Fan fiction is a fascinating genre. Someone writes a book which becomes so beloved that fanatical readers cannot get enough of the characters and the world in which they live. Some of these fanatics start dreaming up new stories and other devoted fanatics gobble up these stories. Truth be told, fan fiction is not particularly well-noted for the quality of the prose or the stories. It is mostly juvenile writing with adolescent plots. A question which I had never pondered ere now is: Who is … [Read more...] about Game of English Thrones
Shakespeare William
The Weight of this Sad Time
Can it get any worse?How long has it been since you asked that question? An hour, a day, a week, a year? Personal tragedy. Family tragedy. Friend tragedy. National tragedy. International tragedy. They pile up at times and you ask if it could possibly get any worse. The Answer: Yes. Yes, it can. Cf. King Lear. Things also just keep getting worse and worse in Shakespeare’s tragedy. Howl, howl, howl, howl! O, you are men of stones:Had I your tongues and eyes I’ld use them soThat heaven’s … [Read more...] about The Weight of this Sad Time
Prospero’s Island
now, ‘t is trueI must be here confined by you,Or sent to Naples.Thus says Prospero, breaking the fourth wall, at the end of The Tempest (by Shakespeare, but you knew that already). Prospero, a magician with an island of his own, decides to forgive all those who wronged him, set everyone free, break his staff and drown his book and reclaim his status as mere human. Lots of interesting things to contemplate there, but for now, let’s just look at this epilogue. The play has ended; everyone … [Read more...] about Prospero’s Island