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Samuel Middiman engraving of Act Three, Scene Three Picture sourceScene i is very short, but packed with stylistic foreshadowing of things to come in addition to basic information of things that have happened offstage. The two lords sent to the Oracle in Act II Scene i have returned. Cleomenes and Dion describe their visit to […]
Mrs. Siddons as Hermione at Drury Lane, 1802Act II’s power comes from three sources: Leontes’ further descent into paranoia and madness, his rule sliding into tyranny, Hermione’s calm submission to her fate, certain that the truth will be revealed and absolve her of any wrongdoing, and Paulina’s role as the lone voice of reason, calling […]
Ian McKellen as Leontes Picture source Scene i consists of two nobles, one each from Bohemia (Archidamus) and Sicilia (Camillo), providing the foreground of where the action currently lies. The long-standing friendship of their two kings, dating back to their childhood, is established as well as the young prince Mamillius’ promise as heir to the […]
John Gielgud as Leontes Picture source Text of the play The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (MIT) Project Gutenberg MaximumEdge.com has a useful search feature Links about the play Wikipedia’s entry on the play “Retelling the Tale” by Gideon Lester at the American Repertory Theatre site—a performance history Notes on the […]
The Periodic Table consists of 21 short pieces, each titled with an element from the periodic table. The pieces include personal and family stories of Primo Levi as well as fictional tales while the relationship to the title element ranges from peripheral to central. More than anything else, the book gives insight to Levi’s composition […]
While I had The Periodic Table on my list to re-read soon, I was surprised when a co-worker recommended it. It was such a coincidence, I thought now was a good time to approach it again after more than 20 years. Originally published in 1975, my first encounter with it was when it was translated […]
All of the posts related to The Relic are listed below, and I’ll repeat the closing of the last post: The Relic combines comedy, romance, and satire in a bawdy picaresque tale. Even with all the spoilers in these posts, I highly recommend this unique work and author. It is a true pleasure to read […]
The last two chapters return us to Teodorico’s waking life, following him home from the Holy Lands. After being carried back in time, Teodorico finds that he is indifferent and weary of the shrines and sights. The languor of soul is serious: “I did not even feel interested in the pretty Jewish girls” of Nazareth. […]
And now for something completely different… After enjoying the women and champagne at the end of Chapter 2, Teodorico is transported by dream back to the first century AD. Following Topsius on a whirlwind trip to Jerusalem, we are given a detailed view of the city and temple as it might have appeared at the […]