Wednesday 10 August 2016

ABCs of Shakespeare – snippets, unravelled again, pond pudding ...




Now onto some Shakespeare snippets that have interested or amused me recently ... sadly I've been tempted to go the ABC route ... much more fun to draft up and allows me to let my mind wander!


A procession of Shakespeare's characters by an unknown
19th C artist 


Shakespeare Theatre on the River Avon in Stratford


A is for Avon ...  Shakespeare’s Avon runs through Stratford, joining the River Severn on its way to Bristol.





Copy of Mandela' s notation - note today the
16th December is a public holiday
and in South Africa is
called The Day of Reconciliation
B is for “Bardolatry” … 400 years of it … Mandela kept a copy of ‘The Complete Works of Shakespeare’,  smuggled between two Diwali cards, into his cell … it was richly annotated at the time of his release … the historic text became a source of strength for Mandela and his fellow inmates during their darkest days … per CNN article ... 


Coast of Bohemia ... was there one - but in Fermor's "A Time of Gifts" (see post 28 July 2016) - on page 308 ... he established that a Coast of Bohemia did exist - even if only for 13 years! 


Miguel de Cervantes
C is for Cervantes – Every great novel began with this genius: “The Man Who Invented Fiction: How Cervantes Ushered in the Modern World ... the author of Don Quixote was the driving force behind the rise of the novel.  Shakespeare wrote poetic drama.   Cervantes died on 22 April 1616, the day before Shakespeare …


Don Quixote by
Honore Daumier (1868)
Cervantes is forgotten on this quixotic birthday … obscured by Shakespeare, but is an essential reference for anyone who wants to know about novel writing, Spanish culture and literature.



D is for Duck … Mallard Duck as roasted in Shakespeare’s day … is actually what many of us eat now if we have duck … “To Boyle A Mallard with Onions from the Shakespeare Cookbook …


Roses in our Sceptred Isle
E is for English countryside … immortalised by Shakespeare as his ‘Sceptred Isle’.  

At the beginning of Henry V where Shakespeare notes companion planting and the need to keep some weeds to ensure the bees, butterflies and others’ have food to grub for, and a place to build a home:

The strawberry grows underneath the nettle,
And wholesome berries thrive and ripen best
Neighbour’d by fruit of baser quality …



Where the Boar's Head Tavern used to be
F is for Falstaff … and his ‘home’ The Boar’s Head Tavern in Eastcheap, London  - the comic character, who betrays many opposites when it suits him, and the occasion … a personification of the vitality which is bread and wine … his coarseness softened by Shakespeare in the telling …


The Boar's Head remembered


The British Library has an exhibition on Shakespeare’s London - until 6th September.





Gatton Park, Millennium Stones
with lounging sheep
G is for Gatton Park, Surrey – in which the 10 Millennium Stones stand: these stones were sculpted by Richard Kindersley to mark the double millennium from AD1 to AD2000.  The first stone in the series is inscribed with the words from St John’s Gospel “In the Beginning the Word was …”.  The megalithic portal is the best link I could find.


 The subsequent nine stones are carved with quotations contemporary with each 200 year segment … William Shakespeare’s quotation from Julius Caesar Act 4, scene 3 is found on Stone 7:

“There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and miseries
On such a full sea as we are now afloat;
And we must take the current when it serves,
Or we lose our ventures.”



H is for Hermione  - did JK Rowling get inspiration from Shakespeare for Harry Potter’s Hermione? 


Making Ipocras in medieval times


I is for Ipocrasa spiced wine of note in the 1500 – 1600s … I wrote about it in my Y is for Ypocras post in the A-Z of my cookery series in 2013 – whereby the 14th century recipe says “Passee your wyne throu a Socke nine tymes untilled clear” … see the post …


For an historical take with more details on the spices used - see The Historical Food site



J is for Ben Johnson, the poet and dramatist, who predicted that Shakespeare, his friend and rival dramatist, would be held in as high regard as one of the great writers of antiquity.


Knit Knot tree - Yarn Bombing according
to Wiki
K is for Knit and Knot


I mean, that my heart unto yours is knit,
So that but one heart we can make of it;

      A Midsummer Night’s Dream



To hold you in perpetual amity,
To make you brothers, and to knit your hearts
With an unslipping knot, take Antony
Octavia to his wife: whose beauty claims
No worse a husband than the best of men.

