Tag: william shakespeare

Essay

Has Taylor Swift Actually Read Hamlet? And, If So, Did She Understand It?, Or: The Fate of Ophelia Wasn’t to Be Commodified by a Pop Star (At Least Not Like This)

There’s nothing worse than demeaning a woman with regard to her “comprehension” of something. As if women don’t get enough grief/aren’t already questioned constantly whenever they say anything that a man (or fellow woman) can pounce on as being “wrong.” Just look at the clip of Kurt Loder correcting Jewel about the meaning of “casualty” in her A Night Without Armor poetry book. Or having … Continue reading Has Taylor Swift Actually Read Hamlet? And, If So, Did She Understand It?, Or: The Fate of Ophelia Wasn’t to Be Commodified by a Pop Star (At Least Not Like This)

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Book Review, Criticism

Bad Blood: Intermezzo Explores the Complexities of Brotherly Bonds, Broken or Otherwise

Sally Rooney is no stranger to exploring the complexities of the (monogamous) romantic relationship, but with her fourth novel, Intermezzo, the author challenges herself to explore the even more particular emotional intricacies of the sibling dynamic. Namely, among two brothers, Ivan (the youngest at twenty-two) and Peter (the eldest at thirty-two). The Koubek brothers, if you will. Although normally “estranged” (for all intents and purposes), … Continue reading Bad Blood: Intermezzo Explores the Complexities of Brotherly Bonds, Broken or Otherwise

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Essay

The Literary Nods of 10 Things I Hate About You

Long before Olivia (Sydney Sweeney) and Paula (Brittany O’Grady) from The White Lotus were flaunting their book covers, we had Katarina Stratford (Julia Stiles), the “tempestuous” lead character in 10 Things I Hate About You. And, being that the movie was an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, it’s only fitting that there should be plenty of literary nods throughout. Including the fact that Kat herself is … Continue reading The Literary Nods of 10 Things I Hate About You

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Criticism

Ariana Grande Songs as Shakespeare Plays

As Ariana Grande serves to build on an old lexicon–that of love and love lost–both in pop culture and (before that came along to destroy it) literature, it bears noting that the songs on thank u, next offer certain similar thematic elements to most of William Shakespeare’s plays. He was, after all, the supposed inventor of tragedian love, and the intermingling comedy that comes with it … Continue reading Ariana Grande Songs as Shakespeare Plays

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Criticism

O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou sense of commitment?

Touted as one of the greatest, most tragically romantic stories of all-time, Romeo and Juliet (as it is so often referred to when shortened from The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet) is a tale that people–especially those lusting, body exploratory high schoolers it is assigned to as required reading–frequently seem to ignore is rife with egregiousness on the part of our loverboy hero, Romeo Montague. … Continue reading O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou sense of commitment?

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Criticism

Thunder and Lightning. Enter Three Witches.

Of all the trios of witches depicted throughout history (from Hocus Pocus to Charmed), there has never been a more powerful or more briefly portrayed batch than the Three Witches (or Weird Sisters) of William Shakespeare’s famed and beloved tragedy, Macbeth. Setting the tone for the sinister and dark vibe that pervades the play, these sisters appear in the very first scene of Act One, … Continue reading Thunder and Lightning. Enter Three Witches.

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Criticism

Is It Possible to Have a Love Like The Kind Depicted in Shakespeare’s Plays?

With the death (and supposed birth) anniversary of William Shakespeare upon us, the usual reflection on the beloved bard’s breadth of work comes into “play.” While seemingly every aspect of his work has been scrutinized, the one element people seem to always take at face value is the all-consuming type of love between his characters. Whether this is because the so-called two-dimensionality of the love … Continue reading Is It Possible to Have a Love Like The Kind Depicted in Shakespeare’s Plays?

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