Shakespeare Tag
So PioneerGirl from Tearoom Time blog tagged me with this awesome Shakespeare tag. Now, I feel like I’ve done a lot of the same or similar themed tags or ones where I gave them same answers, but this one, like the fairytale tag is like a breath of fresh air, and the last question is the BEST!
I’m usually too lazy to tag/everyone’s already been tagged, but I will tag others because its so fun.
1. What was the first exposure you ever had to Shakespeare?
Some of the histories in high school as well as some versions made into stories to understand.
2. How many of Shakespeare’s plays have you seen?
In play form: Two, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at our local Shakespeare in the Park, and The Tempest at my college for my college Shakespeare class.
In movie form: The Hollow Crown Henry IV parts one and two and Henry V (still need to watch the rest of the Hollow Crown). Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V and Much Ado About Nothing. I got part of the way (not very far) through the 60’s Romeo and Juliet years ago, still need to go back to that.
3. What is your favorite Shakespeare play?
Much Ado About Nothing.
4. What is your favorite non-Shakespearean play? {musicals are permissible}
The Importance of Being Earnest. Of course.
5. What is an adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s plays that you like? Why?
Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V and Much Ado About Nothing because it’s my Shakespeare play and it’s hilarious.
6. Who is your favorite Shakespearean character?
Benedick and Prince Hal.
7. What is your favorite Shakespeare quote?
Totally forgot to answer this one. I don’t think I had my quote book started when I read Shakespeare, but I might have some on my Pinterest, yes I do! But just tried to verify two good ones . . . and they were wrongly attributed to Shakespeare (figures, the English was too modern).
So I’ll find an Beatrice and Benedick exchange and make sure to verify it (Sparknotes has original and modern side by side, I think I know how I’m reading Hamlet now).
BEATRICE I wonder that you will still be talking, Signor Benedick.
Nobody marks you.
BENEDICK What, my dear Lady Disdain! Are you yet living?
8. If you were in a Shakespearean production which play would you want to be in and which character?
I can’t act and won’t act.
9. Have you read any of Shakespeare’s sonnets, and if so, which is your favorite?
Not a poem person, I’ve read them, had to for school, but didn’t get them.
10. Have you ever written/tried to write a play?
Can’t write and won’t write.
11. Cast one of the big five {Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Richard III, or Much Ado About Nothing} with modern actors from either the stage or the screen.
Much Ado About Nothing. Proceeds to forget every actor and actress ever. Why?!
Ok, as far as I can figure: Don Pedro is older then it goes something like Benedick and then Beatrice, Claudio, and Hero. I feel like I watch a lot of movies that the actors were perfect at their age then, but now they are too old, and then other people are the right age now, so this was hard. I also feel like Don Pedro is hard to cast, all the guys of the proper age have a “type” like the bad guy or the good guy. While honest, open-hearted soldier seems a younger type, but that is him from my memory.
Tom Hiddleston as Benedick. He’s a bit too old, BUT! I want to see him in this role.
Saoirse Ronan or Daisy Ridley as Beatrice. This is a hard pick, I think they’d both be great, and I want to see either with Tom Hiddleston, not just a whole other cast, I’d want to see how they play against him.
Felicity Jones as Hero. I was leaning Lily James, but since I picked Richard Madden, I didn’t want to have Lily, too much matching, too lazy. I also feel like Hero and Claudio are fairly easy to cast, pretty, meek, gullible. Claudio, the boy version pretty boy handsome and easily manipulated.
Claudio. Richard Madden.
Don Pedro. Richard Armitage.
Don Juan. Luke Evans.
I’m tagging
And anyone else who wants to join. I tried to pick people I thought perhaps liked Shakespeare AND tags. So, if that means you, you’re tagged.
13 Comments
moviecriticqueen
Much Ado About Nothing is my favorite, too! Oh, that’s such a great cast! Tom Hiddleson, Richard Madden, Richard Armitage, and Luke Evans!! Any of those girls would do great jobs as well!!
Livia Rose
Thanks, I had to do some research because I took it seriously, such a fun Saturday thing to do.
PioneerGirl
I love your answers! I thought about casting Much Ado About Nothing, but I couldn’t come up with a better cast than the Kenneth Branagh version, which is one of my favorite movies. I really like your casting, I’m very curious to see these actors together now.
I cast Tom Hiddleston as a character younger than he is too, but that’s one of the things about Shakespeare, as we go on I think it just becomes more relevant and translates to different ages, mediums, etc.. The universal narrative.
Thanks for awesomely answering the questions!
Livia Rose
I tend to think of Tom Hiddleston an his, in my opinion, zenith, when he was late 20’s-early 30’s, then I have to remember he’s almost 40!
I know, now I really want to see this happen, particularly the leads together!
Jillian
I like your answer for #8. Fanny Price? 😉 I LOVE Saoirse Ronan as Beatrice!
Livia Rose
Lol, more like Marianne Dashwood, if it can’t be done excellently, it shouldn’t be done at all!
” . . . how spiritless, how tame was Edward’s manner in reading to us last night!”
Jillian
Oh, ha! I was thinking of “I could not act anything if you were to give me the world. No, indeed, I cannot act.” But I like yours. 🙂
Livia Rose
That is true to, but I’m SO not Fanny. Although I respected her a lot more in that section until she almost gives way.
Ivy Spargur
Your cast for Much Ado About Nothing is pretty much similar to mine! I loved all your answers. Last year I did Hamlette’s We Love Shakespeare Week and I managed to get so much insight on Shakespeare from doing it.
Livia Rose
I have to go read your answers now! Is she doing one again this year, I don’t remember if she’s mentioned it or not?
Ivy Spargur
Not that I know of, but it was so much fun last year!
Catherine
Saiorse Ronan would be a great Beatrice! Much ado about Nothing’s my favourite too (of the ones I know) – I think because it feels like a proper rom-com. Thanks for the tag!
Livia Rose
Yeah, I think so, I’d LOVE to see her against Tom Hiddleston.