      Antony and Cleopatra


L is for Language … see this Guardian article:  Ten ways in which Shakespeare Changed the World

Britain in the 15th and 16th centuries saw the spread of English as the vernacular language, rather than Latin, that laid the foundation for the richly expressive literary tradition we now know.

This was when the King James Version of the Bible was transcribed between 1604 -1611, becoming recognised as the Authorised Version of the Bible.



You've got the play:
 The Tempest at the Minnack Theatre
in Cornwall
M is for movies ...  you might not have realised are based on Shakespeare - there are plenty of these but my link has gone AWOL ...  (who knew … certainly not me! #8 yes!)

1        The Lion King (Based on Hamlet)
2      She’s the Man (based on Twelfth Night)
3      10 Things I Hate About You (based on The Taming of the Shrew)
4      Warm Bodies (based on Romeo and Juliet)
5      Forbidden Planet (based on The Tempest)
6      Get Over It (based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
7       O (based on Othello)
8      Kiss Me Kate (based on The Taming of the Shrew)
9      My Own Private Idaho (based on Henry IV, Part 1, Henry IV, Part 2, and Henry V)
10 A Thousand Acres (based on King Lear)


A model as to how
NonSuch House might
have looked


N is for NonSuch House on London Bridge, that thriving centre of commerce, along with over 100 shops, houses, stalls … it is apparently the earliest documented prefabricated building – from the Netherlands.  The name Nonsuch may have referred to Henry VIII’s, now vanished, Nonsuch Palace outside London … please see Wiki.





Othello played by Russian actor
Konstantin Stanislavsky in 1896
O is for Othello … here via link from A Cuban in London blog is the link to the Guardian’s Six Shakespeare Solos to watch …

Hamlet: ‘To be or not to be’ (Adrian Lester, 2m 58secs)
Romeo and Juliet: ‘The mask of night is on my face’ (Joanna Vanderham, 1m 30secs)
King Lear: ‘Blow, Winds, and crack your cheeks’ (Roger Allam, 1m 53secs)
Othello: ‘I do think it is their husband's faults …’ (Eileen Atkins, 1m 11secs)
Richard III:  ‘Now is the Winter of our Discontent…’ (David Morrissey, 2m 42secs)
A Midsummer’s Night Dream: ‘These are the Forgeries of Jealousy …’   (Ayesha Dharker, 1m 59secs)




The photo I used for my previous
Pond Pudding recipe


P is for Pond Pudding and Farts of Portingale … the Pond Pudding described in the Shakespeare Cookbook is like a Sussex Pond Pudding … a steamed suet pudding with dried fruit in a well of butter inside the pud.  Again my version as described in my P forPond Pudding in the Cookery Series for our 2013 A-Z posts.


Now Farts of Portingale – I had to put in … didn’t I?!  Portingale to clarify refers to Portugal … the ‘Farts’ – well … no description is given except for ‘Fists’ … which are bigger than ‘Farts’ …


These be small
Farts of Portingale!
… at this point there can be sweet farts, or savoury ones … to be more specific … they are like rissoles, or small balls fried or poached: lamb, with mace, salt, chopped fruits, bread-crumbs and an egg … or some sweet recipe.


Q is for Shakespeare and our Queen, who celebrated her 90th birthday this year: 400 years does not look so long does it?  Shakespeare had to adapt after Queen Bess died and James succeeded her …


Rosemary in bloom

R is for Rosemary … “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance. Pray you, love, remember.”  Spoken by a grief-stricken Ophelia in ‘Hamlet’



S is for Second Best Bed … the playwright’s bequest of that bed to his widow was not a slight but an affectionate addition to his will – his first best bed was for his death.


A google image ... showing some of the
changed names: Titus Andronicus and King Lear
are usually Westminster entrances;
Macbeth is Embankment; while James I is
Waterloo
T is to Tube or not to Tube, That is the Question … see Ian Visits (blog - link below) where he advises that ‘tis Nobler in the mind to suffer the Slings and Arrows of outrageous Travel disruptions, or take Arms against a Sea of commuters” …



… then tells us about how the Underground has renamed each station and area with a Shakespeare theme (plays and characters) … very clever: please pop over (Ian Visits blog) …


U is for Shakespeare Unravelled … the book recently published by Michael and Pauline Black … was Shakespeare real or were the plays written by others and put together into a folio?  Regardless of your thoughts – this book gives a good historical coverage of Shakespearean England … I have put a review up on Amazon for it.




