My AP English teacher in high school used to give us extra credit for quoting lines, so I was just thinking about how many of them I could remember from so long ago. Not very many!
To be, or not to be That is the question Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune Or by opposing end them.
ETA - and I even forgot part of this one! Checking it after the fact, Wiki says
To be or not to be-that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And, by opposing, end them.
Post by sassypants on May 17, 2016 10:34:13 GMT -5
When I was inducted into my university's chapter of Alpha Psi Omega (Theatre honor society), one of the requirements was to be able to spout off 12 lines of Shakespeare (my choice). Here are mine:
Double double, toil and trouble Fire burn, and cauldron bubble Fillet of a fenny snake In the cauldron, boil and bake Eye of newt, and toe of frog Wool of bat, and tongue of dog Adder's fork, and blindworm's sting Lizard's leg, and owlet's wing For a charm of powerful trouble Like a hellbroth, boil and bubble Double double, toil and trouble Fire burn, and cauldron bubble
I used to have this one down pat, but it's been many a year since I was in As You Like It:
All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms. Then, the whining school-boy with his satchel And shining morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school. And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then, a soldier, Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honour, sudden, and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon's mouth. And then, the justice, In fair round belly, with a good capon lined, With eyes severe, and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws, and modern instances, And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slippered pantaloon, With spectacles on nose and pouch on side, His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness and mere oblivion, Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.
Sort of, like, I have a few of my favorite quotes memorized, but they are all pretty short (and I'm sure my punctuation is wrong here).
Here is what I could come up with off the cuff just now: A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse.
Like flies to wanton boys we are to the gods. They kill us for their sport.
Lord what fools these mortals be.
sassypants, the first is Romeo and Juliet, and the third is Midsummer Night's dream. I didn't know the other two so I looked them up, and I haven't actually seen either of them in the theater (which is where I see most of my Shakespeare). I've seen a movie version of one of them (and not the more iconic of the two).
Sort of, like, I have a few of my favorite quotes memorized, but they are all pretty short (and I'm sure my punctuation is wrong here).
Here is what I could come up with off the cuff just now: A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse.
Like flies to wanton boys we are to the gods. They kill us for their sport.
Lord what fools these mortals be.
sassypants , the first is Romeo and Juliet, and the third is Midsummer Night's dream. I didn't know the other two so I looked them up, and I haven't actually seen either of them in the theater (which is where I see most of my Shakespeare). I've seen a movie version of one of them (and not the more iconic of the two).
I saw the Scottish play ages ago, and would dearly love to be in it some day! I've yet to see a stage version of Much Ado, but again, I'd die happy to play Beatrice. That's my favorite line from the play. I used that scene in acting class in college because it's just so awesome (although I clearly cannot remember any more of her rant anymore).
Not really. I mean, I know the famous lines like "Eh tu, Brute?" but Shakespeare was not my favorite in school. I didn't go out of my way to read his works.
1. But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the Sun Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon... Romeo and Juliet
2. Is this a dagger which I see before me The handle toward my hand Come! Let me clutch thee I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. ...I have no idea. Hamlet?
3. If we shadows have offended Think but this, and all is mended That you have but slumbered here While these visions did appear... A Midsummer Night's Dream
4. Oh God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the marketplace! Much Ado About Nothing
I didn't look any of these up, so you can grade me if you'd like.
Sort of, like, I have a few of my favorite quotes memorized, but they are all pretty short (and I'm sure my punctuation is wrong here).
Here is what I could come up with off the cuff just now: A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse.
Like flies to wanton boys we are to the gods. They kill us for their sport.
Lord what fools these mortals be.
sassypants , the first is Romeo and Juliet, and the third is Midsummer Night's dream. I didn't know the other two so I looked them up, and I haven't actually seen either of them in the theater (which is where I see most of my Shakespeare). I've seen a movie version of one of them (and not the more iconic of the two).
I didn't even see that you had answered before I posted below, but at least we agree on two!
I think your 4th one ("Lord what fools these mortals be") is also A Midsummer Night's Dream.
I'm wracking my brain trying to remember Henry V's speech at Agincourt but all I can picture is Aragorn's sort of adaptation in the movie version of LOTR.
Sort of, like, I have a few of my favorite quotes memorized, but they are all pretty short (and I'm sure my punctuation is wrong here).
Here is what I could come up with off the cuff just now: A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse.
Like flies to wanton boys we are to the gods. They kill us for their sport.
Lord what fools these mortals be.
sassypants , the first is Romeo and Juliet, and the third is Midsummer Night's dream. I didn't know the other two so I looked them up, and I haven't actually seen either of them in the theater (which is where I see most of my Shakespeare). I've seen a movie version of one of them (and not the more iconic of the two).
I didn't even see that you had answered before I posted below, but at least we agree on two!
I think your 4th one ("Lord what fools these mortals be") is also A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Yup, that last one is also Midsummer Night's Dream.
I've seen it twice at the Oregon Shakespeare festival in Ashland, OR - once in college and once a couple of years ago. The production in college was for a course where we would read a play, see a play, and then write a paper that we handed in the day we did the in-class discussion. In Ashland they always kind of do a twist on the setting, very rarely is it super traditional, and they basically just did that production on an empty stage.
