is worse at night. It you are afraid of the dark, it is worse at night.
Yeah.
The same has gone for my poison ivy. It has always been the worst at night. Last night it was so bad, after half an hour of lying there in pain, very much pain, the chances of sleep were dwindling into the single digits. My left arm was on fire.
So I got up and walked around. Weird, I know, but it helped. Like I hinted at, I am terrified of the dark, so walking around at night is really, really not something I am big on, but this helped. I wandered outside. Being outside at 10:00 PM isn't one of my habits either, but we live in the country and have a nice deck, so is not so strange. It was cold outside but not too cold, and the stars, oh the stars were so amazing. It wasn't the most spectacular night sky I'd ever seen, but it was certainly glorious. It wasn't very dark outside, or very quiet , but it was nice. It was so wonderful.
Take care.
Julie
Yeah.
The same has gone for my poison ivy. It has always been the worst at night. Last night it was so bad, after half an hour of lying there in pain, very much pain, the chances of sleep were dwindling into the single digits. My left arm was on fire.
So I got up and walked around. Weird, I know, but it helped. Like I hinted at, I am terrified of the dark, so walking around at night is really, really not something I am big on, but this helped. I wandered outside. Being outside at 10:00 PM isn't one of my habits either, but we live in the country and have a nice deck, so is not so strange. It was cold outside but not too cold, and the stars, oh the stars were so amazing. It wasn't the most spectacular night sky I'd ever seen, but it was certainly glorious. It wasn't very dark outside, or very quiet , but it was nice. It was so wonderful.
Take care.
Julie
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
March-II
I wish I had read Julius Caesar after March, instead of right before.
Now I can't see or hear 'March' without thinking beware the ides of.
Yeah, that was trivial.
Now I can't see or hear 'March' without thinking beware the ides of.
Yeah, that was trivial.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
March
I love Thomas Kinkade paintings. And every year for the past quite a long while, I have had a Thomas Kinkade calender. It is something that I enjoy very much. The first two pictures this year have been, well, less than stellar, in my opinion.
But this month, March, allow me to pause for a moment just to express how awesome it is...
... .... ... ....
That would have made a lot more sense in person... but now that I have that out of the way, let me say that this month's picture has to be among the top twenty most beautiful Thomas Kinkade paintings.
Have a beautiful month.
But this month, March, allow me to pause for a moment just to express how awesome it is...
... .... ... ....
That would have made a lot more sense in person... but now that I have that out of the way, let me say that this month's picture has to be among the top twenty most beautiful Thomas Kinkade paintings.
Have a beautiful month.
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