V is for Verjuice, Vinegars, Vegetables … Charles Estienne in 1550 writes that vinegar is the corruption of wines whether made from grapes, fruit or grains … which was developed rather for use in flavouring or to excite the palate or appetite: use sparingly …

Some information gleaned from this book
Verjuice is the acid juice of unripe grapes or crabbe apples … the ease of having a lemon in the kitchen has driven ‘verjuice’ from our cupboards.  Add some garlic, or dill, or fennel flowers to give a different flavour to your verjuice.

Vegetables … the few known were included into meals (spring vegetables), not served separately as we would do today, or made into a sauce and used that way;    Sorrel sauce, Spinach tart or pie … spinach was a novelty in Shakespeare’s England … having finally from Roman times made its way across the Channel.


W is for Wine … which was imported, hence expensive; grapes did not grow wild, and cultivated grapes were far too valuable to be picked before they were ripe.  The usual drink was ale, cider, and meads from various sources.


see Bloomsbury link

X is for Tang Xianzu's China … 1616 also saw the death of the famous Chinese playwright Tang Xianzu.  Four hundred years on and Shakespeare is now an important meeting place for Anglo-Chinese cultural dialogue in the field of drama studies.  For more please read here c/o Bloomsbury … 



Y is for Yarn … from All’s Well That Ends Well:
The web of our life is of a mingled yarn,
Good and ill together;
Our virtues would be proud if our faults whipped them not;
And our crimes would despair if they were not cherished by our own virtues.


Giving insights into Shaka Zulu
Z is for Zulu Cosmology … the Anthony Sher production of The Tempest shown in 2009 at the Baxter Theatre in Cape Town … the easiest is toread The Telegraph article – it’s a wonderful convocation of Shakespeare in an African setting … sets my heart a-wander – wish I’d seen it …
                                      
Sir Anthony, as he is now, was born in Cape Town, came to the UK in 1968 … again there is a telling piece on his Wiki page about how he felt the need to hide his identity on many fronts … South African, Lithuanian-Jewish, sexuality … how succinctly put that para is when read with the Telegraph article:

An insight into South African life … acting breaks, mimicking to hide his past and present … do take a moment to quickly check both links ... 


The 7 Ages of Man - sculpture by
Richard Kindersley, who sculpted
the statues in Gatton Park above.
This is in Queen Victoria Street.
That is my ABCs on Shakespeare … some snippets, some quotes, some ideas … and ‘All the World’s a Stage  from As you Like It… how The Globe went global with Hamlet: 293 performances, 189 countries, 202 venues, estimated audience: 157,000, the miles travelled: 190,000 …

The tour commenced on the anniversary of Shakespeare's birth, 450 years ago [23rd April 2014] and finished on the anniversary of his death four hundred years ago: 23rd April 2016.


… actors worked nine weeks, had three weeks off … one Horatio was Nigerian, one Ophelia came from Hong Kong, one Hamlet came from Jamaica …



… a dog came on stage in Tuvalu … it sat and watched; they played to Syrian refugees in Jordan; played as the first mixed-sex group in Saudi Arabia; and only one country refused to participate – guess where … North Korea.


A copy of the First Folio
Shakespeare is so many things … and is known throughout the world – plays  or films in Japanese, Indian, Chinese …. Just take your children, yourself! and your family along to see a play, or two or three so many threads will be available to think about and remember for future years … everyone will benefit.


Google's Doodle on Shakespeare's settings
We are so fortunate to live in our western world, yet it’s so brilliant that we can join forces with storytellers everywhere … and learn from other cultures.


You will have comments and ideas to add … and in the ‘wheels of this post’ I hope that I’ve added a little to your idea of Shakespeare’s times and his words …   I’ve put in the links for referral - to enjoy as and when you can.

More about the Hamlet world tour project mentioned towards the end of the post:  About the Project: Globe to Globe   (see here for where in 1608 the play was performed ... you will be astonished ....)

Once again 'tis long ... sorreeeee ...


Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories



71 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

I am always so impressed at the research you put into your posts. And the delightful pathways you blazon for our minds to wander down. Megathanks.

Geo. said...

Wonderful and wonderfully enjoyable post ("I can no other answer make, but, thanks, and thanks." --Shakespeare, of course).

Suzanne Furness said...

Greetings Hilary, I enjoyed my interesting wander through your ABC of Shakespeare.

Mike@Bit About Britain said...

Good grief, Hilary - that was some work! So carefully researched and pulled together - very impressed!