Anyway, this old lady was taking the class too, and she was furious (furious!!) there were no bushes or trees in the set design. It just wasn't right! LOL! Never mind the fact they had done some of the most seriously amazing lighting I have ever seen, in any production of anything, to set the forest. Like, my mind is still kind of blown at how they accomplished this etherealness with only lights and gels. It was amazing.
Not really. I mean, I know the famous lines like "Eh tu, Brute?" but Shakespeare was not my favorite in school. I didn't go out of my way to read his works.
You're not really supposed to read Shakespeare though, you are supposed to see it. I think that's why I love it so much, because in school we always read the plays out loud with different students playing the different roles, followed by a field trip to go see the production of the play we'd just read. You get a much better sense of the humor and history that way.
But they can definitely be hard to follow at times. We go see Shakespeare in the park every summer, and I always read the wiki before we go because it helps me follow along better when I already have a grasp of the plot before trying to interpret the language and quirky puns/double entendres.
Not really. I mean, I know the famous lines like "Eh tu, Brute?" but Shakespeare was not my favorite in school. I didn't go out of my way to read his works.
You're not really supposed to read Shakespeare though, you are supposed to see it. I think that's why I love it so much, because in school we always read the plays out loud with different students playing the different roles, followed by a field trip to go see the production of the play we'd just read. You get a much better sense of the humor and history that way.
But they can definitely be hard to follow at times. We go see Shakespeare in the park every summer, and I always read the wiki before we go because it helps me follow along better when I already have a grasp of the plot before trying to interpret the language and quirky puns/double entendres.
That's so much better than how we did it! We read it at home, took a test on it, and moved on. I can fully appreciate how seeing it would give it much more meaning.
1. But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the Sun Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon... Romeo and Juliet
2. Is this a dagger which I see before me The handle toward my hand Come! Let me clutch thee I have thee not, and yet I see thee still. ...I have no idea. Hamlet?
3. If we shadows have offended Think but this, and all is mended That you have but slumbered here While these visions did appear... A Midsummer Night's Dream
4. Oh God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the marketplace! Much Ado About Nothing
I didn't look any of these up, so you can grade me if you'd like.
Post by rainbowchip on May 17, 2016 14:13:18 GMT -5
When we read Romeo and Juliet in HS, we had to memorize and recite the balcony scene in front of class. I could probably still do it if I thought about it hard enough. That was 1998.
Post by dorothyinAus on May 17, 2016 18:08:38 GMT -5
Not really. I know the famous lines, and I know that Shakespeare's section in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations is actually larger than the section of quotes from The Bible. And I know most people get the lines wrong when they quote them. But I never bothered to memorize any quotes in particular.
Post by labellabarv on May 17, 2016 20:42:04 GMT -5
I have most of A Midsummer Night's Dream memorized...I did play Helena once though so I guess I cheat. "Call you me fair, that fair again unsay... Demetrius loves your fair. Oh happy fair...." It's by far my favorite Shakespeare. I had to do a script analysis once on King Lear as well and used to know quite a few lines from there...but have forgotten most of this. Then there's romeo and Juliet balcony scene: "Romeo, romeo where for art thy romeo? deny thy father and refuse thy name. tis thy name that is the enemy. what's in a name? for that which we call a rose would smell as sweet..." something along those lines it's been a while.
I have most of A Midsummer Night's Dream memorized...I did play Helena once though so I guess I cheat. "Call you me fair, that fair again unsay... Demetrius loves your fair. Oh happy fair...." It's by far my favorite Shakespeare. I had to do a script analysis once on King Lear as well and used to know quite a few lines from there...but have forgotten most of this. Then there's romeo and Juliet balcony scene: "Romeo, romeo where for art thy romeo? deny thy father and refuse thy name. tis thy name that is the enemy. what's in a name? for that which we call a rose would smell as sweet..." something along those lines it's been a while.
We acted out A Midsummer Night's Dream for a class in junior high, but I don't remember any of my lines. Still love that one. Second only to Much Ado About Nothing in my mind.
Not really. I know the famous lines, and I know that Shakespeare's section in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations is actually larger than the section of quotes from The Bible. And I know most people get the lines wrong when they quote them. But I never bothered to memorize any quotes in particular.
Not really. I know the famous lines, and I know that Shakespeare's section in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations is actually larger than the section of quotes from The Bible. And I know most people get the lines wrong when they quote them. But I never bothered to memorize any quotes in particular.
As evidenced by my own 2nd quote in this thread.
I wasn't meaning to single out anyone in particular.
I was actually thinking of the "lay on MacDuff" quote that most people get wrong.
I love Shakespeare, but I can't quote him like you guys. I know a few of the more famous quotes off hand, like the beginning of the "To be or not to be" monologue, and that sort of thing.
But like c7, I'm better at quoting lines from Hamilton.
Post by sassypants on May 18, 2016 16:36:26 GMT -5
My friend just had "And though she be but little, she is fierce" tattooed on her arm. It makes me giggle, because she's quite tall (5'8" or so), but she's very thin, so there's that.