I was surprised how easily and pleasantly this first act read, and, on rereading, I find it thoroughly charming and clever. The Bastard has stolen act one, with continuous wit.
“Well sir, by this you cannot get my land:
Your tale must be how he employed my mother.”
WWMPD - that is what would Monty Python Do - with this. What do you think?
King John Act 1: #Shakespearereadalong
Graywacke Apologies for the later post. Slept in a bit this morning. 2d
Graywacke @vlwelser @batsy @Lcsmcat @TheBookHippie @Daisey @Riveted_Reader_Melissa @LitStephanie @Melismatic @mollyrotondo @jewright @CoffeeNBooks @erzascarletbookgasm @Liz_M @vlwelser @saresmoore @Mtroiano @catebutler 2d
GingerAntics I enjoyed the little bit of family drama. It was almost like a Shakespearean soap opera. 2d
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Lcsmcat This seems like another one that would be great stages. I can just picture the Bastard mugging to the audience at the end of this act. 2d
vlwelser Monty Python would nail this. Totally. But it's amusing in its own right. 2d
merelybookish It felt good to be back in Shakespeare's hands! Lots of fun word play and juicy speeches. But quite a short act (and what looks like a short play). 2d
TheBookHippie I love the word play and I think watching this on stage would be a lot of fun! 2d
TheBookHippie @GingerAntics I agree!! I am really liking it! 2d
Graywacke @GingerAntics Shakespearean soap opera…😂 It‘s maybe a good fit for this whole play. 2d
Graywacke @Lcsmcat i think the Bastard would be a lot of fun to play. This would be fun on stage. Anything available online? 2d
Graywacke @vlwelser I kept thinking of the mom in Life if Brian… and the scene where Brian tells the Roman ruler his dad was a Roman named Rudus Maximus. 2d
Lcsmcat @Graywacke I haven‘t looked yet. My NYC kids were here all week so I was a bit distracted. But if I find a good one I‘ll post a link. (edited) 2d
Graywacke @merelybookish This is quite different from H8. I‘m down with short. 2d
GingerAntics @Graywacke 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 here‘s hoping 2d
Graywacke @TheBookHippie Glad we‘re all enjoying. And the word play is continuously good fun (when I can understand it) 2d
GingerAntics @TheBookHippie same! This would make a brilliant stage production! 2d
Graywacke @Lcsmcat enjoy your kids! 2d
Graywacke @GingerAntics 🧼 opera KJ 2d
Lcsmcat @Graywacke I did! They‘re on the train home now 🙁 but we hadn‘t seen them since the pandemic started, and it was a wonderful week. 2d
GingerAntics @Graywacke I don‘t know if I can see Shakespeare as an opera, but then he wasn‘t really known for his music. 2d
jewright I will be running late this week. We‘re at Disney! 2d
batsy I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the first act. It being brief helped! 😆 The bastard is quite the character. He had some great lines and a charismatic actor would totally bring him alive. 2d
Graywacke @jewright enjoy! 1d
Graywacke @batsy i was surprised too. Act 2 is a little more “work”. 1d
LitStephanie @Graywacke totally agree this first act was easy to read and witty. The Bastard is so funny, and I loved how the play gets right into the plot with no preamble. 1d
LitStephanie I think it is interesting we have the humorous bastard story alongside the questions about the legitimacy of King John's own title. 1d
Graywacke @LitStephanie I think there is a wink there. The Signet intro suggests Arthur, John and Philip (Richard/Bastard) have spread between them the attributes of a king - so each is a sort of representative on an aspect of a good king. 24h
LitStephanie @Graywacke ooh, that is an intriguing idea! 23h
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