Blogoratti said...

Brilliant A-Zs, thanks for sharing!

Mason Canyon said...

Truly inspiring. I've always liked Shakespeare and this wonderful A to Z was a delight. So much to think about. Thanks, Hilary.

Tabatha said...

Impressive collection! Thank you for correcting that the second best bed was not a slight -- I always thought it was.
We went to the Folger Library in D.C. recently and saw one of the Folios. Very cool!

beste barki said...

A very imaginative post Hilary. Wonderful!

Rhodesia said...

Wow very impressive post with what must have been masses of research. Well done Hilary, and of course I enjoyed the South African touch in more than one place :-) Hope you are well Diane

Joanne said...

impressive compendium of Shakespeare. Far too much to comment on - I liked the letters K, M, and of course the reference to Farts!
So many great quotes and references. Thanks for doing all this work and sharing.

cleemckenzie said...

This AtoZ has all of us hooked, hasn't it? I loved your M today. Very interesting. And, of course, the P made me laugh. I remember that original post very well. As for the Farts of Portingale, well what can I say? I must pass this on to the pre-teens. They will spend time regaling each other with Fists and Farts comparisons.

Another smash hit of a post, Hilary.

Out on the prairie said...

Quite a bit of work to have put this together. I wonder if he realized how famous he really would become, by reaction to his early works from when he was alive.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ EC – so pleased you enjoyed the post … and you’ll be able to look around with some pleasure …

@ Geo – thanks … so good to see you – and I love your answer

@ Suzanne – that’s great you enjoyed your wander down the Shakespearean road …

@ Mike – it’s easier for me to write this way – and I’ve managed to put in most of what I wanted … delighted you approve!

@ Blogoratti – delighted …

@ Mason – so good to know that you’ll be thinking about the postings and the various latters …

@ Tabatha – it’s a pleasure … I needed to get the bit in about ‘the bed’ – his marriage bed too. Fabulous to be able to see one of his Folio’s … and what a great Library: having just had a glance via Wiki …

@ Beste – so glad you enjoyed it .. thanks

@ Diane – yes I was pleased to be able to put the South African connections in – there’s some very salient words that I linked to – so relevant to today …

@ Joanne – thanks … I have to say I loved P and then Z – as it tells so much. It was a pleasure to put together …

@ Lee – I’m so glad to read your comment … and am glad that ‘P’ brought those happy memories back – I will always remember that P for Pond Pudding post … then I could not resist the Farts of Portingale .. such fun – and yes I must send to Lenny. Thanks so much …

@ Steve – I enjoyed collecting the ideas and being able to put them together like this made it easier. He was wealthy when he died … but his direct died out within 55 years of his death … what happened thereafter I’ve no idea …

Thanks to you all – so glad you enjoyed it … cheers Hilary

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Warm Bodies based on Romeo and Juliet? No, I didn't know that!
Cervantes died the day before Shakespeare - wow. Eerie coincidence.

Paula said...

What a perfect way to educate us about Shakespeare!! I loved it

Murees Dupè said...

Thank you for this fantastic post, Hilary. I'm embarrassed to say I actually didn't know that Nelson Mandela had a copy of the complete works of Shakespeare in prison with him. Wow, most of those movies I didn't know were based on Shakespeare plays.

bazza said...

Hi Hilary, I'm a sucker for anything Shakespeare. I would have thought the most famous film adaptation of Shakespeare was West Side Story (Romeo and Juliet, of course).
With (non-Shakespearean) reference to 'T' - have you seen the Tube Map in Tate Modern where all of the stations have new names? It's very funny.
CLICK HERE for Bazza’s fabulous Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

Mark said...

So cool! Reminds me of seeing Pericles performed at the Globe! Very neat that Mandela was a big fan too:)

A Heron's View said...

I really enjoyed this blog post about Ireland's favourite son :-))))

Julie Flanders said...

Always a great read when you let your mind wander, Hilary! I wish I could make it to that exhibition before it closes on the 6th, I'm sure it is fascinating.
Had no idea about all those adaptations, except, like you, Kiss Me Kate.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Love this post!!!

Deborah Weber said...

Oh my, nothing makes me happier than seeing one of your ABC collections. And one about Shakespeare - now you've got me swooning. So much good stuff here - it's a veritable treasure chest. I just sent out a card to a friend which was a compendium of cats quoting Shakespeare. Seems the beloved bard inspires us all.

Liz A. said...

Ah, Shakespeare...

Denise Covey said...

'On such a full sea as we are now afloat...' I am drowning in Shakespeare these past weeks. My seniors have had to take a position whether the Bard is relevant today (what a silly question!) and give a speech. Now I'm studying Brave New World with a student and once again, Shakespeare is everywhere within the text! And my juniors are sitting their Macbeth exam in a few days. Oh boy! I'm a pretty deft Shakespeare quoter as you may guess...'Farewell! thou art too dear for my possessing...'

Thanks Hilary!

Denise :-)

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Alex – I still don’t know the film (Warm Bodies) … but I will watch sometime. Yes the co-incidence of Cervantes dying just before Shakespeare … is pertinent today …

@ Paula – thanks so much …

@ Murees – nor did I know that Mandela had a copy of the complete works of Shakespeare in prison with him … and the films took some premise from Shakespeare …

@ Bazza – you’re right about West Side Story (Romeo and Juliet) – some of the connections are pretty tenuous regarding the whole film … but the idea was there originally I gather …

The tube map in the Tate – no I haven’t seen that map – is it the Tube Map of Lost London by Londonist … I haven’t been to London for a while – moving, and the train strikes … and no urgency to do so! But there are some great fun, idealised tube maps out there …

@ Mark – I still have to get to the Globe … but I was fascinated to read that Mandela was a huge fan …

@ Mel – that connection to the Ireland of the day (1500-1600s) and its connections and the troubles that ensue … does bear relation to today. I forget about the Irish history being quite so relevant – I do know, but the European connections usually prevail.

I looked up this article and thus James Shapiro’s 1599: http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/stage/what-ish-my-nation-shakespeare-s-irish-connections-1.2619173

@ Julie – I’m afraid my mind is constantly wandering … and I’m not even sure I’m going to make the British Library Exhibition … the move and train strikes have definitely set me back.

The film concepts are pretty tenuous I think … but it’s good to know the connection possibilities …

@ Tyrean – thank you!

@ Deborah – oh great! … I always slightly worry about my ABCs in this sort of post – they’re so eclectic … but it does enable me to put lots of snippets and links in. How fun – the card with the cats quoting Shakespeare … the bard does continue to reach out and inspire us … doesn’t he …

@ Liz – thank you

@ Denise – gosh you are drowning in Shakespeare … at least you’re surrounded by the seas of the Tempest: I’m honoured by your comment ….

You will definitely be even better informed after rehearsing these students for their various tasks – a veritable melee of Shakespeare thoughts, ideas, quotes, history of the period etc …

Cheers to you all – I’m so glad it’s passed muster … it certainly leads me on to more Shakespeare particularly via your comments and threads out … thank you! Hilary

Janie Junebug said...

What a lovely mix of information, Hilary. You fascinate me. We saw As You Like It at the Folger in Washington, D.C. A wonderful, intimate theater. In my Shakespeare class, I wrote my major essay on As You Like It, but my favorite play is King Lear. If I had it all to do over again, my daughter might be named Cordelia.

Love,
Janie

Jo said...

Your comment on the theory of the plays having been written by several people and then amalgamated is interesting Hilary. Lots of snippets of interesting information there. I never really understood Shakespeare until I went to the Old Vic when I was around 15 or so.

Chrys Fey said...

It's always fun and fascinating to learn about Shakespeare.

klahanie said...

Hi Hilary,

Ah, tis a wondrous collection you gaveth in regards to Shakespeare. Your snippets and gems of information, are truly treasured.

Thank you.

Here's to a nice weekend.

Gary

DMS said...

I plan to bookmark this post because it is chock full of information that I find fascinating- but it is late and my brain is not absorbing it all. :)

I had no idea Mandela smuggled in Shakespeare. Fascinating!

Thanks for sharing. :)
~Jess

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Janie – I purposefully included a great many points – simply as I needed a place of reference for me – then I thought some of you would be interested too.

The Folger Library – Tabatha mentioned the library in an earlier comment – and now here … you mention seeing As You Like It there. We went at the end of July to see an outside production of As You Like It down in a glade on the sea shore … by a holy well … under the Beachy Head cliffs at the eastern end of Eastbourne bay.

Then our film society is putting on the 1985 Japanese film “Ran”, based on King Lear … which should be amazing … I mentioned that back in April under my Blog Sandwich Update 6 …

Cordelia – sad she’d have been a tragic heroine … but as a ‘jewel of the sea’ it would be a wonderful name … but I’m delighted the post appealed to you …

@ Jo – I wrote about Shakespeare Unravelled, a new book that has come out, in my Blog Sandwich April 13th post … which was historically extremely interesting. I am definitely not ‘a fundi’ on Shakespeare – hence writing this up – as I could include interesting snippets and they’re here for reference. That Old Vic performance must have been amazing … what did you see?

@ Chrys – thanks so much … Shakespeare’s times can teach us much …

@ Gary – good to see you – and I’m so glad this ‘wondreth collection’ passes muster with you …

@ Jess – that’s a pleasure to know that you’ll be back to look through … I had to include various things – at least they are here for me to go to …

Thanks so much everyone – so glad you enjoyed the post and perhaps will check the links out … have good weekends ... cheers Hilary

Patsy said...

Last time you mentioned Pond pudding I decided to try it. Still haven't got around to that and it'll have to wait a bit longer as I don't think the campervan will be the best place to cook it.

Anonymous said...

Confession: I didn't read this post.

But that's because I just took a tour of your A-Z from 2012 and it didn't disappoint! It was like being back in Europe again. Made me my heart smile and made me miss being able to hop in our car and visit the castles in different countries anytime I wanted. Such wonderful memories. Thank you for letting me bring them to light again. :)

Lynn said...

Golly - so many delightful items in this post! I'll bet Nelson Mandela had just about memorized that book by the time they let him go.

Vallypee said...

What an amazing post, Hilary. So many interesting snippets and even a few diversions too. I didn't know that about Mandela. It somehow fits my image of him that he found solace in Shakespeare. What a remarkable man. I didn't have time to read the whole post, but I loved the part about the 'eco' gardening and the concept of keeping certain plants for the bees! We should be doing more of that now!

Unknown said...

Thanks for this journey, Hilary. I've been unwell and a bit tardy in visiting, sorry about that!

Damyanti

Sherry Ellis said...

Excellent post! I enjoyed reading all these snippets on Shakespeare. I had never seen a photo of the Shakespeare theater - only pencil drawings. It's a nice looking place!

I didn't know about Hermione being part of Shakespeare's works. Certainly J K Rowling was influenced by Shakespeare!

Dianne K. Salerni said...

Verjuice is something I've never heard of.

Shakespeare contributed so many words, phrases, and idioms to the English language, it is astounding.I have to say that this convinces me it w as a single man. I can't imagine a whole group of people with such gifts that they diverted the course of a language. That kind of talent doesn't appear en masse.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Patsy – I do hope you get to give that pond pudding recipe a try … it’s fun to make and tastes delicious. Perhaps not being at home and giving it a try with access to running water etc …

@ Elsie – no worries … it’s another post you can come back to! I’m so glad you enjoyed the Castles A-Z and brought back happy memories of your castle visits in and around Europe.

@ Lynn – wonderful to read your words – yes I too hadn’t realised Mandela had access to Shakespeare in Robben Island prison.

@ Val – that’s great to read. Mandela can still teach us how to exist, and survive, and continue to learn under desperate circumstances – while Shakespeare continues to influence us. The Eco gardening was so good to read – and to note in the post about the companion reminder – that nature always connects us …

@ Damyanti – so good to see you … but take care, look after yourself and get better – your health is important …

@ Sherry – thanks so much … the Shakespeare theatre I show is in Stratford … whereas the line drawings of The Globe are for the London theatre the actors used in the 1500s.

I didn’t know about Hermione and Shakespeare either: she appears as the Queen of Sicily in A Winter’s Tale … it does look as though JK chose Hermione’s name from the Shakespeare connection …

@ Dianne – I didn’t know about verjuice either … but it makes sense – that sour flavour from unripe grapes and crab apples: did add to the taste of foods for cooks of those early days …

Reading “Unravelled Shakespeare” was a really informative read form many points of view …. We’re never going to know –whether he was one man, or whether the works were a combination of authors working together under the banner of the man Shakespeare – who was the glove-maker … yet I really enjoyed the book – it was incredibly informative about history in those days …

Thanks for all your visits – cheers Hilary

Gattina said...

Very nice post ! you got it all ! I have been in Stratford on Avon and saw Shakespeare's house, and everything concerning him when I went on my UK tour 3 years ago !

Jo said...

That first play at The Old Vic was Hamlet. Subsequently saw many more. School outings.

Unknown said...

That is an impressive collection of research. I loved the information on Cervantes--I did not know he was the father of modern literature. But my favorite is the Pond Pudding. Now I want to learn how to make that.

TexWisGirl said...

boiled duck and farts...made better by wine, i'm sure...

baili said...

Dear Lord i found a treasure in your post dear
Best wishes

Cathrina Constantine said...

WOW!!! Hilary, you amaze me!!!!

Keith's Ramblings said...

Entertaining and educational as ever! Your piece about Sussex Pond Pudding took me back to 2008 when I cooked an Olde English meal on St Georges day at my pub in Vines Cross. As well as the pud I made fartes (lamb ones) fidget pie, wet nellie and rumbledethumps! Fun times!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Gattina - I know you've visited Stratford and been to Shakespeare's house - you're lucky ... many haven't had the opportunity ...

@ Jo - Hamlet at The Old Vic must have been a great production ... and that the school offered such outings must have enhanced the experience of Shakespeare.

@ Kathleen - many thanks. Cervantes is an interesting author .. and he is someone I need to know more about, and to read his books.

Pond Pudding - hopefully you'll check out the A-Z post ... and Lee's making thereof - it's linked across.

@ Theresa - probably add wine - would add to the flavour ...

@ Baili - many thanks ... I'm delighted you enjoyed the post ...

@ Cathrina - many thanks ... I just needed to put a whole load of things into the post ... and this is what you got!

@ Keith - well you've really added to the post - now I'm off to look up the other choices: I know fidget pie ... but wet nellie and rumbledethumps ... wonderful descriptive titles ... I hope perhaps you'll elaborate sometime ...


Cheers to you all - now I must check out Keith's suggestions ... have good weeks - tis hot here! Hilary

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi all - re Keith's comment:

Wet Nelly - is a local Liverpool favourite ... a moist version of the Lancashire fruit cake, called a Nelson cake: hence Wet Nelly's name.

Fidget Pie: an autumnal pork pie - with cider, onion, apple and pototo

Lamb Fartes: rissoles ... meat patties

Rumbledethumps: Scottish dish of potato, cabbage and onion ... we used to call it bubble and squeak and it'd have some bacon bits in it ... all fried up!

Well that's brought some thoughts to my mind ... thanks Keith

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

A fabulous A-Z. Gotta love Shakespeare. I've actually been to his birthplace and it's amazing.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Your post completely distracted me from all the things I need to get done today. North Korea figures. It seems I learn something new constantly about Shakespeare and his continuing influence on the world.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Lynda - that's so good to see and to have visited Stratford and got a feel for his birthplace ...

@ Susan - I am sorry - but equally delighted you were hooked! There's an awful lot being written about Shakespeare and his effects on our world ... as experts cogitate about life 400 years ago ...

Susan - I hope you won't be so distracted today?!

Delighted to see the two of you and thank you for the comemnts - cheers Hilary

Susan Scott said...

Hi Hilary, lovely educational post thank you. The Queen all of 90; you're right 400 years ago does not seem that long really - all the world's a stage ... hope this finds you well. All best wishes, Susan.

Rhonda Albom said...

Wow this was a lot of work and a creative Shakespear alphabet. Thanks :)

Nick Wilford said...

What a great A-Z post! You could definitely expand on it for next April. So many films are based on the plays that a lot of people don't realise. I was lucky enough to see the Winter's Tale at the Minack Theatre on holiday when I was a kid - it's a great atmosphere.

Theresa Milstein said...

Wow, what a packed post! This is the A to Z Challenge in a day. I want you to answer the question for H. Was JK Rowling inspired by Shakespeare for Hermione?

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Susan - well I hope it's educational post ... and I'm glad you noted the 90 years of the Queen, and those 400 years ... doesn't seem so far really ...all the world is certainly a stage ...

@ Rhonda - many thanks ... doing it this way makes it relatively easy - and I wanted to put most of it down ...

@ Nick - thanks so much ... I could do lots about Shakespeare. Seeing "As You Like It" at the Minack must have been magical - it's such a gorgeous theatre ... on the cliffs in Cornwall ...

@ Theresa - many thanks - there was so much around I felt a needed to put it into a post ...

Re the "H" - once I saw the name Hermione ... I made an educated guess - that's why I put that item as a rhetorical question ... so, in fact, I've no idea!! Sorry!

Great to see you all and thanks for coming by ... cheers Hilary

dolorah said...

Thats a lot of Shakespear, lol. You're getting good at this alphabet thing. I have THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEAR. Its very big, and I've only read parts of many stories. I need an interpreter :)

Deniz Bevan said...

These are some fascinating notes, Hilary! I didn't know a lot of this, especially about Nelson Mandela's copy of Shakespeare.
Good idea for a blog post too -- if I could collect some of my random titbits of "interesting things/people/etc/" into such posts... There's another project to add to the long-term to do list!

Bish Denham said...

Oh my, Hilary, such a lot of wonderful stuff about Shakespeare and other things. I didn't realize (no surprise) that Cervantes died the day before the Bard. Cervantes is a favorite in this house. My hubby considers Don Quixote his *patron saint.* :)

Christine Rains said...

What an awesome ABC post! I had no idea there was a Hermione in Shakespeare's work. And I especially love the photo of the roses. So pretty. Have a lovely week. :)

Ann Carbine Best said...

Wow! What an incredible post. So much to savor here ... Mandela with Shakespeare in prison. Yes, I can see how the Bard could keep one spirit alive in the darkest of circumstances. And M for movies...this is one that really interests me as I love movies.

This post is a keeper. Thank you!! And ((( ))) from me and Jen. (I'm back on Wordpress. I now understand it better than Blogger, and I wanted to monetize. You can find me there in a few clicks from here :)

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Donna - yes and if I'd read much Shakespeare - there'd be an awful lot more ... I too have the complete works ... and like you I need an interpreter ...

@ Deniz - there was a lot here ... I tried to include most of the 'bits' ... and I didn't know about Mandela and Shakespeare ..

I find these posts really useful to 'shovel and sweep' information up into one of these posts ... and it's surprisingly easy to do - especially if you have loads of paper around on the same subject - all dealt with in one blow. Give it a blow ...

@ Bish - that's great to read you've enjoyed this ... I'd no idea about Cervantes either ... and I must get out my Don Quixote and read it and some more about Cervantes ...

Great to read your hubby considers Don Quixote his "patron saint" ... what fun ...

@ Christine - thank you so much - delighted you enjoyed it. Bearing in mind we're in rose time ... I need to put the garden image in ... and Hermione - I too hadn't realised - I spotted the potential link somewhere and therefore suggested it ...

@ Ann - thank you so much and I hope you'll enjoy reading and looking at the links ... I'd no idea about Mandela with Shakespeare in prison ... I particularly recommend the Z links - they are eye opening ...

Thank you so much - so good to know this post is encouraging us all to learn more about Shakespeare ... cheers Hilary

Karen Lange said...

As wonderful as all this info is, I must admit that it was the "pond pudding" that caught my eye. Can't say that my first impression of the name produced great images in my mind or taste buds, but you cleared it up nicely. (Thank you.:) Thank you for this informative tutorial. I learned much. Have a great weekend!

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

It's one of the sad things about living on a lake in the middle of nowhere. I can't grab a few friends and go see a Shakespearean play. Love your A-Z list, Hilary.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Karen - the pond pudding seems to be a stalwart in my postings - we had such fun with it. Glad you enjoyed the rest of the notations ...

@ Joylene - yes your location is stunning .. but you are rather precluded from visiting theatres - I can see that!

Thanks so much ladies .. lovely to see you - cheers Hilary

Michael Di Gesu said...

Hi, Hilary,

As always another informative and FUN post. Thanks for sharing all the ins and outs on Shakespeare... Yes, he sure has influenced a great many people...

Hope all is well!

Optimistic Existentialist said...

As a lover of Shakespeare, this may be my all-time favorite post of yours :)

Sai Charan said...

Excellent post :) Feels great to have learnt so many new and interesting things from this post on A-Z of Shakespeare :) And yes, I was not aware of all those movies which were based on Shakespeare's works.

Thank you Hilary for such a useful and informative post :)

Cheers,
Sai :)

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

@ Michael - thanks and all well here ... and am delighted you enjoyed the snippets on Shakespeare ... and his writings continue to entertain us and define our history ...

@ Keith - that's great to read ... and wonderful to know - thank you!

@ Sai - good to see you and thank you for coming by to comment ... while I'm delighted to read you feel you learnt something ...

Cheers to you three - Hilary

Fil said...

Fantastic post Hilary - some great facts - it'll be a wonderful source of reference to come back to time and time again.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Thanks Fil - there's so much to write about ... and as you mention by including the links: it makes the references readily available ... delighted you enjoyed my ABCs ... cheers Hilary